FoundTrack's Fall '08 Collection (Track 9/20) - Jail Weddings - The Spell Has Lifted

Jail Weddings - The Spell Has Lifted (Track 9/20)
Album - "The Spell Has Lifted" / "People Like Us (Are Extinct)"
Label - Albino Crow
http://www.myspace.com/jailweddings
Photo by Lauren Everett

Swampy, doo-wop artists Jail Weddings is a ten-piece ensemble hailing from Los Angeles. In addition to ex-Starvations and Fortune's Flesh frontman Gabriel Hart, the lengthy roster features two female vocalists, Tornado Jane and Katya Nadia Hubiak, as well as members on violin, piano, saxophone. Their swirling melodies result from a lavish approach to equal parts 60's pop, soul, and garage rock with an unmistakable penchant for the dramatic. Hart's lyrics reflect a sense of gravity, recklessness, and portent all at once, translating into a live show that has earned substantial praise from critics and concertgoers alike for its air of heroism as much as its vulnerability. Jail Weddings is currently recording an EP, not to mention their full-length debut, Love is Lawless. But, in case you can't wait any longer to hear more of them, they'll be performing at the echo on Dec. 17 in support of the record release of their highly anticipated "The Spell Has Lifted" single.

FoundTrack's Fall '08 Collection (Track 8/20) - Rodriguez - Sugar Man

Rodriguez - Sugar Man (Track 8/20)
Album - Cold Fact (Sample/Purchase)
Label - Light in the Attic
http://www.myspace.com/rodriguezsugarman


The first time i heard Rodriguez my friend made me stop what i was doing to listen to Cold Fact. The first song was "Sugar Man" and my initial reaction was immediate familiarity. By the end I felt like I was taken through a rite of passage from the 60's pop folk world into a 70's type psychedelic wonderland. I did my best to find more information but the only thing i found was a tribute page built by people in South Africa. It went on to describe how music was extremely popular among white people during the Apartheid. However, his music barely made a ripple in his homeland in the U.S. due to the fact that he recorded his two albums for the Sussex label which went under shortly after his second album. Luckily people in South Africa and Australia bought the rights to the music and have been re-issuing this album since its release. Thanks to Seattle's Light in the Attic Records, 39 years later this album finds a home in America with the company of a renewed and growing audience. If "Sugar Man" makes your ears perk, I highly recommend the rest of the album which features the bass player from the Funk Bros. on multiple tracks. For more info. check out this great feature on NPR and a recent video below, both produced just before the start of his tour through the states with Connie Price and the Keystones as his backing band.



Special Thanks to Reckless Romeo for introducing me to Rodriguez's music and contributing to this feature.

FoundTrack's Fall '08 Collection (Track 7/20) - Obi Best - Nothing Can Come Between Us

Obi Best - Nothing Can Come Between Us (Track 7/20)
Album - Capades (Sample/Purchase)
Label - Social Science
http://www.myspace.com/obibest
Photo by Sarah Creighton


Obi Best are an LA based pop group formed from the pieces of Colorforms. They are led by the sweeping vocals of Alex Lillly, the moonlighting backup singer for the Bird and the Bee, as well as Bram Inscore (Beck) on bass and keys. On their debut full-length, Capades, Obi Best's music contains a 60's retro fabric with analog synths and sophisticated keyboard driven pop in the vein of Stereolab. Recently, Alex and the band were featured on Nic Harcourt's Tuned-In series, a weekly wrap up of the tracks that's catching nic's ears on the KCRW airwaves. Capades is now available digitally but will be in stores early next year. Below is a video for the humorous "It's Because of People Like You", a response to an angry note left on a car door.



Here's a link to the video for our featured "Nothing Can Come Between Us". Obi Best are just about to wrap up a mini-tour in NY but they will be back in LA next week for a show with Princeton at the echo on the 26th. You best be there or else beware of the angry note on your car door ; )