Denny Denny Breakfast "Glass in Everyone's Tongue"

Listen to/download Glass in Everyone's Tongue

Speaking of music that's nearly impossible to describe...may I present to you Denny Denny Breakfast. Here are the 3 things I know about this guy: his real name is Bob Ladue, he resides in Oakland, and his music is nothing short of mind-blowing.

DDB's newest sonic offering, Glass in Everyone's Tongue, spans so many different genres over the course of even just one song that it makes for a pleasantly disorienting listening experience. Synth basses squelch, programmed drums skitter between headphone channels, and acoustic guitars sparkle through the relative chaos like sunbeams from behind storm clouds.

The most accurate classification I can conjure is "experimental electronic progressive pop", with an emphasis on "progressive". No, not progressive like "prog rock", though there are plenty of twists and turns to be found here. This is progressive in that...well, I've never heard anything like it before. Nothing. Ever.

This is an album that doesn't sit still for more than a minute, yet somehow has a patience and cohesiveness that is usually unheard of in this sort of approach. This album WILL throw you for a loop. Several loops. It is impossible to predict where the music will go next, unless you've listened to the entire thing several times through. Even then, not so much...I'm on my fourth or fifth listen, and I'm still frequently surprised when I hear a short passage I'd completely forgotten about. And unlike many other "indie" bands, where the sum is often far more impressive than the individual parts, it's fairly obvious that Denny/Bob is a very accomplished guitarist and singer...and composer...and producer...and, and, and...

Glass in Everyone's Tongue is certainly a DENSE album, but never feels crowded or claustrophobic. It's a wonder Denny Denny Breakfast is able to pull off so many musical contradictions so well, and that should be a testimony to his brilliant songwriting and arranging.

I really can't recommend this album enough. This is easily one of my favorite albums I've heard in 2010. It's a wonder this guy isn't more well known that he is. This is Album of the Year good, folks. It's only a matter of time before this guy is on the front page of Pitchfork.com (I'd say Rolling Stone, but really, who reads magazines anymore? LOLZERZ). Did I mention this album is FREE? That is both a blessing and an absolute shame.

My ONE complaint about this spectacular album is that I can never again listen to it for the first time. YOU, however, still have the opportunity. Don't squander it. -Matt

Antioquia "My Piano Ate the Front Page of the San Francisco Chronicle"

Download My Piano Ate the Front Page of the San Francisco Chronicle

It's not every day one discovers an album this solid and unique by complete accident, but that's pretty much what happened to me late one night whilst sleeplessly browsing Bandcamp's list of California artists. Intrigued by its lengthy title, I decided to give Antioquia's album a spin (hmm...in the age of digital distribution, is that term even appropriate anymore?).

However, this album may not be for everyone. First of all, it's pretty long (clocking in at just over 76 minutes). Secondly, with songs about the inherent evil and greedy nature of the human species ("Humans Do") and how "The Oakland police budget consumes 43% of the city's general funds" (actual lyrics, "Police Brutality"), Antioqia make no qualms about wearing their sociopolitical badges on their sleeves. In this way, they seem right at home in the Bay Area.

However, the message (however important it may be) is never heavy-handed and never gets in the way of the music, which is EXACTLY what reeled me in here. MPAtFPotSFC is, in short, a whole lot of fun to listen to. The eclectic instrumentation straddles the lines between indie/experimental, Afro beat and jam rock. On many of these tracks, guitars, bass, piano, and percussion join forces in such a way to provide an angular-yet-funky backdrop for singer "Mana" Maddy Streicek's impassioned, soulful wails.

With music so exciting and loose, it's apparent that Antioquia is best experienced shoes off, dancing in the grass at an outdoor summer music festival. I felt strangely out of place, listening to this album on my shitty laptop, sitting alone in my uncomfortably humid bedroom. I kept considering pausing iTunes and relocating myself and my laptop into my back yard and smoking a bowl (using solar beams via magnifying lens, naturally). Perhaps I still will. - Matt

Listen to "High-End Logistics"