The new 2011 sampler from Lujo Records is pretty outstanding. The overall impression is one of purposeful eclecticity, which is a word I just made up. There is a definite shape to the sampler, and I’m proud of them for putting the more genre-bashing electro stuff first.
Tracks one and two come from Bluebrain and John LaMonica, respectively, and feature the coolest beats.
The third track comes from A Lull and has the best overall sound. If you ask me, this is the band to keep an eye on. Their debut album “Confetti” drops April 12 (their video for “Weapons For War” is at the bottom of this entry).
In a very close second comes “Trampolines” by Yourself and the Air, which many people probably prefer over the A Lull track. It has stronger and more discernible lyrics, but I personally prefer head-bobbin to indie. That’s just me though.
Next comes Enlou with the track “Amphibians”, which is the last of the truly strong tracks on this sampler. After this Lujo takes you through a few sine waves of fun, going super-ironic with The Torches and Baby Teeth, then out with some raw rock/strummy stuff that holds its own in authenticity. Favorite moment of the second half is probably the first third-ish of “When You Were Young” from Discover America, though I feel the song drops off in quality after the first chorus comes in.
All in all some really exciting stuff, Lujo Records! Looking forward to more.
