ON ROTATION

The Decemberists, The King Is Dead
The Decemberists are back!! After the very ambitious rock opera-like The Hazards Of Love, The Decemberists have stripped their sound back down and set sail on a new musical direction. The King Is Dead, rooted in a kind of folk-rock Americana, stays away from the grand story telling that was seen on The Decemberists' last few albums. Each song here is allowed to stand on its own, yet collectively they deliver a rich and near perfect album. I know that it is early in the year, but I expect to see this album on my list of top albums for 2011.


Empresarios, Sabor Tropical

This album is just down right cool. Grooving to a mix of cumbia (a form of traditional Latin American dance music), reggaeton, dub, and house music, Empresarios have released an impressive debut album. The layering of sounds, beats, and rhythms of traditional instruments and electronics is flawless here. I found myself moving to these songs the first time I played this album. Yet, what really moved me was the shock that I got when I learned that Empresarios hail from Washington DC. Just goes to show that great music can come from the most unlikely of places.
Cumbia             

Sabor Tropical