Lotus

Continuing slightly on this musky dance binge, I'm gonna talk about the electronic jam-bandy Lotus today. These dudes have been around for a few minutes now (their first EP Germination was released in 2003) and have gone through some stylistic changes over the past few years. Their first album was much more traditionally jam bandy and melodic. On "Umbilical Moonrise" the sweet guitar work is reminiscent of a Grateful Dead or Allman Brothers improvisation put through a slight electronic filter. By the end of the album they're a little more out there -- "Umbilical Moonrise" becomes "Umbillcal Moonset" and the melodies are abstracted into fast trills, a reverb heavy synth wall of sound behind them, and you start to get that fast dance on. By the end of the track the same riff comes back, although a little more distant, a wave of cymbal roll and electronic dissonance rolling gently over it,

Fastfoward to their latest work: late 2009's "Oil on Glass" and "Feather on Wood." These album titles bring to mind artistic collages, abstract paintings -- and I think that's appropriate. The tracks are collections of sounds, melodies, distortions that are tied together to create a linear flow - Oil being more Ratatat heavy electro sounding, Feather being more alt rock sounding.  Both at their best are something to jam dance out to -- you know, arms spread out, head loose, vaguely staring downwards, body swaying -- I call it the Ben Levine. Tracks "Simian" and "72 Hrs Awake" being the high points, and the hip-hop "Alkaline" remix is also kinda dope.

Personally, I dig the older stuff a little more, but regardless I imagine these guys are great to see live, and for y'all in NYC, you guys can go this week. They're playing two shows at the intimate Mercury Lounge on Thursday and Friday and then Terminal 5 with Daedulus on Saturday night.

Check the site and get details here: http://lotusvibes.com/