Latest Review: Magic Lantern – High Beams

Long Beach’s Magic Lantern have finally gone and released a new sonic document after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Eagerly anticipated by those who have been biding their time waiting for the band to get on with their uber limited cassette only and CD-R releases (their Self-Titled CD-R was limited to 30), “High Beams”, the band’s latest opus [...]

Hecuba record release show tonight at The Echo

Hecuba by Anna Webber

Paradise, the new album from Los Angeles’ Hecuba is some way out there next level shit.

I’m not going to claim that I totally get all of it, and to be honest, some of it flies right over my head, but that hasn’t stopped me from being utterly intrigued by Isabelle Albuquerque and Jon Beasley. So called “Visual Music”, Albuquerque’s lyrics are often narrative and delivered in an almost a stream of consciousness manner, while being backed by instruments resembling real world sounds -on “Miles Away”, a group of flutes becomes an ambulance siren- together painting vivid and vibrant aural pictures.

Now it’s not all “art school” here, Albuquerque and Beasley dabble in orchestral pop and 50’s crooner electro-bop techno doo-wop on tracks like “Extra Connection”, “The Magic” and “Suffering”. Paradise mixes it up enough that it is just as at home with Kanye West, Andre 3000 and Roisin Murphy as it is with Herbert, Lucky Dragons and Arthur Russell.

MP3: Hecuba – Miles Away

For tonight’s local record release show at The Echo, Hecuba will be transformed from a duo into a 6-piece with members of LA Fog accompanying on flute and sax. And even though tonight’s show is dubbed a record release show, Paradise doesn’t come out nationally until May 26th on Manimal Vinyl.

Wednesday, April 22nd: Hecuba featuring members of LA Fog w/Rainbow Arabia and Lucky Dragons @ The Echo (1822 Sunset Blvd) 8:30pm | $8 | 18+