Monday's are Heavy Sometimes

Man, I'll own up to this right here and now, I'm a big Thievery fan. I have been since I was introduced to the magic that Rob Garza and Eric Hilton produce during college, through the Dubbed Out in DC compilation. I basically got hooked by the neo-lounge plus dub reggae plus hip-hop-beats sound they were putting out, and did a pretty good job of buying up a sizable amount of their catalogue, and a lot of the other artists on their label, ESL (Eighteenth Street Lounge).

From their first full-length, Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi (from 1996) they've continued to find new ways to showcase their sound, combining their influences and coming up with fresh takes on (mostly) downtempo electronic music. Their 2000 album, The Mirror Conspiracy is nearly perfect and has stood as my favorite release of theirs, that was until I got The Cosmic Game. The album has some really solid collaborations, including the Flaming Lips and Perry Farrell, and runs the gamut of their musical styles through its sixteen cuts.

I am, and always have been, a big fan of the Thievery's electronic sound, but their take on reggae and dub has always been a special favorite of mine - this cut, featuring Sista Pat on vocals, is probably their best distillation of reggae to date, with a really catchy melody and classic use of effects. Highly Reccomended.

The album comes out in a couple weeks, so as of the 22nd, you'll be able to buy it here.

If you're interested in seeing these cats do their DJ thing, which I'm told is pretty solid, they're playing out on 2/19 - Regency in San Francisco, 2/22 at The Vanguard, in Los Angeles, and 2/24 - Hero Ballroom @ Maritime Hotel, in New York.