Listen up all you Linfield Review readers, you. You are strong in mind and soul. So keep that up. But I’d like to take this opportunity to urge you to support two other members of the Underappreciated Aspects of Easily Attainable and Completely Affordable Entertainment Crew (UAEACAEC for short).
The first, of course, is KSLC. Radio is a dying breed and commercial-free radio is the “dyingest” of all. But here at 90.3 FM, we few, we happy few, we band of college kids, we are doing what we can to bring you quality entertainment and information right here at Linfield. Every hour of the day. And guess what — it’s free and we provide you with good, new music, which leads me to the second member and the subject of today’s music review.
The Hundred In The Hands is a dark, disco-house duet from New York composed of the groovy Jason Friedman (guitar, bass and programing) and the lovely Eleanore Everdell (vocals, keys and synth). The self-titled, debut album, released late September on indie English label Warp Records, is a fresh breath of crisp autumn air that is just in time for the coming months of Northwest overcastness.
It’s opening track, “Young Aren’t Young,” lulls us in with cool acid chimes and thumping funk bass which set the stage perfectly for the song that unfolds. The track sounds like a sort of hip, flashy, sexy, nighttime Cadillac commercial. Only the Caddy is the song and the neon nighttime streets are your arteries, carrying The Hundred In The Hands’ infectious music all the way into that special place in your heart.
Rather than losing themselves in the inconsequential repetitions of modern ambient beats and techno break-downs, the duo draws upon their expansive talents and influences (which span all the way from New Order and The Cure to De La Soul and Black Star, including french house music, dub, disco and post punk) and bring together a myriad of sounds and styles to give us a darn good album.
Highlights include “Pigeon,” an anthem for late-nighters that is a perfect song to kick off a Friday night or to cap off a 4:30 a.m.-Sunday-morning-that-still-somehow-qualifies-as-a-Saturday night. “Commotion” and “Gold Blood” also stand out.
Lowlights are few, and are limited to only “Killing It,” a song that feels like it’s the three and a half minute outro to a song that we didn’t hear, and to “This Day Made,” which talks about zombies and vampires for a while, something that I thought went out of fashion during the 90s.
I eagerly await the subsequent releases from this duo as I am excited to see where they go and how they improve and mature.
Now, how is this underappreciated aspect of entertainment both easily attainable and completely affordable? They will be playing in Portland at The Woods. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.
Make sure to tune in to KSLC 90.3 FM to hear The Hundred in the Hands.
Philip Yovetich/KSLC 90.3 FM
Philip Yovetich can be reached at [email protected].
