Summer is Here

Song: Summer is Here
Artist: General Elektriks
Album: Parker Street






I've been digging this odd little record from General Elektriks, a Berkley, CA by way of Paris (as well as S.F. and temporarily Seattle) outfit created by Herve 'RV' Salters.  It's the third record he's released under the General Elekriks name.  The man has done a lot of production work for other artists from Blackalicious to Lyrics Born, as well as forming the three-piece Honeycut in San Francisco, who have produced two records.

"Parker Street" was written and recorded in just four months earlier this year.  It's sound is a mix of lite-funk, jazz, old school pop and a bit of hip hop, it's got a big 70's vibe to it... and I hear influences from Elton John to Steely Dan, and yet has a modern sensibility to it.  Oddly, I'm reminded of the Scissor Sisters "Ta-Dah" and Mika's two records... though it doesn't really sound like either of them.  (??)  The result is as if Leo Sayer went into the future to make an album of modern jazz.  Again... (??)

I'm obviously not doing a very good job on this one... you'll just have to take a listen.  I really dig the groovy single "Summer is Here" (despite, as we found out this weekend in the Northeast US, that is far from that.)  I also like opening track "The Spark" as well as "The Genius and the Gangster," but it's a pretty solid record from start to finish.  Give it a shot.

Enjoy.

Summer is Here

The Spark

The Genius and the Gangster