(Album Briefs) Listen up by Andrew Shilling, Staff Writer
Cold War Kids “Behave Yourself” EP
Released: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010
It has been a couple years since the Cold War Kids fall 2008 release of “Loyalty to Loyalty.” The band’s new four-song EP, “Behave Yourself,” has promising new sounds that spark interest for what might be in store for a new album in the near future.
Grade: B+
Download (don’t steal): “Audience” by Cold War Kids
DJ Williams Projekt “Eleven”
Released: Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010
If you’ve seen the DJ Williams Projekt at any of their free shows over the past year, the smooth driving funky guitar and raw horns on their new album, “Eleven,” will ring with some familiarity. Today, the band is at the top of the Richmond music scene and tighter than ever. Although the new release is a bit pricy, it will make a solid addition to anyone’s travel case.
Grade: B
Download (don’t steal): “Take Off Yo Pants” by DJ Williams Projekt
RJD2 “The Colossus”
Released: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010
Ramble John Krohn, aka RJD2, who’s changed the face of underground hip-hop over the past decade, has begun to transform the face of his own career by producing his first album under his new label, RJ’s Electrical Connections. Since 2001, his trip-pop mixes and masterwork hip-hop tracks have left his fans aching for more. “The Colossus” is a breath of fresh air that includes some experimental RJD2 horns and drum track sampling. Phonte Coleman and Aaron Livingston throw down in the mix.
Grade: B+
Download (don’t steal): “The Shining Path” by RJD2
