Music: Owl City

Ever heard of Owl City? No, me neither. Until a friend pointed me in his direction. I am hooked.

Owl City consists of Adam Young, a 23 year old whose music comes to us straight from his parent's basement in Minnesota. A Myspace success, Young claims to make his music purely to combat his insomnia.

His newest album is called Ocean Eyes and it is a glorious blend of synthpop, electronica and new wave. It's like listening to a slightly less polished version of The Postal Service, or an American Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly. Young has also collaborated with pop-punk band Relient K's frontman, Matthew Thiessen on several tracks. So, Owl City belongs to a noble heritage of electronic mixing salt shaker percussion effects. However, the album is pleasantly uplifting and doesn't once get boring. The Saltwater Room is a sweet duet featuring Breanne Duren, whose voice seems perfectly made for this style of music and who may actually be a robot. A beautiful robot.
Dental Care is a crazy, tongue-in-cheek tune which sings the praises of a thoroughly cheerful trip to the dentist. Why not? After all, dentists deserve their air-time, too. Fireflies is Owl City's most successful track to date (peaking at 7 on the US charts) and dips its finger in the stylings of electro, punk and pop at its absolute best.

The lyrics are childlike in their simplicity, mimicking the music, yet the themes of the album evoke awe and wonder in the simplest and most common things of life. It's hopeful, cute and not at all hokey. Who knew words like 'warm', 'fuzzy' and 'hugs' could be taken seriously in a pop song?

Look out for Owl City in the future (he has just been signed by Universal Republic) and also keep your eyes and ears open for Goodbye Dubai, a hinted side-project with Matt Thiessen. Exciting days.

My Rating: *** 3 stars
Recommendation: If you like electro, you'll enjoy this. It's cute. Happy, and cute.
Website: www.myspace.com/owlcity

Music: Mocean Worker

So, here's my salute *salutes* to Mocean Worker aka MoWo aka Adam Dorn.

Yes. This man is a one-stop jazz-funk-swing-electronica-triphop-dance madman and I love him!

To date, MoWo has released 4 full albums, of which his best are Cinco de MoWo! and Enter the MoWo! It is impossible to hear this music and not be carried by a massive impulse straight to the nearest dance floor/empty room/field/car park for a good old dance. And it's also bloody good driving music, too. Although, watch your speedo!

Let's start with probably MoWo's most well known track, Tres Tres Chic. The single appeared on the hit film The Devil Wears Prada which featured Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. With a cast lke that, it needed a stellar soundtrack to match, and with MoWo, that is what you get. The track encorporates a little funk, jazz and still retains a very contemporary electronic style. It's an easy song to listen to and doesn't invade your ear drums and yet, with neat little piano and electric organ samples dotted throughout the mock-French lyrics, you cannot help but listen to it.

Cinco de MoWo! moves away from the very relaxed to the uptempo electronic dance sampling of Chicka Boom Boom, Shake ya Boogie and Right Now. These tracks are all stand out dancey tunes that you have to move your feet to. They each take samples from bossa nova beats, crackly jazz records and sensational saxohphone and trumpet licks. And each track also lays down a heavy beat that bumps in your car or on your stereo. I honestly just have to get up and move.

Recent work has been more on the modern dance side of the fence, but still holds on to those crackly 50s jazz recording samples. It seems that MoWo is reaching out to a more continental audience with his latest stuff, but don't abandon the old for the new. This guy is seriously talented. He makes solid gold, likeable, danceable tunes. You should definately head on over to his website right now and watch the video for Shake Ya Boogie. You won't be disappointed. Enter the MoWo!

Website: www.moceanworker.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/mowomoceanworker
LastFm: http://www.last.fm/music/Mocean+Worker