RecommNeds | Jungle By Night, Motorpsycho & Night Terrors

You can stream this week’s RecommNeds and previous featured releases through these handy RDIO and Spotify playlists as part of the JamBase channels for each.

Don’t let the names scare you, there’s nothing to be frightened of…

Jungle By Night : The Hunt

Another week, more great music from northern(ish) Europe…this week I’ve got one of the grooviest albums I’ve heard this year from Jungle By Night, a 9-piece collective from Amsterdam. The genre is Afrobeat and they do it as well as you could imagine nine very young, very talented musicians from Amsterdam might. Their new album, The Hunt, is bursting at the seams with super-funky rhythms – bass, drums, percussion, guitars – and hook, line and sinker melodies from a big-sound horn section. There’s a tasty smidgen of a darker, mysterious, brain-teaser sound that is blended perfectly; a late night dance party just waiting to happen. The Hunt is not an album to pass on, I have a strong feeling you’re gonna dig it.

Spotify: Jungle By Night -The Hunt
Rhapsody: Jungle By Night -The Hunt

Motorpsycho : Behind the Sun

OK, sticking with the scary-sounding bands from Europe, we’ve got Motorpsycho from Norway. Although the name (and their roots) might indicate some strain of metal, their latest, Behind the Sun is a very progressive rock sound. While they’re new to me, and maybe/probably to you, they’ve been around for a couple decades with a rather impressive catalog to show for it. These guys were basically White Denim when White Denim was still in short trousers, mixing genres like Southern rock, prog-rock and jazz-excursions in a very satisfying brew. Behind the Sun is full of wonderful songs and heady explorations, the kind of album often lovingly and rightly described as “sprawling.” My only regret is not discovering these guys earlier.

Spotify: Motorpsycho -Behind the Sun
Rhapsody: Motorpsycho -Behind the Sun

The Night Terrors : Spiral Vortex

Alright, maybe you can be a little frightened of The Night Terrors from Melbourne, Australia. We’ve all heard the Theremin used as a subtle effect in music before, but it’s rare to hear it used so effectively as a lead sound. On Spiral Vortex, Miles Brown creates haunted-house grooves, actually kinda jamming out on the Theramin. This is layered on some synth-heavy melodies and dance rhythms to create a mix that’s both ethereal out-there and funky: music for the headphones and the discotheque.

Spotify: The Night Terrors -Spiral Vortex
Rhapsody: The Night Terrors -Spiral Vortex

Written By: Aaron Stein