CD of The Week

It's always art school, isn't it? It's never 'accounting class.' Three-quarters of Django Django (Dave MacLean, Vincent Neff, & Tommy Grace) met in, of course, art school. Fast foward to 2009 when the initial singles, "Storm" and "Love's Dart," were released by Neff and MacLean and, thanks to Myspace and the narrowing gap between artist and listener, some serious attention in the UK. Later joined by another former classmate, Tommy Grace, and mutual friend James Dixon, they crafted the remaining 11 tracks solely in de-facto leader MacLean's bedroom and released the anthology in January 2012. A DJ and producer, MacLean has largely created a master mix with this debut album.

From the unworldly psychedelic bend of "Introduction" through "Silver Rays," the 48 minute, 13 track album passes by in a seamless flash. While the album genre jumps and melds influences, it also glides by with tracks like "Hail Bop" and it's futuristic bend and nod towards a fleeting relationship being much like Halley's Comet. Dance tracks like "Zumm Zumm, "WOR," and "Skies Over Cairo" bridge the gap between great segments in pop history. There's a 60s psych lushness to Vincent Neff's vocals and harmonies throughout the album, marvelously displayed on "Hand Of A Man," "Firewater," and "Life's A Beach."

It's impossible to talk about Django Django without mentioning The Beta Band. Dave MacLean of Django Django is the younger brother of John MacLean of that group. Dave puts it, "We grew up together and shared the same record collection and the same bed and basket with the dog." The similarities are impossible to ignore, especially if you're at all familiar with The Beta Band, but the strongest similarity besides familial ties is this: both bands have a distinct aesthetic all their own.

Django Django haven't slowed down since the initial release of their album in January 2012. Tours in Europe, the US, and beyond have taken up most of their last year as a band. As touring slows to a halt and megabuzz for the band and their debut record quells, I'm curious as to what the future holds. But before any of that, catch Django Django in Philadelphia at Union Transferon March 8th.