Inu - "Monster" CD EP Review (Count, Tim Hingston, Zoe Keating)

DOWNLOAD: Inu - "The Bailing" (Download requires registration)

Inu is an experimental/electro San Francisco based trio lead by Mikael (Count) Eldridge (who has produced/ remixed DJ Shadow, New Order, Radiohead, etc.) that features cellist Zoe Keating (Imogen Heap, Rasputina, Dresden Dolls) and bassist/guitarist Tim Hingston (The Nightland, Stripmall Architecture).

This five-song EP mixes traditional guitar/bass/drums instrumentation with Keating's cello, mellow dance beats and a range of electronic squiggles to come up with an enjoyable trip-hop influenced disc. The first song on the EP, "The Bailing", is available as a free download (the link is at the top of this post) and the song's dreamy, mellow vibe is indicative of the sound of this EP. The one exception is the song "Stephen Colbert" which heads down the track of fuzzed-out Dinosaur Jr. style pop.

Inu will be following up this EP with a full-length in March of next year.

Links:
Inu's MySpace Profile

Halou - Sawtooth CD EP Review

Halou has been around for 11 years and had released 3 CDs and 3 EPs prior to Sawtooth. With this release, Halou de-emphasizes the hip-hop/trip-hop sounds of past releases and "Sawtooth" is comparable to 90's era shoe-gazer dream pop. With a heavy focus on Rebecca's voice and a layered guitar sound, the immediate points of comparison are Mazzy Star and Opal.

For fans of indie shoe-gazer pop, "Sawtooth" is well worth picking up. Two tracks from the EP, "Breath Makes Smoke" and "Evensong" are streaming on Halou's MySpace profile.



Check out the live video of Halou performing "Professional" (also from Sawtooth) from their show last month at The Filmore/Irving Plaza.

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Halou just finished a month-long tour with Bob Mould and are back in San Francisco where they are playing some residence shows at Cafe Du Nord. (The first show is April 9th).