Looking to celebrate Independence Day? Try snubbing the majors and checking out some indies.
One of my favorites is Public Transit Recordings, Toronto’s home of compelling future jazz, breakbeat, downtempo and other fine electronica deviations. PTR is celebrating a decade of survival by launching a free show on July 4 in Toronto featuring LAL, Moonstarr, iNSiDEaMiND and more.
Speaking of LAL, the conscientious chillout specialists released a sobering video for "Wasteland," at right, from their stellar recent effort Deportation. It’s a creepy sequence, a stab at the beauty industry that is nevertheless delivered in the warmth of Rosina Kazi’s soulful restraint. The look of the video is straight ’80s, a cross between Sade and Massive Attack, and even boasts its own end credits. That’s not something you see every day.
But the shorty is eminently worthy of attention, as is the band and its independent label. The world would only be a better place if more artists took LAL’s road less traveled.
