DJ Havana Brown runs the night

Havana Brown
“When the Lights Go Out”
(Universal)

Call up your friends for a night of drinking, dancing and raving with DJ Havana Brown’s debut album “When the Lights Go Out.”

As a newcomer to the scene, this Australian DJ’s first studio album with five tracks is the kind of club playlist you’d hope for during a night out with your friends while letting your inhibitions run free.

Brown’s first single, “We Run the Night,” featuring hip-hop hit-maker Pitbull, keeps your body moving with its addictive bass thumping mixed with electro interludes and trance-like lyrical singing. And with Pitbull’s added dash of “street” to pull the track together, it is her best song yet.

All the tracks on the album circle around the themes of nightlife, clubbing and dancing. “Big Banana” featuring R3hab and Prophet of 7Lions is an intriguingly addictive fusion of rap and techno with a hint of reggae. “One-way Trip” is a remix of Robert Miles’ 1996 dance hit “Children” with excerpts of beat mixes that sound as though they came straight out of the Skrillex signature spin book.

Overall, this album is definitely a worthwhile pick for those who want to lose themselves when the lights go out.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)


Zedd aces his freshman album test

Zedd
``Clarity‘’
(Interscope)

German electro-house producer Zedd is out with his debut album ``Clarity,‘’ a solid full-length starter that showcases his knack for honing danceable tracks to a fine point of perfection.

Zedd was born Anton Zaslavski into a family of musicians, but didn‘t start catching full fire as a dance music maestro until his efforts were justly rewarded in 2009 with two Beatport remix contest wins. Now, three years later, he stands poised to dominate dance floors.

It shouldn’t be a problem. There are some delicious tracks here, from the immediate urgency of ``Shave It Up‘’ to ``Codec,‘’ a full-on foot-stomper with an incessant beat that refuses to give you a moment‘s rest.

The vocal features on ``Clarity’‘ are among the best you’ll hear in house this year. Ellie Goulding is excellent on ``Fall Into the Sky‘’ and the title track ``Clarity,‘’ featuring Foxes, is an instant classic. ``If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy?‘’ goes the refrain before breaking into a heady swirl of house.

With ``Clarity,‘’ Zedd just aced his freshman LP test. The album is technically well-managed and the songs pulse with a common sense of longing. For love. For the dance floor. For all of it.

(AP)


Kiss‘ new album ’Monster‘ is scary good

Kiss
``Monster’‘
(Universal)

Nearly 40 years after first slapping on the makeup, donning the costumes and changing forever the way a live concert is performed, Kiss can still bring it.

``Monster’‘ is the caped crusaders’ 20th studio album, and one that fans of old school `70s classic rock will be just as comfortable with as those who cut their teeth on later material.

It opens with a bang in ``Hell or Hallelujah,‘’ a fast-paced rocker that could be the band‘s best concert opener since ``I Stole Your Love,’‘ way back in 1977 (though they put it in the middle of the set this summer).

Imagine a mash-up of ``Helter Skelter’‘ and Kiss’ 1992 track ``Spit,‘’ and you‘ve got ``Wall of Sound,’‘ a dramatic, ground-pounder. ``Freak’‘ uses a grungier distorted sound to showcase the band’s longstanding philosophy of not caring what anyone else thinks of them. And ``Back To The Stone Age‘’ features Eric Singer‘s pounding drums with a beat reminiscent of the Stones’ ``Live With Me.‘’

This is guitarist Tommy Thayer‘s second studio album with Kiss since replacing Ace Frehley in 2003 (and completely stealing his musical identity to the point where the FBI should have been notified). His first outing, 2009’s ``Sonic Boom‘’ LP, was marred by rampant theft from Frehley‘s classic solos.

This time, Thayer restrains his most larcenous impulses. These solos won’t make anyone forget Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads, but at least most of them are his.

Things bog down somewhat on tracks in the middle of the disc, but finish strong on ``Last Chance,‘’ propelled by an AC/DC-like ``Thunderstruck‘’ chant. This album isn‘t ``Destroyer’‘ or even ``Love Gun,’‘ but it’s still worth having.

(AP)