Underwater Peoples is a record label based out of New Jersey. They’ve really seemed to spearhead this lo-fi movement thats been dominating turntables and ipod playlists as of late. They house one of my favourite lo-fi bands Real Estate on their label. After failing to acquire anything by Real Estate besides a few blog listed tracks, I tried my luck with this summer time sampler record.

It’s a tough listen.

Half the songs I love, showcasing me some great bands I could have never heard with out it. The other half I find quite monotonous and boring. Lo-fi needs to have its limitations. Sounding like an old beat up record can be cool. The tone is grainy and distant, it feels like your living something older than your years, but which is still new. Other songs however sound like they where recorded on a laptop mic in a basement somewhere last year. They seem to skip out on that essential nostalgia that lo-fi beings to the listener. In skipping out on studio quality sound one expects a higher caliber of song writing and a few tracks really do miss out on that.

I would however highly recommended picking up this record based solely on the 5 or 6 songs that really blew my mind.

Real Estate – Beach Comber
Pill Wonder – Wishing Whale
Family Portrait – Mega Secrets

and for all of you:

[gplayer href="http://bluegrassish.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/danajewellbabycomeon.mp3"]Dana Jewell – Baby Come On[/gplayer]

-lionsteeth

Tags: lionsteeth, review, underwater peoples