The O-town Scene

A3 A musical gem, titled "Voyage," is the work of two 23-year-old Los Ange- les musicians, Sean Guerin and Isaac Franco, working under the name De Lux. They have been working together for about five years shows in an album that is really tight and heavily influenced by two seminal bands. It's full of the sounds and musical hooks that made the sound of the Talking Heads on albums such as "Speaking in Tongues" so infectious. The music of LCD Soundsystem has also been an influence. But the two young musicians have paid homage to these influences while creating a work that is not only all their own, but offers promise for the future. With lyrics that provide observations on the human condition, they are not afraid to stretch out and provide tight musical jams that make it hard not to tap your toes. They released an EP in 2013, shortly before signing with L.A-based Inde- pendent Leisure. The track "Better at Making Time," is on both, and it's easy to see why. What a great introduction to the band. It's available on YouTube for anyone who might be intrigued. While they forgo any dramatic video story- line, in what is essentially a photo with music, accompanied by the lyrics, it's still a joy. Starting with a solid bass line, followed by a rhythm guitar, then by synthesizers and other electronics, it takes more than a minute for the lyrics to start. For many bands, such extended instrumentals are a cover-up for a lack of material. Not these guys — they know what they are doing, as evidenced by their perfect use of cowbell, at 2:30 minutes. The song lasts for 7:33 minutes, but there's no fat in it. The next song "Moments" shows their style is no fluke. It erupts in a burst of electronics that are reminiscent of some of the British bands of the '90s. After a minute, they break into a riff that could have come from the Talking Heads' "Naive Melody." For 6 minutes and 13 seconds, they have one foot in the best of the recent past, and one planted firmly in today. Or check out "Sometimes Your Friends are not Your Friends." I can see David Byrne in his big suit doing "Psycho Killer," welcoming a new generation that moves the band's sound into new arenas. It's always exciting to welcome a new band that is willing to take chances and jar a few nerves, while providing a beat you can dance to — if they want to, if they want to. Mark Boshnack is a reporter for The Daily Star, and a music fiend. He can be reached at mbosh- nack@thedailystar. com. De Lux Mines Past for Perfect Groove I love going to thrift stores, and I buy a ton of stuff at the good old Salvation Army. But I am so cheap that sometimes their prices seem too high! Here are a few of my favorite alternatives for when you're super broke, or just cheap like me: Rummage sales I heart rummage sales in a big way. They usually offer a great mix of vintage (old lady clothes, which I totally love) and more contemporary brands (think, JC Penney and Rue 21). Clothes are often stacked in piles, rather than on hangers, so you have to be ready to dig in, literally. And they are often crowded, making it tough to browse. But the pay- off can be huge — as in, cheap. You can routinely find clothes for less than $1. And if that's not cheap enough for you, wait for the bag sale, where you pay one price and snatch up as much stuff as you can cram into a shopping bag. Now that's a bargain. Consignment shops I recently picked up a super cute J. Crew skirt at a local consignment shop for $1. Why? Because it was the end of the season. Most consignment shops work really hard to keep contemporary, seasonal clothing on the shelves, which means they're often pushing older mer- chandise out the door at lower prices. I bring lots of clothes in to consignment stores, so usually when I go to shop, there's some money waiting for me. It may only be a few bucks, but it's usually enough to keep me from having to bust out my wallet. Yard sales Yard sales are obviously super hit-or- miss; you never know what you're going to find. I like to wait for town-wide yard sales (Otego's is on May 17) to up my chances of finding treasures. The plus side is that prices are usually very low, and people are almost always willing to bargain. If they say that all clothes are $1, pick out four or five things and say, "I'll give you $3 for all of these." I swear, 99 percent of the time, the person will say, "Sure," just so they can make a sale. Emily F. Popek has not paid more than $10 for a piece of clothing in a really long time. She is also assistant editor of The Daily Star. Beyond Thrift: Frugal Fashion Options Abound A3 May 8, 2014 O-Town Scene 3 Laygirl Fashion|By Emily Popek New Music Notes|By Mark Boshnack

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