Smile Politely. Speak Directly. A Champaign-Urbana Culture Blog

Danny, the one and only member of Coco Coca, should have named his new album “Space Country”, the eighth track off of Black, Black, Black. I can’t think of any other music I would prefer over Coco Coca for a spirited romp through the galaxy – except maybe the Metroid Prime score.

Samus Aran only shakes it to one kind of tune; the kind that involves high pitched electronic tones repeated over and over until killing space pirates is second nature. As if written especially for each level of the game, these high frequency tones show up in every song on Black, Black, Black. At times it’s annoying, as at the beginning of “Gusto” and “There’s A Snitch in My House.” They sound like someone’s attempt to recreate a Super Mario Bros. level. It only becomes interesting when the music becomes more complicated, drawing influences from Industrial Rock and Metal. I was often reminded of NIN and Death From Above 1979.

There’s not much more that Radio Maria could do to coax in guests. If you’re not stricken by the smooth ambiance, variety of Spanish tapas and exquisite fusion food, maybe you should check your pulse (just in case).

Wednesday open mic nights with Jake Fleischli from The Tractor Kings and Jared Roberts of Zero-Base give everyone just one more reason to mosey over to downtown Champaign and celebrate hump day.