Dublab Presents: Freeways Sounds Like L.A.

In the 1960s L.A. sounded like it looked, full of flash and raunch, a summer of love that lasted until the psychedelic hangover fell across the beer-stained boards of the Whiskey, the polluted canals of Venice, the hazy Laurel Canyon green. It was the Doors who captured the sprawl of a city in the midst of a changing of the guard. If the Beach Boys were the good vibrations, the Doors were the bad ones. Then there were the 70s, with the Eagles singing of hollow hearts and empty freeways. The 80s had X and the metallic sequined strut of the Crüe, Poison and GNR, which led directly to our addiction to Jane's.

So what does L.A. sound like now? At first glance there is an overload of throwbacks: the Neil Young country twang of Beachwood Sparks, the Stones-era Brian Jonestown Massacre. Then there're the folks at Internet radio stalwart Dublab.com, who've had the good fortune to sift through the endless sea of L.A. electronica up-and-comers. The result of their experience is encapsulated in their first full-length compilation, aptly titled Freeways.

The Dublab crew had some obvious biases. They weren't looking for rock or Silverlake mod or canyon country. They were looking for something fresh, something that to them epitomized the feel of L.A.'s expanse. The result is a disc of complexly orchestrated, dreamy futuristic landscapes, a soundtrack for a new L.A. that kicks off with local favorites (and Argentine transplants) Languis. The band makes gorgeous, sumptuous, delicately beautiful noises, an organized mishmash of samples, bass and guitar all running through layers of distorted effects. Their contribution "The Sky Below" is a breathtaking electronic stew, a kind of robot serenade. The track proves what their fans already knew, which is that Languis is without a doubt one of the most interesting bands in the city. "The Sky Below"'s beauty is matched by Mia Doi Todd's "Digital: Version 2.1." Todd sings in low rich tones that seem to nearly vibrate, seeping out of her mouth like syrup. She avoids any "girl with guitar" pitfalls and moves straight into binary systems and digital melodies.

Dntel (aka Jimmy Tamborello) has the perfect follow-up to Todd's digital confessional. His track "If I Don't Return" is all haunting keyboard melody and whispered vocal tracks, a sound not unlike Radiohead's recent foray into the synthy future.

Other standouts on Freeways include DJ John Tejada's "I'll See You in a Place with the Lights," Daedelus' "A Mashnote" and Mannequin Lung's dreamy "Is it Live?" Divine Styler contributes the enjoyable "Shen."

As with most compilation albums, Freeways occasionally lacks cohesiveness and there are a few tracks on the album that seem at odds with the rest. Damon Aaron, for instance, with his soulful, sweetly melodic singer-songwriter grooves, seems a misfit here. And Adam Rudolph's "Nawa," with its new-agey rhythms and groove, seems better suited to a crystal shop or healing massage than to a cutting-edge comp. For the most part, however, Freeways is a smart and eclectic selection of artists who live in a city whose scope can be difficult to grasp. In the maze of highways and telephone lines, beaches and canyons and flatlands, it's always good to have a guide. And for anyone who lives here, under the smog and light, Dublab has given us something even more special: music that sounds like home.