By Chad Taylor
soundcheck@dmcityview.com

Lesson7

‘Lesson7’

Independent

So here’s the deal: If you play a rock/rap hybrid, you’re going to get compared to Linkin Park. That being said, there are points in their self-titled debut album where Lesson7 sounds a bit like Linkin Park. Those moments, however, are fleeting. And while you may always have that reminder in the back of your head while listening to Lesson7, the majority of the album is something that feels fresh and surprisingly polished for a first effort. The major knock on the album is one that plagues many debuts: There’s a homogony to the sound that makes the later tracks suffer from fatigue a bit. Additionally, the hip-hop elements feel sort of like an afterthought tossed into the middle of the album to remind us they can. Hopefully Lesson7 will continue to develop its sound, but the debut offers a good first look. CV

(Lesson7 will hold a CD release party at Wooly’s on Saturday, Aug. 25, at 7:30 p.m. $10)

Teengirl Fantasy

‘Tracer’

True Panther Sounds

Once upon a time, it was intimated by someone in this very publication that most dance music was the ketamine-fueled fever dream of glorified Geek Squad employees like Deadmau5 and Skrillex. Teengirl Fantasy would like you to believe that they are different. To that end, Teengirl Fantasy — the duo of Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi — purport to make their electronic music the old-fashioned way: by hand. While the level of personal craftsmanship inherent in the band’s particular brand of hipster house is debatable, “Tracer” does feel less mass-produced than their dub-and-club counterparts. In fact, the album feels about as lo-fi as an electronic album can, giving the whole experience an unfinished vibe which either makes it come off as vibrant and alive, or incomplete and lazy, depending on your tolerance levels. CV

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