Various Artists
Beat the Heat: A Loud and Clear Sampler
Spyhop Productions
Street: 07.27
Beat the Heat = Vampire Weekend + Christina Aguilera + KRCL Radioactive
The sampler begins with a fantastic track by Mystique, a local amalgam of young musicians from varied backgrounds who came together under the guidance of Spyhop. It is a delightfully upbeat, bouncy song paired with rich, soulful vocals performed by the female singers of the project. It’s a great way to start the album. Next up is an angsty poem addressing the matters of perfect grades and the like, followed by a beautiful, bluesy song accompanied by the piano—and the variety doesn’t stop there. Other pieces include a reading of a short essay on dance, an electronic instrumental, an interview with a politician, excerpts from youth-hosted Loud and Clear Radioactive episodes from KRCL and, of course, a couple of tunes from local musicians such as YYBS. I didn’t even know YYBS is Spyhop spawn, but I probably should have guessed—they rock. This is a fabulous little taste of what Spyhop has in the works. These talented kids are all going somewhere, too, so be among the first to support them and the work Spyhop does with them by grabbing the sampler and checking it out for yourself.