Let me introduce The Kickdrums by listing just some of the artists that they have produced for, remixed, or mashed-up: 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Slaughterhouse, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Estelle, The Black Kids, MGMT, Justice, The Tings Tings, and Kid Cudi. Phew! The Kickdrums are Alex Fitts and Matt Penttila, two chill dudes from Cleveland who, based on the sheer number of musicians they have skillfully incorporated into their portfolio, know their way around a mixing board. With an eager aptitude for navigating genres and two killer mixtapes under their belt, the Kickdrums come to us with their official debut, Just A Game.

Ready for it? For a group so fresh and connected, their debut is without a single guest performance of any kind. What!?

Not to fear! What makes this debut so exciting is that, while all of its manifold influences are easy to detect (a little classic hip-hop here, a touch of Radiohead there...), it accomplishes the great feat of synchronizing them all into a sound that is uniquely contemporary, a sound that truly belongs to Fitts and Penttila themselves. Take the title track (Just A Game) for example; sure, the tinkering piano and swelling horns are reminiscent of New York in the '70s, but add the Chris Martin-esque vocals and a tight kickbeat, and now you've got something. Each track on the album does something similar; your initial "I've heard this before..." inevitably becomes quite the opposite (usually around the time when the percussion brings it all so gloriously together). Part rock orchestration, part trip-hop breakbeat, this debut from the Kickdrums is a must-have.

Recommended Tracks:
Things Work Out
Just A Game