There's no question that the Los Angeles music scene has seen its share of high and low lights. I mean, the whole 80s hair-band-heroin-chic-cock-rocker thing still resonates loud, but when you really consider everything going on in the Los Angeles down tempo music scene these days, you can't help but have full respect for what's bubbling just above the tar and hairspray. Already being impressed with work from the likes of Paul & Price and Bitter:Sweet, as well as labels like Modus Vivendi, Stones Throw, and too many other names to throw down, Milan Records' current collaboration with ArtDontSleep has revealed a compilation called "From L.A. With Love" that is just, damn, an exposed nerve of the whole thing.

1. From Leaf To Feather "Night Sun"
2. Nobody presents Blank Blue "All The Shallow Deep"
3. Madlib's Sound Directions "Wildflower"
4. Tarek "DJ Dusk" Captan "Let Me Know"
5. A Race Of Angels "Just Begin"
6. Adventure Time "This Dome Is Our Home"
7. Nathan Yell "Goodbye"
8. Coleman "No Strings Attached"
9. Computer Jay "1000 Fold (feat. The Gray Kid)"
10. Exile "In The Night 22"
11. Georgia Anne Muldrow "Killa Peach"
12. Flying Lotus "It's A Secret"
13. Take "Walk Away (feat. Gaby Hernandez)"
14. Yesterday's New Quintet "I Remember John Coltrane"
15. The Gaslamp Killer "Kobwebs (feat. Gonjasufi)"
16. Free Moral Agents "Sound At Sea"
17. Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson "Nag Champa"

What you can expect to hear is music that's so tightly influenced from so many sides of jazz, hip hop, cinema soundtracks, soul, cumbia and other Latin sources that you often can't discern where one begins or ends, and that's where the beauty of this work is at. You just can't expect it.

Kicking off on a surreal, polyester lounge note with "Night Sun" by From Leaf To Feather, things slide into a serene groove with "All The Shallow Deep" as Nobody presents Blank Blue. After that there's a taste of Madlib's Sound Directions, and then A Race Of Angels drops a tense, soulful, jazz jam called "Just Begin".

Adventure Time drop an amazing song called "This Dome Is Our Home" that's just beyond description. This is when Nathan Yell steps in with "Goodbye", and this one is sure to send those galvanic chills from your brain on down your spine through a super strong vocal performance and just lovely percussion and percussively applied voice samples.

Although I could keep writing, I'll wrap it up with the remaining highlights for my ears: Exile's "In The Night 22", "Walk Away" by Take featuring Gaby Hernandez (this woman's can do no wrong!), "Kobwebs" by The Gaslamp Killer, and one called "Sound At Sea" by Free Moral Agents that really takes me back to the glory days of This Mortal Coil (though Free Moral Agents' sound is a bit more assertive...those vocals and strings...nice!)

There are so many styles and sounds going on, that although each unique, mesh really well with each other. You're sure to hear some songs that will just blow your mind up. The whole thing is packaged as an art+music combo, containing a 28-page color booklet with artwork to accompany each song.

For the sake of your eyes and ears, you want to tap into this.

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