Album Review: Los Microwaves – What’s That Got to Do (With Loving You)

For every major-label act that made interesting music in the ‘80s (and likely in every other era as well), countless artists and groups toiled in relative obscurity, doing work every bit as deserving of exposure as those well-known acts. That was certinaly the case with San Francisco-based Los Microwaves, a synthpop group led by David “Microwave” Javelosa. Los Microwaves recorded a good bit of material, and while that music saw release locally/regionally – and even found its way to release on the tastemaking indie Posh Boy label. But good luck stumbling across it in record shops outside the Bay Area.

Happily, in recent years, Javelosa has mounted a kind of archival/revival project. The latest fruit of his efforts is What’s that Got to Do (With Loving You), a 2LP set. Six songs from the group’s Posh Boy EP are presented, along with instrumental mixes of those and four more tracks.

With a sound that suggest what Units (another important Bay Area-based synth band) might have soudnedl ike had they collaborated with The B-52s, Los Microwaves was equal parts fun and inventive. The gorup isn’t wholly synth-based; those are real bass and drums alongside the ginchy analog synth textures. The vocals suggest Human League with a sesne of humor (if you can even imagine such a thing). The original, vocal versions are all appealing, and the instrumental remixes highlight the sturdy songcraft at their core.

It’s subtly and helpfully suggested on the package that the instro tracks are ideal for film and TV sync, as well as for custom live cross mixes. Or you could just listen. Either way, there’s much to enjoy here.