A couple of days ago, a good friend of mine forwarded me an Atlantic Monthly article about how research is showing that our tendency to multitask is not only putting us in danger (think: texting while driving), but actually making us far less productive. I can't say that there's much to disagree with. I got to thinking about this more and more as I realized that the technology I employ in my writing process has often caused unfinished reviews to remain in that state far too long.

Though my Luddite tendencies keep me a fairly lightweight user of technology, much of it is impossible to avoid. A pencil and pad of paper is far more comfortable than a word processor. The dictionary seems more natural than dictionary.com. Still, musical review material is now becoming available via the Internet. Even when physical CDs do show up in the mailbox (and there are a lot of them), I end up using computer software to rip the disc and put it on my iPod. Obviously, research is easier on the computer too, another point for the tech world. The list does go on and on: spelling checkers, grammar checkers, online discographies, streaming media...

...Oh, but that pencil. I do miss it. One thing it does not do is distract. It does not cause what my multitasking, scatterbrained self allowed to happen with this review: online research turned into hours of YouTube watching. Then I check my email and discover that another friend happens to be listening to some Steve Hackett, so its again off to YouTube. What was that record of his I was supposed to like? Let me consult Allmusic.com. I never liked Hackett much, and still don't. That doesn't stop me from spending even more time viewing a few Jean Luc Ponty videos. Oh, and what about my numbers at Statcounter?

Uhm... what was I supposed to be doing?

The irony in all of this is that the music of Extra Golden could not be less hi-tech. Kenyan musicians Opiya Bilongo (guitar) and Onyango Wuod Omari (drums) team up with American indie rockers Ian Eagleson and Alex Minoff. It's Kenyan benga music and western jangle-pop attempting to perform some sort of musical alchemy. A process that has apparently worked — the result, Hera Ma Nono , is pure listening gold.

Floating on top of some seriously funky grooves are a giant collection of pulsing, interlocked guitar melodies and joyous vocals. Kicking off with "Jokolando," it's quite apparent that this is music meant to get your body moving. A "Louie Louie"-esque guitar strum is quickly joined by the rest of the band as well as Bilongo's sharp melodic punctuations. You might not currently be a dancer, but by this song's midpoint, you will be waving your parts around. "Night Runners," with its Nevilles-by-way-of-East Africa vibe is just too infectious to ignore. Sprinkled throughout many of the tracks are some silky unison guitar lines.

The best example of what this group is all about can be found in "Love Hijackers." The guitars chime in a repeated circle, the rhythm section is as funky as all getout, and the vocals are just about the most hopeful things you've ever heard. Check your cynicism at the door as there's too much fun to be had.

Imagine that. The distractions of modern technology quelled by a single dose of Afro-pop.

A simple pleasure, just like my pencil.