Artist: Bat for Lashes

Hails from: Brighton, United Kingdom

Musical Style: Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Singer/Songwriter

For fans of: PJ Harvey, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer

Why you should check her out:

Certain musicians bring the complete package, launching a multimedia bombast designed to assault numerous senses at once. Bat for Lashes – the handiwork of British songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natasha Khan-combines visual art, video and sonic landscapes to draw the audience in and hold them captive until long after the presentation is complete.

Background Check:

Drawing comparissons to other boundery pushers like Bjork and Kate Bush, as well as collaborating with avant luminaries like Scott Walker, Bat for Lashes’ music is the soundtrack to nocturnal dreams…and nightmares. Their other-worldy, dark odes are jam packed with lush strings, layers of affected guitar, warped sounding folk instruments and loads of percussion.

The band’s recently released sophmore album, Two Suns, features a duet with the aforementioned Walker along with bass and beat programming contributions from Brooklyn-based psychedelic purveyors, Yeasayer. Accordign to Kahn, the work is a concept album, chronicling the self-destructive, hedonistic exploits of her blonde femme fatal alter ego, “Pearl”.

A Bat for Lashes documentary is in the works, so stay tuned.  Also, be sure to check out their MySpace page, which affords fans the opportunity to remix the Two Suns track, “Pearl’s Dream”.

Fun Fact: Born into a ’world class squash-playing dynast,” Khan travelled a great deal as a child, spending several years in Pakistan where she claims to have lost a goat in a sacrificial religious ceremony.

Where you can find her in cyberspace:

Bat for Lashes Website

MySpace page

On Tour:

JamBase
 

Artist: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Hails From: Los Angeles, CA

Musical Style: Folk, Choral, Pop

For Fans of: Arcade Fire, The Avett Brothers, Neil Diamond

Why you should check them out:

Impromptu outdoor sing-a-longs, head bands, and spirited folk harmonies, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are what current day psychedelic rock dreams are made of.

Background Check:

Heralded by NPR for their recent SXSW performance that even made one reporter “shed a tear” the eleven piece Southern California music troupe perfectly embodies the original hippie aesthetic rooted in the late 60’s. And although the term hippie is more often lost to negative connotations now a days, for a while it meant only an alternative simple lifestyle. Peace love, and understanding, all aspects that The Magnetic Zeros are helping to resituate within contemporary music.

The stage persona of Alex Ebert, Edward Sharpe is a bright, shiny force of good times and close friends. His oft bearded and bicycling ensemble, the Magnetic Zeros are anything but. They create folk rock with all the bells and whistles one would expect from nearly a dozen people on stage, each adding the supporting pieces to Sharpe’s already vivid technicolor music. Departing from the syncopated beats of Ebert’s time in L.A. band Ima Robot, The Magnetic Zeros welcome listeners in with catchy choruses undoubtedly meant for audience participation.

With a debut EP still on the way and a full length set for July 2009, this act has already shown to be above the standard throwback sensation. Edward Sharpe and The Magnificent Zeros have amassed a dedicated community with their rollicking shows and songs at once achingly familiar and yet all together original.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

MySpace

Paradigm Music

On Tour: 

JamBase