Archive for December, 2009

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Rupa and the April Fishes

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Rupa and the April FishesArtist: Rupa and the April Fishes

Hails from: San Francisco, CA

Musical Style: Punk, Folk, Pop

For Fans of: Manu Chao, Beirut, Julieta Venegas

Why you should check them out:
Whether they sing in French, Spanish or English, this multicultural band writes and performs songs that are universally appealing. They draw from many different world sounds, from gypsy punk, American folk, French cabaret, or pop. But this isn’t a hodgepodge of messy influences; the band carefully infuses all these sounds together to make coherent music that reflects the richness of our globalized world.
Background Check:
Rupa Marya is the singer, songwriter and guitar player leading this 5-piece band. She has the type of upbringing that justifies the eclectic sound she’s created in her music. She was born to Indian parents and raised in the U.S., France and India. She admits that it was very confusing as a child to experience such a wide range of cultures and try to make sense of them, and in many ways the songs she writes now is a way to express and digest those experiences.
Rupa also leads something of a double life; she is a doctor of internal medicine by day and a rock star by night. So far she has been able to juggle these two demanding roles; however her music career has been taking off in the last few months so it may only be a matter of time before she is make her living recording and touring. She is currently on tour, so be sure to catch her in all of her multicultural glory.
Where you can find them in Cyberspace:
On Tour:
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Cold Cave

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Cold CaveArtist: Cold Cave

Hails From: Philidelphia, PA

Musical Style: Indie Electronic, Pop/Rock, Synth-Pop, Indie/Alternative

For Fans of: Erasure, New Order, Xiu Xiu

Why you should check them out:
Cold Cave is a testament to the benefits of experimentation. The brainchild of Wes Eisold has produced a debut full-length that is both stark and emotional, filled with plenty of catchy melodies and inventive samples to keep it interesting throughout.
Background Check:
Wes Eisold formed Cold Cave after a run as singer of a few well-loved hardcore bands (Some Girls, Give Up the Ghost) and as front man for some more electronic-based bands like XO Skeletons and Ye Olde Maids. He decided he wanted to start making music on his own, but a lack of facility on guitar forced him to experiment with synths and effects pedals, and the results were dramatic. Edgy, dark electronic pop emerged: a winning mix of new wave, goth, experimental noise, pop and indie rock.

For 2009’s Love Comes Close , Eisold teamed up with Caralee McElroy (Xiu Xiu) and Dominick Fenrow (Prurient) to craft a collection of syth-driven numbers that speak to the tortures of modern life and love. Noise, samples and programmed rhythms make Cold Cave’s tunes sound simultaneously otherworldly and danceable.

Layering harshness and odd recorded sounds with melody and beats results in an edgy, intoxicating whole. There’s a little jangly New Order guitar mingled with Whitehouse-esque noise and Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis’ deep baritone. One of the real treats here is the great female vocals of McElroy as counterpoint. Cold Cave’s trippy, brooding debut presents a project truly rounding into form.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

MySpace

On Tour:

JamBase

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Say Hi

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Say HiArtist: Say Hi

Hails From: Seattle, WA

Musical Style: Pop, Rock, Indie

For Fans of: Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Grandaddy

Why you should check them out:

With a whispered rapport and a three chord catharsis, Say Hi can talk about anything, from doomed relationships to spaceships with wistful ease and head nodding persuasion. Frontman Eric Elbogen crafts impeccable indie pop with a sly smile and intimate wit appropriate for any situation.

Background Check:

Say Hi is Eric Elbogen, the energetic and pop culture obsessed songwriter who has helmed the project since 2002. Originally out of Brooklyn, NY and previously known as Say Hi to Your Mom, Elbogen began recording at home, self recording his lush and straightforward indie rock in the vein of the more accessible side of the Pixies. Elbogen’s albums are almost entirely self produced and played, with the multi-talented musician taking up nearly all the parts on any given track. Elbogen began his own recording label to release his homespun creations, Euphobia Records, in 2005 giving home to his ever revolving songs about vampires and Star Trek, most notably 2006’s Impeccable Blahs, which referenced Buffy and other Joss Whedon creatures.

With a moniker shortening (Your Mom just wasn’t that aesthetic anymore) and cross country relocation in 2008, Elbogen landed in Seattle and on Barsuk Records, a perfect fit in the indie rock label’s catalog. In March 2009, Say Hi released Oohs and Aahs, the most hook laden album of Elbogen’s career. Understated and enthusiastic, the record signals a culmination of Say Hi’s previous efforts into a rather flawless concoction of pop and indie rock. Melodic and moody at times, the album is one of Elbogen’s most charming and disarming works to date.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

MySpace

ilikesayhi.com

Wikipedia

On Tour:

JamBase