Artist: Leopold and his Fiction

Hails From: San Francisco, CA

Musical Stye: Rock, Folk, Country

For Fans of: The Raconteurs, The Black Keys, Dr. Dog

The Sun’s Only Promise

Why you should check them out:

With a knack for vintage sound and vintage gear, San Francisco’s Leopold and His Fiction provide expansive lo-fi rock and roll with varying shades of country and blues.

Background check

The story of Leopold and His Fiction begins as the story of singer and songwriter Daniel James. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, it wasn’t until James moved to California that he began to toy with the idea of writing music of his own. Named after the reoccurring character James created in his college writing class, Leopold and his Fiction began as a project between James and drummer Ben Cook as a stripped down ode to ’70s rock and roll. Rather than continue with the sound carved by their gritty 2006 self-titled debut, James took Cook’s 2008 departure as an opportunity to refocus and reorganize the band with the addition of multi-instrumentalists Micayla Grace and Jon Sortland.

As a newly formed trio, Leopold and His Fiction returned to the studio and released Ain’t No Surprise in 2009, followed by their most recent, Golden Friends, which dropped just this past March. Although maintaining the energy and frankness of their previous albums, the progress into more cohesive and dynamic territory in Golden Friends is undeniable. Songs like “Miss Manipulation” serve as a subtle narrative full of slide guitar and a distinct folk country feel, while the album’s titular track stands out as a soulful blend of sultry vocals and pulsating rhythms. Where Leopold and His Fiction’s intricacies take a prominent hold on recordings, the trio’s sound merges into an energetic fury when played on the dark stages of the venues they frequent–earning them the status as of one of San Francisco’s most coveted new bands.

Where you can find them in cyberspace

Myspace
leopoldandhisfiction.com

On tour

jambase

Artist: Die Antwoord

Hails From: Cape Town, South Africa

Musical Style: Rap, Dance, Hip Hop

For Fans of: Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal, Eminem

Wat Pomp

Why you should check them out:

Whether you believe them to be the future of Hip Hop or nothing more than a viral flash-in-the-pan, It is hard to deny that Die Antwoord have positioned themselves well to make a big splash in the music industry in 2010. With tens of millions of hits on their website without officially releasing their first album, the so-called “zef” (Afrikaans slang for “redneck”) trio from Cape Town have become a full-fledged phenomenon. And during the breakdown in their first single, “Enter the Ninja”, when lead rapper, Ninja, states “This is, like, the coolest song I ever heard in my whole life.”, it is difficult to disagree.

Background Check:

An oddball veteran of the South African hip hop scene, Ninja joined with female rapper, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek to form Die Antwoord in 2009. Their debut album, $O$, was made available as a free download on their website, but did not garner much attention until months later, when the video for “Enter the Ninja” made its rounds on the internet. The video, a sort of meth-induced visual nightmare, became a huge hit due to its oddly sexual, freakshow-esque vibe and the potent lyrical ability of Ninja. With their video approaching 4 million Youtube views, and their streaming album getting over 15 million hits in February, they arrived in the States. After a couple of sets at smaller venues, the trio had their break-out moment when they played a show-stopping set at Coachella in April. Capitalizing on their unexpected success, the trio has just recently inked a deal with Interscope Records, who will release the full version of $O$ later this year. In addition, director Neil Blomkamp of District 9 fame plans on directing their next video and a documentary is in the works.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

Dieantwoord.com

MySpace

Wikipedia

On tour:

JamBase

Artist: The Heavy

Hails From: Noid, England

Musical Style: Rock, Funk, Soul

For Fans of: The Sonics, Parliment, Curtis Mayfield

How You Like Me Now

Why you should check them out:

By combining scathing guitars, stomping drums, and red hot vocals, The Heavy live up to their name and more, delivering brash and soulful rock music that not only hearkens back to the early days of funk and R&B, but propels through a modern lo-fi garage rock aesthetic. In their music you can hear the countless influences this English quartet summons simultaneously, all expertly mashed and molded into a sound uniquely theirs.

Background Check:

At the heart of The Heavy is vocalist Kelvin Swaby and guitarist Dan Taylor, friends for decades who bonded over rhythm and blues and Jim Jarmusch. It being the 90’s and all back then, Taylor and Swaby first recorded music with the help of a four track and an Atari, and the gritty flavor they created has guided them to this day. Completing the outfit with bassist Spencer Page and drummer Chris Elull, the Heavy now bring a no holds barred approach to rock and roll.

Their debut album, 2007’s Great Vengeance and Furious Fire, basically spells out their crunching manifesto. But, it’s their sophomore album, 2009’s The House That Dirt Built, that showcases their full abilities. Taking those earlier rowdy rhythms and placing them in a solid, if not entirely polished, framework of soul and blues, the Heavy are storming the walls with their uncompromising sound.

Yet, that’s not even the whole of it. The group also incorporates a delirious range of music, from dub and reggae, to acid jazz and psychedelic, to hip-hop and electronica. Fronted by Swaby’s blazing vocals, reminiscent of the Godfather himself James Brown, and founded on some of the most blistering beats on either side of the pond, there’s nothing off limits for The Heavy, and nothing that they can’t turn into an alarmingly good time.

Where you can find them in Cyberspace:

MySpace

The Heavy Website

Wikipedia

On Tour:

JamBase