Arist:She and Him

Hails From: LA, CA/Portland, OR

Musical Style: Retro/Folk/Pop

For Fans Of: Patsy Cline, Jenny Lewis, M. Ward

Thieves

Why You Should Check Them Out:

While the simple pronouns of She and Him may be misleadingly nondescript, just one glance at the corresponding names behind the moniker is enough to make any indie pop minded heart flutter.

Background Check:

She and Him’s Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward first began working together in 2007 when director Martin Hynes united the two for a cover of “When I Get to the Border” for the film The Go-Getter starring Deschanel. Much to the surprise of both M. Ward and music critics alike, Dechanel not only had a great taste for vintage albums and dresses, but had spent years writing an arsenal of pop and country influenced songs primed for M. Ward’s renowned folk rock embellishments. With musical chemistry abound, She and Him went to work on their debut, Volume One, an album soaked in Deschanel’s sweet and wistful retro pop vocals complete with Ward’s supporting folk instrumentation and production expertise.

Backed by the overwhelming success of Volume One, She and Him returned to the studio for their just released, and aptly titled followup Volume Two. Ranging from country ballads with slide guitar to upbeat songs like “In the Sun” that are pretty much made for summer, She and Him’s newest plays like a mix of bittersweet lyrics and vintage sounds you can sway to. If Volume One was an album that showed that Deschanel’s talent isn’t limited to the big screen, Volume Two is clearly an album that situates She and Him as a free standing musical force among indie pop contemporaries.

–Anne Ostrowski

Where You Can Find Them in Cyberspace:

myspace

sheandhim.com

On tour:

jambase

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: Mark Kozelek

Hails from: San Francisco, CA

Musical Style: Folk, Rock, Indie

For Fans of: American Music Club, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake

Unlit Hallway(Live)