Archive for the ‘Pop/Rock’ Category

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 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

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

The XX

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The XXArtist: The XX

Hails from: London

Musical style: Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative

For fans of: Portishead, Mazzy Star, Hot Chip


Why You Should Check Them Out:

The xx is a band that you reflexively want to dislike based solely on age: the group formed just last year, when its four members were still in high school. Yet this quartet of English indie rockers is quickly winning listeners and critics over with an excellent debut that has catapulted them to the top of early year-end best-of lists.

Background Check:

The xx manages to pull off something rare on their 2009-released debut: coalesce their disparate influences – pop, indie rock, electronica – into a cohesive whole that is neither derivative nor over-the-top. The music is understated and pared-down, filled with groovy bass lines and reverb-y guitar leads coupled with exceptional and complementary boy/girl vocals.

The group combines traditional elements like drums, bass, keys, guitars and voices in both familiar and new ways to deliver a languid, dreamy album that digs into your brain with each successive listen. Add in a few programmed beats and some tasteful percussion and the resulting artifact is a moody, often pensive group of modern love songs that incorporates the best bits of great bands like The Cocteau Twins, Love and Rockets, and Yo La Tengo.

The xx is currently on a world-wide tour that will span the next several months. Here’s hoping they will be able to maintain momentum and come out the other side with a batch of brand new songs to lay on us.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

The XX.com

MySpace

On Tour:

JamBase