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Five Bands You Should Know,
But Probably Don't
Hello beloved readers--
We have finally reached the end of our five part series of American Bands. This issue, we're on the west coast in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii. I know, I know, the last few are hardly the west coast, but they had to go somewehre to balance out the number of states per issue. Regardless, the following five bands are the creme of the crop, hand selected by me and my assistant, Molly Leachman
-Mae.
Poppermost - Las Vegas, NV - This duo from Sin City sounds like anything but. Reminiscent of a mix between the Beach Boys and David Bowie, they cite the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, and the Who as a few of their influences. What I like about them the most is that they sound so much like classic pop from the 60's and 70's. If you get a chance to listen to them, listen to the song "Isabella Vina" because it's so good. [purevolume.com/poppermost]
The Ascetic Junkies - Portland, OR - The most significant thing about this band that caught my ear was their ability to weave the folky/southern-esque sound with the poppy/indie sound. There’s a very delicate balance between the two and other bands that try don’t seem to have quite this arrangement and therefore fall a bit short where their sound is concerned. However, The Ascetic Junkies succeed overall, especially where their lead vocals are concerned, balancing both a female and a male lead singer. [Myspace.com/theasceticjunkies]
The Little Heroes - Santa Barbara, CA - When a band takes the whole indie/alternative sound, it’s very easy to sound like everyone else. This band manages to stay away from that and brings their own sound to the field. Their use of guitar and piano would certainly be cliché if they hadn’t established the need to be different and not necessarily the need to be at the top of the charts, but The Little Heroes use their small to medium sized recognition very nicely in getting their name out there a little at a time. Just how all bands should be doing it. [Myspace.com/thelittleheroes]
Daphne Loves Derby - Kent, WA - When you listen to this band you’ll instantly be intrigued, and that’s at the very least. If you’re like me, you’ll instantly fall in love because there’s something special about lead singer, Kenny Choi’s vocals. Their whole sound fits around it; or is it that his voice fits around the sound? Regardless, Daphne Loves Derby has managed to impress everyone with their indie/pop-rock. [Myspace.com/daphnelovesderby]
Kalai - Anchorage, AK - The soothing sound of Kalai is reminiscent of James Taylor and John Mayer with maybe a touch of Jack Johnson. The thing I love most about him is that he’s got the super-chill sound of Hawaii (which makes sense, as he was born in Hawaii) mixed with the production and inspiration from Alaska (where he was raised since the age of 2). Definitely check this guy out. He’s worth the listen for sure. [Myspace.com/kalai]
[Photo courtesy of Myspace.com and Dan Sloan for The Ascetic Junkies.]
Maegan Welch
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