New Artists
2004.05.03
54·40 might know a little bit about rock and roll--subtract the number behind the dot from the number in front of the dot, and you've got just over the number of years they've been around. Having been signed in the past to labels such as Warner/Reprise and Columbia Records, the tenth studio record by the Vancouver alt-rockers was released last year by Canadian indie houses SBEC and Divine Industries.
Baltimore's Agents Of The Sun enter the broadcast with radio-ready groove-laden modern rock full of plaintive and angry lyrics and expansive guitar chords reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins and Alice In Chains.
Maya Blue, the debut CD from what is now the Nefrit El-Or Band, is a work of deeply layered acoustic guitars over solid rhythm tracks, while Nefrit's voice conjures an Israeli version of Harriet Wheeler of the Sundays.
Smart lyrics and a healthy dose of attitude drive Portland, Oregon rockers The Film's wall of sound. This is a rock band to be reckoned with.
There's very little that's relaxing about Lull. The Woodbridge, VA trio has a hard-driving, almost urgent sound that effectively blends modern rock and industrial influences.
R&B singer Chris Marsol, bored with the restrictions of his genre, picked up a guitar and stomped on a fuzzbox to create his unique blend of R&B, folk and hard rock. The SFBA artist sounds to us like Prince and Jeff Buckley playing in a heavy metal band together, and we like it.
Max McPherson, Jr. used to hang out with Jerry Garcia when both of them were teenagers, and although he's been writing his own music since 1968, he waited almost 40 years to record his first album, a mix of blues, easy listening and country music. We exist for guys like this! Go grandpa, it's your birthday, go grandpa, it's your birthday...
Might Could are a duo (and occasional trio) of acoustic guitarists from College Park, MD. They describe themselves as "a weird sort of progressive acoustic folk," and their always-intricate instrumentals range from original pieces to arrangements of symphonic pieces, pop songs (their "Bohemian Rhapsody" is unbelievable live), and their claim to fame, acoustic versions of video game theme songs.
Vancouver's Paloma combine elements of jazz, soul, and disco into a sound that they call "jazztronic"--we just call it "good." Coco Love Alcorn breaths her sultry vocals over a mix of electronic beats and live instrumentation that ranges from mellow lounge to dance club funk, provided by the members of labelmates 54·40 (also appearing in the broadcast today).
Seven Worlds is the glorious result of Edinbugh songwriter David Pajor's infatuation with early 90s British guitar bands, and we can hear influences ranging from the Stone Roses to the Close Lobsters in his music.
Philadelphia-area singer-songwriter Christina Ward writes hauntingly delicate songs that are at times sparse and at times richly textured with full acoustic band, strings and horns, and her voice emulates a pre-fame Ani DiFranco.