Back to School Special ft. Clementine and the Galaxy

TurnStyle continues to bring us the best new underground acts for their third show of the Back to School Special series.  The kickoff party was pretty dope.  If you missed it, catch up with my review here.  

Friday night (9/20/13) was one of those perfect nights to go out.  You know, absolutely clear, just the right temperature, etc.  It seemed like everyone was totally feeling a break after the long week and the streets of the Lower East Side were packed.  So the crowds didn't surprise me when I walked into Pianos. 

I made it just in time for the start of Indie electronic duo KNTRLR.  The pair performed an eclectic range of tunes for us. The majority of the tracks held true to their Indie alternative rock, which is always pretty rad to see live, especially with the musical talent of these guys.  However, they added an electronic element to the performance as well.  Mixing beats along with a live band makes things all the more interesting to the ear.  In the background played a sort of promo video that seemed to made especially for this occasion, which was cool. 

The headliner for the evening was next: Clementine and the Galaxy.  Another eclectic duo making savory sweet tunes.  This pair's focus is on electro-pop and they sure do it well.  Before even seeing them live, they had me replaying their entire debut EP, "Clementine and the Galaxy" over and over again.

The pair file themselves under what they call "art pop", a genre totally new to me.  Apparently the likes of Kate Bush and Bjork are classified under the same genre (no it's not just the title of Lady Gaga's new album...).  Art Pop is defined as "a genre that blends the melodies of Pop music with unconventional or experimental elements."  

Julie Hardy (Clementine) and Mike MacAllister (the Galaxy) are the two masterminds behind this contagious Pop music.  The two met while doing a commercial project in which Hardy was hired to sing and MacAllister was the recording engineer.  These two are the kind of collaboration that take music very seriously.  They both have unique talents to offer in the music world and their endless accomplishments listed in their bio show it.  Impressive as they may be, they are both extremely down to earth, and humble, as can be seen in their TurnStyle interview that was conducted just before the show.

Electro-pop (or Art Pop) can sometimes be a hard genre to pull off live (in my opinion).  When every sound isn't organically created, (i.e. the use of synthesizers, loopers, and samplers) it can be hard to keep the audience focused.  But with compelling dance music and honest talent like Hardy and MacAllister, you've got one hell of an entertaining show.  Clementine dressed the part, in a futuristic get-up and black mask.  They played all the songs on their EP, which was fun to hear live after just hearing the recorded versions.  But the best part was when they broke out some of their new songs.  One of my favorites was "Lazer Gunz"- definitely going to be a winner in my book.  Their energy was so great for the entire show, at one point asking, "Are you guys gonna dance?!" and we certainly did.  How can you not?  

So far, TurnStyle's insider genius proves to be accurate.  So stop missing out on all these fabulous up-and-comers in the industry!   The next show in TurnStyle's Back to School Special series is happening THIS Saturday, October 5th at Tammany Hall.  Buy tickets here!  This means there's no excuse to not tweet about the wonderful Miss Melissa Czarnik first.  

You know the drill: keep checking back for more concert reviews from the Series and in the mean time, check out my Blog, Twitter and Facebook pages to hear some more cool new music.

xoxo Frizzy Blonde

TurnStyle's Back To School Special Kick Off Party!

Let’s be real, going back to school after an awesome summer kind of sucks. On the other hand, great new music rules. Last Thursday night(9/5/13) kicked off TurnStyle Music Group’s Back To School Special. The series involves a collection of emerging artists from New York City’s underground music scene.

The Frizzy Blonde was on site to report on the successful series launch.

The night started off with soon-to-be-soul-star, MEKIA. We all watched, wide-eyed, as the multi-talented, four-piece ensemble created an eclectic mix of genres on stage. There’s nothing like being delightfully impressed at a live show. I arrived at the venue not knowing what MEKIA would sound like. Even the band describes itself as an “experience that will always elude description.” And it’s so true. One song had some gospel undertones, one, a bit of country, and another, some tribal drums to really get you baffled. Without any recorded songs yet, tonight was the only time you could experience this “six-layer nacho dip that is piano, violin, drums, bass, guitar, and vocals.” But keep a close eye on these guys. After a quick chat after the show, Mekia herself told me they’ll be solely focusing on recording for the next few months. That means more “nacho dip” for us. HELL YES.

Next up was string composer duo, Charly and Margaux. You might be thinking: what are classical composers doing in a line-up like this and at a venue like DROM? Or at least that’s what I was thinking. Their title sounded more like it belonged in a symphony hall or a ballet. But I was certainly mistaken/delightfully impressed, yet again. For those in the audience who knew nothing about these talented ladies, they were about to experience a real change of perspective. The violinist and violist (respectively) describe themselves as “metro-classical, cinematic chamber rock.” This will either confuse you, or, when you hear them, blow your fucking mind.

The two performed along with three other gifted Berklee College of Music alum: DJ Ginyard (bass), Andy Berman (guitar), and Justin Tyson (percussion). Charly and Margaux are a phenomenon that must be seen live. Their stage presence is remarkable. Everyone could see that the smiles on their faces and the tears in their eyes were absolutely honest. And all because they are just so insanely happy to be doing what they’re doing. The performance itself can only be described in one word: passionate. Check out the picture capturing Charly’s heart-felt expression as she literally feels the sweet melodies.

After some more emotional pieces, they broke into Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”, for which the duo originally composed the string arrangement. They understand that their compositions are defying the status quo, and that their distinct sound may take some time for their audience to truly understand. Charly voices this in an interview back in 2012: “No one knows who we are right now, but we understand that what we want to contribute is going to take a lifetime to get across. We’re starting small and laying huge bricks in our foundation.”

Once the audience recouped from such an intense performance, it was time Frances Rose. Another duo, this time sisters Sarah Frances and Michelle Rose, took to the stage. Both were dressed the part, one in a glitter top and leather shorts, the other in a floral bodysuit and neon cap. They had everyone snapping pictures. They saved the best for last. Their hit electro-pop single, which was included on Kitsuné‘s AMERICA compilation for 2012, “Vampire” was accompanied by a dancer and all three of them broke into a choreographed dance. Being surrounded by music since they were born, these two ladies certainly know how to entertain an audience.

RIP stress, it’s been real. TECLA‘s about to get on stage and we all know what that means. LET GO. Let loose. And let that body move to the groove however it wants to. No one’s watching anyways. From the moment the audience meets her, in her amazing white silk boxing robe, they’re in love. You can catch right on to her quirky, fun personality. Her down-to-earth attitude relaxes the audience and gets everyone moving. How can we not? Her “danceable afro/funk/caribbean/tropical/pop” is insanely addicting. The coolest part? TECLA writes everything herself and it all comes from the heart. She’s inspired by her own life and musical journey. She started as a child pianist, and then soon added singing, rapping, DJing, and producing to the repertoire. After her set, an audience member described her music as “contagious”, and I completely agree. She loosens up her family of fans, new and old, by adding a “you better twerk!” and we eat it right up, busting out into another set of dance moves. After covering Robin S.‘s, “Show Me Love”, she humbly reminds the audience to “say five thank you’s every morning when you wake up.” Hell, a person can’t get more awesome than this.

All photos courtesy of Randy Pressman

So there you have it, the first show of TurnStyle Music Group’s Back To School Special. I would say it was a complete success, and I’m positive all of its attendees would agree. Does this sound like a fucking good time to you? Well, it was. So don’t miss the next one! Clementine and the Galaxy play at Pianos on Friday, September 20th. Read up on the event and get tickets here.

Stay tuned for more Back To School Special concert reviews! In the mean time, check out my Blog, Twitter and Facebook pages to hear some more cool new music.

XOXO Frizzy Blonde

Coasts - "Oceans"

This Bristol five-piece brings us some wonderful tunes perfect for summer.  I am coming a bit late with this one, seeing as it is mid-August and the summer will soon be coming to an end.  But better late than never!  This ensemble of stunning men came together at the university of Bath and began creating some great 'tropical indie', as they call it.  There's immense personality behind these tracks, light-hearted yet insanely powerful at the same time.





Another great song on their Paradise EP is "Wallow".  They've definitely mastered great build up with this one.  Check it out below:

Miriam Bryant - "Finders Keepers"

Looks like Sweden has its own version of Adele.  She's 21, born in England, raised in Sweden, and if I close my eyes during this video, I'd think it was Adele singing.  But it's not.  It's Miriam Bryant.

"Finders Keepers", her debut single, is a solid one, for sure.  It's an anthem about getting over someone, with a ton of personality behind it.  A strong declaration of "you'll never win me over  - I'm on my own side".  It's bound to make anyone feel like they can handle the worst of break-ups.  

Check out her SoundCloud for two of her other catchy tracks, "Push Play" and "Raised in Rain".

Smash Mouth - "Can't Get Enough Of You Baby"

What a great classic 90s anthem to go along with the great classic 90s movie, "Can't Hardly Wait".  I SO wish I was part of this music video.

Jungle - "Platoon"

I present to you, my newest discovery: Jungle.  Along with the most adorable music video EVER, featuring the famous B-Girl Terra.

Crystal Fighters - "You & I"

I love the people I meet at bars.  Don't get me wrong-there are a handful of gentlemen that are more of a nuisance than an enjoyment-but most of them are interesting.  For me, I hit the jackpot when I meet someone who shares my love for music.  Or at least has a few bands to introduce me to.  This 'jackpot' of a situation happened about a year ago when a strapping young fellow told me I had to listen to a band called Crystal Fighters.  I was immediately stirred by their one-of-a-kind upbeat version of folk.  However, at this point they only had a six-track debut album to offer called Star of Love. (Check out my favorite below.)  But six tracks just isn't enough.  I needed more.

We've eagerly waited three years for more.  But it was so worth the wait.  Crystal Fighters have finally dropped their sophomore album, Cave Rave (Listen to the full album stream here).  It's just perfect for some summer love, when the sun is shining, everyone's outside, and there's a whole lot of happy going on.  

Crystal Fighters are comprised of five East Londoners, originally from the Basque country in Spain.  Their origins strongly influence, but do not control, their every sound.  They take traditional Basque folk and mix it with exciting, fast-paced baselines and catchy vocals, creating a sound so unique, it's guaranteed to captivate.  Musically, they defy pretty much every genre.  People are calling it 'folktronica'.

Cave Rave is a beautiful collection of majestic everything.  It has the power to take you to a far away place.  The band continues to stay close to its roots for this album- always keeping that Spanish flavor that we all love.

It's the soundtrack to living in a fantastical dream.  But only the kind that ends in victory.

Take a break from your real life to get lost in dreams and things that don't exist.  It's a really good time- I promise.