Band to Watch: Michael Kiwanuka
Once in a while, an artist comes along with a voice that taps at the deepest, innermost part of the self-conscious. The part that decides just what type of person we are. Such a voice is timeless. It can be played anywhere to an audience of any language and the intensity of emotion will resonate and burn through with equal effect.
Michael Kiwanuka was raised in North-London, the son of Ugandan immigrants. Until last year, he was working as a session guitarist, while gigging tiny London clubs in the evening. Before long, he had caught the eye of The Bees’ Paul Butler, who brought Kiwanuka to Isle of White to record what would become his debut EP, Tell Me a Tale. Listen to the title track below.
Rather than make the inevitable comparisons to the forefathers of soul and R&B that Kiwanuka’s voice immediately brings to mind, let’s settle instead on a statement we can all agree upon: this shit is fucking good. Slap an innocent bystander; snap the hinges off of the bedposts good. Listen to “They Say I’m Doin’ Just Fine” below.
Kiwanuka shot forth from the basements of British pubs like a canon. By the start of this year, he had served as the opening act of Adele’s European tour, released another two more EP’s to account for a total of nine songs, signed with Polydor Records and had been Christened by the BBC as 2012’s next big thing. A meteoric rise for a man that only a year ago was laying down riffs for Tinie Tempah and has yet to turn 25 years old. Regardless of his age or experience, the results speak for themselves. Watch the video for “Home Again,” the title-track from Kiwanuka’s latest EP below.
Connect with Michael Kiwanuka via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track + Video: Fear of Men “Doldrums”
The music video is one of the most underappreciated forms of artistry there is. Forgotten about since MTV went into the shitter 15 years ago when Carson Daly lost Jennifer Love Hewitt and sent his career from TRL to a half hour taped late night show that no one in America watches unless they are too stoned to sleep or too drunk to remember. The music video still exists today, only releases are viral via the Internet, rather than the television. The change in venue has obviously reduced the budget, but certainly not reduced the artist’s chance to express music through imagery in creative ways.
Fear of Men are quartet from London and Brighton who have only been making music together since early 2011. Their best song to date, “Doldrums”, is a relaxed lo-fi pop song with jangly guitars and somber vocals. For all you non-English majors, doldrums is defined as “low spirits; a feeling of boredom or depression; a period of inactivity or state of stagnation” and it’s music video fits this mood. Shot in black and white, it features lead singer Jessica Weiss wandering in a forest dressed in all black surrounded by visions of yesterday in the form of historical civilization statues. Figures covered in white appear towards the end, and Jessica toys with trying see what’s inside, before ultimately abandoning and moving on.
Meet me in the doldrums for a while
I’ll let it take me over
I’ll meet you in the doldrums
I’ve got to let go of everything I own
Fear of Men self-released “Doldrums” on a tape entitled Alice Munro Demos. Keep your eyes open for the band’s debut album, which is scheduled for release on April 9th of this year. If you like what you hear, be sure to visit the group’s Bandcamp page for more of their ever-growing catalog.
Connect to Fear of Men via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Greg Dahman
Video: Yuck “The Base of a Dream is Empty”
This is when it gets really fun for me. When a local project brings in an up and coming act that I truly adore. Our friends at LaundroMatinee were so kind to bring in one of my new favorite bands Yuck when they rolled through Indianapolis and rocked Radio Radio in October. This session was recorded at Lovebird Recording. Check out their song “The Base of a Dream is Empty,” which can be found on their deluxe release that dropped on October 11. Plans are still tentative for Yuck in 2012, but we can only hope for more touring and well-spent hours in the studio. After seeing this video, I am confident that they will not disappoint.
Connect with Yuck via Facebook | Twitter | Fat Possum
Written by Brett McGrath
Thought on Tracks 