Fresh Track: The Kemps “Summer of Sam”
Local purveyors of fuzz and general good feelings, The Kemps, dropped a trio of new tracks this week via Soundcloud. The songs are still in the early stages of production. The vocals could be brought a little more to the forefront for my taste, but the band is off to a solid start. The rough takes provide listeners with an accurate portrayal of The Kemps’ live performance: high energy, heavy distortion and reverb, and enough attitude to constitute a significant kick in the pants.
Below, you will find a stream and download for the song “Summer of Sam.” Here, we find The Kemps in traditional garage rock mode, with a rollicking back beat that touches on surf pop without plunging full-on into the waves. The “Ooohs” that serve as the backdrop to the chorus are irresistible. The Kemps ran into some lousy luck last month when a break-in at Trevor Wathen’s Hex Haus Recording Studio resulted in the loss of the band’s forthcoming album. The three songs released this week are the first look at the band’s attempt to rebuild their album from scratch.
Connect with The Kemps viaFacebook
Upcoming Live Shows:
April 10: The Bishop Bar – Bloomington, IN
April 14: Indy’s Jukebox – Indianapolis, IN
April 21: GloryHole RSD Showcase – Indianapolis, IN
April 28: Kalamazoo College – Kalamazoo, MI
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track: Holy Esque “Rose”
Holy Esque is a new alt-rock group hailing from Glasgow, Scotland. The quartet formed last year and after the successful reception to a few demos via Soundcloud, quickly began playing small gigs across the UK. They have opened for the likes of WU LYF, and are swiftly developing a sizable regional following. This week, the band released the first track from their debut, self-titled EP due to drop digitally on April 23. “Rose” is a terrific example of the strong textures and dense sound that the band is attempting to carve out and make their own. Drawing upon 90s alternative influences, Holy Esque is made accessible by the earnest delivery of its lead singer Pat Hynes. Hynes’ voice quivers as he sings, but not in a way that distracts or sounds like a mistake. Rather, Hynes appears wrought with emotion as if so enveloped by his song that his voice might break at any moment.
Holy Esque EP Track Listing
1. Ladybird Love
2. Rose
3. Loneliest Loneliness
4. Prophet of Privilege
Holy Esque is a band worth keeping your ears on. After the initial spin of their forthcoming EP, I can tell you that it will be worth the shitty exchange rate back to the states. Listen to “Rose” below.
Connect with Holy Esque via Facebook | Twitter
“Rose”
Photo courtesy of Natalie Whitehill
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track: Sarah Jaffe “Glorified High”
Denton, Texas native Sarah Jaffe released the first single off her new album The Body Wins a few weeks ago, and it certainly is a bit of a change up from her earlier work. More known for her folky acoustic guitar and simplified arrangements that show off her voice, “Glorified High” lets you know something new is in the air right from the start with a synth led beat drops. And what do you know, we have a pop song! Whether or not this represents a complete makeover or simply Sarah dabbling in a new style remains to be seen, but if the rest is like this track we are in for a treat. The new albums drops on April 24th so keep you ears peeled for new singles as we get closer to the release.
Connect with Sarah Jaffe via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 