The Jakes seem to have the ingredients for large-scale success, though to achieve it they'll have to survive the challenge that comes when band members move on to different colleges.  As you'll see in the attached video interview, this is a band that has had to adjust to a radical songwriting process and to the challenge of rehearsing and performing when schedules permit. 

The sound they create is hard to describe.  Lead singer Sameer Gadhia sings with an intonation that is nearly reggae in style at times, but also quite soulful, and the band combines a bright, staccato guitar style with some elements of blues.  It's an interesting package and the songwriting is strong.  Given the limitations they operate under as a bunch of 18-20 year-olds living in different cities, they seem like a band with quite a high ceiling.  In fact, they have been listed as one of the Top 40 Unsigned Bands on dailychorus.com.

The band just released a new EP called Shake My Hand, which features an outstanding song called "Cough Syrup" (listed below).  That song demonstrates all of the strengths of the band- smooth vocals, strong rhythms, and catchy hooks. 

We'll have more on the Jakes when we post their complete Groupee Session within the next week.

For our Groupee Session with Liz Pappademas, I described her as "a female Tom Waits, a storyteller whose songs are vivid and infused with character."  That is high praise, but spend a few hours around her, like we did for her session, and you realize she can play in that league.

For those of you in Los Angeles, Liz has a couple of shows coming up- September 20th at Echo Curio and September 29th at Tangier.  She's currently working on arrangements for her upcoming record, a concept album about a fictional game show.  She also has a new video for her song "Loma Prieta", off of her last record, 11 Songs.

Check out our short video interview with Liz below.

Carré Callaway is the singer and songwriter leading our latest Buzz Band, Queen Kwong. Her songs would fit in nicely with "Live Through This"-era Hole, bringing an off-kilter meldocism that wails and teeters beautifully on the edge.  While their catalog of songs is still small, the band seems to be coming together quite quickly.  When they played our Groupee Session, the lineup had only been together a few weeks.

Now the group is recording its debut record with help from Brian Bell of Weezer.  Check out our video interview with the band below.

For our recent Groupee Session with Melanoid, we referrred to singer/songwriter Johnny Hanson as sounding like a cross between Roy Orbison and Elliott Smith.    He is about to release a new album called Asleep in the Wake and, based on the snippets I have heard from that record, it signals the debut of one of the finest new artists.  This is music to get lost in, with a rich production quality not usually associated with independent efforts. 

While the songwriting quality compares with such luminaries as Randy Newman, Smith, and Fiona Apple, there are some strong early-Radiohead comparisons as well, especially on a song like "Roam".  The production values of another song on the album, "Leave Me Home", also could fit into the Radiohead canon.  This is clearly a major talent, with a gift for (beautiful) melody, the ambition for sonic invention, and a voice that adds a bit of heartbreak to everything he sings. 

One other interesting thing about John Hanson is that his brother is Josh Hanson, who is an amazing singer-songwriter in his own right for a band called Yellow Red Sparks.  We'll be profiling that band soon.  We expect great things from both brothers in the future.

Enjoy the video interview with John Hanson of Melanoid below.

The Sweet Hurt is the solo project of Wendy Wang, who lends her hand to so many bands and projects (Honey Honey, Correatown, Let's Go Sailing...) that you are hard pressed to find someone in the LA indie music scene who does not know her.   Her band name perfectly describes the sound she creates; her songs lilt and sway with a sadness that somehow feels incredibly good.

Jake Gideon, leader of the the breakups, had this to say about the band: “As Wendy Wang herself would put it, The Sweet Hurt is my band crush.  The richness of Wendy's simple yet gorgeous songs and melodies hits the ear, heart, and mind in all the right ways.  With a voice as smooth and gentle as any I've ever heard, The Sweet Hurt's songs comfort you like a blanket in the wintertime, even on the occasional rocker.  Impeccable arrangements and harmonies are just more icing on The Sweet Hurt cake.  Whether live or on record this band is always a treat for the senses.”

There is a quiet grace to all songs by The Sweet Hurt and the same quality applies to Wendy, as you’ll see in our interview below.   Included in the interview are snippets from the Groupee Session with the band.

The Sweet Hurt has a new EP, In The Shade of Dreams, out now.

Billy Boy on Poison has the confident swagger of a band that has been around for years, yet its members are predominantly teenagers.  They write melodic, muscular songs that are full of driving rhythm and big hooks.  This is a band that wears it influences on its sleeves, yet still manages to sound completely fresh.

The band released an EP, Sweet Mess, on the Ironworks Music label last spring and should be releasing its first full length record soon on the same label.  With echoes of classic 70’s rock and glam rock, the band’s music lives in a familiar place.  However, the songs are visceral in their intensity... this is a band that has the “it” factor.

Check out this video of the band’s song “Angry Young Man”:

The Weather Underground are the real deal... a band that mixes rock, folk and soul with lead singer Harley Prechtel-Cortez’s searing vocals, creating music nearly cinematic in scope.  With ringing guitars and lyrics alive with ambition and purpose, the listener is transported to a deserted western highway where the echoes of lost chances mingle with hopeful screams of passion.

While many of the band’s songs start with a slow burn, they all gather momentum, like clouds gathering for a storm, as the warbled howl of singer Cortez becomes an electric instrument unto itself, especially on songs like “Old Man Jude” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

The band has released a handful of EPs over the past year or so but, amazingly, are still unsigned.  We invited them in for a live session in the same recording studio where they recorded their last record.   Clearly comfortable in that environment, the band ripped into four songs that showcased their song craft and energy.  The videos from that session are posted here.  Below, you'll find the interview we conducted with the band.