In this — the age of the
Coronavirus — many of us are stuck at home, isolated with only TV screens and
the glow of laptops and phones to keep us connected. In other words, there
isn’t much to do.
However, one thing that is available to us all is the wide world of recorded
music. And now is as good a time as ever to get to know some bands you may not
have heard of but ones that you will assuredly enjoy, dear reader.
So, buckle up and get ready for a digital ride around the continental United
States with stops in Philadelphia, Detroit, Albany (New York), Tucson (Arizona)
and Spokane (Washington).
LULLANAS, “Pennsylvania Skies,”
Philadelphia
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22xQHvZnkXs&feature=emb_title
This east coast duo, founded by twin sisters Atisha and Nishita Lulla,
exhibits the beautiful, crystal clear harmonies born of trust that only those
sharing familial intuition can muster. The duo’s members say they like to write
songs while sitting at a desk, scribbling lyrics like secrets onto the page. As
a result, the lyric video for their new single, “Pennsylvania Skies,” features
the hand-written words and drawings penned by an Italian artist who created the
video while on Coronavirus quarantine lockdown. The result is a charming,
heart-warming delight.
Shadow Show, “Shadow Box,” Detroit
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQQakwGdAUY&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR29mmfoUo4bK4DEIcqtgf7TN8FBcHfXGfVOpsoXyWkD7RLk7Plfabhe6oM
Certain bands are numinous. Their sound is such that it seems as familiar as
yesterday, yet you’ve never really heard it before. Such is the song, “Shadow
Box,” by the Detroit, Michigan-based trio, Shadow Show. With ghostly harmonies,
blood-pumping verve and, likely, a few secrets behind their smiles, the
three-piece band make music that seems to drip up from the floor boards of some
half-empty saloon. Vigor follows and suddenly the place is shaking back and
forth like Dorothy’s twister-torn Kansas shack.
Front Biz, “Little Mutants,” Albany
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdfUCZWyOn8
Sometimes one must simply infuse fun like confetti into your ears.
Times stuck in side call for cookies at night, your favorite movies on repeat
and “Little Mutants” by upstate New York’s Front Biz. Vocals soar like
long-stretching sunsets, guitar riffs push forward like Cadillac cars and
rhythms bounce like children on green front lawns. This is the music of
rebellion on your way to the corner store for another fantastic, ice cold Big
Gulp. Go ahead, the funky Front Biz tells us, enjoy life wherever and whenever
you can find it.
Najima, “America Blues,” Tucson
Videos by American Songwriter
Essential link: https://justnajima.bandcamp.com/track/america-blues
Just as there is time to cut loose, there is time to reign in. Time to
think, consider and refine one’s stance. Tucson, Arizona’s Najima offers us
that space with her rough-rugged blues prowess. She isn’t afraid to talk about
American murder while soloing like the masters of a lineage of which she’s
assuredly a part. Sometimes one needs to pull punches, other occasions,
however, call for big and powerful uppercuts. This song is a roundhouse and it
stems from a fighter who won’t quit throwing until she sees justice for all.
Vanna Oh!, “Chaperone,” Spokane
Essential link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hphz0jDpxGU&fbclid=IwAR2A4HdL1Wk0WlmdgIj1Bwc2dRtJIfn1O4sDZ6vrh7FaQA0YIdGXWGHP0Is
This school teacher-turned rocking blues musician has a voice like a Jack White guitar solo and the musicianship skills to back it up. But perhaps more than any singular quality, the pure energy Vanna Oh! exhibits on stage and in recording is infectious. She’s like a morphine drip mixed with a bottle of simple syrup. The platinum-blond artist also has a knack for visually stunning assets, boasting a number of high quality eye candy music videos that showcase her prowess as one of the Northwest’s best.
