The Bay Area music scene has always been a busy and bustling hotbed of incredibly diverse and unique new talents. Here are some of my favorite local acts that I feel are right on the verge of breaking out:
Audrye SessionsGenre: Indie/Rock/Alternative
Sounds Like: Radiohead, Muse, Manchester Orchestra
http://www.myspace.com/audryesessionsAudrye Sessions, who describe their sound as having a "very Brit-rock feel like The Beatles meet Muse,” craft guitar-powered pop that blends brooding energy with lush arrangements and delicately tender vocals. The Oakland-based quartet got their start playing gigs at local coffeehouses, eventually becoming one of the Bay’s most recent buzzed-about bands, playing for Noise Pop and SxSw and opening for the Dandy Warhols and Louis XIV. Earlier this year, the group made the leap to major-label status, signing with Black Seal, and released their self-titled debut album. What’s most striking about this band is frontman Ryan Karazija’s voice. His wispy falsetto is so similar to that of Thom Yorke’s, it’s downright eerie.
Dizzy Balloon Genre: Rock/Pop/Indie
Sounds Like: Queen, The Beatles, The Morning Benders
http://www.myspace.com/dizzyballoonDizzy Balloon (formerly known as Panda) is a five-piece pop group hailing from Piedmont. Their self-titled debut, which was released last year, features infectiously upbeat and punchy pop numbers that make you want to get up, clap your hands, and boogie down. These rowdy youngsters were barely juniors in high school when they began to gain popularity around the Bay Area, garnering steady airplay on KITS (Live 105) and packing venues, including Slim’s and Bottom of the Hill. They’ve become known for their high energy live shows and beat out over a hundred other Bay Area bands last year to win the opening spot for Not So Silent Night, sharing the stage with rock heavyweights such as The Killers, Bloc Party, and Franz Ferdinand. Catch them at the Rickshaw Stop in SF on November 28, and see all the Dizzy buzz for yourself.
LoveLikeFire Genre: Indie/Rock/Pop
Sounds Like: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead, The Killers
http://www.myspace.com/lovelikefireThe San Francisco-based indie rock quartet know how to take initiative, forging a truly independent path of their own, without the aid of a label, as they independently released two EPS and promoted their music through a self-organized and self-financed national tour. The group was formed in 2006 when vocalist Anne Yu and drummer/keyboardist David Farwell met at a show playing in other bands, eventually teaming up with bassist Eric Amerman and guitarist Marty Mattern. Anne Yu’s hauntingly enticing vocals are set against a multi-layered wall of sound, similar to the style of Arcade Fire, that treads into darkly brooding territory, taking the listener to a rhythmic and artful trip through a dream-pop landscape. Recently, the group signed to Heist or Hit records and released their latest album Tear Ourselves Away in the UK, but I have a feeling soon enough they’re going to makes waves across the ocean here in the US.
