It is currently 4 am (whoops?) and I have fallen into the Youtube vortex. Again. BUT this time, instead of random funny videos or television clips, it's because I found my new favorite band to fangirl over. The ascension into madness was a quick one. About 14 hours ago, I watched the newest "Lucifer" episode, which generally has fantastic music (Check on tunefind.com if you're ever wondering what songs are in your favorite shows. It's wonderful!). This particular episode had two songs by a band named Kaleo. I love finding new music, so I figured I could add the songs on a playlist to use in my car at a later date. Hoo boy, did I underestimate the situation I was about to get in. As soon as I Youtubed their songs, I was in love. Cut to 12 hours later after a work shift, and I've been listening to everything I can get my hands on for over an hour. Kaleo has very very swiftly become my favorite new band, and here is why they should be yours also.
Kaleo just released their debut cd, "A/B" in June. Though relatively new to the music scene, their songs have already been featured in multiple television shows and according to their Twitter, their songs were played throughout the World Series. Jensen Ackles has tweeted about how much he loves their album and many famous people follow them on Twitter.
Kaleo's first cd is a mixture of bluesy old school rock and roll and softer, more indie rock. In an interview, lead singer JJ Julius Son says the album is called "A/B" because the vibe of the album is like a vinyl with an A and a B side "to show the diversity of the band. I write these different tunes and you can tell side A is quite more upbeat."
Here are a few of their songs that best represent the different types of sound that make up Kaleo as a whole:
"No Good" is featured on the television show "Vinyl's" soundtrack. It is also the song that played on "Lucifer" that made me look up the band in the first place. This song is very old school rock and roll mixed with blues and is heavy on the guitar solos.
Another awesome song made even more awesome by the fact that the video was shot IN A VOLCANO. The members of Kaleo are from Iceland and the inactive volcano they shot the video in is now a tourist attraction. The imagery is beautiful.
"I Can't Go on Without You" is more acoustic and is a piece of the B side of their cd. At times, Kaleo's slower songs remind me of a mixture of Hozier & City and Colour vibe wise.
Remember how I said Kaleo is an Icelandic band? Well this is the song that got them their big break. It's a cover of a popular Icelandic folk song and it is gorgeous. Usually, I get obsessed with knowing words to songs so I don't sing incorrectly, but the fact that it's in a language I can't understand helps me appreciate the beauty of it. It's a piece of ear candy that has a very calming effect.
Before they had even visited America, this song was written about a cross country trip through the US in a car. This is another song I could see fitting in with the 70s southern rock that I grew up listening to.
I really hope Kaleo sticks around in America for a long while and get even more recognition than they already have. This band is supremely talented and I can't wait to see what their future holds!
