Kaleo

Long time gone...I've been digging.

Iceland has given us Bjork. (Thanks?) But Iceland has also now given us Kaleo. Upon first listen this band is quite a mixture. Going from the sensitivity of early Coldplay and the delicate vocals of Bon Iver to the ground stomping of Mumford & Sons all in one song. Lead singer JJ Juliusson breathlessly goes from his falsetto to gritty soul on the standout track "All the Pretty Girls." This song starts with a simple acoustic guitar and builds and builds to a powerhouse climax vocal with Juliusson practically pleading with a  lover to "lay me down." (Marcus Mumford would be proud of such passion.)

Check out their pure blues rock on "Broken Bones" and "Rock 'n' Roller" to get a sense of their more rollicking side. With a move to Austin to record some new material for an EP due later this year, Kaleo seem to be poised to make 2015 a banner year. Their single "All the Pretty Girls" is currently free on iTunes. 

All the Pretty Girls-

Rock N' Roller-

The Rubens

Soul swelling, blues peddling, swagger surfer rock (whew!) pretty much sums up Australia's The Rubens. Composed of 3 brothers and their friend, this band excels with their extremely hook ridden songs.  Many will compare these guys to The Black Keys, but I think they actually have more of a Depeche Mode vibe. Lead singer Sam Margin has a laid back vocal delivery but can bring the songs home when he needs to.

The song "My Gun" has a slinky James Bond-style groove about a girl who has done some serious emotional damage. (I gave her the means, she had the will/ I kept on pushin’ for the kill/ I never thought she’d finish me/ As she shot me down and left me to bleed.) Trust me you will be singing this one for days. Their EP My Gun is on iTunes while their full length is only available in Australia...for now.

The Rubens- Facebook
My Gun-

Hot Bodies in Motion

Hot Bodies in Motion are very accurately named. With their blues drenched rock, these guys from Seattle sure do know how to set a groove. Their EP Old Habits came out early last year a little under the radar, but it was filled with blistering songs like the lo-fi bombastic "Old Habits" and "Physics" which is filled with some great guitar work. Lead by Ben Carson's gritty vocals, this band really knows how to scorch a hook. 

Their new single "That Darkness" does what these guys do best, provide rock with a jolt of gritty blues.

Hot Bodies in Motion- Facebook
That Darkness-