Inexplicably (and indefensibly),
America chose the 'orange monster' instead of a highly qualified woman, not as progressive as one would like (by no means), but compared with the Republican abomination, a wonder. To start compensating the
outrageous mistake, in our
discoverer series we propose three mind blowing female artists that really deserve your loyal adhesion!
A trio fated for the best of the year lists!
Springtime Carnivore. Born in Oak Brook, Illinois, but based in Los Angeles, California, to me Greta Morgan was immediately associated with the great
Katy Goodman, as she is
La Sera's guitar player and her music partner in that promising (but forgotten?, '
Space Love' was a delight) duo Books of Love and, more recently, the excellent punk-rock-meets-60's-pop covers album '
Take It, It's Yours', out this August. But that's just the tip of the "music iceberg", 'cause
Ms. Morgan is a
talented multi-instrumentalist with a heart melting voice that began her career when she was a teenager, first as a member of the Chicago-based groups the
Hush Sound, with whom she released three LPs between 2004 and 2008 (plus a later
EP and a reunion tour last year), then with
Gold Motel, releasing two albums between between 2009 and 2012 (loving them at the moment). Afterwards,
Morgan moved to L.A. California and, while she joined forces with Goodman, launched her solo project under the intriguing "seasonal predator" moniker.
Springtime Carnivore's
eponymous debut appeared in November 2014 via
Autumn Tone Records, with follow-up '
Midnight Room', just came out past month. Instantly melodic but moody & evocative, this nocturnal
dreampop with hazy textures, yet at the same time an incredible warm feel, should be part of your
lifetime soundtrack to face the moon (even a supermoon).
Pop in orbit.
Julia Jacklin. Born in 1991 in the Blue Mountains, Australia, but now based in Sydney,
Ms Jacklin took all the worst influences to make
something wonderful, and completely of her own (needless to say, and most luckily, diametrically opposed musically). Inspired by Britney Spears, at the age of 10 she took classical singing lessons. Later on, she joined a high school covers band, which made versions of Avril Lavigne and Evanescence (sic). She performed locally, forming the band Salta alongside Liz Hughes in 2012. But after moving to Sydney for her university studies, her career rocketed this year due to the phenomenal reception of first two singles '
Pool Party' and '
Coming of Age', embarking herself in a world tour (still no dates confirmed in Spain, damn it) and several Festivals, playing in support of artists such as
Whitney or Okkervil River. Now her debut album '
Don't Let the Kids Win' out since October 2016 on Transgressive Records / Polyvinyl, confirms all the promise. Indie-folk-rock recalling the mind-blowing
Angel Olsen, the also recently discovered
Nadia Reid, but with some of the witty humour of
Father John Misty,
Jacklin's debut is astonishing. Confident, bright, clever, powerful, charismatic.
A MUST of this 2016.
Hazel English. And another Australian talent to finish our discoveries series today, although 25-year-old
Hazel is now based in Oakland, CA. Taking the blogosphere under
her spell since the first
tunes (demos) surfaced the net last year, the Sydneyan musician has been
carefully preparing her official debut while touring the west coast (Europe anytime soon?). A first release that now appears in the form of 12" EP '
Never Going Home', out since October (sold-out at the moment of writing this lines) via House Anxiety / Marathon Artists, and it's an indiepop gem. Cinematic, lush, adventurous, wistful, breezy, this small collection of
stunning, sun-soaked dreampop pieces are easily among the strongest EPs of the year, certifying here's a musician to follow closely.
