We continue our "Best of LA Countdown", this time covering three of the artists that made our Year Ends Best of LA Poll list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).
#40 is Angelenos-by-way-of-Pennsylvania Eastern Conference Champions who will be releasing their first full album of new material, Speak-ahh, this April. The band released their EP, Santa Fe, in 2009 sans former record label Suretone/Universal and have been loving the self control ever since.
Leaning towards a more introspective and melancholy version of Modest Mouse, ECC’s twist on the theme works perfectly — so well, in fact, that it landed them on the (cringe) Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack with artists like Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys, and Bat For Lashes.
To keep you busy with something a little different, they’re sharing their song ‘Bloody Bells (M. Zero Break Mix)’.
If you could splice the musical genes of Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, and Phantom Planet into one band, you’d end up with #39 Chasing Kings. Their debut offering, The Current State of Our Future, in 2009 with rave reviews and accolades from the LA scene (including ours) and after a dedicated year of jumping on any tour they could find, and a November residency at the Silverlake Lounge, the band released the single for "Just Our Luck"/"Maybe It’s The Distance". The single teases new material in the same vein as their debut album, but shows off a new layer of refinement and confidence.
Chasing Kings will be playing tonight, Feb. 18th at PB&J in Pomona.
#38 Fight From Above released their debut album, LA Kids, in 2009 and have been going full speed since on the back of catchy, pop-minded singles like "Between The Curves". Like anything in life, bands mature and change, and when guitarist and founding member Zach Jerome left in the summer of 2010, it changed the creative trajectory of the band who placed guitarist Jeremy Miner (brother of vocalist Justin Miner) in his stead. While they’ve been compared to bands like MGMT, Hot Hot Heat, and Modest Mouse, strong hooks and the love/hate relationship with LA do all the talking on LA Kids. No word on any studio or writing activity, but they recently brought down the house at Pacific Beach’s VFW for a Valentine’s show.
-Angelo Lorenzo