Best of LA #42: Tara Priya

We continue our "Best of LA Countdown", covering every day one 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).

Sometimes it’s easy to write off female pop artists here in LA, especially when so many are preened to become the soulless zombie fair that Radio Disney adores. I reserved judgement before I hit play on Tara Priya and was pleasantly surprised that my eyes didn’t roll into the back of my head. What came out was a slightly more demure version of Amy Winehouse (the rare, sober one) who obviously pays homage to 60’s doo-wop, soul and jazz on tracks like "Wounded" and "Expectations". The track "Memories" breaks away a bit, but only to sound like other indie songstress Ingrid Michaelson, before slipping right back into an arrangements of horns. The only thing this girl needs to round herself out is a collaboration with Mark Ronson.

Her self titled EP is available on BandCamp.

-Angelo Lorenzo