There is something fundamentally intoxicating about the music of Los Angeles’ Speculator. The fusion of catchy Italo-Disco hooks, Nick Ray’s dreamy vocals, and Ben Goddard’s fierce guitar forms the perfect soundtrack for a summer night. Not just any night, but the kind where you are surrounded by friends in a backyard with an ice-cold Tecate in your hand and fireflies sparkling above. So sit back, crack a cold one, and enjoy this video of Speculator’s performance at Showcave last week. (more…)
When I first became aware of Puro Instinct, they were still called Pearl Harbor. It seems that this name change came to fruition very recently, because all the posters for the show where I shot this video still referred to them as Pearl Harbor. I guess it doesn’t matter what they call themselves as long as they keep making intoxicating new wave jams with a subtle undertone of Gothic rock. While editing this video, I took a break to watch the music video for “Brass in Pocket.” Something about Puro Instinct’s sound is really evocative of golden age Pretenders, and it probably has a lot to do with frontwoman Piper’s vocal stylings. Much like Chrissie Hynde, Piper’s voice has a quality that is both very feminine and very bad-ass. She’s the sort of lead singer who makes strong-willed little girls dream of starting bands when they grow up. In the very near future, Puro Instinct will be traversing the United States on a stacked bill that includes Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and Magic Kids. Check them out if they come through your town, and keep an eye on them in general. I sense something special brewing here. (more…)
