October's Artist of the Month: Kimbra

Who is she? Well, she's somebody you really should know, after all, she's been passionately belting out her heartache and pain in the breakup anthem for the year, SOMEBADI THAT I USED TO KNOW!!! I'd describe her music as electro-vintage-pop. and i like it. i really like it.

Introducing:

Yeap, Kimbra Lee Johnson is the voice behind the duet with Gotye, that shot them both into my radar, and playing on the radio non-stop. Although few people probably know who she is, the young kiwi's album Vows has been certified platinum in Aussie. and she's only 21! definitely impressive..

KIWI!!!

Background:

Her dad's a doctor, mom was a nurse, won a couple of contests where she wrote some songs when she was 10! Got spotted and moved to Melbourne to perfect her craft for 4 yrs before releasing her new album Vows. Her previous stuff is verrryyyy different. More like Alanis Morisette, and not as interesting. I guess 4 years working on her craft really shows through. Checkout her old stuff here.

SO on to her music.

Describe it:

This is going to sound very quirky. Her sound is new, refreshing, but not that outa-this-world. I'd say, electrosynth pop in style, with a hint of spunkyness and a touch of old jazz. Like a cabaret performance. Her voice is sometimes strong and loud, sometimes patient, tender and careful. I like the meticulousness effortlessness of her singing. 

A little like.. Florence and the Machine and Christina Aguilera, decorated by intricate and colorful vocal riffs when she gets into it, yet jazzy like Nina Simone with her pliant coos and scatting rhythms. Her songs also hit some odd notes that really catch you offguard. It comes as a nice surprise. unpredictable pop. Lastly, her high-note belts are kind of like Bjork, straight up and out, so her voice is really versatile, and keeps you listening for what comes up next.

Some reviews say her songs get boring, but I SAY NAY! they're all a pretty good mix, and really dancey, it stays interesting IMO. Although, sometimes I can't really hear what she's singing, her enunciation and the colorful mix of everything in it kind of makes it hard to hear every word! I'm skeptical if her 'live' sessions are really live cus she moves SO far from the mic ...

Oh, and she's pretty, she looks a little like Katy Perry in an alt-indie sorta way. Whatever that means. With the strangeness of Zooey Deschanel. duncha think?^^ 

If you watch her videos, even her live performances sound good =) I like her live version of 'two way street'. most of her songs have really strong themes and provoking perceptions, that remind you of the most obvious, yet we tend to forget or slide it back. this one's about love being two way, "there's no conspiracy, behind the way to heist me" and she has these exaggerated hand-motions that make her look like she's casting spells, but then again, I'm spellbound when I'm watching her. must be the hocus pocus. Checkout the vid below. pretty intense.

although. sometimes she tends to open her mouth too much. sometimes. and when she does, sometimes, it's kinda awkward for me *twiddles fingers. otherwise, she's totally hot. 

So there's her first single Settle Down from her album Vows which has a catchy upbeat rhythm, boom ba-boom ba, and it's about wanting to Settle Down.  "I wana settle down/ baby's there's no need to run/ i'll love you well" Cheeky and freaky at the same time, it's about the typical housewifey image, very 1960s and the music video looks alot like the town Edward Scissorhands lived in. yep, oldies kinda vibe. very eccentric. but she seems to dance in most of her videos, which is pretty mesmerizing. (that probably sounded a tad gay of me.but she's just really attractive.watch for yourself and see..) boom ba-boom ba..boom ba-boom ba...*shakes it..

So yeap, give her a listen, she's my new fav artist, and 

October's Artist of the Month!!

Future:
She's coming out from Down Under (see what I did there. hehe) and she'll be touring North America opening for Foster the People, and doing her own tour.

Checkout Warrior by Mark Foster, DJ A-Trak and Kimbra, the tune and rhythm sound alot like "Houdini" and isin't that much my thang. The vid's interesting though.. leave a comment if you wanna tell me whatcha think of it =)