Yesterday we posted part one of our “top emerging L.A. bands to keep an eye on in 2014” and after careful consideration, we’re now ready to share part two of our prospects. There are a lot of talented and unique bands in Los Angeles that are on the rise and each of them deserve a piece of the pie, but our selections below and in part one of our feature appeal to our ears the most, have a lot of new material and shows coming up in 2014 and show some genuine potential to go big places. Take a look at the final segment of our selections for the top emerging Los Angeles bands to keep an eye on in 2014.
1. BANKS
Now this L.A. songstress has some definite money behind her. Banks has Harvest records as her label, Press Here for publicity, not to mention proper artist management and touring. Dang. She doesn’t even run her own “social media stuff”. If you have the finances to garner all that help to boost your presence as an artist, you’re definitely going to create a music buzz in all the right places (and sell out your Hollywood Forever show in less than 30 minutes). Needless to say, Banks, a self-taught pianist with an incredible sultry voice is by far a true talent that deserves all the success coming her way. Her four-track London EP is a compelling and sexy collection of lovelorn songs that are perfected by some intense electronic sounds and textures. After touring with the Weeeknd this past fall, Banks is headed to the UK this March for her headlining tour. Banks’ debut full-length album will be released later this year.
As the Beatles said, “I get by with a little help from my friends”. L.A.’s Cassorla is doing just that and creating some epic music with the help of his “amigos”. The talented guitarist and singer/songwriter, Ben Cassorla has worked with everyone from Slick Rick to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros — and now the time has come for him to deliver his own musical creations. Cassorla’s forthcoming EP, Amigos, is one of the best collaborative efforts we’ve heard in a long time. Each song on the six-track EP is a fine crafted tune that will make you dance or swoon. The EP features all his talented amigos: Eric Earley (Blitzen Trapper), Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Crash (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), Krystle Warren, Henry Wolfe, and Elizaveta. Cassorla’s debut EP, Amigos hits the streets Feb. 4 and his full-length record, Plastic will most likely be released this fall. Expect a late February Amigos EP release party at the Bootleg Theater.
This Echo Park threesome should be signed by now! In February of 2012, the Dead Ships released one of the best L.A. rock ‘n’ roll records of the year with their debut album, Electric Ahab. The band went on to play numerous L.A. and surrounding venues, including a packed residency at the Echo (where even Nick Valensi of the Strokes showed up). These guys deliver an explosive high energy set that boasts all the jangly greatness of garage-pop, blues and soul. Their live shows always impress newcomers to the Dead Ships experience. After some touring and festival dates, the Dead Ships have been on a concert hiatus focusing on their new record produced by Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene. The new album is expected to be released this summer, but in the meantime get ready for a new single and video coming this February.
We were supposed to shoot a Grimy T.V. segment with Santoros back in August, but at the time they were in Vegas and our schedules weren’t meeting. These guys are by far one of the hardest working bands in Los Angeles. Santoros has played shows all over California from Brick & Mortar in San Francisco, to the Marine Room Tavern in Laguna Beach, and of course tons of venues in Los Angeles and surrounding. These #eastsidelonghairfamily boys look like they belong in a 70s version of Wassup Rockers. Similar to the Growlers, Santoros deliver some groovy psychedelic rock tunes that are best suited for cuttin’ a rug on the show floor, or just vibing on a cozy couch with some friends. In November of 2012, Santoros released a lengthy eight-track EP titled, Ancestros. Santoros are currently working on their first full-length record and it’s coming in both English and Spanish versions! Be sure to catch them at El Cid this Wednesday and / or Harvard & Stone on the Jan. 23 before they head out on a West Coast tour this February.
If you like your music hard, fast and loud, you will dig the sounds of Los Angeles’ latest hardcore punk sensation, Obliterations. These guys will terrorize your ears with the most pleasureable headbanging sounds. Composed of members of Black Mountain, Saviours, Bluebird, Night Horse and Pink Mountaintops — Obliterations have a raw feral sound that’s not for the faint of heart. It’s hardcore punk at its finest mixed in with some heavy classic guitar riffs. Obliterations have a new four-song EP coming out January 14, via Volcom Entertainment Vinyl Club. This will be the follow up to their self-titled EP which was just released this October. You can catch Obliterations live at Los Globos on Jan. 12.
Click here to view part one of our feature.
