Alternative Take: Jarbird - Meeka Kates

Jarbird - Such Is The House.

Background promo - London outfit Jarbird released their debut EP "Such Is The House" last week on burgeoning French independent label Oskar.

The 4-piece found its roots at Leeds University where vocalists Ric and Lara were studying. After recruiting bass virtuoso Jim and returning home to their native London upon graduation, the lineup was rounded out with the addition of drummer Rami.

First single from the EP "Such Is The House" surfaced on line in demo form last year, this track is a melting pot of so many brilliant musical perspectives, which could only be channelled by a band with an exuberant, wide-eyed fascination with the possibilities of their music. "Such Is The House" has been championed by the likes of BBC Radio 1 DJ's Annie Mac, Huw Stephens as well as Beats 1, XFM and US radio zeitgeist KCRW where it was hailed their Top Track. "Such Is The House" has also reached #1 on Frances most influential radio show Radio Nova and FluxFM in Berlin.

 Next track from the EP "Iona" is a triumph for the bands sustained creative restlessness. "Gavelkind" and "Jocasta" further show Jarbird to be at the forefront of progressive pop, as impressive with their textures as their harmonies.

Jarbird succeed in their knowing but expertly delivered goal: to sound like no other band out there. Their recently announced London headline show at The Waiting Room has Sold Out, further live news coming soon.

'Such Is The House' is the first of four quality and style laden songs on what is a splendid EP. Each song has a different dimension to it, however all four tracks are single material in their own right. Highly impressed!

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Meeka Kates - Empire (Feat. Allen Ginsberg).

Background promo - Meeka Kates, a recent Melbourne transplant from NYC, is an independent singer, songwriter, and producer. While still a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Meeka released his single "Closure" and accompanying music video on  The Bearded Man, an imprint of Armada Records. Garnering nearly 1MM listens worldwide, it was picked up by major outlets including Complex, Dancing Astronaut, and La Belle Musique.

FindNewJams is pleased to present "Empire," Meeka's first release of 2016. It was inspired in equal parts by Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting "Mecca", which serves as the cover, and Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl", part of which is recited by the poet himself in the third verse of the song. It's a bouncy indie electronic dance track about the downfall of civilization.

2016 holds a lot in store for Meeka, including one more single in April and two EPs scheduled for official release in the summer on Kraak & Smaak's nascent label Boogie Angst. He will also be accompanying K&S on their fall European tour to promote their sixth full length studio album, which features Meeka on their lead single "So Clear".

Funky vocals are way up in the mix, right where they belong. I used the 'less is more' expression very recently, this is yet another endorsement of that view. The song beautifully builds and the inclusion of Allen Ginsberg is wonderful.