Welcome to the weekend! But more importantly, it’s time to choose MTV Iggy’s Artist of the Week!
This is a round-up of the best global bands we found this week. You have until Monday night at 11:59 p.m. USA Eastern Standard Time to vote for your favorite new artist on MTV Iggy, using the bottom poll!
On Tuesday morning, the band with the most votes will be featured on the MTV Iggy homepage marquee along with a tell-all interview.
Good luck!
Zebra Katz
Photo Courtesy of Zebra Katz
Rapper and performance artist galore Ojay Morgan, aka Zebra Katz, is on fire. His song “Ima Read” was the official song of last month’s Paris fashion week. The NY-based performer’s first EP dropped in January on Mad Decent’s out-there sub label Jeffree’s, and just three weeks later, Rick Owens invited Zebra to perform at a party he was throwing. Then, he flew to Texas for his first SXSW and performed almost a dozen shows. Thanks to Zebra, reading is definitely on everyone’s mind right now.
White Shoes and the Couples Company
Photo Courtesy of Figure 8 Agency
The breezy, sepia-toned, but ever so smartly turned out indie pop of White Shoes and the Couples Company sounds forged in pure romance. The best part is that it really was. To be precise, that’s how the Indonesian six-some got their name. Vocalist Aprilia Apsari (Ms. Sari) and guitar player Yusmario Farabi (Mr. Rio) met, fell in love, and formed a band while teaching at the Jakarta Institute of Arts. For their crisp, smooth style the sextet draws on Indonesian film music, ’60s Pop, and early Jazz. And, though they mainly sing in Indonesian, the mellow mood music continues to hook new fans from distant locales.
Sister
Photo Courtesy of Metal Blade Records
Sister’s look falls somewhere in the midst of Alien Sex Gang Children, Mercyful Fate, and The New York Dolls. But there isn’t any one historical wave you can really pin on them. In reality, the filthy beast members Lestat, Rikki, and Cari got together in 2006 entirely on their own. Listen closely to last year’s debut album Hated and it becomes plain that they’re much more than some guys into playing dress up. Seriously, if glam metal had sounded this harsh and raunchy in the first place it might have survived the grunge era.
Sarah Young
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Young
On the surface, UK producer Sarah Young’s biggest achievement is being one of few women to climb the moombahton/global bass ranks. To be sure, this is cause de celebre. The 22-year-old studied songwriting, vocals and production in school, moving on to spin at clubs throughout Europe and New York. Her debut Moombahton Queen is a triumph of dance floor madness, and her blend of bhangra, kuduro, moombah, soca, and everything in between has earned her UK club cred. It’s rare nowadays to see a lady behind turntables like these.
Manos de Topo
Photo Courtesy of Las coleccionistas
A quick listen to Manos de Topo, whose name means “Mole Hands,” and you’ll hear that the sound is heavy on the bizarre. In the background, there are perfectly ordinary orchestrations on twee guitars, tinkling glockenspiels, and lush violins. But then there’s the voice. Miguel Angel’s voice doesn’t quite sing so much as warble hysterically. It sounds like the mating call an alien species might make, or perhaps could be likened to a drunken car alarm. One thing is certain: nobody has ever sounded quite like this, and that’s saying something in today’s over-saturated music scene.
Voting Booth!