In this age of streaming, downloading, and playlisting, music fans are enabled like never before to hear what we want when we want to hear it (with the occasional exception of artists like Prince or De La Soul). But many of us find ourselves going back to what we already know, overwhelmed by the availability of options and perhaps uncertain about what is out there that is worth trying.
It’s fair to say that there’s a lot of music — even L.A. indie music — that goes unheard. There’s even a lot of good music that doesn’t always reach the ears of those who might enjoy it. Adventurous music fans will tell you that for every band you love, there’s another performer out there who is just as good, if not better, than your favorite. You just haven’t heard them yet. (This folk wisdom veers dangerously close to the cornball sentiment attributed to both Will Rogers and W. B. Yeats that a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.) Whatever your degree of optimism or cynicism regarding the existence of good, undiscovered music, the fact remains that there is more to listen to than ever before, and even the most dedicated listener can only hope to hear a fraction of the best music available.
Columns like this are designed, in part, to make you aware of music that may be worth your attention and to urge you to reconsider music you may have overlooked or dismissed. With that in mind, this reviewer will occasionally dive into the ocean of the Internet to bring up pearls for your inspection: earlier recordings that deserve new ears, downloads worth taking up space on your hard drive, or streaming options that offer something worthwhile. And I would certainly be interested in your suggestions if there’s an artist you think deserves more attention.
Let’s take a brief look, then, at some L.A. indie music streaming for free online that is worth a listen.
The Peach Kings are an indie band out of Los Angeles, formed in 2010, who have recently toured with the likes of Cyndi Lauper and The Heavy. Their music hearkens back in some ways to the crime-infested L.A. of 1950s noir movies, or maybe a David Lynch film. Guitarist Steven Dies evokes the kind of sounds Link Wray used to make in songs like “Rumble,” only grittier, darker, and more haunting. It’s a rock-and-roll vibe, but one designed for the afterparty or the following morning’s hangover.
Perfectly accompanying Dies’ sultry guitar are the vocals of Paige Wood. I saw the Peach Kings recently at an in-store performance, and would never have guessed that the roaring, powerful voice of the Peach Kings comes from a person the size of Wood. She’s maybe five feet, five inches tall, a California blonde, but her voice effectively fills the space that her physical presence does not. It’s a startling, gorgeous, melancholic voice — the kind of voice one imagines Lana Del Rey wishes she had — and an instrument that attracts the attention of everyone within its considerable range.
The Peach Kings are currently offering a free download of their five-song EP, “Mojo Thunder,” at their website. I also strongly recommend an earlier EP, “Handsome Moves,” which includes my favorite song of theirs, “Fisherman.”
The Shakers are another band in the L.A. indie music scene with a female lead singer. Southern Utah music fans might remember them from their in-store appearance at Cedar City’s Groovacious back in 2012. The band has recently experienced a personnel change, acquiring a new lead singer after losing original vocalist Jodie Schell to motherhood. The reconfigured band will play in L.A. in late August, but the band has offered a goodbye present to fans of Schell via their SoundCloud page.
“Strong Sharp Creature” is a five-song EP available for free download. The lengthy release process for the EP is detailed in a note on the band’s page; the music was recorded at least two years ago, but “many challenges and changes” prevented its immediate release. The Shakers played their last live show with Schell in November 2015, and this EP will apparently be the last recording with her.
The music itself is fairly typical hard rock, though Schell’s vocals give it a distinctive edge. It strikes me as music that is better heard live with beer bottle in hand, but the EP is recorded cleanly and clearly, and the band incorporates some production effects that will keep your attention for at least a few listens.
It will be interesting to see how the band adapts its style to a new singer, but for now, this free EP serves as a fitting final chapter for one stage of The Shakers’ career.
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