Oak Street Blues
Oak Street Blues is an alt-pop band from Pasadena in the USA with the five piece line-up of Chris Hall (Lead Guitar / Vocals), Desiree Gonzalez (Keyboards / Vocals), Jenny Arias (Bass), Alejandra Arellano (Drums) and Kevin Ng (Percussion / Bass). Their live performances are well known for vivid laser displays.
A quivering jelly of folk, rock and pop wobbles in to the room on hitting play and the listener is immediately encased in a bubble-wrap of enjoyment. Combining straight tempos and slicing in to them with spiralling electronics, Oak Street Blues is able to add a quirk of some intrigue.
Yet behind the frivolity there also lies a layer of quiet reflection which gives the quintet a connection at many levels that enables the audience to engage on a more thoughtful level with the out-put. Influences from a range of musical styles, do not become confused as the ever driving sounds maintain a forward trajectory.
It would be very easy for Oak Street Blues to overplay their hand, but whilst in live performance they put on a fun night out, the recorded material stacks a punch of connectivity that makes it equally at home in the front room as the dance-floor. I particularly enjoy the ever present percussion that adds ballast to the sounds and it is the way that they combine this solid foundation with froth that creates a sound that will hopefully see the band gain an even broader audience. The evocative vocal adds the topping to the cream and I would advise getting out to see the band in action, or buying some of their recorded music.
Waiting for Something is available on *
Join the indie bands blog on twitter for more of the best alt-pop from across the globe.