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Class Actress - “Careful What You Say”
Class Actress has been on my radar for quite some time, so needless to say, I’m very excited to be sharing this song with you! Originally consisting of main songstress Elizabeth Harper, Class Actress is now a full fledged trio providing us with some electro/new wave beats that easily compliment Elizabeth’s dreamy vocals. Cited as an influence to Brooklyn neighbor Chairlift, Class Actress sound a bit more accessible, focused and genuinely influenced by the 80s, which you really hear in the synth parts. Do yourself a favor and head on over to their MySpace to check out “Broken Adolescent Heart” and “Let Me Take You Out.”
Their EP, Journal of Ardency will be released February 9th on Terrible Records, the new label run by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear. (Bonus: They have a Tumblr)
While this band is definitely on my radar for 2010, let’s take a look at my Favorites from 2009, shall we?
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School of Seven Bells - “Half Asleep”
Composed of 1 part Secret Machines (guitarist Benjamin Curtis) and 2 parts On-Air Library! (Deheza sisters, Alejandra and Claudia) and named for a mythical South American pickpocket academy, School of Seven Bells is a band I stumbled across recently at ISO50. They’re music resists being pigeonholed into a specific genre, but if pressed I’d say they tend more electronic while using Curtis’s guitar to make everything feel more organic.
“Half Asleep”, found on a 7” of the same name, reminds me a bit of more recent m83. I love the hazy atmosphere atop the drum and synth layers, while the vocals are simultaneously catchy and relaxing. School of Seven Bells’ first full length album, Alpinisms was released by Ghostly International on Oct 21, and is currently available for direct purchase or download through iTunes.
