The Best New Music This Fall
1/4My stage look is starting to trickle into my everyday life," says Tigs, the front woman of U.K. indie dance-pop trio Chew Lips, when she calls me en route to a sold-out concert in France. "For example, I'm on the train and I've got these sequins on my face. I am playing a show later, but that's not really enough reason to be wearing them right now."
The British-born singer is, as she freely admits, living the rock 'n' roll dream, playing hotly buzzed gigs and parties throughout Europe on the strength of Chew Lips' dazzling debut album, Unicorn. And after the band's first stateside performances in March at SXSW, Chew Lips was quickly named a breakout act here too—with major labels fighting over the privilege of giving the trio a proper U.S. release.
Tigs (given name: Alicia Huertas) and her multi-instrumentalist bandmates James Watkins and Will Sanderson started playing together at the start of 2008. Their first show was at a friend's house party, where the pixie-chic singer let loose her soulful howls from atop a washing machine. Though her dramatic performing style has drawn comparisons to Karen O, Tigs says she's most musically inspired by the artists of her parents' generation, namely Karen Carpenter and Tom Petty. The past also serves to inform her seemingly effortless "something old, something new" look. Tigs says she loves pairing pieces from Vivienne Westwood and Chloé with items she's discovered at a charity shop or in her grandma's closet. "I've got fur coats that are 60 years old, but I also wear a lot from Topshop."
Sartorial freedom is one of the many perks of her occupation. "If anybody is allowed to dress the way they want, it's me," she says with a laugh. "When I'm 40 and dropping off two kids at school, I'm going to look back and think, I'm really glad that I used to wear short shorts and walk around with butterflies on my face."
2/4Over the past two years, the music media spotlight has been on Brooklyn, whose bands MGMT, Grizzly Bear, and Yeasayer started breaking out in a big way. But things changed when a quintet of gentlemen from Silver Lake, California, who call themselves Local Natives released their debut, , this spring. The band's hybrid sound—wailed folk with driving percussion—has hints of Modest Mouse, Fleet Fos, and The Temper Trap. The strong beat of each song keeps heavy tracks (like the stunning "Airplanes," about a grandparent) moving forward with a rat-a-tat crispness. Can you rock out to a song while it's making you cry? Yes, it turns out, you can.
3/4When most people are asked to name famous jazz musicians, they think of Cole Porter and Miles Davis. Esperanza Spalding is here to change that. As a child, she taught herself violin, and by fifteen she was named concertmaster at the chamber music society of Oregon, her home state. After a residence at Boston's Berklee College of Music, the prodigy turned her attention to modern jazz, where her wistful vocals and provoking compositions earned her fans who include President Obama. Esperanza's latest album, , is just hitting shelves now. It's spirited, cool, and surely not your grandfather's jazz.
4/4With his shock of curly red hair and penchant for skinny jeans, Erik Hassle looks like the lead singer of an indie band. But when the 22-year-old takes the mic, what comes out of his mouth is pure old-school soul. Born in Katrineholm, Sweden, Erik looked to R&B legends like Otis Redding for musical inspiration. His poppy debut, ) featuring songs like "Suspicious Minds," "Try a Little Tenderness," and (our favorite) Rihanna's "Russian Roulette" out this month, Erik is gearing up for major—well-deserved—exposure.
