Zola Jesus

This Gothic rock singer is definitely worth checking out.

I will say however, this gig should be avoided if you dislike deep and meaningful songs, aka what many refer to as depressing music! I'm personally a huge fan of 'meaningful' music and so when I came across Zola Jesus I was certainly not deterred. I will add though that Zola Jesus is quite out there/ quirky!

Many have labeled Zola Jesus' music as Gothic, however when asked she explains her goal is to create something new and avoid the limitation of getting 'labeled.' There is no doubt however that Nika Roza Danilova (the singer of Zola Jesus) has incorporated a certain degree of darkness and horror into her songs.

When she was younger, Nika trained in Opera singing, which certainly comes across strongly in her songs through her very distinct, powerful and even haunting voice. Don't be put off however, this is by no means a bad thing. The use of her strong vocals make her songs become even more passionate and powerful to the listener. 

Zola Jesus gigs leave you with the feeling of mystery which I feel perfectly reflects the tone of her songs. Also  with her years of opera training it is clear to see why Zola Jesus has such a great voice when singing live.

Tour dates:
10th May. Solomon R. Guggenheim - NYC
12th July. Latitude Festival 2012 - Suffolk, UK

For further details regarding Zola Jesus' US and Australian tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2373357-zola-jesus/calendar

Warpaint Music Gig

This fairly unknown band is definitely one to look out for. I am a big fan of this band and expect them to grow a lot in popularity as they start touring around more. This band is originally  from Los Angeles and have been together since 2004, however due to only touring around LA many people have never come across them. I randomly heard this band when their song "Shadows" was playing on the radio back in the UK. Their voices remind me of artisits like Cat Power and Zola Jesus, whilst their songs remind me of The XX. They have a very unique sound which can instantly recognized when listening to songs from their album "The Fool." This is certainly a gig I want to get tickets for.

Tour dates:
21st Feb. O2 Shepherds Bush Empire - Shepherds Bush, UK.
30th Mar. Brooklyn Bowl - NYC
31st Mar. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC