Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey’s melodic voice hums and the 24 year old singer/songwriter’s lyrics sound more like they should be echoing out of a vintage Victrola record player rather than 21st century headphones. Del Rey, born Elizabeth Grant, is a rising artist with a truly unique essence, in both appearance as well as sound. Having first performed in a New York City rock bar at the age of nineteen, Del Ray started her career with a guitar and a handful of half-written songs. It wasn’t until 2009 that her first professionally produced album (under her given name, Lizzy Grant) was launched. Her music gained a reasonable amount of exposure in the underground indie music scene, but had yet to truly surface to a broad spectrum audience. It was on YouTube where she truly began to develop a fan-following and thousands of views on her single, “Videogames.” In October 2011, she released two singles, the ballad “Videogames” and the cheeky “Blue Jeans.” Del Rey’s voice transitions from breathy to full and powerful, but full of raw, delicate emotion through each refrain. She eludes faded elegance, old Hollywood glamour, and a cinematic feel. She sings about topics that frequently contradict her polished image. For instance, Del Rey could be wearing a well-tailored 60’s style dress, with a face full of perfectly applied pinup makeup (red lipstick is an absolute essential) and crooning about getting high. Her music video for “Videogames” epitomizes her nostalgic style, as the film is composed similarly to that of a stop-frame movie, with transitioning scenes in bright technicolor, to grainy black and white. Del Rey’s latest single, “Born to Die,” is gaining extensive attention and her music video has essentially solidified her standing as an upcoming performance artist.
First Aid Kit
The music of First Aid Kit hints to the days before autotune and synthesizers. They reminisce on the age of the Flower Children, film photography, and playing guitars around a dwindling camp fire. Founded by two Swedish sisters, Klara and Johanna Soderburg, First Aid Kit is an indie/ folk band which centers on strong vocals and lyrics that convey a story. The sisters, who are originally from Stockholm, began their musical career at a very young age (Klara was only 12 years old), by learning to play piano and guitar. The sisters were discovered after gaining exposure on YouTube, and from there have released one EP and one full length album. Currently, they are performing a number of live shows and producing a series of music videos which further exemplify their music style.