Charli XCX Rocks Slim’s San Francisco

Whether or not mastery comes with 10,000 hours of practice, spending years writing songs and performing will make you good no matter what. Exhibit A: Charli XCX. At 14, Charli XCX started writing nursery rhyme rap songs about dinosaur sex. Now at 21, she can fart out the hits in her sleep (see: “I Want It”, “You Lied (Ha Ha Ha)”, “Nuclear Seasons”) and it’s likely they all smell like “Black Roses”. Ba dum bump. And live, she backs these hits up with a strong, energetic stage presence and a real connection with her fans and audience. Read the rest of this entry »

What does the Kitten say?

The members of Kitten surely carbo load before every show. They need it when they put so much energy into their live shows. From their manic keyboardist to the Tasmanian devil that is their lead singer, Kitten keeps your attention with every note. At times, you’ll marvel at lead singer Chloe Chaidez as she jumps around, climbs speaker stacks or rides the shoulders of accommodating audience members. Other moments Fiona, one of their backup vocalists, will attract your attention as she shimmies and shakes, or dances with Chloe like two happy school kids at recess. Bryan DeLeon, the synth player, looks like a cloud of flailing arms and hair. Much like Martin Doherty, another keyboardist from another increasingly popular band, Chvrches.

Kitten can be divided into two distinct sections: their music and their live show. The strength of their music draws you in. The just released Like a Stranger EP and previous Cut It Out EP feature strong, 80’s inspired electronic pop. Their live show cements their status as a band headed to the top. Read the rest of this entry »