Heatwave

I have recently felt there is a shortage of high quality up-and-coming bands, especially bands with strong female leads. The band Total Babe is starting to change my mind. After listening to their new six-song release, Heatwave, I did a quick Internet search and was shocked to find out that they are a trio of teenagers! Clara Salyer, Jordan Gatesmith, and Lizzie Carolan are already getting rave reviews and one of their songs is being used in a German commercial. This isn’t bad for teens from Minnesota.

A great test of music is if you find yourself humming it a few hours after listening to the album. This is exactly what I found myself doing at work. Some songs are very light and fit neatly in the pop genre, but they don’t sound like the next Britney or Miley. I think a better comparison of the vocals and sound would be Liz Phair, charming and sweet, but with an edge. Total Babe seems to be a good solution to a humdrum morning.

Adding another complex element to the music is Carolan’s violin. It makes you almost melt into the melodies and gives it a more mature sound. If I were to choose a favorite track, it would have to be “Shape Up,” with its upbeat whistling featured throughout the song. I generally prefer lyric, heavy music, yet this song, which features little in terms of words, still draws me in with its toe-tapping rhythm.

These musicians are in high school and even their MySpace page boasts that they are “kids.” However, the arrangements by these talented youngsters work to produce some great music and I would not be surprised to hear about them for years. Hopefully they will inspire other potential girl musicians yet to come.

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