Andrea Lim shines a light on seven obscure artists that deserve more attention.

Caravan Palace

This quirky French electro swing band is pure fun. Laced with nostalgic samples that capture the vintage, brassy sound of the 40s and a crowded dance floor of whirling people, Caravan Palace jolts us into the present with robotic scatting and synthesized bass lines. Having gained initial popularity through demos they posted online, the band has come a long way and released their third studio album, “<|°_°|>”, in October.

Recommended song: “Jolie Coquine”

Feist

Like her name suggests, Leslie Feist is not to be underestimated. Though her song “1234” experienced a moment of fame as the music for the original Apple iPod nano commercial, the rest of her work is mostly unknown. Her voice is both breathless and crisp, with an incredible capability to soar within her higher range and murmur in a low hum. But Feist is the complete opposite of flashy: Preferring to build extended moods in her songs, she is not afraid to let her sound linger until, right before it is in danger of all falling apart, she picks it back up again with that lovely voice.

Recommended song: “Undiscovered First”

Thundercat

Stephen Bruner, who goes by the stage name Thundercat, is featured on practically every vital piece of R&B and rap that has come out in the last ten years. As an amazing jazz fusion bassist, he’s worked with Erykah Badu, Childish Gambino, Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar, to name just a few. He is a conspicuous figure, usually performing with his enormous, six-string bass and wearing a huge Cheyenne Indian War Bonnet or other outlandish gear. With that resume, it is unknown how he managed to fit in three solo studio albums as well. The albums were produced off of Flying Lotus’s label, Brainfeeder. Flying Lotus was also the one who convinced Thundercat to start singing, having noticed the musician’s understated yet smooth voice.

Recommended song: “Them Changes (feat. Flying Lotus and Kamasi Washington)”

LION BABE

LION BABE is made up of singer Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman. Hervey, the daughter of Vanessa Williams, pursued a dancing career in New York City until she decided to try out her singing abilities with idols Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu in mind. Half of LION BABE’s allure is Hervey’s sexy voice; the other half is Hervey’s image: With a head of hair as golden and glorious as a real lion, the singer embraces her dancing background and prowls around in her music videos as a woman completely in touch with her body.

Recommended song: “Treat Me Like Fire”

Marian Hill

Everything about Marian Hill oozes sex. The combination of producer Jeremy Lloyd’s dark, minimal beats and Samantha Gongol’s clear-cut vocals makes for a seductive musical subtlety. Originality is less of a priority for this Philadelphia-based duo than taking this one type of spare, remixed sound and making their listeners feel classy af. The next time you are getting dressed up for a fancy night out (or just need a confidence booster), do yourself a favor and put Marian Hill on in the background.

Recommended Song: “One Time”

Groenland

One of the freshest additions to the Montreal music scene, Groenland indulges in lush, orchestral landscapes. Lead singer Sabrina Halde has an exquisite, instantly recognizable voice, full of sympathy and just the right amount of rasp. The band’s newly-released album, “A Wider Space,” experiments with funkier sounds, preserving the grandiose violins and adding a kick of synth and electric drums.

Recommended Song: “Daydreaming”

The California Honeydrops

This jazz and blues band actually performed at Columbae last spring, bringing a laid-back, life-is-good ambience to the party and feeding off the energy of the crowd. That night, they performed three encores, almost embarrassed by the overwhelming response from the student audience, and finally formed a procession into the middle of the crowd before lying down on the ground, still playing (I kid you not). It is obvious from the band’s humble beginnings busking in Oakland subway stations, and it was obvious that summer night, that this is a band that lives to perform and have a good time.

Recommended song: “When It Was Wrong (live)”

 

Contact Andrea Lim at anlim ‘at’ stanford.edu