RAD is always on the lookout for a new band that has
talent and style. We've found an LA based group, Moonpools and
Caterpillars, who may soon be playing in a town near you. I caught
them in a bar and listened to a fab show.
They have a unique sound, and it's hard to describe. This
talented foursome is fronted by Kimi Ward Encarnacion, a frenetic
being on the lighted stage. Her energy pervades the bar, causing
people to get up and dance wildly. Her vocals are hard to describe
- she has an aw-shucks quality about her. But I caught reflections
of a Natalie Merchant-esqueness about her in some of her tonal
inflections. She also sings with a lot of vowels which reminded me
of a spastic Liz Fraser (sometimes I wasn't sure if she was also
making up vocals as she went along).
Their music does have a shimmering quality about it -
most of the songs have a very happy feel to them although they
weappy feel to them although they
weren't always about happy subjects. Their first single is "Hear,"
which is getting airtime across the Western US. But they move
easily from a lilting ballad to guitar laden riffs that force you
out of your bar stool. I enjoyed "Summertime" and "Trampling." Kimi
also broke out into an impromptu version of "Keep on Rockin Me"
with her talented voice during a short band break.
If you're looking for something dark and heavy, you
probably wouldn't enjoy this band. They have a buoyant optimism
that is infectious. I've seen quite a few debuting bands in the
past few weeks, and these guys are talented. Look for them at your
local bar, or for their new album Lucky Dumpling, released by
EastWest Records. If you want to get in touch with them, contact
them at:
