Gringo Star
Gringo Star are insouciant explorers, tossing the paddles overboard and drifting on the currents of their lackadaisical curiosity across a rippling sonic ocean, out to the far edges of rock & roll. Shots pulsing from a vintage Leslie speaker, their guitars, keys and vocals create the psychoactive ingredients of their echo-slathered, doo-wop-indebted indie gems; psychedelic garage bangers, gritty R&B shuffles and spaghetti-western weirdness. Taking cues from Santo & Johnny, The Stooges, Ritchie Valens, Marc Bolan, Percy Faith, Sam Cooke, the men working on the chain gang—uh! ah!—they’re all here, their electric ghosts reaching across time, tapping Gringo Star on the shoulder like the crossroads devil to Robert Johnson, bestowing secrets, passing torches.
Valley Queen
Six years ago, Valley Queen’s front woman Natalie Carol drove to Los Angeles on a whim, looking to expand her musical horizons. After a lonely and frustrating year, she was on the verge of returning home when she happened upon an acoustic jam session where she met guitarist David Donaldson. Carol was immediately reminded of the comfort and friendliness of her Arkansas roots; the perfect environment for musical creation. She could hear traces of her hometown influences in his riffs: Zeppelin, Duane Allman, and Muddy Waters. The two began collaborating, exchanging ideas and drawing in other like-minded musicians. “It gave us all something to rest our heads upon, a musical family that became a home for us all,” says Carol. Today, Valley Queen is a hybrid of southern rock and Motown, with traces of 1970s canyon rock. “Carnival”, the A- side on their debut 7” produced by Lewis Pesacov (Best Coast, FIDLAR, Fool’s Gold), embodies these influences as Meadors sings about creating a supportive artistic community in Echo Park. The B-side “Make You Feel” is a bluesy slow jam about young love.
