Classy Cassie here, and one thing you should know about me is that almost NOTHING excites me more than checking out an artist I’ve never seen or heard of before. I have deep rooted love and admiration for the legends that built the platform to allow all these slinky new genres to fill up the scene. Our new genre-less world is both a blessing and a curse, but I’m here to absorb it and wring out the good tunes straight into your ears. If you’re into that, stick around and I’ll provide your New Music Flavor.
Alright, now let’s talk about mmmonika, mmmkay?
Groovy, feet-tapping worthy beats paired with modern, relatable lyrics, these guys are making “happy songs for sad people”. As a reformed emo kid who likes a flower in her hair, I can attest to this. They first caught my ear last summer with “Unwind Me!” as I was instantly transformed into my own private dance bubble with no possible containment of my wild dancing seaweed arms. They have such a modern, refreshing sound that instantly pulls me out of any funk and elevates me into fluffy cloud mode. You just can’t be sad listening to mmmonika.
It wasn’t until I went to their show at Bootleg Theater to celebrate their debut EP “Very American!” in December that I realized they had been together for less than a year. LESS. THAN. A. YEAR. With only 5 recorded tracks. Then tell me please, how do they sound like they’re just about to complete their 10,000 hours? Malcolm Gladwell would be v confused. Consisting of 5 Los Angeles based sunshine souls: Ryan, Nick, Grant, Gabe, and John (who just won his first Grammy for Vampire Weekend’s “Father Of The Bride”), the group decided to start a band and name it after their dear friend. So wholesome. As you listen to their music, you’ll notice all their releases end in an exclamation mark. I like to think it’s because your soul and feet are exclaiming while listening to them.
If you enjoy these upbeat grooves, you’ll love their creative and free music videos where they provide an intimate look at what appears to be casual hangs between the friends. Raise your hand if you’ve ever grabbed a paint brush and sang your heart out!
These sweet baby angels have already been featured on 3 Spotify curated playlists in their first year of existence: Study Break, Fresh Finds: Index, and Fresh Finds Presents… Class of 2019. Don’t feel like getting new music recommendations from a complete stranger? Check ‘em out for yourself tonight at Bootleg Theater opening up for Temme Scott, doors at 8:30…..so I’ll see you there at 9:30.
