Everyone in the NYC music scene is starting to get psyched for the start of the CMJ music festival which starts tomorrow. The amount of shows is almost overwhelming and each band puts out their absolute best performance to make their mark on the crowd open to new music discovery. One band that I recently came across that I am truly excited to see this week is My Midnight Heart.
The band is the brainchild of Puerto Rican/American singer and songwriter Angélica Allen. The group began as a 3-piece gigging back in 2010 around NYC with a massive noise pop sound. Angelica then was selected to tour with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and her own writing had to be put on hold due to the strenuous touring schedule.
When she was able to focus on My Midnight Heart again after the tour the music and her writing style had been drastically changed. Previously heavily guitar based and strongly influenced by PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me” and The Kills’ “No Wow”; Angélica now turned to echoing pianos, dreamy synths, and pared down, washy vocals. She describes it best as a sonic exploration of constantly shifting landscapes. This is haunting music to let yourself be immersed in.
The first official release from My Midnight Heart, the 4-track EP entitled Chest of Hearts is due out in November 2012. I was able to get a sneak peek/listen to a few tracks and was immediately a fan. Immediate comparisons could be made with Kate Bush, Radiohead, Bat For Lashes, and Bjork but there is more to My Midnight Heart. The lyrics are deep and seem to be recounting dreams that are on the verge of nightmare while the music remains poppy enough to sway to as in the dark track ‘Solace’. Interesting sounds are dispersed all over the song to keep the listeners attention fixed to the haunting yet sexy track.
My Midnight Hearts’ CMJ showcase is on Thursday Oct 18th at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn. I’m excited to see how the band can reproduce their huge soundscape in the live setting. I suggest you get to the show as well.
To hear more my Midnight Heart, go to: