Artist Profile: HAIM

Haim; a new kind of girl group.

Out of Los Angeles, California comes a new kind of girl group: HAIM.  Their sound has been described as "Nu-folk-meets-90s-RnB" and their songs have the attention of hipsters everywhere. 

When you first hear all girl group HAIM you may think you're hearing something old for the first time. That's at least how I felt the first time I heard their track "Forever."  With funky guitar riffs and melodies I was convinced this was a song from the late 80s/ early 90s or at least belonged on the Pretty Woman soundtrack.  Some would say Haim's sound is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac.  Although the music sounds from another era the songs themselves are fresh and exciting.

Vocal harmonies are frequent in Haim music - raw sounds seem to be their forte, and they have this  mastered; and you may expect as much after 6 years of being together prior to releasing music in 2012.   The girls in Haim however have known each other much longer than that.  The band consists of sisters Danielle, Alana and Este Haim, as well as Dash Hutton, the group's drummer.

It's obvious the girls are a little bit cheeky, like to have a bit of fun and are wildly passionate for music.  Touring with Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes), Danielle has had extensive experience in the industry, also having played with Cee-Lo Green.  As a group, their quirky style has had them supporting everyone from the likes of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros right through to pop sensation Ke$ha.

The contemporary pop beats created by Haim are addictive, and now managed by Jay-Z's label ROC NATION there's no doubt it is only a matter of time before Haim break the mainstream market.  In fact earlier this year BBC announced that Haim was number one of the music industry poll to find 'the most promising new musical act for the coming year'.

On April 1, Haim's latest EP will be released on itunes - the feature track, sharing the title of the EP, "Forever" is already available and currently playing on Australian airwaves.

Find HAIM on Facebook or Twitter

www.facebook.com/haimtheband

www.twitter.com/haimtheband

Pop Fix: What is it about a comeback?

The 2012 London Olympics Closing Ceremony was an opportunity for England to reflect on some the greatest musicians that the nation had produced, and there was one act that had the whole world talking.

Britney Spears has come a long way
from shaving her own head and
attacking people with
umbrellas.

Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh, Sporty yes now that's your lot - the Spice girls were back and ready to go!  It has been a while since the Spice girls last performed together - 4 years to be exact.  The group had famously announced a world tour in 2008, however more infamously had cancelled their last 6 shows - disappointing thousands of fans everywhere including here in Australia.  But the fivesome's performance at the London 2012 Closing Ceremony had even this music blogger saying words not uttered for over a decade -"... I wanna be a Spice Girl!"

But 2012 and 2011 has seen the come back of many artists that I had crossed off my list - namely pop acts from the late 90s, early 00s, but comebacks none the less.  Enrique Iglesias was back on the scene - although the same could not be said for his mole, Christina Aguilera returned back to basics once again in Burlesque after her album "Bionic" bombed and even Cold Chisel got back together to tour Australia. Good on 'em!

But it was the other night whilst having 60 Minutes tell me that Jennifer-JLO-Jennyfromtheblock-Lopez was the most powerful celebrity in the world, I stopped to think exactly how much the pop scene had changed, or rather stayed the same,  since I was growing up in the 00s.  What is is about Eminem, Britney, NKTBSB and even Avril that have us saying, "oh hey old friend!"

is this the most powerful celebrity
in the world? Forbes says yes.

My theory? They're characters.  As ironic as it seems, these pop acts that have been around for so long seem refreshing and unique in comparison the blur of pop artists today -  the kings and queens have established themselves and their characters in the industry and anyone who tries to take their torches will struggle to light a fire that burns equally as bright.

One could argue that these artists have been around because of the music they produce and the talent they have, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves - the pop music industry is an entertainment industry, and as long as these pop icons continue to do so (that is, entertain,) they can only improve their performance, both on and off the stage.

You can catch the most powerful celebrity in the world on her "Dance Again" world tour throughout December 2012.

Tickets on sale through Ticketek.com