The Los Angeles music scene is very much like its urban grid: a cacophony of sounds stretching North and South from the Silverlake Indie scene to Compton’s Hip Hop bounce, and East and West from the Latin rhythms of Boyle Heights to the pulsating beats of the dance clubs of Hollywood. In this monumental mash-up of influences, a band emerges with a very big Rock sound of their own, not only geographically misplaced, but timelessly floating somewhere between late 60’s psychedelic rock and the I-Tunes age. With an album out on Virgin/Astralwerks and a video full of elephants, you would expect West Indian Girl to be playing arenas. But as we catch up with founders Robert James and Francis Ten, as well as vocalist Mariqueen, we discover a band hard at work trying to win the heart of their audience one city at a time.

BKLA: Born in a recording studio, West Indian Girl wasn’t always the band it is today. How did it all begin, what’s in a name and how did you go about putting the band together ?

FRANCIS TEN: “Technically” it began on the corner of Fairfax and Hollywood when I was at a stop light listening to the demo rob had sent me. It was in that tape that I knew we could build something special. I guess it “officially” began after we recorded a few songs in my basement studio and we dubbed ourselves West Indian Girl and took our first band picture with a digital camera. We chose this name because it sounded magical when those 3 words were spoken. It’s meaning is really open to interpretation and I think that’s how we like everything in this band to be.

ROBERT JAMES: Originally, our only goal was to make a wonderful sounding record. We never thought about the live aspect. They're two different beasts really. While recording you have to forget all expectations. The perceptions you have when you play live don't always translate when you go to tape in the studio. So essentially I became a studio hermit for a year and a half. Fran would bring me scraps of food from time to time. The first studio we had, one of many incarnations, was in a subterannean basement with no windows. Pitch dark and quiet. I would work for 2 or 3 days straight and walk out having lost all sense of time. As the songs started to blossom, we very quickly realized we had something fantastic. It was then we both began to envision West Indian Girl as a full band beyond the studio.

Heading our recommendations this month is comeback kid Robert Plant, teaming up with musicians from the Bristol music scene (Massive Attack, Portishead, Roni Size) for Mighty Rearranger (sanctuary records), An instant classic which doesn’t pander to Classic Rock and offers more than recycled Led Zep. Plant’s timely message is sustained by a hybrid production mixing Rock, World Beat and Electronic beats and textures. If you missed it, stream or podcast Nic Harcourt insightful interview on Morning Becomes Eclectic archived on the KCRW website.

Speaking of the unstoppable expansion of the Santa Monica radio station (see Nic Harcourt’s interview in our latest print issue), KCRW presents Sounds Eclectico (Nacional Records), is a great collection of highlights of the Latin artists who performed on MBE. Since you can’t download the web archives to you car stereo (yet), you can now enjoy the likes of Sidestepper, Café Tacuba and Kinky on your way to the border or the beach. Beck -who cannot stand to be left out of anything KCRW does- created the cover. He must have discovered through Scientology some Latin past life. His new album is great too.

And now with a bone to pick with the new blood, I ask two questions: Are we creatively bankrupt, and can you please leave the 80s alone? Enough already. What made the 80s and the Post Punk era so great, is that it was NEW, untapped territory. Stealing every New Order Bass line doesn’t make you like them, just unoriginal. Sounding like a Joy Division tribute band(Interpol) is shameful enough, but sounding like an Interpol tribute band deserves capital punishment(She Wants Revenge). One band that flirts with Post Punk sensibility without plagiarizing it is Maximo Park, who prove on their electrifying debut A Certain Trigger (warp records), that you don’t need a ton of mascara to rock out like it’s 1979. It’s a Po-Go party, raw, unabashed, with catchy stingers poking at you like a good old Clash or Jam records. Those who were in age to buy records then will wish they were younger to enjoy this one more.
See our live photo coverage in the special event section.

Triple P stands for Platinum Pied Pipers(ubiquity), a collective based around producers Waajeed (a founding member of Slum Village) and sidekick Saadiq who have made a momentous splash in the world of Hip Hop, Soul and R&B, from the UK all the way to LA. Not your average crew, this multi-racial rag tag from Detroit is bent on pushing things forward while tapping into the entire African-American musical heritage. It’s reassuring to hear such talent determined not to sale out.
A cover of Paul Simon’s “50 ways to leave your lover” makes it impossible not to get infatuated with this record.
See our live photo coverage in the special event section.

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Whether the stress of the day got you down or you’re looking for the perfect couch surfing sound for your hot date, open Beat Pharmacy’s drawer and get a dose of Earthly Delights (Wave Music). Expert chemist Brendon Moeller, a South African expatriate now residing in NY, concocted the perfect chill pill: an upbeat dance hall prescription which conjures Massive Attack’s best moments in dub, without the ironic bleakness. These intoxicating rhythms -though the narcotics are not included-should be indulged responsibly.

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Miles away in the heart of Germany, DJ-producer Timo Maas has masterly crafted his second artist album, with enough Rock sensibility for each dance track to be called a “song”. If the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim have crossed over successfully before him, Pictures(ultra records) does it with a lot more bass and testosterone. Spiked with the occasional 80s Electro-Pop flavor, the heavy breathing is administered by feisty vocalist Kelis, Neneh Cherry in full Buffalo Girl power mode, and Placebo frontman Brian Molko. It’s ironic how DJs, having spent the better part of the last decade making rockstars obsolete, now all want to be one.

I Am A Bird Now (Secretly Canadian) by Anthony and the Johnson, has absolutely nothing to do with growing feathers. Once you realize that the androgynous UK singer laying on his hospital bed has accomplished a different kind of cross over, you should have enough amo to fuel an animated conversation for an hour or two. But passed the first 5 minutes of gender bending gossip, you will be left in awe of the heart wrenching honesty of the lyrics, supported by the operatic, bluesy cabaret undertones of his voice. Anthony could have been the protégé of Nina Simone and Tom waits, and his talent touches the sublime as they did, with an uncompromising approach to art. Joining him in this artistic “transformation” are Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed and Boy George.

Take a couple of groovy Italian fashionista like Gabin (named after French actor Jean Gabin) and pair them up with Grammy winner über Diva Dee Dee Bridgewater, then let Nicola Conté (a staple of the Thievery Corporation’s label) tweak the mix with his Bossa Nova know how, and you get a monument of Soul-Jazz that sounds equally old school and fresh out of a UK Acid Jazz club. There are 9 other brilliant tracks on Mr. Freedom (astralwerks), their second album, but it may take you a while to get to them.

Band of Bees (or the Bees as they are known in the UK), stand a good chance in the charts this year, but expect a fierce battle of the bands with other favorites like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds and the Who. No worries, their sophomore album Free The Bees (Asttralwerks) won’t be called “retro” until the 21st. Century. Another fine tribute to the standing power of British Rock. Wait? This is a contemporary band? What year is this?

To wrap things up, if there was a contest called “100 bands that are more interesting than Coldplay”, the undisputed winner would be Death Cab For Cutie. Their second album Plans(atlamtic/wea), delivers soaring melodies, poetic lyrics with the crafty ability to make each song stick in your head long after it has finished playing on the radio. There are no pretty poster boys dressed in Prada to look at in this band, rather you feel like you are being serenaded by your high school Chess club alumnus. In the Bling era we live in, it might be construed as a major anti-fashion statement. Either they are presenting themselves as they are, or the label hasn’t hired a stylist yet The Super-Emo lead track “Soul Meets Body” is guaranteed to come soon to a wedding near you and leave you breathless.

BKLA: How did the band come together ?

F - Mark lewis (our drummer) was found by Rob who saw him playing in another band. Carter was an acquaintance of mine. He was actually a guitar player but since his aesthetic was similar to ours we asked him if he could learn how to play keyboards for us. and learned on the job. As far as finding a new female vocalist (what happened to the first one? The second one ?) - that was the biggest chore in putting this band together. We auditioned at least 25 girls and only one had all the right ingredients of what we were looking for. Above all else Mariqueen had a tremendous voice and this incredibly easy going personality to fit in a band…as the only girl.

BKLA: Once all the band members were assembled, did you have to learn how to become a live act ?

RJ - Performing the songs live after creating them in the studio was an insanely painful task. There were many disputes as to how the songs should sound. I was always of the mind set that we have to forget the record and relearn the songs...let them find their own live identity. But I also wanted to keep some of the " sound hooks" that were in the recorded version. This is where personal aesthetics turns into long engaging
arguments. It eventually all worked out...a year later. Sometimes it's all about the details and then other times it's all about the big picture. In the end, we just tried to find the right vibe only to realize vibe is a living changing energy.

F – learning to be a live band doesn’t happen over night. It takes time and history and playing and playing and playing. We are still a baby live act in many ways and I wont consider us fully accomplished until we’ve played a few hundred shows. To date we haven’t even played 50. we’re still learning something new with every show and every rehearsal.

BKLA: Do you find that your sound has evolved once you brought it to a live stage ?

RJ -Our live show is evolution incarnate. The songs are changing. We as people are changing. We are connecting in ways only close knit families understand. I'm talking telepathy, dream rendez-vous, through transference and telekinesis.

BKLA: Your sound has been compared to both Jane’s Addiction and Steely Dan. It feels out of place with what usually comes out of LA, and your trendy label mates Fatboy Slim, Air and the Chemical Brothers. What are your influences, and would you describe West Indian Girl in your own words?

RJ -I try to avoid labeling anything. I'm terrible at describing what it is we're doing, probably because I'm really just learning myself.

F – one thing I have never questioned is our identity as a band. We have a unique sound that isn’t going to be duplicated very easily. That fact in and of itself makes it easy to sit apart from the rest of the “trendy” musical community. We are a timeless entity and yeah there are bits and pieces of Air, Janes and U2 in our music but that’s all they are. I have heard people say we sound like everything but nothing at all. I usually get more people saying they like us because we don’t sound like anyone else and that’s why they gravitated towards us.

BKLA: Do you think it is important for a band to have a message in this day and age ?

RJ -Regardless, there's a message in everything. You can't avoid that. As far as being overtly conscious in sending a message, I never trust it. The thinking mind is necessary, but inherently built on illusions and false logic. The unthinking mind is pure. It comes
straight from spirit.

F- that’s up to the band really. It’s unavoidable though. Our message is positive and open, inclusive and nonspecific. You take what you need from it – what ever our message is we aren’t forcing down your throat

MQ - I feel it’s important for bands to be honest… whether people don’t like the message or not… as long as they’re true to themselves and their craft then I say, who really cares? I find that when people say they have a message to spread it’s a little contrived.

BKLA: You have just finished your first tour of the East and West Coasts, with a few stops in the middle. What was that experience like for you ?

RJ - Touring was incredible. Our audience is fantastic...great great people.

MQ - Touring was a mind opening and boggling experience. It was my first time traveling across the US. Playing consecutive shows over that span of time was a great chance for us to really discover ourselves on a performance level. I think this tour was my pubescent experience with West Indian Girl. I feel like a new woman.

F – Touring is blue collar work. It’s a great job and I love touring but it’s work and it makes you feel like you are moving forward in a positive direction. I love meeting our fans because I think we have such a cool genuine base. It’s really important to be able to meet your audience face to face and have a beer with them. When people meet us they are glad that we’re all just normal and cool, not copping any attitude with them. I’m bummed I’m not out there right now. Every city is a new adventure, and they’re always pros and cons to each one. It always helps to know where you’re going.

BKLA: One of the most interesting features of your website is the Blog,
a thoroughly updated diary offering a candid insider’s look into the life of the band, and a unique way to interact 1 on 1 with your fan base. So, about the blog… Your motivation for the blog. What you get out of it. What the internet can offer a band today in terms of self promotion outside of what the label does (myspace, etc…) etc…

Fran – The blog started as a labor of love but has really turned into a monster. In my humble opinion it blows away what other bands are doing. It just kicks ass. I think it is an important way to communicate with your fans. It let’s them know you are there and can be reached and more importantly aren’t a fucking asshole that doesn’t want to relate to the people that are helping you keep your dream alive. The blog actually takes up a good amount of time to maintain. It seems like I’m always a week behind getting things posted but that’s just because I try to upload plenty of content. To my knowledge no other band does what we do, at least not by themselves. The internet is obviously great for promotion –We also have a myspace page but I don’t really deal with it, Mariqueen does.

MQ - The blog is fran’s little fetus and I’ve adopted it as my child. I’ve been given the password… finally… and I’ve actually updated it a couple of times without him. It’s weird because I think I spend more time working on that blog than him. He’s just the one that pesters me into motion but once I start I don’t stop. I have the task of picking out which pictures to use and making sure all the grammar [which is still horrible] and all the aesthetics are up to par. As far as myspace goes, I spend as much time on that as Fran does. Don’t let him fool you, he logs on to our account… he answers messages. He does that more than I do. Myspace, I suppose, is a great promotional tool, but I don’t take it seriously because, as a site… it really isn’t anything respectable. I do, however, have my own personal myspace page… so does Carter, it’s all in good fun. A great way to keep in touch with friends and a great way to make stalkers.

BKLA: Your website also displays the video for your first single “What are you afraid of ?”. Fields of gold, Buddhist Temples, an exotic little girl and Elephants. Were are we ?

F - The video was filmed by a company called Eastern Block who brought us a cool concept for a video along with an amazing production team. they should win an award for how good they made that video look on such a small budget. We shoot it all in California although it looks like it could be somewhere far far away. Because of the lack of resources, we had some friends and fans come out to the shoot. Having those people there meant a lot. It was a good time and not an every day experience.

BKLA: What are you afraid of ?

MQ - Absolutely nothing.

F – Not being able to pay my bills each month. With that in mind I would describe my current state as terrified.

BKLA: A question for Mariqueen: What is it like to be the only woman in the band, and how do you manage to keep your lipstick on while playing the harmonica ?

MQ - I don’t mind being the only woman at all… some of the guys in the band are more feminine than I am. I’m just glad I never have to carry my own bags or move equipment.
I cast a spell on the harmonica before I play it so that it glides on my lips without having to strip it of any color. Pretty awesome, huh?

BKLA: Looking to the road ahead, what’s next for West Indian Girl ?

MQ - a magical, mysterious journey filled with love and laughter. We’re working on our next record… it should be out next year… be ready.

F – We also have a remix EP to be released soon featuring reworks by Gabin, Richard Fearless(Death In Vegas), King Britt, Bernie l’Arson and Deepsky…and hopefully tours, tours and more tours….