UNA Review in TrendCentral Pick

Posted by Richard Larsen, August 4, 1983

Bat For Lashes, Justice, and UNA

Bat For Lashes: This UK band, whose sound has been described by fans and critics as a cross between Bjork, Siouxsie and the Banshees, PJ Harvey, and Kate Bush, has been spreading virally through the beautiful Donnie Darko-meets-E.T. video for their single, “What’s a Girl to Do”. While they may never make it to the mainstream’s radar, the band will likely go far on the indie circuit, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see stylish frontwoman Natasha Khan end up in a fashion campaign or two.

Justice: Justice has been well known in electronica circles for the past few years for their remixes of songs by artists ranging from N.E.R.D. to Britney Spears, but the Parisian production duo is now receiving acclaim for their own debut album. Thanks to bloggers who spread the word on the animated t-shirt video for their summer club anthem “D.A.N.C.E.”, Justice is on their way to becoming a band known outside the somewhat insular world of electronica. They could also end up being big in the streetwear world: the t-shirts from the video have been selling out at stores such as Colette in Paris.

UNA: We’re excited for the forthcoming LP from this eclectic, multi-instrumental SoCal-based trio that likens their distinct sound to “an experiment in Latin, blues, trip-hop and soul.” Tracks from their EP, “The Rain is Over and Gone”, have been heavily playing on tastemaking radio station KCRW this past year, with the haunting melody “Fading in C# Minor” raising Una awareness substantially. As such, they’ve been ranked #1 in the electronic music category on the fan-driven music site OurStage for several consecutive weeks. Their debut LP, One, drops next month and we expect that, once again, their fans will continue to drive them towards stardom.