Southern Orange County certainly has a diverse local music scene. But among the charred remains of hardcore metal screamers and the dubious drummers too drunk to keep time lies a glimmer of hope. This hope shines forth in the form of six young people representing all that is good in the local indie scene. These six saviors of local music are called Oliver Jane.
Why does Oliver Jane stand above the rest? Because they have happened upon a secret that will rock the music industry forever, they're good at what they do. These kids know how to play. Though half of them are still in high school, these are the most talented kids to come out of the OC. First, let's go over who makes up Oliver Jane. Their two singers complement each other perfectly and saturate their audience in a euphonious sound to send them to a better place. Following this up with an incredibly talented bass player who shows off his skills on a classical upright makes Oliver Jane phisically stand out among other bands. Combine this with a violin, a viola, and two percussionists (as opposed to a drummer) and you've got a groove that stops at no station.
What else makes Oliver Jane stand out against the typical OC local band? Their genre. South Orange County is the home of endless screamo bands making you deaf and emo bands making you cry. Oliver Jane mixes things up a bit. Their official genre is "acoustic indie gypsy rock," and any listener will tell you that this label fits them perfectly. Their songs have different influences from around the globe. Their self released EP includes their most popular title, "Passeporte," which gives the illusion of relaxing in a french cafe as the bi-lingual vocals set the mood. Their next song, "Pink Giraffe", holds influences from eastern europe, and personally reminds me of the first bar-mitzfah I ever attended. Their third and final song on the EP is Original. No, the name of the track is "Original" and it holds a South American influence that causes crowds to have sudden realizations that they love to dance. The EP is available on iTunes.
Oliver Jane is a fairly new phenomenon that actually began off our fair shores. The band is actually the brain child of the two lead singers while they were in Ireland. They posted their experemental songs on Myspace and came home to an astonishing fan base. The band soon grew to include a double bassist, violist, and dual percussionists.
No words can truely express how much Orange County needed a band like Oliver Jane. So the only way to truley understand the ingenuity of the fastest rising indie band in Orange County is to see them live. They play numberous local shows in and around the OC, so check out their Myspace for a complete list of upcoming shows. It will restore your hope in the future of music.
