Island-Universe-minArtist: Feeding People
Album: Island Universe
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Label: Innovative Leisure

Funky desert vibes, spirits of the mountain, red queens, uranium seas, and cat songs… what’s the Kennection?

They are all apart of our dear Big Mother (Earth) and they are all tracks off Feeding People’s newest record Island Universe.

Born amongst the sprawling garage rock scene SoCal has been spouting over the past few years, Feeding People is another OC band delivering some serious psychedelic jams, ala The Growlers or The Allah-las. What sets Feeding People apart is lead singer Jessie Jones.

Raw, explosive, sexy and psychedelic, Jones is a soul our inner teenage rock stars can worship. At merely 19-years-old, Jessie channels the talent and vibes of our favorite 60’s goddesses long gone: the primal grittiness of Janis Joplin, the powerful, bellowing vocals of Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick, or the sweet, wistful melodies of Mama Cass. Hard to believe this style and power is coming from a tiny teenager 50+ years later.

Island Universe, Feeding People’s second full-length, delivers 12 tracks in the same vein; inspired by nature, feeding into trips and illusions and trying to pack an explosive live garage performance onto a recording, which, for the most part, works well.

A stand out track is “Silent Violent”, whose tempo switch-ups keep us on our toes. It starts stripped down to bare vocals and a tambourine, before building into a full on banged out bellow, and switches back to an up-tempo, jaunty, final verse.

Some may argue Feeding People are trying too hard to pack all their youthful, idealism into one album, and this may be valid. But at least their infectious enthusiasm and creativity keeps their approach fresh and authentic. It’s hard not to root for them and hope they make it far, all the way to their own Island Universe and beyond.

By: Amanda Martinek

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