Nite Jewel: Local Band We Love

From KCRW DJ Mario Cotto:

I’ve seen Nite Jewel perform in a variety of settings – from The Smell to The Music Box – and like ANY true artist worth their weight in salt, Nite Jewel is unmistakably true to her sound, vision, and ultimately herself.

She has a stunning ear for melodies and overdubs her vocals to the point of creating the sonic equivalent of the gauzy quality of a Polaroid of clouds parting to reveal the brightest sun.

By culling from a remarkable spectrum of influences, she’s created something really unique and not easily pigeonholed. At times she’s totally Freestyle (Debbie Deb) at other times she’s 80s MTV teen-neon-pop (The Jets) at other times she’s 4AD Goth (This Mortal Coil/Cocteau Twins), but mostly it’s all those things all the time.

As mentioned above, despite her very obvious super catchy 80s synth-pop leanings, there is a real sense that her DIY method and desire to continue creating her work her way are the only thing that’s kept the world at large from hearing her. Thanks to great independent labels like Gloriette, Stones Throw, Italians Do it Better, and Mexican Summer for doing the world a favor and releasing her work.

Her latest is a 12” for Mexican Summer called “It Goes Through Your Head,” which features my favorite B-side of the year “Natural Causes” and a pair of awesome remixes by (her Nite-Funk collaborator) Dam-Funk and The Samps.

Stream “Natural Causes”

— Mario Cotto