Mary Timony, Helium, Daft Punk, The Notwist, Stars, Mirah, Ratatat, The Knife, Pinback, Metric, The Postal Service, Scrabbel, Loquat, The Aislers Set, The Stills, Iron & Wine, Annie, The Reindeer Section, The Softies, The Go-Go's, The Bangles, hey willpower, Blonde Redhead, Nada Surf, Eliott Smith, Nick Drake, Thievery Corporation, Astrid Gilberto, April March, Bedhead, The Rachel's, Sufjan Stevens, Ladytron, Belle & Sebastian, Sondre Lerche, Brendan Benson, Broadcast, The Whitest Boy Alive, Camera Obscura, Art in Manila, Versus, Cocteau Twins, The Poems, The Postmarks, Elvis Perkins, Jeff Hanson, Fionn Regan, Brittle Stars, The Sea and Cake
Three girls, three keyboards, and a lot of sparkle and sequins. Hearts of Palm UK are Erica Elektra (vocals, keyboard, guitar), Frankie Rose (glockenspiel, keyboard, percussion) and Billy Kaye (cello, autoharp, keyboard). Evoking the nostalgia of times gone by, the trio fuses the intensity of electro with the sweetness of lo-fi indie pop. Their work has drawn comparisons to Stars, Camera Obscura, The Postal Service, Metric and even Cyndi Lauper!
The story goes like this: Erica was playing music, experimenting with electronic beats and pop melodies. After playing with a bunch of random musicians she’d met on Craigslist, she decided that it was high time to switch gears and recruit her best girl and childhood friend, Frankie Rose. And my, did Frankie Rose have a touch for percussion! They had a good run as a duo, playing CMJ in 2007 and winning the title of best “undiscovered” female music talent in America in a contest sponsored by GenArt & Biore Skin Care.
Band life as a twosome was nice, but the girls were itching to add more live instrumentation to their line-up. In walked Billy Kaye - another friend and a veritable one-woman string section. Now HOPUK is a trio made in heaven. Three girls having fun dressing up and making music for the world.
The ladies are soon to be releasing their first full-length album, For Life, in the Fall of 2008.
Go HOPUK, go!!!
"Elektra's twinkling, twitchy keyboard-and-sequencer ditties imply a long history with Euro artists such as the Notwist and Stereolab, but in place of icy detachment there is plaintive optimism." - Los Angeles Times
"the electro-pop duo have generated a buzz on the West Coast..." - CMJ.com
"There's a soothing, gentle aura to the music that makes a listener tingle all over." - XLR8R
"...sound like they've spent some time listening to Postal Service and The Notwist..." - The Toronto Star
"Though they're not from the UK (and please don't ask), the ladies of Echo Park duo Hearts of Palm UK still purr and bounce through melancholy, retro pop tunes like cotton candy hurtling through a thunderstorm. - Flavorpill LA
"You'd think with all the electronic bits in LA indie pop duo Hearts of Palm UK's songs that they might sound better on your stereo or in your car than in-person at some music venue, but you know what? They're pretty amazing live. Lead singer Erica Elektra's voice is as clear as a fucking bell and, you know, who isn't a complete sucker for the glockenspiel?" - Radio Free Silver Lake, Band of the Week
"How do you make an indie pop band? Take some Camera Obscura, mix in some Stereolab, add a pinch of Go-Gos and some Human League… voila! Hearts of Palm UK."
- Best Week Ever (VH1)
"A strong, quiet, soothing energy exudes from the band and it is tough to pinpoint its precise origin. They give-off the impression that they have secrets to hide, tricks up their sleeve, and no intention of letting you in on whatever it is they're up to."
- Classical Geek Theatre
"They remind us of Au Revoir Simone, Stereolab and Camera Obscura rolled up into one."
- Sensory Overload
"So Brian Eno partied after hours with Tegan and Sara in a late eighties musical electronics store and then wrote a song about it. Ok, not really, but “People and Logistics” is how it might sound if he had."
- Stereo Subversion
"...the two create upbeat indie-electro pop that does a great job of drawing the listener in, with melodies occasionally hinting at the beauty of The Postal Service. Erica Elektra owns the stage, with a beautiful voice and solid guitar/keyboard work."
- Glide Magazine
"If a picture paints a thousand words then check out the picture accompanying this post, it sums Hearts of Palm UK up perfectly, pure bontempi bubblegum....Once they let rip then hold onto your bobbie pins girls because Hearts of Palm U.K. are coming to steal your boyfriends." - The Devil Has the Best Tuna
"...lovely lo-fi-pop with electro-beats, completed with a hint of dance and two spoons full of folk." - Music of the Moment
"I have one word to describe this electro-pop duo - adorable. Hearts Of Palm UK is highly recommended for fans of other chicky groups like Au Revoir Simone." - 5 Acts
"Erica, who writes the songs, sang and played keys and guitar with an impish twinkle in her eyes. The serene Frankie Rose played a host of other instruments from glockenspiel to guiro. The result was smoothly choreographed, cleanly delivered, sweet electronic pop, buoyed by Erica's animated personality. I like to see the ladies bringing beauty and class to the rock stage. " - Speed of Dark
"They play pleasant and user friendly indie-pop, like a Camera Obscura meets Cat Power type thing going on..." - Comfort Comes
"The live show is impossibly pleasant, song after song of breezy, slightly melancholic pop, full of shimmering electronic melodies and catchy hooks certain to please even the most jaded of listeners." - The Passion of the Weiss
"Hearts of Palm UK play pleasant dancey, lo-fi, electro-folk." - You Set The Scene
hey guys! we're playing a benefit to help spencer from young animals pay his unjust legal fees. its at all star lanes on thursday night. hope you can come, xoxo A&D
Hey there. I am going to rip off you dresses, I think around song 6 or 7 on August 15th at Echo Curio. Buy yourself some nice lingerie, ladies! This is not a joke. If you wear something you love dearly, it will be torn off your body. Don't do it.
Erica, I was thinking it would be pretty fun if for the echo curio show on August 15th I ripped your dresses. You girls always look beautiful, but I'd kinda like to. . .rip your clothes off? Is that weird?
hi hopuk! thanks again so so much for putting on such an amazing set on friday. you gals are the tops! can't wait for an official cd release! xoxo~sqgs
