New music excites me. New music performed live excites me even more. Unfortunately, my forays into live concert venues are few and far between so that I have to content myself to the usual online sources – blip.fm, myspace, bandcamp, soundcloud, npr music, kcrw, college radio, sirius xmu.
Last month though I was lucky enough to catch an indie experimental pop-rock group called “Tapioca and the Flea” at the Yelp All Hopped Up event at The Observatory in Santa Ana. According to what I’ve read, Tapioca and the Flea is really the stage name of recording artist Samuel Jacob from Los Angeles, who performs with his friends Ronnie Knott, (guitarist) and Frank Alva (Bass).
Samuel is a charismatic lead singer and master-tinkerer of things ranging from vintage keyborads, synths, guitars and pedals. Someone told me that Tapioca reminded him of the Flaming Lips. To be sure, Samuel evokes Wayne Coyne, not only in his singing and songwriting style but in his skill at musical experimentation.
Personally, I am not in love with the name Tapioca and The Flea but the music, ah, the music — with its infectious, beat-driven grooves now that’s something else.
Give ’em a listen:
http://youtu.be/zrnZUliN0lc
Here are 2 videos I took at the Yelp event. You’ll have to forgive the quality. I shot them on my Droid.
http://youtu.be/bWebvYIuSMg
http://youtu.be/szN-tMCWoP8
