Hearts of Palm UK

Hearts of Palm U.K. aren't from the U.K. at all, of course, and singer-keyboardist-guitarist Erica Elektra guards the the story behind the "U.K." in their name like a state secret. It's no secret what Echo Park-based Elektra and band mate Ambi-D are doing -- twee pop with honeyed vocals, tart lyrics and twitchy beats. It might remind you of the likes of Talulah Gosh, Lali Puna or Look Blue Go Purple. Elektra claims to have once been electrocuted in the basement of her New York City apartment; now that's current.

||| Download: "I Flow."

||| Hear: The band on Kill Radio at 11 a.m. today.

||| See: The band performs tonight at the Silverlake Lounge. - Los Angeles Times

Hearts of Palm U.K. aren't from the U.K. at all, of course, and singer-keyboardist-guitarist Erica Elektra guards the the story behind the "U.K." in their name like a state secret. It's no secret what Echo Park-based Elektra and band mate Ambi-D are doing -- twee pop with honeyed vocals, tart lyrics and twitchy beats. It might remind you of the likes of Talulah Gosh, Lali Puna or Look Blue Go Purple. Elektra claims to have once been electrocuted in the basement of her New York City apartment; now that's current.

||| Download: "I Flow."

||| Hear: The band on Kill Radio at 11 a.m. today.

||| See: The band performs tonight at the Silverlake Lounge. - Los Angeles Times

Citing influences from the Blow, Ratatat and Fischerspooner, Hearts Of Palm UK are the winners of this week's CMJ Sonicbids Spotlight. Formed in Los Angeles by Erika Elektra and Ambi-D in 2006, the electro-pop duo have generated a buzz on the West Coast as several of their songs have recently received airplay on Indie 103.1, KRCW and Radio Universidad in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. (6/15/07, cmj.com) - CMJ.com

Citing influences from the Blow, Ratatat and Fischerspooner, Hearts Of Palm UK are the winners of this week's CMJ Sonicbids Spotlight. Formed in Los Angeles by Erika Elektra and Ambi-D in 2006, the electro-pop duo have generated a buzz on the West Coast as several of their songs have recently received airplay on Indie 103.1, KRCW and Radio Universidad in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. (6/15/07, cmj.com) - CMJ.com

Hearts won me over with their track "Jonathan." "Portgual 1" is the next song that has made me go gaga for these ladies from the West Coast. This tune is another brilliant slice of ethereal pop. Hearts is fronted by Erica Elektra and she has one of the most enjoyable voices to listen to, it's soothing, smoothing and downright gorgeous. The bedroom electronics give it a lot of charm and a cozy welcoming touch. Hearts are one of the more exciting bands these ears have heard in a long time. I just wish I could snatch them up on my label. - Comfort Comes

Hearts won me over with their track "Jonathan." "Portgual 1" is the next song that has made me go gaga for these ladies from the West Coast. This tune is another brilliant slice of ethereal pop. Hearts is fronted by Erica Elektra and she has one of the most enjoyable voices to listen to, it's soothing, smoothing and downright gorgeous. The bedroom electronics give it a lot of charm and a cozy welcoming touch. Hearts are one of the more exciting bands these ears have heard in a long time. I just wish I could snatch them up on my label. - Comfort Comes

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.

Hearts of Palm U.K. aren't from the U.K. at all, of course, and they're not telling what it means or where it comes from adding a smidgeon of mystery to this electro twee pop band.

The band is made up of Erica Elektra (vocals, keyboard, guitar and not the name on hr birth certificate surely) and Ambi-D (glockenspiel, guitar, keyboard, percussion, again I'd be surprised if that was the name her parents gave her) who have both been friends since junior high. Imagine the two popettes from the post industrial Human League covering themselves in honey, forming a band without Phil Oakey and covering Go gos B-sides and you're close to the sound of Hearts of Palm UK. If you find that too difficult to imagine then how about an electrocuted Martha and the Muffins jamming with Camera Obscura in the bedroom of Stereolab .

There is one slight, nagging doubt that I just can't budge. Theres just something about the tracks on their website that makes me want to scream at them to let their hair down, dirty it up a little bit, add a little sleaze, add a little energy. It's all a little too pleasant, a little too safe, a little too secure, it's all a little too much like they're operating in their lo-fi electro pop comfort zone. 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

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?!

Hearts of Palm UK's next show is at The Viper Room with RFSL favorites The Happy Hollows and Thailand, and the new-to-me Good On Paper. (It's free if you message them in time to get on the list. Otherwise, it's $10.)

After that, the band is heading on a mini-tour of Northern California and back into the studio to work on a full album, so this'll be your last chance to see them play out in town for awhile.

Here are four free MP3s that should inspire you to brave the lames of the Sunset Strip next Monday to catch them. - Radio Free Silverlake

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)

LA's homegrown, Brit-monikered Hearts of Palm UK rock the Queen's English.....
...LA locals (in spite of the inexplicable allusion in their name) Hearts of Palm UK open with a set of sweet-toothed, electro-indie poppers.
- Flavorpill Los Angeles

I've always been a fan of hearts of palm, the vegetable. What isn't there to like? A South American delicacy, the heart of palm is a worthy addition to any meal, and when placed in salad, it has rightfully earned its nickname: "the millionaire's salad." But after Tuesday's night's very impressive performance at the Echo, the heart of palm now has a new meaning for me, as it's the namesake of a very talented Echo Park two-piece.

Fronted by Erica Elektra, Hearts of Palm, play toe-tapping, laptop inde-pop, reminiscent of Camera Obscura, Stars, and maybe even a little Giant Drag (the title of their single is titled "Jonathan (the fucking motherfucker). Elektra has a gorgeous voice and a fully-formed knack for melody and in my opinion, the duo stole the show from the Cape-wearing headliners.

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. If you like the bands referenced above, I highly encourage you to check out Hearts of Palm. They're currently recording an album and playing all throughout LA during the month of April with the dates listed on their Myspace page. - The Passion of the Weiss

LA's homegrown, Brit-monikered Hearts of Palm UK rock the Queen's English.....
...LA locals (in spite of the inexplicable allusion in their name) Hearts of Palm UK open with a set of sweet-toothed, electro-indie poppers.
- Flavorpill Los Angeles

Indie pop duo Hearts Of Palm UK are comprised of Ambi D on the glockenspiel, hand-clapper, triangle, tambourine, guitar, and keys and Erica Elektra on keyboards, beats/sequences, and voice so clear it has to be heard live to be believed.

(They’re headlining our free Let’s Independent! event on Tuesday at Boardner’s with Letting Up Despite Great Faults and Marvelous Toy, so there’s your next chance.)

Erica and I spoke via AIM over our lunch breaks yesterday to talk about the band’s secret origins.

RFSL (12:16:35 PM): How long have you two been out in LA?
hopuk (12:16:59 PM): ambi-d has been here a few years longer than me. I've been here about 2 1/2 years.
RFSL (12:17:24 PM): What brought you out?
hopuk (12:18:29 PM): well, i had just broken up with my boyfriend of 7 years (hence the whole Jonathan, the fucking motherfucker song title) and had been living in Europe, and then all of a sudden my life was like totally up in the air. no more boy, no more plans... and i just thought i needed to go somewhere fresh and start anew!
hopuk (12:18:42 PM): ambi-d was my good friend and she said i could live with her for a month and get my bearings
hopuk (12:18:50 PM): so, i just tried LA out with no real expectations.
RFSL (12:18:53 PM): Where were you living before?
hopuk (12:19:20 PM): I was in San Francisco for about 8 years, then i moved to Lisbon (Portugal) and then Berlin. So I was in Europe about two years. Now LA.
RFSL (12:19:30 PM): How are you liking it?
hopuk (12:19:56 PM): i really love LA. it's totally surprising - i didn't expect to. but i think it's the best place for me to live in the U.S.
RFSL (12:20:11 PM): I came from SF a few years back and had much the same experience.
RFSL (12:20:31 PM): It's hard leaving the extremely comfortable urban womb of SF, but there's so much more going on here.
hopuk (12:20:36 PM): yeah? what do you love about LA?
hopuk (12:20:38 PM): i know!
hopuk (12:20:45 PM): there's SO MUCH MORE happening i find.
RFSL (12:20:46 PM): (Maybe I shouldn't have used "womb" there...)
hopuk (12:20:47 PM): and the bands are better.
RFSL (12:20:52 PM): Exactly!
hopuk (12:21:00 PM): and i love bbq's and sunshine
hopuk (12:21:03 PM): and the beach
hopuk (12:21:05 PM): can't complain!
RFSL (12:21:12 PM): You get spoiled here being able to go out every night and see a great band.
hopuk (12:21:35 PM): i know, right? and it's often free, too...
RFSL (12:21:36 PM): And it's funny when the rough nights are, like last night, deciding between like five different great shows.
hopuk (12:21:44 PM): you love your shows
RFSL (12:21:49 PM): It's true.
hopuk (12:21:59 PM): i love places like pehrspace and the cog
RFSL (12:22:08 PM): The cog?
hopuk (12:22:09 PM): it reminds me of like another time somehow
hopuk (12:22:12 PM): yeah! you've never been?
hopuk (12:22:19 PM): it's this cool little gallery/music space.
hopuk (12:22:21 PM): i kinda love it.
RFSL (12:22:32 PM): I heart pehrspace. Surprisingly great sound for a small byob spot.
RFSL (12:22:35 PM): Oh, cool.
RFSL (12:22:41 PM): Have to check it out.
hopuk (12:22:42 PM): we shot our music video there!
hopuk (12:22:46 PM): (pehrspace)
RFSL (12:23:01 PM): Cool. Looking forward to seeing that on Tuesday.
RFSL (12:23:08 PM): So, when did the band start up?
hopuk (12:23:17 PM): It's been about a year.
RFSL (12:23:37 PM): So, you started playing pretty soon after.
hopuk (12:23:48 PM): we did!
hopuk (12:23:55 PM): pehrspace was our first show.
hopuk (12:24:10 PM): we were crazy nervous
RFSL (12:24:16 PM): I think I first saw you with The Black Pine at The Echo?
hopuk (12:24:48 PM): yes, that was i think our second show.
hopuk (12:24:54 PM): again, super nervous.
RFSL (12:24:57 PM): Nice.
hopuk (12:25:01 PM): it's taken a while to get over all that.
RFSL (12:25:15 PM): You're more comfortable on stage now?
hopuk (12:26:00 PM): definitely. now i think it's actually pretty fun, when before it was terrifying. we are just both learning how to let go and not worry about the people who are staring at you. i almost just go into this funny zone now, and it feels great.
hopuk (12:26:20 PM): and we've found that wine really REALLY helps
hopuk (12:26:24 PM): so does tequila
hopuk (12:26:26 PM): tequila
RFSL (12:26:32 PM): I was just about to say that...
hopuk (12:26:34 PM): totally
hopuk (12:26:49 PM): at first, i had this rule about being sober when we played
hopuk (12:26:54 PM): cuz i thought that it'd be better
hopuk (12:26:56 PM): and i was wrong
hopuk (12:26:59 PM): sad, but true.
RFSL (12:27:37 PM): Ha, ha.
RFSL (12:27:40 PM): So, what's the name of the band from?
hopuk (12:27:49 PM): well.... kinda random
hopuk (12:27:58 PM): but i was walking up echo park ave. one day, trying to think of band names
hopuk (12:28:11 PM): and for some reason boards of canada came into my head
hopuk (12:28:16 PM): i liked the sound of it
hopuk (12:28:25 PM): and then i saw a palm tree, and randomly thought o - Radio Free Silverlake

Indie pop duo Hearts Of Palm UK are comprised of Ambi D on the glockenspiel, hand-clapper, triangle, tambourine, guitar, and keys and Erica Elektra on keyboards, beats/sequences, and voice so clear it has to be heard live to be believed.

(They’re headlining our free Let’s Independent! event on Tuesday at Boardner’s with Letting Up Despite Great Faults and Marvelous Toy, so there’s your next chance.)

Erica and I spoke via AIM over our lunch breaks yesterday to talk about the band’s secret origins.

RFSL (12:16:35 PM): How long have you two been out in LA?
hopuk (12:16:59 PM): ambi-d has been here a few years longer than me. I've been here about 2 1/2 years.
RFSL (12:17:24 PM): What brought you out?
hopuk (12:18:29 PM): well, i had just broken up with my boyfriend of 7 years (hence the whole Jonathan, the fucking motherfucker song title) and had been living in Europe, and then all of a sudden my life was like totally up in the air. no more boy, no more plans... and i just thought i needed to go somewhere fresh and start anew!
hopuk (12:18:42 PM): ambi-d was my good friend and she said i could live with her for a month and get my bearings
hopuk (12:18:50 PM): so, i just tried LA out with no real expectations.
RFSL (12:18:53 PM): Where were you living before?
hopuk (12:19:20 PM): I was in San Francisco for about 8 years, then i moved to Lisbon (Portugal) and then Berlin. So I was in Europe about two years. Now LA.
RFSL (12:19:30 PM): How are you liking it?
hopuk (12:19:56 PM): i really love LA. it's totally surprising - i didn't expect to. but i think it's the best place for me to live in the U.S.
RFSL (12:20:11 PM): I came from SF a few years back and had much the same experience.
RFSL (12:20:31 PM): It's hard leaving the extremely comfortable urban womb of SF, but there's so much more going on here.
hopuk (12:20:36 PM): yeah? what do you love about LA?
hopuk (12:20:38 PM): i know!
hopuk (12:20:45 PM): there's SO MUCH MORE happening i find.
RFSL (12:20:46 PM): (Maybe I shouldn't have used "womb" there...)
hopuk (12:20:47 PM): and the bands are better.
RFSL (12:20:52 PM): Exactly!
hopuk (12:21:00 PM): and i love bbq's and sunshine
hopuk (12:21:03 PM): and the beach
hopuk (12:21:05 PM): can't complain!
RFSL (12:21:12 PM): You get spoiled here being able to go out every night and see a great band.
hopuk (12:21:35 PM): i know, right? and it's often free, too...
RFSL (12:21:36 PM): And it's funny when the rough nights are, like last night, deciding between like five different great shows.
hopuk (12:21:44 PM): you love your shows
RFSL (12:21:49 PM): It's true.
hopuk (12:21:59 PM): i love places like pehrspace and the cog
RFSL (12:22:08 PM): The cog?
hopuk (12:22:09 PM): it reminds me of like another time somehow
hopuk (12:22:12 PM): yeah! you've never been?
hopuk (12:22:19 PM): it's this cool little gallery/music space.
hopuk (12:22:21 PM): i kinda love it.
RFSL (12:22:32 PM): I heart pehrspace. Surprisingly great sound for a small byob spot.
RFSL (12:22:35 PM): Oh, cool.
RFSL (12:22:41 PM): Have to check it out.
hopuk (12:22:42 PM): we shot our music video there!
hopuk (12:22:46 PM): (pehrspace)
RFSL (12:23:01 PM): Cool. Looking forward to seeing that on Tuesday.
RFSL (12:23:08 PM): So, when did the band start up?
hopuk (12:23:17 PM): It's been about a year.
RFSL (12:23:37 PM): So, you started playing pretty soon after.
hopuk (12:23:48 PM): we did!
hopuk (12:23:55 PM): pehrspace was our first show.
hopuk (12:24:10 PM): we were crazy nervous
RFSL (12:24:16 PM): I think I first saw you with The Black Pine at The Echo?
hopuk (12:24:48 PM): yes, that was i think our second show.
hopuk (12:24:54 PM): again, super nervous.
RFSL (12:24:57 PM): Nice.
hopuk (12:25:01 PM): it's taken a while to get over all that.
RFSL (12:25:15 PM): You're more comfortable on stage now?
hopuk (12:26:00 PM): definitely. now i think it's actually pretty fun, when before it was terrifying. we are just both learning how to let go and not worry about the people who are staring at you. i almost just go into this funny zone now, and it feels great.
hopuk (12:26:20 PM): and we've found that wine really REALLY helps
hopuk (12:26:24 PM): so does tequila
hopuk (12:26:26 PM): tequila
RFSL (12:26:32 PM): I was just about to say that...
hopuk (12:26:34 PM): totally
hopuk (12:26:49 PM): at first, i had this rule about being sober when we played
hopuk (12:26:54 PM): cuz i thought that it'd be better
hopuk (12:26:56 PM): and i was wrong
hopuk (12:26:59 PM): sad, but true.
RFSL (12:27:37 PM): Ha, ha.
RFSL (12:27:40 PM): So, what's the name of the band from?
hopuk (12:27:49 PM): well.... kinda random
hopuk (12:27:58 PM): but i was walking up echo park ave. one day, trying to think of band names
hopuk (12:28:11 PM): and for some reason boards of canada came into my head
hopuk (12:28:16 PM): i liked the sound of it
hopuk (12:28:25 PM): and then i saw a palm tree, and randomly thought o - Radio Free Silverlake

Not just another pretty face?

Hearts of Palm UK, the duo who came on our radar earlier this year, won a $20,000 grant and a trip to perform in New York City when they were picked as the music winners of the Uncover/Discover emerging talent contest put on by the arts and entertainment foundation Gen Art and underwritten by Biore Skincare.

Erica Electra says she and partner-in-pop Ambi-D will use the money to finish up recording their full-length album.
- Los Angeles Times

Not just another pretty face?

Hearts of Palm UK, the duo who came on our radar earlier this year, won a $20,000 grant and a trip to perform in New York City when they were picked as the music winners of the Uncover/Discover emerging talent contest put on by the arts and entertainment foundation Gen Art and underwritten by Biore Skincare.

Erica Electra says she and partner-in-pop Ambi-D will use the money to finish up recording their full-length album.
- Los Angeles Times