Youth Sounds

http://music.lafamos.com/system/press_sheets/8/original/artist_8.jpg?1300472987 - LaFamos

Youth Sounds’ first album ‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow…‘, released in February of this year, has the nubile band looking into the future – and it’s a bright one. From the threshold of New Orleans, Youth Sounds began in 2009 when siblings Erika and Federico Mejia joined with Taryn Mejia and Adrian Frye. The result, good genetics aside, is the next wave of breezy shoegaze pop, the next Chairlift.

Tomorrow elevates pop from the confines of sure-fire consumption, and takes it back to its roots: a return to fresh, unburdened lyrics which resonate with the youth of now. A nice dose of some masterful electro doesn’t hurt either.

Although the sentiment of the album is decidedly carefree, it’s not without substance. Clearly mood-driven, Youth Sounds already have a distinct intuition when applying restraint. They know when to let Erika Mejia’s vulnerable voice shine, and when to apply thick, fitful layers of synth. The lyrics are puerile and unabashed, like the eyeliner-smudged diary of a highschooler. Yet Youth Sounds isn’t destined to be at the mercy of American teenagers. The fully-developed melodic strains cleverly weave through and compliment the textured vocals. Their sound is strongest when Mejia adopts a penetrating, apathetic tone to her voice, echoing Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Tomorrow opens with It’s Hell, a summer-ready anthem that’ll have you counting down the weeks until you see silhouettes dancing to it on an iPod commercial. Yeah, it’s that catchy.

01 It’s Hell by marinn

Another standout track, Whatever Works, begins heavy and sweet, young and desperate. The pulsing backbeat is intoxicating, and will linger in your subconscious.

Youth Sounds is an appropriate name for a band still in its infancy, but if they continue to develop in same way as between The Bit Parts EP (see below) and Tomorrow, the name could quickly become ironic. They have all the prerequisites for a groundbreaking album, and while the five songs aren’t enough to satiate, they’re enough to capture Youth Sounds’ tomorrow: immensely promising. - Vivo Scene

Musically speaking, New Orleans is best known for jazz, brass bands, bounce rap, and Lil Wayne — I mean hip-hop. However, Youth Sounds, the New Orleans-based indie band fronted by siblings Erika and Federico Mejia, is making strides to put Nola’s indie music on the musical radar, and its much-anticipated second EP, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, solidified the group as a band to watch.

Released in February, the record represents a simultaneous departure from and continuation of the band’s first release The Bit Parts, which was enthusiastically received in the blogosphere and earned Youth Sounds a spot among Music Connection magazine’s Hot 100 unsigned bands of 2010 — not too shabby for a 2-year-old band. But with only three songs, the short length of the debut EP was the record’s sole drawback, and it may have been premature to sing their praises. Until now.

Staples of the first record — Erika’s soft and ethereal vocals, a nostalgic mood, melancholic lyrics, a driving synth — can be found on the second album, but this time, those sounds mix with a more danceable backbeat and create a happier feel. Think Frou Frou meets the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Youth Sounds’ broad musical reach — shoegaze, indie rock, indie pop, dreampop — leaves us wondering eager to hear what this band has under its sleeves next. Take a second and watch a live performance of their track “We’re No One” from the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow EP below. We’re sure you won’t be disappointed.

- Invade NOLA

Youth Sounds are an aptly named band hailing from New Orleans who released their second EP earlier this year, ‘Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow’. It builds upon the synthy, dreamy, floaty sound the band exhibited on their first EP, injecting it with more percussion and more emotion. While their first EP was a great listen in its own right, it really does seem as if the band were told “Once more, with feeling”.

And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Have a listen to the excellent It’s Hell, the opening number of the EP and also probably my favourite track, although it’s not without some stiff competition.




Youth Sounds is fronted by siblings Erika and Federico Mejia, and this no doubt contributes to the sense of unity and cohesion in their music. Erika’s vocals are nothing short of sublime, floating gently beneath the synth only to emerge with a fierce, attention-demanding power.

Youth Sounds impossibly manage a sound that seems both DIY and polished, striking the balance of production and post-production perfectly. They have a great, memorable, and unique feel to them, and I’ll be surprised if they don’t start taking off in terms of popularity very soon.
- And Pluck Your Strings