I'm sitting here with my movie sized box of Nerds trying to figure out what artist I should bestow my magnanimous (see first entry, second and third definitions) title "Artist of the Week."
The decision is in, and here she is: Niko.
You may have heard her team up with acts such as Aim, Mr. Scruff, Rae & Christian; and lo and behold - she has her own album out, as well!
Her voice mixes wonderfully through different musicscapes ranging from laid back electo-clash, nu-jazz, and downtempo. One great review (and I don't want to parrot it too much) comes from a customer at Amazon.com who gave it a three and a half out of 5 stars.
The funky vibes and her soulful forthrightness make her debut album a nice afternoon chiller.
With most of the artists I mention here on my blog, there's always ONE song that latches me into their fanbase. For Niko, it would have to be "Siren." The jazzy/trippy theme and the tune's terrific imagery captured my attention. Breaks and production value add to the experience with my appetite not quite abated as the song ends. It's a pleasant let down, but a let down nonetheless. It's a great hook to get you to come back for more of her music!
As I've ventured through her album, other songs that grabbed my attention are the laid back "Roam," the jazz-fusion fun of "An Echo of Quiet and Green" (check out the great baritone sax loop), throw in some horns-blazin', 70s-infused-funk-ladies-empowerment music with "Let Me Go" and you have one happenin' album. (The synthesized tuba bassline on "The Hourly Second" is pretty catchy, too)
Niko has a myspace page up with a couple of songs not found on the album. Also, you can stream her album from Rhapsody.com.
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