by Lauren Rosier
The BBC took over Philly with some stellar up and coming artists from the United Kingdom last Friday night. The Foundry welcomed the BBC Music Presents tour featuring alt-rock band, Sundara Karma, indie rock/garage rock quartet Spring King, and R&B/soul songstress Izzy Bizu.
Although, I missed Bizu’s set due to unforeseen circumstances, I do recommend her latest record, A Moment Of Madness, as it is truly a work of art. I am positive her live show would have been mind blowing.
Bizu layers R&B, soul, and funk with her beautiful, sultry vocals over funky tracks like “Naive Soul”, as well as the piano-laden track “White Tiger.” Bizu is definitely an artist you want to keep an eye on.
Once I did arrive close to 9 PM, the four-piece indie/grungy rock band, Spring King, was on stage, and killing it. The crowd was sparse, but the people who were at the stage, engaging with the bands, seemed really into the music, and very energetic.
The track, “Detroit,” was a guitar heavy song that made me feel like I was at an exclusive underground indie punk show in New York City. The band’s stage presence was energetic, engaging, and reflected the type of music they play.
Spring King mentioned during their set that the Philadelphia stop at The Foundry was their fifth show on the East Coast, and that they had been instructed to eat proper cheesesteaks at Jim’s Steaks. Prior to that, they had spent a week in LA and met with Beats One DJ Zane Lowe who played their song, “City,” on his radio show.
The U.K. indie quartet, Sundara Karma, closed out the show, and opened with the track, “A Young Understanding,” ,off their latest. Loveblood EP. The crowd never wavered from their excitement for the artists with the younger set of fans showing the most excitement.
The four-piece performed the Boss-tinged track, “Olympia,” that’s filled with catchy alt pop definitely reminiscent of fellow alt rock band, Kings of Leon.
Between “Loveblood” and “Olympia,” one can’t deny the band’s influences and how solid they sound for only emerging out of the blue in 2014. A band like Sundara Karma seems as though they could compete with other synth pop, alt rock, and indie pop acts like Magic Man, Kings of Leon, and Arcade Fire.
They honestly sound like they already own the scene. Their sound may not be completely unique, but it is catchy, energetic, and engaging, perfect for any music fan that’s looking for the next indie pop act to break through and take the alternative rock genre by storm.
BBC Music chose three very different artists, but all three are definitely deserving of the recognition put forth by such a prestigious music outlet. The best thing about this tour is how the BBC was able to choose three standout acts and deliver a tour to the U.S. in order to spread the word about these incredibly talented artists. If you weren’t there, I definitely recommend heading over to iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you consume your music, and listening to these three artists.
