Karmina is a band composed of 2 sisters- one blonde ( Kelly), one brunette (Camille)- a virtual salt & pepper blend of music that’s in the singer/songwriter category featuring an indie presentation with a twist of pop and tweak of rock mixed in with references of Shakespeare, Gustav Klimt (the painter whose painting THE KISS was the inspiration of their song of the same name) and even Gregorian chants!!
These ladies cover a lot of musical territory and their gorgeous vocals are illustrated with incredible melodies are backed up by amazing musicality on keyboards, guitar and a terrific back-up band. Individually Camille and Kelly have great voices with lovely nuances. Blended in harmony, they kick it up a few more notches and the dynamic of the music propels the indvidual elements of vocals, lyrics and music into something much more synergistic– it takes on a life and heartbeat of its’ own.
The music has a romantic edge yet it’s also more than just romance and love– it’s about life, living, the dreams and hopes of someone who wants to grasp the ripe fruits of life and get the juiciest bits of life. Evoking hints of Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins and even a touch of Heart (in their softer moments), they surpass some of these because of their power is in their deftly handled lyrics and harmonies. Harmony not always being the easiest thing to create, these two sisters have been harmonizing since about the age of 5 and I think they pretty well have it nailed down.
Here’s an interview with Camille and Kelly of Karmina done in a “secret” diningroom at the House of Blues Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Why the “secret” dining room?
1) It was the quietest place I could find in the House of Blues
2) It was dim so please realize that the red you see is from the lighting of the dining room and it’s been lightened up considerably so you can see them better.
3) The music you are hearing in the background is Keaton Simons – labelmate on CBS Records and it was a great evening of phenomenal music.
4) I had not had a chance to hear much of Karmina’s music other than what’s been available on myspace.com/karmina and the video there (which is below and really is so beautifully done) . You will see Camille and Kelly looking so gorge — because they are beautiful, you just can’t see it because of the lighting in this space.
Their performance was “kick-ass” great and they were really winding up the crowd which was pretty substantial for a Thursday night in the Foundation Room (members and special guests only!). Getting a chance to speak to them was a real treat because their is so much “going on” in their music — with their literary and artistic references. However I thought about the practical side of life and what is it like for two women to criss-cross the US performing– which can be difficult waking up in a different town every day.
Backwards Into Beauty with Karmina!!
The KISS— the first single from their new CD Backwards Into Beauty
My suggestion — after listening to their CD and talking to these very impressive musicians is that you buy the CD and dive into it. It’s rich with emotion, it’s a nuanced presentation that is so impressive that I can’t say enough about it. But I am going to save it for the CD review.
Find Karmina’s music on CBS Records, Backwards Into Beauty drops on June 3, 2008 and will be avaialble on iTUNES.com as well as through their website: www.karmina.com and you can check out more about them on www.myspace.com/karmina .
Here’s a link to Adrenaline Music where you can order their CD, Backwards Into Beauty ORDER HERE
Stevie Wilson
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