Electric Picnic Countdown - Zola Jesus

Seeing that Electric Picnic is just around the corner it's only appropriate that I would blog about some of the bands/acts that are to grace the stages of Stradbally. So...over the next two weeks I'm going to post my own recommendations and in doing so create a little online mix-tape of sorts.


First off is Russian-American songstress Zola Jesus (real name Nika Rosa Danilova). Her dark, almost haunted vocals which are accompanied by synths and lots of reverb give rise to a mysterious and eerie sound. She denies the 'goth' moniker but the musical and stylistic parallels are too close to be ignored. But in saying that, pigeonholing her in the gothic genre is unfair as her music is far superior to any gothic music I have ever been unlucky enough to listen to.


My two choices from her album Stridulum II (no idea what that makey-up word means) are The Night and Sea Talk.


'Gothic' Power Ballads at its Best.