the RED BANANA: FEATURED ARTIST 7/6/08- KIRSTEN PRICE

Guaranteed to Make You Feel

Crazy, Sexy, Beautiful!

Lindsay Van Osten

Kirsten Price is a feisty songstress with an unwavering self-confidence. Having grown up with a self-proclaimed "addiction to singing", there was no question her destiny was to be a rock star. Growing up, she sprang at every singing opportunity that arose, and was in countless choirs, spanning all genres from Baroque to 1960s Pop. Despite intense involvement in performing the art of others, Price's true passion always remained in her own creations.

When she was 20, Price was anxious to travel to a place where she could have a fresh start, and be revitalised, so she made the jump from London to San Francisco. She wanted to be able to become who she was meant to be, without anyone filtering it through who she had been. This was a time to blossom, and blossom she did. With nothing more than $200, a pair of jeans, and a toothbrush to her name, she found herself living vicariously through the sandy beaches of Northern California for several weeks. This fearless nature and adventurous spirit is definitely a main ingredient in her sound and musical identity. She is able to achieve an edginess without coming off as harsh, or sacrificing her femininity; a rare balance to come by.

July 1st marked the long awaited arrival of Price's debut record, Guts & Garbage. The standard response to this title, which she gives to interviewers, is that the record took a lot of guts to put out, and she weeded through the garbage to get to the good stuff. With the level of fierceness exhibited in this release, I would also say that the sounds on this record can be felt coming straight through the gut-- and there is certainly no garbage remaining.

Guts & Garbage kicks off with the song, "Magic Tree", which successfully introduces us to Price's sultry vocals and saucy style. Her strong sex appeal is reminiscent of the spider women of 1940s film noir. Dark and foreboding. Here is a music video for "Magic Tree", as seen and heard on Showtime's The L-Word.

One of my favorite tunes on the record, as the title of this article suggests, is track 4, "Crazy Sexy Beautiful". Like the rest of the album, Price's confidence rubs off on the listener through this song. As you rock out to it, I guarantee you will feel the empowerment rushing through your veins. In an interview with RockRemedy.com, Price reveals that much of the inspiration for this song comes from long time idol, Tina Turner.

Here is the segment in which she speaks of Ms. Turner:

The interview in its entirety can be seen at RockRemedy.com. It was also split into three parts for YouTube. You can view them by clicking here: Part 1. Part 2. Part 3 (as seen above).

While I could easily go on to list any of the remaining tracks as favorites, "Let Me Go" creeps out above the rest. The track paints a picture of an unrelenting past love, refusing to be erased from the storyteller's life. It showcases the pain experienced on both sides of the situation, and the breaks in the demands of the storyteller, "Just let me go," develop more desperate undertones as the song progresses, while maintaining the same tough exterior. She needs to be "let go" in order to break away and be free of the chains of the past. Something many of us can strongly relate to firsthand.

Kirsten Price is far different from the likes of the current pop princess scene. She is an up and coming powerhouse diva, deserving of the title. She is a force to be reckoned with, and I have no doubts that she will continue to plow her way to the top. With strong female vocals similar to those of Christina Aguilera, the soul of Betty Davis, and an orchestral creativity flashing back to that of Savage Garden, Kirsten Price has achieved a remarkably solid debut. Its soulful-pop mixture will leave not just your ears, but your entire body, yearning for more.

You can download your copy of Guts & Garbage online today. The record release party is July 11th at the Highline Ballroom in New York City. This is a fantastic and relatively intimate venue, so I encourage everyone to head out for what is sure to be an event that will blow you away!

Tour Dates:

July, 11 2008 09:30 PM - HIGHLINE BALLROOM
Located at 431 W 16th St, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, - $15

July, 16 2008 10:00 PM - MEXICALI BLUES
1409 Queen Anne Road, TEANECK, New Jersey 07666 -
http://www.mexicalilive.com/ 201-833-0011

July, 18 2008 09:00 PM - MARTYR’S
3855 N. Lincoln Avenue, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, - $10
TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH: MUSICTODAY.COM OR BY PHONE (800) 594-TIXX

July, 19 2008 10:00 PM - PAYCHECKS LOUNGE
2932 Caniff, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, 48212 - $5

July, 23 2008 09:00 PM - RUMBA CAFE
COLUMBUS, OHIO, - $10

July, 25 2008 11:00 PM - WILBERTS
812 Huron Avenue, CLEVELAND, OHIO
216.902.4663

July, 26 2008 11:00 PM - WILBERTS
812 Huron Avenue, CLEVELAND, OHIO

July, 27 2008 08:00 PM - WORLD CAFE LIVE
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - $10
http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=2437 215.222.1400 3025 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA

August, 7 2008 07:30 PM - JOE’S PUB
425 Lafayette., NEW YORK, New York - $12 in advance
http://www.joespub.com

August, 14 2008 09:00 PM - WHITE EAGLE SALOON
836 N. Russell St., PORTLAND OREGON, 97227 - $8
(503) 282-6810 http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=55&category=Location%20Homepage

August, 20 2008 09:00 PM - ROOM 5
43 North La Brea, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

August, 23 2008 08:30 PM - ZOEY’S
451 East Main Street, VENTURA, CALIFORNIA, 93001 - $10

August, 27 2008 09:30 PM - HARPERS FERRY
158 Brighton Ave, ALLSTON,MA, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 02134 - $7
18 + http://www.harpersferryboston.com/ (617) 254-7380

August, 29 2008 09:30 PM - SUNSET BAR & GRILLE
888 Charles St. N. Providence 02904, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, 02904

September, 4 2008 08:00 PM - COFFEE EAST
COFFEE EAST, EASTON, MARYLAND, - $10

September, 6 2008 08:00 PM - TIN ANGEL
20 South 2nd Street, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

January, 31 2009 08:00 PM - BAM Cafe
30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11217