The Minneapolis band The Violet Nines describe their latest EP release Cloud 9 as, “the culmination of dream-state vibes, over prominent rhythmic grooves and emotive melodies.” What the band promises is “contagious drums beats, sweeping vocals with rousing saxophone and guitar.” The quintet offers a wellspring of sounds and styles – mixing funk, dance, pop and rhythm and blues with alternative rock influences. Forming just a little over a year ago, the band’s first release Midnight Muse resulted in the long-anticipated dream of producing a vinyl record.
They officially released the debut at the legendary Turf Club and later sold out a concert at the even more legendary and historic First Ave’s 7th Street Entry.They recently performed their newest collection of songs at the Fine Line in Minneapolis. Cloud 9 was recorded at RiverRock Studio in the north east section of town with what’s known as the “largest board in Minnesota available to the public” thanks to none other than, you guessed it – Prince. The band has a democratic approach when it comes to singing with nearly each member taking the lead at singing. To start off, O’SAY sings lead on “I Will Wait” – a lively and upbeat number, with flavors of R & B and pop and flashes of a Caribbean styled beat. With plenty of bass, vocals, synths and an all-around full sound, I could tell there is certainly no weak spots with this group. Veronica Fritsch takes the helm on the EP title track “Cloud 9.” There is a video version of the band playing live on their YouTube account and by the sound of it, somebody knew what they were doing on the mixing board. I thought Cloud 9 offered a diverse mix of sounds and styles and it was hard to pinpoint the band’s sound to just one genre. Nick Eagon takes the lead singing “Maëlle” and it clearly has a disco-funk focus. I would say something akin to Keane, maybe – but more disco-ey. The break between the verses slows down and offers a nice change up of styles. Fritsch takes over again on lead with “Blue Skies in Brooklyn” a more laid back, alternative/pop rock song. Nick Eagon steps in to sing lead on “Fly On” in this way chilled out, easy on the ears song that sounds like summer. The Violet Nines has a lively and fresh sound and how they mix certain styles and influences was quite unique. And by the looks of their YouTube videos, they’re a very engaging live band that also knows how to have a fun time together making creative music videos.
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