Naked Soul

When it comes to music, it becomes difficult for me to know where exactly to start.  Some of my favorite more mainstream artists that I always insist people check out include the following: Josh Ritter, Mumford and Sons, Avett Brothers, Andrew Bird, Toubab Krewe, The Black Keys, Jackie Greene, MIKA, and The Darkness.  I will most certainly write up reviews of shows that I see of these artists, but it should become obvious by watching any music video of these amazing musicians why you should also become obsessed with them.

To begin with a band that you likely haven’t heard of yet but should, I must start with the amazingly inspirational local Bay Area band, Naked Soul.  Formerly known as Alma Desnuda, the Spanish translation, these four Bay Area natives have led extraordinary lives and have incredible spiritual and moral depth, and this shows in their soulful lyrics.  With a variety of flavors of music covered in their early work, Naked Soul is landing on an inspired, almost transcendent, style that can only be described as California Folk-Rock-Soul.  The first time I heard Naked Soul, I was brought to my feet almost immediately.  You can’t help but feel connected to the music, the musicians, and all the other so called ‘Naked Soldiers’ that flock to their shows.  At one of the earlier shows I went to, Chris, the lead singer, paused during the show and asked us to look around at our neighbors.  He said, “We have the best fans.  If you don’t know the person you are dancing next to, go ahead and introduce yourself.  They are guaranteed to be a spectacular person.”  Chris was 100% correct.  One of my best friends now I met about 9 months ago at a Naked Soul show.  Their shows are a MUST SEE because they are one of those bands whose recordings don’t do them justice (i.e. Toubab Krewe).  They will start you off swaying with ‘Soul Surfin’, get you really moving with ‘Grandma’s Day’, give you a break with a heart-wrenching ballad like ‘Good to Die’, then tap into your primal spirit with audience-participation-required ‘Jamalma’.  Naked Soul isn’t stopping anytime soon, either.  Their new music video “Stroll” is a captivating glimpse into their new album, and I for one can’t wait to hear the rest!

Catch them at one of their next shows: May 2nd at the Boom Boom Room or May 4th at Hopmonk Tavern.