It appears that San Francisco indie-pop band Social Studies have a hit with Wind Up Wooden Heart.
For starters, frontwoman Natalia Rogovin sounds exactly like Leslie Feist. She's also a classically trained pianist who plays a Casio keyboard, and her drummer is an ex-punk-rocker. Rogovin's Feisty vocals are intoxicating, but the interplay of her retro key riffs with drummer Michael Jirkovsky's aggressive rhythms is what's truly magnificent. During the latter measures of "Run with Fever," precise snare rolls and tom-tom fills anchor Rogovin's high-flying keyboards to danceable heights.
Yes, there's the occasional hint of familiarity — "Drag a Rake" sounds like an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros B-side. But this minor blip doesn't register on "Time Bandit," where Rogovin's sugary vocal melodies are balanced with salty crash-and-bang drums. That's a good recipe.
