Saint Motel is a pop band from Los Angeles that plays a joyous mash-up of styles. Their debut album, Voyeur, is just out now and celebrates and eclectic mix of sounds.
The foursome met at that most LA of of institutions, film school. The singer and creative force is A/J Jackson (somewhat annoyingly, that “/” is not a typo. But maybe not surprising considering the bassist is known simply as “Dak”). Being film students, the visuals have been as important to the band as the music. They produced their own videos for all six songs for their 2009 EP, a release also replete with drawings and lyrics. Their hard-charging live shows have become known for their cinematic touches; a stage can become a forest or a living room.
Here are two great tracks form Voyeur that show the band’s energy and versatility. “Benny Goodman” (music only on Soundcloud) features an appropriate big band sound, while the video for “Puzzle Pieces” stresses piano and a danceable Latin beat. True to the band’s interest in great visuals, this video was shot with the use of a “helmet-cam” to help capture the feeling of the frenetic energy of performing. Saint Motel is touring to support the album right now and is a great band to see live; see if they are coming to a theater near you on Songkick.
