Online petitions calling on Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Pearl Jam to
arrive this year for performances in Israel may not have yet borne any fruit,
but a group touted as the breakout act of 2013 by the BBC has no qualms about
stating their desire to perform here – maybe it’s because their father is
Israeli.
Haim – consisting of southern California sisters Danielle, Este
and Alana Haim – all between 21 and 26 – is the buzz band of the new year,
according the BBC Sound of 2013 survey of 200 music industry critics,
broadcasters and bloggers.
The sisters’ Israeli-born father Mordechai
enlisted them into a family cover band dubbed Rockinhaim.
According to
The Jewish Chronicle, their first performance took place at a Jewish deli in
Hollywood and they were paid in matzah ball soup.
Going off on their own
when they came of age, the sisters began to raise eyebrows with their rousing
shows that won them opening slots for top-tier bands like Mumford and Sons and
Florence and the Machine, and launched a bidding war for their talents which was
won by Universal-owned Polydor.
Their brand of acoustic pop and folk with
pretty harmonies a la Fleetwood Mac but with a low-fi edge also caught the
attention of the British music insiders polled by the BBC, who in 2008 gave the
honors to Adele. Previous unknown acts that topped the poll include Mika and
Elliot Goulding.
A Radio 1 DJ who announced Haim as the winners on his
show, said that band had “an unapologetic passion for music that shines in their
songs. They’re brilliant musicians who have a real talent for tunes that merge
their tales of growing up in the 21st century with classic song-writing
ability.”
According to one blogging fan, “Their voices mesh. Their
lyrics bite. Their guitars sting and chime, as needed. Think of them as the
children of Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell.”
Since topping the BBC poll
last week, the band has received a spike in their YouTube hits for their songs
like “Forever” and “Don’t Save Me.”
Currently slated to record their
debut album, the ladies told the Jewish Chronicle that they’ve visited Israel
and hope to arrive for a show once Israelis become aware of them.
“It
would be a dream come true to perform in Israel,” they told the JC. “We’ll get
there one day.”
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