When Swedish electro outfit Little Dragon performed at Electric Pickle back in January, S. Pajot noted a few sound issues, saying "[Yukimi Nagano's] vocals were drenched in a little too much reverb and buried a little too deep in the mix. Her singing was sweet and sharp. But she just couldn't cut through the trippy haze like she does in the recorded songs."
Well, Yukimi and crew will get a second shot at cutting through the haze when they perform at Grand Central on October 22. The date is part of a short US tour that leads up to Little Dragon's appearance at MoogFest in North Carolina.
Since their January performance in Miami, the band hasn't been sitting quietly. A new album, Ritual Union, saw its release earlier this summer and even got some chart action on the Billboard 200, topping out at number 78. Not too shabby, but not entirely surprising considering the boost in notoriety the band received after it was featured on Gorillaz's Plastic Beach and served as openers for the tour.
Ritual Union sounds like an album that could serve as the catalyst for a crossover into mainstream consciousness. The album retains the hazy pop feeling of its predecessors -- not to mention the seductive texture of Nagano's silky yet understated voice. But only time will tell if major fame is part of Little Dragon's future.
Anyway, the band made its US TV debut earlier this year on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, performing the title track, "Ritual Union."
Little Dragon with DJs Mike Deuce and Josh LeCash. Saturday, October 22. Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m. and tickets cost $15 via fla.vor.us. Ages 21 and up. Call 305-377-2277 or visit grandcentralmiami.com.
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