Emersen

Fresh , new , buzz - worthy , up and coming , innovative , the next best thing – these are all descriptions frequently overused and rarely deserving in today's music. But this isn't so for Emersen, the latest group to be spawned from San Diego's ever growing music incubator. Slowly clawing their way from the so-cal underground, Emersen, formerly Emerson Band, has proven itself to be one of the truly original bands to emerge in the last couple of years.

Original . The word has become an obsession for this group. "I can't stand doing something that's not original", blurts the bands deft frontman, Brett Wagner. The band was his brainchild, birthed by his affinity to jazz. Roughly four years ago, after a failed band venture, Brett and his childhood friend, Travis Dietrich, started frequent jam sessions. These sessions progressed with no other motivation than to feed their hunger to learn jazz standards. They would later bring Travis' best friend, Daniel Crawford, aboard. Daniel, a graduate from the San Fransisco Conservatory of Music, would bring with him the holy grail of any true jazz fan, The Real Book ; a book of jazz standards. This, in addition to frequent visits to local jazz clubs in downtown San Diego, would be the foundation that Emersen was built on. With Travis on drums, Daniel on lead guitar, and Brett on keys and lead vocals, they couldn't help but to start writing. Armed with a few songs that Brett already had in his quiver, they started a band. But this near perfect combo was missing a key element - a bassist. Travis' ex-band mate, and childhood friend, Ryan Westrick, filled the space as soon as he was asked. Now, though unintentional, they were a band.

As a conglomerate, their influences, which range from The Police, Miles Davis, and Stevie Wonder to Radiohead and The Pixies, started to mold their jazz-based music style. The result was "Wonder". This would be the lead single to their new EP "Radio Waste". "Wonder" begins subtilely with a retro Rhodes melody and then quickly kicks you in the knees, making you surrender to it's catchy choruses and bouncy bass riffs. You find yourself uttering the inevitable words that anyone who has experienced Emersen does, "It's not my style, but I like it"! Falling victim to it's unique sounds, you can't help but start the ever-so-popular "head bob". But it doesn't stop there. Throughout the duration of the seven-song EP you realize that you've never heard anything like it before. With seeming ease, Emersen has accomplished their goal of "originality" through their freshman release of Radio Waste.

With frequent shows in their hometown of San Diego, and consistant airplay on the local radio stations, Emersen continues to spread their unique flavor. Look to find them on a tour near you, and keep your ear out for new tunes. With their track record, we can look forward to hearing nothing less than amazing.