There's no guarantee that babysitting Tom Waits offspring will land you rising fame and fortune, but singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop managed to do both. After trying out her record Kismet, released in the autumn, I much say I'm damn impressed 'bout this girl.
Jesca Hoop is not in for girly indiepop you can dance to. Her way is quirky off-beat guitar-vocal stuff with evershifting rythms and complex figures. She really demands to be listened to, but the challenge is always rewarding and enchanting and maybe just a bit to emotional for me at times. But it's unconventional and honest, so it's hard not to be compelled by it.
After five years of babysitting at the Tom Waits mansion her employer finally decided he loved Jesca Hoops songs and forwarded them to a dj he knows. Since then lots of airplay with the single below - Seed of Wonder - in hometown Santa Monica colliding with her record release last year.
For musical references I'll mention "The New Weird Americans", Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Faun Fables and also Bonnie Prince Billy. Her style is also cabaret, hiphop, blues and ordinary folk. So homage to names like Edith Piaff, Judy Garland, The Roots, PJ Harvey and The Police would also be appropriate.
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Check out this Current Question video where Jesca Hoop answers, "What's your song 'Money' about and what events inspired you to write the song?"
http://current.com/items/88950063_money_money_money_money
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