I’ve recently discovered an amazing new band named “The Airborne Toxic Event”. They’re a 5 piece band based out of Los Angeles, California who gracefully blend a folksy pop sound with string instruments.
The band is headed up by Mikel Jollett, a writer who was in the middle of a novel before deciding in 2006 to form the band after life changing events took place: His mother was diagnosed with cancer, he was dumped by his girlfriend and he was diagnosed with autoimmune disease. All of this happened in a span of 1 week.
The song I fell in love with “Sometime Around Midnight” is about Jollett seeing his ex-girlfriend in a bar with another guy. The soothing sound of the violin coupled with Jollett’s vocal energy and crafty lyrics will make this song a classic for years to come.
In addition to Jollett, the band consists of Steven Chen on guitar and keyboard, Noah Harmon on bass, Daren Taylor on drums and Anna Bulbrook on keyboard and violin.
Mark my words that this band will be huge in the not so distant future. They will be guests on the Late Show with David Letterman on January 16th before kicking off their tour starting in Europe on January 22nd. They’ll be visiting 4 Canadian cities including Toronto on March 4th.
To hear Airborne Toxic Event, check out their MySpace page. In the summer they recorded a 10-part accoustic video series playing their songs in unique and interesting places. Below I’ve included the official video for “Sometime Around Midnight” as well as the accoustic version. Also included is an accoustic video for “Does This Mean You’re Moving On” where they perform in a moving car with the drummer using the car roof to set the beat: