Jesca Hoop

Country of origin:

U.S.

Type of music generally:

Evocative/eclectic experimental alternative pop

Status:

Most recent release, snowglobe (limited edition EP, 2011); most recent full-length wide release, Hunting My Dress (2009)

See also:

Jesca Hoop's site

Jesca Hoop's MySpace page

Comparisons:

Rebecca Moore, Regina Spektor

Covers/own material:

Own

General comments:

Another lady getting some attention is Jesca Hoop, originally from San Francisco. She's one of the more fascinating artists I've seen recently...Odd blend of genres that will completely mesmerize you if you see her do it live. Perhaps the West Coast equivalent to Regina Spektor as far as sheer vocal expressiveness. (thecritics@earthlink.net)

Jesca Hoop's music is individual and highly inventive. Her compositions feel fresh, edgy, and experimental and yet they're also catchy and full of hooks, and make you want to continually hit repeat to hear them again. I highly recommend you give her a chance. She's serious and fun, bright and dark. Her songs are full of intriguing moves. A singular talent. (Neile)

Recommended first album:

Kismet or Hunting My Dress—both are brilliant

Recordings:

• SketchWorkSongs (self-released demo ep, 2003)
• Silverscreen (self-released demo ep, 2004)
• Kismet (2007)
• Hunting My Dress (2009)
• snowglobe (limited edition EP, 2011)

SketchWorkSongs

Release info:

2003—self-released CDR

Availability:

Limited edition, originally available at shows or by mailorder; no longer available

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Jesca Hoop—vocals, guitar

Guest artists:

No credits listed

Comments:

Tracks:

1. Seed of Wonder
2. life within a life (state of bliss)
3. Hero
4. Call upon rest
5. Deep blue sea
6. Mr. Misery

I have played this CDR over and over. The six songs here are all so well-constructed and well (though simply) performed, and all are different, all are original, all are edgy and yet melodic and catchy. They show so much promise for a long and varied career. A very impressive start! (Neile)

Silverscreen Demos

Release info:

2004—self-released CDR

Availability:

Limited edition,originally available at shows or by mailorder; no longer available

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Jesca Hoop—vocals, guitar (2)

Guest artists:

Quinn—drums n percussion (1, 2, 4)
Ian Walker—bass (1, 2, 4)
Frank Lenz—vibes, strings, horn arrangements (1, 4)
Matthew Fronke, Chuck Hughes, Jay Mason—horns (4)
Gabe Butler—keys (5)
Sir Roderick Cabello—guitar (1)
Cody Anderson, Paul Spenz, Chris—instrumentals (5)
The Ditty Bops—backing vocals (6)

Produced by:

Jesca Hoop (all tracks); Damian Anthony (1, 2, 6)

Comments:

Tracks:

1. Silverscreen
2. Havoc in Heaven
3. Seed of Wonder
4. Big Fish
5. Life Within A Life
6. Fixit Men

Despite the overlaps with SketchWorkSongs I was delighted to get this second set of demos. Jesca Hoop is always inventive and impressive even at this early stage in her career. Great songs here! (Neile)

Kismet

Release info:

2007—Sony BMG—82876 74700 2

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Jesca Hoop—vocals, guitar

Guest artists:

Matt Chamberlain—drums (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
Ian Walker—bass (1, 4, 6, 7, 9)
Blake Mills—guitar (1, 5), bass (5)
Tony Berg—bandura (1), harmonium (3), guitar, keyboards (8)
Stewart Copeland—drums (2)
Sam Farrar—bass (2, 8)
Alex Greenwald—omnichord, vocals, atmosphere (2)
Damien Anthony—atmosphere (2), programming (10)
Shawn Everett—atmosphere (2)
Quinn—drums, percussion (4, 9)
Rodrick Cabello—guitar (4)
Frank Lenz—vibes, wind instruments/arrangements (4)
Patrick Werner—keyboards (5, 6, 9, 11), horns, accordion (7)
Kenichi and Ryochiru Yoshida—shamisens (8)
Jose Pasillas—drums (10)
Cedric Lemayne—bass (10)
Sasha Smith—piano (10)
David Baerwald—keyboards, mandolin, 12-string guitar (11)

Produced by:

Jesca Hoop, Damian Anthony, and Tony Berg

Comments:

One of the most inventive albums I've heard in a long time. It hard to believe she has such assurance on a debut album (well, I did hear some of the demos that have been available since 2004, and in other words, I've been listening to part of it and waiting for the rest of this album for three years and it still didn't disappoint). This is so unique and wonderful, I can't believe that a major label was interested in her. I hope this doesn't backfire, because Jesca Hoop and this music deserve as much attention as a major label should be able to get for her. I think she's too good to be widely popular, but I'd love to be proven wrong. She's a major, individual talent, and her music is both creative and catchy. Highly, highly recommended. One of my favourite albums of 2007. (Neile)

More quirky hard-to-place music, though more pop and more accessible than her Silver Screen Demos. My favorites continue to be the three re-recorded songs from that album ("Seed of Wonder", "Silverscreen", and "Havoc in Heaven"). I think these also remain the most original songs. Not that the new songs are slouchers. She references more genres including trip-hop/hip-hop, and some of the tracks are just plain fun. You might have heard "Money" in the promos for the new ABC series Dirty Sexy Money. But then there's the lovely, dreamlike "Love Is All We Have" about Hurricane Katrina. I keep listening and still don't really know how to describe it. One thing I can say: this album is all over the place, and it succeeds. (JoAnn Whetsell)

One of the best of 2007. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)

Hunting My Dress

Release info:

2009—Last Laugh Records (U.K.); 2010—Vanguard (U.S.)

Availability:

Currently U.K. only

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Jesca Hoop—vocals, guitar

Guest artists:

Blake Mills—guitar (2, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9); bass (3); drums (3); percussion (4)
Patrick Warren—synthesizers (2, 5, 7, 8)
Quinn—drums (1 2, 7, 8, 9)
Stuart Johnson—percussion (4)
Joe Karnes—bass (4, 9)
Kaveh Rastagar—bass (3, 5)
Nicole Eva Emery—vocals (6, 8, 9)
Guy Garvey—vocals (6)
Z Berg—backing vocals (9)
David Mansfield—violin (9)

Produced by:

Jesca Hoop and Tony Berg

Comments:

Thoroughly delightful, this album is every bit as quirky as Kismet, but I think I like it even more. It grew & grew & grew on me to become one of my favourite discs of the year—maybe of the 2000s. It's so uniquely Jesca Hoop's, constantly surprising and inventive but melodic and so, so catchy and listenable. A marvellous album that deserves more attention. I highly, highly recommend giving it a few listens until it sticks to you like it has stuck to me.
     The U.S. version includes a five-track bonus EP. (Neile)

Idiosyncratic and bursting at the seams with chaotic inventiveness while never losing sight of the aim of being entertaining. Jesca was mentioned on this list years ago, and I made a note but then completely forgot. Well, I got there in the end. And just in time, it seems. I got Jesca Hoop's latest, and....crikey. I thought Katy Carr's album was eclectic, this is one weird box o' noise, but utterly fascinating. I love it. One of the best of 2009. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)

One of the best of 2009. (gordoja@optonline.net, christina_skov@hotmail.com, stjarnell@yahoo.com)