Ume

hometown: Austin Texas

categories: Garage, Indie Rock, Punk

for fans of: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, Joan Jett

why you should check them out:
Front woman Lauren Larson's maniacal guitar work, blistering chops and arresting charisma give every leading lady from Joan Jett to Karen O a run for their money, while resuscitating an arguably hibernating genre within the indie music circuit: pure rock and roll.

background check:
The roots of Ume (pronounced Ooo-May) span back to the members' high school years when bassist Eric Larson approached his future wife and leading vocalist at a skate park after an old Houston hardcore band of hers played a show. Years later the duo hooked up with drummer Jeff Barrarea to form a tenacious rock and roll threesome, which soon began tearing up Texan venues, until they eventually came to call the nation's music hub, Austin TX, home.

It's no surprise that Larson has been playing guitar since age 12; her addiction to the instrument (she once developed tendenotis from playing too much) is celebrated on stage in lush power chords, finespun traces of pop and a magnetic--cathartic almost--live show that's garnered the attention of Gang of Four’s Dave Allen, now both a champion and friend of the band.

Even before the release of their EP Sunshower, Ume has began taking their pulsating act outside of Texas, making waves at major music festivals such as CMJ. From a woman who compares writing music to eating and laughing, we are guaranteed this is just the beginning of the Fender wielding sprite and her noise pop trio's abrasive yet bewitching style that simultaneously pays homage to their punk roots while inciting a future generation of rock and roll.

website: http://www.umemusic.com/sunshower/

on tour: click here

buy more music: click here