Meet Elle King, the man eatin’, shit talkin’ spitfire of your dreams…or nightmares. (Boys: You’ve been warned.)
Admittedly, the raspy blues rocker doesn’t quite fit the usual MuuMuse mold (stilettos, wigs and an ongoing love affair with the dance floor tend to be the usual M.O.) but, hey: Good music is good music, and “Exes And Oh’s” is just that.
After signing to RCA a few years ago, the songstress kicked off her major label career with a self-titled EP in 2012, which included a track called “Playing For Keeps.” The song was eventually used as the theme of Mob Wives: Chicago (for all my fellow VH1 ratchet reality devotees), as well as a Mad Men campaign. (Therefore, it went big.)
After two years and a lot of media buzz (#HOTLYTIPPEDACT!), Elle’s now locked and loaded with her big ol’ single from her forthcoming debut: “Ex’s & Oh’s,” a gritty ode to international lovers and their annoying cling-on habits.
Backed by a twangy stomp, the track is loaded with sassy zingers (“They always wanna come, but they never wanna leave”), powerful Janis Joplin-like chops and howling hooks that ought to appeal to any true lover of pop music. It’s ballsy, brash and profoundly #unapologetic, like if Meghan Trainor got a serious R-rated kick in the (b)ass— or banjo, as it were.
I actually caught Miss Elle performing a solo set downtown a few weeks ago at Rockwood, and I have to say: She puts on a great show. There wasn’t even a backing band on stage, and she was still on fire, stomping, hollering and strumming her way through the night. Her voice is insanely powerful — and she just happens to be hilarious, too. (I’m always a sucker for good between-song banter!)
And if all that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, give this one a spin…
“Ex’s & Oh’s” was released on September 23. (iTunes)