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Naama Kates

Rank #7 Los Angeles, CA Alternative / Piano Rock / Indie Jazz

50% of sales go to the charity CARE.

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About

Members: Naama Kates, p&v; with Mike Richardson, tb; John Carfi, b; and Rich West, d.

Sounds Like: Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, Tori Amos, Cat Power Sun

Manager: Andrea DeLesDernier

Bio: Naama Kates is an LA-based singer/songwriter and pianist, whose debut album "The Unexamined Life" was released on May 1st of 2012 and garnered some great critical attention.
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Just look for yourself.
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Naama Kates is from everywhere and from nowhere. She writes these bios herself.
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Press

“[Naama Kates'] just-out "King for the Day" LP is an ever-deeper plunge down a rabbit hole of poetical pop, playing out in moody, brooding and bracingly curious-minded lyrics and slightly skewed musical planes. Kates delivers her disarmingly self-revelatory observations in a blessedly uncontrived vocal style, and her often structurally complex pieces benefit big-time from a new band that includes drummer Rich West, trombone ace Mike Richardson and bassist John Carfi. Whatever "alternative" may or may not denote, Kates' highly accessible brand of pop cabaret ultimately is music of insight, surprise and pure delight.”

— John Payne, LA Weekly

“Her debut album, “The Unexamined Life,” is possibly the best album you may never hear. That’s because her sound isn’t for radio, she won’t be seen peddling Pepsi products and chances are you’ll have to discover her via her live shows in Los Angeles or online formats like this one. That’s not to say Naama Kates won’t be successful. She will. I labeled “The Unexamined Life” as a jazzy Fiona Apple. (Read the review HERE.) However, there’s really no label or specific genre that Kates belongs to, not because she doesn’t fit in, but because she is destined to stand out. ”

— Jason Tanamor, Zoiks! Online

“Singer-composer-actress Naama Kates' songs are like minifilms, experiences in sound, word and energy that stop and start again, accelerate and explode and collapse and fall to the floor to catch their breath and reassess. When she's playing solo, just her and a piano, she's a bit wistful and introspective, delivering her material in a soulful yet refreshingly unmannered vocal style. With her small ensemble she lays into complexly structured pieces whose violin, cello and trombone ornaments bring a cabaretlike mystique to the proceedings.”

— John Payne, LA Weekly

“To be a fan of Naama Kates, is to know that her music often eludes commercial categorization, giving each song on the album the unpredictable edge so often escaping artists in their quest for musical prowess. The captivating unpredictability of her compositions combined with her jazzy vocal stylings bring to mind great artists like Fiona Apple, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette, Girl In A Coma, and Natalie Merchant, yet her style is distinctly of her own making. She definitely pushes listeners beyond their normal comfort zone, calling them to question not only their relationships, but their lives and raison d’etre. It’s often an arduous, trouble-filled journey, but according to Naama Kates, it’s one worth investigating.”

— Lawrence Davis, Splash Magazine

“Naama Kates is maddeningly difficult to pin down. She refuses to categorize her sound, relying instead on the descriptions applied by listeners. In fact, it’s hard to tell if there’s even a specific sound she’s striving for, admitting to the constant evolution of her music. She isn’t even sure that she’ll still be a singer-songwriter five years from now. Kates is as ethereal and whimsical as her music; yet, it’s this intangibility that makes her so attractive, as an artist and as a person. She is a mystery waiting to be solved and a hidden treasure that begs to be discovered, and soon audiophiles everywhere will have another opportunity to welcome Kates into their musical libraries with her sophomore album King for the Day.”

— René Garcia Jr., Working Author

““King For The Day” continues where Kates left off on “The Unexamined Life.” Although she took a different approach by going independent this time around and using all of her own and her fans’ resources to make this album, the result is the same – it’s one of the must-have albums of the year, regardless of what type of music you listen to. ”

— Jason Tanamor, Zoiks!Online

“Piano poptress Naama Kates returns with her sophomore album entitled King For The Day. As if haunted by jazz, she hasn't lost her "girl (performing-in-the-bar) next door" charm and delivers more cabaret chic pop that's lacquered with cigarette smoke and sultry whispers... Her second single "Help Yourself" is accompanied by a music video that is Kates' darkest to date. Created remotely by New York-based director Aaron Lehmann, Kates recorded her domestic routines (and her cat Masha) by hanging her iPhone with a clothes hangar in the corner of her Los Feliz apartment. Lehmann later added the digital special effects and himself appearing as "the stalker painter." The final result is a chilling abstract view of voyeurism:”

— Dan Frazier, Free Bike Valet

“Naama Kates can flat out sing. In today’s world of inflated talent and bs buzz, this is one girl that can carry a beautiful tune on her with no gimics, just good old-fashioned, beautiful writing and singing. Lets’ show this girl the love her music deserves and get more people talking about her. New album “The Unexamined Life” will be available on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Rhapsody, and other online retailers on May 1, 2012.”

— LV staff, LoudVine

“A los que gustan de la buena música, la música de vanguardia, tengan muy presente este nombre….NAAMA KATES, talento indiscutido que llegará muy alto en la música internacional. Naama Kates, belleza, talento y gran sensibilidad para la música de los nuevos tiempos.”

— Manolo Castillo Martinez, Diaro 21

“Naama Kates is a capable musician who constructs fascinating passages and songs that are slightly dark but always striking. She's a thrilling artist to listen to simply because she's sort of carving out own niche in a sea of cliches. She might be living the Unexamined Life right now but with a record like this she won't be to for very long.”

— POP! Paul , The POP! Stereo Review Round Up

“[Naama] deconstructs the duality of the Hollywood existence through her themes and performs a catharsis that has apparently freed her creative spirit... with a strong, technicolor vocal presence.... ...emotionally substantive fractured melody, and personality to spare... This personal journey of self-examination has become a universally captivating musical manifesto.”

— Anthony Mark Happel , Impose Magazine

"The genre-bending vocalist/pianist paints dramatic, emotional soundscapes, but can be equally effective when communicating through naked passages. Kates bends time, tempo and mood changes within a song, making it all seem natural. The album shines with a cinematic panache. “Kachmare” is one of the particularly brilliant compositions. Her expressive vocals cover a full dynamic range, from gently breathy to passionately piercing."

— Paul Freeman, Pop Culture Classics

“ One place she will make a name for herself is in music. Her debut album, "The Unexamined Life," combines jazz and non-commercial pop. It's very artsy and well written and plays like a movie. If you've ever wondered what Fiona Apple sounded like as a jazz pianist, Naama Kates is it. .”

— Jason Tanamor, Yahoo TV News

“Her youthful and vulnerable vocals mixed with breezy piano ballads had a sort of Jon Brion-esque soundtrack touch, like in ‘Tie Me Down’ or ‘Days Like These’… and the nostalgic or sometimes mocking tango keys on ‘Kachmare’ were fitting her stories of heartbreaks and longings.”

— Alyson Camus, Rock NYC Live and Recorded

“Dames die iets anders doen dan anders, die afwijken van de begane paden (muzikale paden wel te verstaan), of waar gewoon een hoek af is, het is niet nieuw. Duitse Nico Paffgen van Velvet Underground gaf het voorbeeld. Eigenlijk behoort ook Björk tot die niet te categoriseren categorie, maar misschien denkt u eerder aan die geweldige Jane Siberry (die zichzelf altijd weer heruitvindt), militante en verbaal enorm sterke Evalyn Parry uit Toronto (zus van de zanger van Arcade Fire), eveneens Canadese singer-songwriter en actrice Mary Margaret O'Hara (van die briljante cd 'Miss America' uit 1988), pianiste Jennifer Terran uit Santa Barbara ('The Musician' van 2000 is nog steeds een must!)... Ook een Regina Spektor komt in die buurt. Naama Kates is de volgende. ”

— Antoine Légat , ROOTSTIME (Belgium)

“There’s something different about Los Feliz’s Naama Kates… something unique. And it’s not just her name. It would be easy to dismiss her as just another piano chick, but everything about her demands a second glance. Maybe it’s her lounge chic style or her obsession with Shakespeare, but it’s probably her solid song writing that takes tiny risks with various tempos and dynamics. Right now she’s the girl (performing-in-the-bar) next door, so do yourself a favor: stop drinking and listen.”

— Free Bike Valet

"Kates' songs are inside/outside things, often ruminative tunes when played solo on piano and delivered in a soulful and artful yet refreshingly unmannered vocal style. With her small ensemble she lays into complexly structured pieces whose violin, cello and trombone ornaments bring a cabaretlike charm and mystique... ...The songs stop and start again, thoughts and impressions intrude; they accelerate and explode and collapse and fall to the floor to catch their breath and reassess. What she’s doing, you could say, is viewing scenarios from multiple angles –– the moods ebb and flow like a tempest in her mind, in her heart, in her soul. ...[Her] pleasingly accessible music... tries to mask yet invariably spills over with raging passion and quirky intelligence and sheer spunky, idiosyncratic imagination. Her songs are like mini-films, never merely personal sentiments sung aloud but experiences in sound and word and energy that can take you to faraway places…and right back home

— John Payne, Bluefat Music

“...the Art Deco atmosphere of the restaurant bar was fitting quite well the piano-jazz-cabaret ambiance of her moody songs. A smoky trombone, some classy-emotive violin and cello strings, and a rhythm section made of a bass and a discreet drumming were accompanying her ever-changing-mood keys… Together, they played all the songs of Kates’ debut album ‘The Unexamined Life’, and I immediately thought,… Fiona Apple? The comparison may be a little too easy but obviously tempting, we were at a million miles from the current commercial pop heard on the radio, the music was living in an old-fashioned world, but I am saying this in a positive way, and like for Apple, the songs were breathing maturity and gravity, even though Naama Kates’ piano was probably more jazzy; at only 26, it is certainly a rare occurrence.”

— Alyson Camus, Rock NYC Live and Recorded

“Naama Kates’ ‘The Unexamined Life’ Should Be Examined Right Away.”

— Jason Tanamor, Zoiks! Online

“‘The Unexamined Life’ Naama Kates (Mount Cyanide) * * *½ Ohio native Naama Kates spent the early part of her adult life pursuing the dream of acting. She got a few roles in indie films and bit parts on television series before turn-ing her attention to making music. Her “An Unexamined Life” is a surprisingly accom-plished gathering of indie pop tunes for a first-timer. She has a captivating voice, drawing comparisons to Natalie Mer-chant and Fiona Apple, and the 12-track release is rock solid.Songs like “Before You Lose It,” “Bleeding Heart” and “Tie Me Down” are terrific, and Kates also scores with “When I’m Good,” “Days Like These,” “Letters” and the title track. Though she hasn’t given up on acting entirely, I hope she finds time to make another album."”

— Brian Krasman, Daily News (Pittsburgh)

“..."Price of Company" is a great example. It starts out as a moody, descending bass jazz-blues. The track establishes a standard song structure, but the feel and imagery suggest a video, perhaps with a rain splattered window and a glimpse of Kates pacing in her room. But the bridge shatters that mood with a manic energy. The frantic beat has an amphetamine soaked 1920s sound. ... ["Before You Lose It"]'s earnest piano beginning is one part John Lennon's Imagine and three parts Ben Folds. Kates voice has a feigned weariness. About the time the chorus should drop, the rest of the band kicks in. The relaxed beat supports the sparse lines of a singing slide guitar and a warm caress of string. The music conjures the feel of a stroll through the past, taking stock of chances lost and fine choices made.”

— Jester Jay, Jester Jay Music

“Naama Kates has a unique aesthetic that stands out from the crowd. The Unexamined Life shows a fine musical range. Dropping by her site, I was surprised to see that she's done a set of Radiohead covers as well. Such an intriguing artist should do well if she can reach the right audience.”

— Jester Jay, Jester Jay Music

“It doesn't take long listening to Naama Kates to realize that she is an artist that is very hard to classify. Is she pop? Sort of. Although part of what makes pop music is its predictability. Kates is anything but predictable.”

— Gary Schwind, The Examiner, Orange County

“Complex Kind of Life-- Naama Kates talks about her mesmerizing new CD "The Unexamined Life", working with Cyrus Melchor and chasing the muse... ”

— Brian Lush, ROCKWiRED Magazine

“IMR's Best of 2012, Honorable Mention- Naama Kates: "Artists that are featured in tonight’s magazine issue should be held in the highest regard as they have the distinction of being recognized over Grammy award nominees & winners, Rolling Stone Magazine features, VH1 artists, MTV artists, and major festival headliners who did not get picked for this opportunity. So, without further ado, we are pleased to present you with our 2012 “Women of Indie” IMR Magazine issue. Also, be sure to check out our “honorable mention list” at the end of the page." ”

— Indie Music Reviewer

“ROCKWiRED MAGAZiNE'S EDiTORS CHOiCE - 25 ARTiSTS WHO MADE 2012 ROCK!!! -Amid all the blistering rock n' roll... ...Naama Kates provided a gentler yet riveting sound with her stunning release, "The Unexamined Life"..”

— Brian Lush, RockWired Magazine

"Call her the darker side of Angus & Julia Stone, Naama Kates' intense lyrics, comfortably numb vocals and spontaneous theatricality are curiously fresh. A seemingly intentional low-fi-ness infuses "Before You Lose It," which climaxes with an abrupt sonic swell that caught us by surprise. Kates' "Bleeding Heart" has a tongue-in-cheek, "fuck you" pop sensibility, while "Tie Me Down" is a pop-jazz tune with unusual voice inflections. Very much an artist uninterested in the tried and true, Kates' music not for everyone; you either get it or you don't." (Music Connection, May 2012, p. 49)

— -MC, Music Connection

“Singer/songwriter Naama Kates reigns for an evening... ... [and] proves that things are not always as they appear. While she is sweet and soft-spoken, Kates also is smart and witty and her jazzy-pop tunes boast whispery vocals juxtaposed against strong, emotional lyrics. She self-produced the album and wrote the bones of the songs, leaving plenty of room for her band mates to write their own parts. Kates writes a complete song in one sitting.”

— Michelle J. Mills, Pasadena Star News

“Written with a soft touch and slight edge, Kates' take on subject matter that could be dreary is light and hopeful, which is often elevated by her superb arrangements. ”

— Michael Shinafelt, Chorus and Verse

“Naama Kates is an artist that seems hell bent on breaking the rules. With the current music scene otherwise saturated with synthesized cookie-cutter radio hits, Naama Kates’ debut album “The Unexamined Life” is different, because it’s risky. Written like diary entries, and sung with an honesty as if no one were listening, Naama’s work is hard to categorize, but easy to love.”

— Lawrence Davis, Splash Magazine

"...every preconceived idea and judgement I had would be checked at the door with my bleeder. As soon as I prepared myself for an elongated emotional love ballad, Naama would look at her bassist/producer Cyrus Melchor, nod, and with one flick of the wrist completely change the tone to one of a short, angsty punk song. With every new song the pleasant "rug out from underneath you" musical surprises would continue... ....influences from everything from Bat For Lashes to Gogol Bordello. One of the most respectable parts was Naama's presence. Never up front stealing the show, but always distinctly heard. A dynamic I believe to be a dying breed..." -RF

— Ricky Fitz, www.takearecord.com

"King for a Day" begins with a a song appropriately named after the album. It graciously displays Naama Kates' wonderful vocals... quirky but with great control and comfort in her own unique style on songs such as “Freeze the Frame”. ...at many times there seems to be an almost symbiotic relationship between her vocal melodies and her piano playing; most prominently heard on “Not for the First Time”, in which her voice and the piano melody harmonize and accompany one another like they have been singing together all their lives.

— J.T. Reyes, ArenasPromotions.com

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: God this place is funny... skies are always sunny...

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Help Yourself

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Happy Homes

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Before You Los…

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King for the D…

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Snow

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Discography

King for the Day Released on Mar 12, 2013
The Unexamined Life Released on May 1, 2012

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"Help Yourself" by Naama Kates (Official Music Video)

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Geoff F Walter
Waaay Cooolz......Geoff
JP'S ATTIC
Playing Happy homes, very nice work, best wishes from the Attic. JP
John Revitte
Very cool vocal,musical painting of sound colors and mix on "Snow" Naama!!
The Artificial Red
Very cool sound. Very nice flow, come and check TAR out, and see what you think!!
Helder Rock a.k.a. T...
Stopping by to Show some Love and Support. And Listen to Some of Your Awesome Music! Wishing You Success.
Rich Pulin Musical F...
Hey Homegirl, You sound great! Check us out and lets work together! Kindly, Rich tpmf