Mei Semones - "Zarigani"

Photo by Alec Hirata

One thing that is truly great about modern music is that genres no longer have any meaning. One of the artists we've been covering that truly exemplifies the melding of multiple genres into a new sound is Mei Semones. The Brooklyn based artist has a new single, "Zarigani," that might be mostly a jazz track, but also incorporates elements of pop music and indie rock. The song has this wonderfully hypnotic quality that makes you want to drop everything and give it your full attention. Everything put into "Zarigani" is absolutely mesmerizing. The song goes through multiple changes in style, sound, and tempo while sounding like everything fits in together. Just as you start to feel comfortable with where the song is, Semones changes everything up again. At twenty-four, Mei Semones is already establishing herself as a thrilling artist.

Mei Semones says of her latest single:

“‘Zarigani’ encapsulates a lot of the genre blending I was trying on this album. The bright, intricate, fast-moving bossa-type verses strongly juxtapose the simpler-sounding indie rock-like choruses. The main lick that repeats before each chorus was inspired by a melodic minor Coltrane lick. The name of the song means crayfish, and comes from memories of catching crayfish in the creek with my sister when we were little."

You can watch the video for "Zarigani" below. Animaru is due out May 2 on Bayonet Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Mei Semones, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include a June 14 date at Red Room Cafe 939 in Boston.

Fri. Apr. 4 - Antwerp, BL @ Trix ~
Sat. Apr. 5 - Paris, FR @ Petit Bain ~
Sun. Apr. 6 - Paris, FR @ The Mixtape
Wed. May 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg*
Thu. May 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live*
Fri. May 30 - Washington, DC @ The Atlantis*
Sat. May 31 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Back Room*
Mon. June 2 - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5*
Tue. June 3 - Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR*
Wed. June 4 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar*
Fri. June 6 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups*
Sat. June 7 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*
Sun. June 8 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club*
Mon. June 9 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry*
Wed. June 11 - Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch*
Thu. June 12 - Toronto, ON @ Longboat Hall*
Fri. June 13 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB*
Sat. June 14 - Boston, MA @ Red Room Cafe 939*
Fri. July 11 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Sat. July 12 - Austin, TX @ Parish
Tue. July 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Wed. July 16 - San Diego, CA @ Quartyard
Fri. July 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Sat. July 19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Mon. July 21 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Tue. July 22 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Wed. July 23 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza
Sun. July 27- Minamiuonuma, Japan @ Fuji Rock Festival

~ supporting Panchiko
* with John Roseboro