I went to the Badlander this past Tuesday (10-2-11) in anticipation of watching the popular and on the rise electro pop band STRFCKR. I personally had never listened to them much until I heard about the show. They had good vibes, a little dance energy to them, and seemed to be pretty well rounded band from what I had heard and watched on the computer.

So I did what I am great at and went
out to a nice Missoula show.

Unfortunately I walked out only thinking about one band and that band being Sick Kids XOXO. Most of you may have heard of them because they are a Missoula based electro pop band that just recently seemed to make it on to the local scene. From the get go of the set I was impressed by their stage presence and how just perfect this band looks and sound together. Karma the lead singer brings you right where you want to be from the get go with her voice and corky/happy/poppy attitude, but even though she may catch your eye every band member has its own style and aspects that bring the whole picture together. The combination of the
female and male (Mike Gill) vocals is an edge that is perfect in the rapidly growing electro pop industry, the two person percussion/ drum (Pat Gill & JT Baker) keeps you hearing all kinds of great sounds, a bass player (Hoyt Smith) that dances as much as the crowd, and then electric guitar short ear catching riffs (Mike Gill), and the synth’d piano (Karma Baker) to solidify the electro pop sound. It is a mix of talent and sound that Missoula, MT has never seen before. The performance of the songs “Tanlines” & “Warm Hearts” at the end of the show instantly made me think both those songs could be on college radio stations across the country.

Yes, STRFCKR may have had a cleaner sound, and yes they had a more production in there show with their lights and such, and yes people knew how to sing along to their songs recognizing the catchy sounds. I walked out of the Top Hat thinking Sick Kids XOXO could easily be bigger than STRFCKR in the coming years. They have more variety, a different kind of sound in that genre, a look of being more passionate about the music, and so much upside. Let us hope they keep it rocking, only get bigger, and make Missoula proud. Well Played Sick Kids, Well Played!!!!!

www.missoulalive.blogspot.com, Facebook - Missoulalive,

www.stonefly-productions.com, http://www.reverbnation.com/sickkidsxoxo