Formed by a trio of musicians that come from various backgrounds – including multi-instrumentalist Ireesh Lal and Niyaz’s Carmen Rizzo (who has also worked with the likes of Seal and Coldplay, to name a few), this newcomer band mixes pop, electronica, jazz and Middle Eastern sounds into one cohesive package, as heard on their self-titled debut Six Degrees. Rounding up the group is lead vocalist Nancy Kaye, who brings it all together with her nasal Natalie Merchant-meets-Nelly Furtado vocals. In a live setting, the band sounds incredibly tight. Kaye exudes a lot of charm as a frontwoman, while the oud and tablas give their music an exotic, worldly feel. If music fans are willing to give this pop-fusion group a chance, they might be poised to change popular music as we know it with their spiced-up sounds. Photo courtesy Brantley Gutierrez.

Thu., May 14, 9 p.m., 2009