Kareya is a young and soulful San Diego vocalist preparing to release her first full-length album, Phantom Stars, in November 2006. So far she and her band have released an entirely acoustic demo (December 2005) as well as a self-produced 7 song EP (April 2006) both recorded at Hybrid Eyes Studios. By generating interest handing out free CDs at small coffee shop gigs, Kareya was able to secure shows at some well-known San Diego venues such as Blind Melon's in Pacific Beach and Winston's in OB. As a result,she and her band were offered a spot in the coveted Cream of the Crop competition sponsored by SanDiegoMusicScene.org winning out over 100 bands to make it to the finals in April 2006. Although they did not ultimately win the competition, Kareya had solidified her place in the southern California music scene and created a public interest in the new album.

Stylistically, Kareya departs from modern R&B/hip-hop sterotypes to find herself somewhere between Incubus and Alicia Keys (both of which the band has covered in their live shows). Although this description may make the band seem unaccessible or off-the-wall, Kareya's syrupy bass-lines, grooving drum beats, and spacey guitars will appeal to any open-minded music fan. To have gone this long without mentioning the amazing vocal performances on the album seems almost blasphemous. Kareya is guaranteed to capture the heart of anyone within earshot, using her contemplative and emotional voice. After hearing her introspective lyrics about romance and love, triumph and heartache, you will find yourself humming Kareya's infectious melodies within minutes of your first listen.
As a five-piece group, Kareya's sound effortlessly blends genres in a fluid way that never seems forced or contrived - attributes sure to help this band learn and grow in the coming years.

Make sure you visit this talented group of San Diego artists at myspace.com/kareyaMusic for more information about the Phantom Stars album and uncoming live performances.
Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.