When I first heard the band name Kera and the Lesbians, I was instantly hooked. Led by Kera Armendariz and her band of male Lesbians – they’re not actually lesbians, of course – the North County band now living in LA went beyond my expectations. Their self-proclaimed style of “bipolar folk” plays on elements of surf, rock and folk, with Kera’s crooning, sometimes screaming lyrics about “tales of anxiety, friendship, insanity and ill-fated love” the perfect accent.

Kera refers to their most recent release, “Year 23”, as an attempt to “delve into the pain of loss, the reality of growing up and doing [their] best to maintain sanity through it all.” Pair that with a subtle Ennio Morricone, drunk on the worm at the end of the tequila bottle vibe, and the pure longing of their bipolar folk serenade is undeniable.

These cats only have a few songs out in the ether, but they have a new album up their sleeves and it’s dropping February 29th. So listen up. –Maya Eslami