Sonos is not your typical a cappella group. Due to the lack of a bass voice in the group, they incorporate an octave pedal. They use a loop station in order to create sonic layers of beatboxing. In concert, they add an array of other electronic gizmos, from harmonizers to delay pedals. All of this adds up to a vocal performance more musically akin to Björk‘s Medulla than Andy Bernard’s nerdy band in The Office. Their first album, SonoSings, met with critical acclaim and received a bump due to the Glee craze and a live performance on NPR.
The a cappella group performed at L.A.’s Bootleg Theater Wednesday night, streaming it live. The show marked the departure of founding member Paul Peglar. You can download four of the songs they performed on Wednesday below, including covers of Rufus Wainwright and Britney Spears. If you like what you hear, they are currently on tour, so go catch them live.
MP3: Sonos – Toxic (Britney Spears cover)
[audio: News0211/25Toxic.mp3]
MP3: Sonos – Oh What a World (Rufus Wainwright cover)
[audio: News0211/25OhWhataWorld.mp3]
MP3: Sonos – Motherless Child (Traditional cover)
[audio: News0211/25MotherlessChild.mp3]
Check out more from Sonos at their website or MySpace
