Don't Let Go

Kelley Polar needs you to hold on and he breaks the rules for future pop albums. Julliard trained Kelley Polar has a ridiculously long bio starting around when he was 3 years old with a plastic Fisher-Price turntable and bunch of discs from his 6 year old "disco-loving" sister.

Several awards later, advanced studies at Julliard, Polar found himself a chance meeting with none other than the head of Environ Records, Morgan Geist. Geist was looking for string musicians for their own album. Polar quickly gathered a group of Julliard musicians to play as the Kelley Polar Quartet and they ended up up on several of Metro Area's biggest tracks, Miura, Caught Up and Dance Reaction.
Fast forward to 2004, expelled form Julliard, but with a flourishing record career (honestly, who would stick around school??), Kelley Polar decided to move out from the city (rural New Hampshire) and this is where the solo artist emerged. Focusing pop music rather than floor thumping dance hits, he honed his musical style.

After a year in "isolation" he returned to NYC to record 2005's Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens, with Morgan Geist.

Spin magazine praised the album as “romantic, nogravity dance pop.” The New Yorker called it an “ambitious new age disco record.” Stylus Magazine named it one of “Best Records of 2005.”

Now in 2008 he is set to release the follow-up I Need You to Hold On While the Sky Is Falling. And I honestly cannot stop playing the album. I first mentioned it with the Junior Boys mix CD a few weeks ago where I found an instrumental remix of Rosenband. Here is the original.

I am anxiously waiting for his name to pop up on some Winter Music Conference flyer.

Get this album. Seriously, get it.

MP3: Rosenband (YSI)

Side note: Attention Japanese readers!!! I'm going to Japan at the end of April. PLEASE feel free to send in any suggestions. I will be staying in Osaka and Tokyo. (chris @ offtheradarmusic.com)