Gliss

When Billy Corgan digs a band so hard that he summons them to tour with him having only heard a few songs, they’re probably worth a listen. With roots in Denmark and Los Angeles, Gliss is a three piece indie outfit with some undeniable tunes.

Kick in Your Heart (2005)

Originally a band of four, founding members Martin Klingman and David Reiss knew they’d found something special in Denmark-native Victoria Cecilia when she auditioned in 2003.  By 2005, the revised band’s first EP, Kick in Your Heart was released, attracting the attention of alt-rock god, Billy Corgan.

Its seven tracks proved impressive — in addition to joining him on tour, he then asked that they participate in the “Myspace Smashing Pumpkins Tribute,” a day in which select bands (the only people who still use Myspace) posted Pumpkins’ covers on their respective pages. In a revealing display of his appreciation for the band’s sound, Corgan tossed Gliss what any Pumpkins fan knows is a classic: “Rhinoceros.”

So what of their sound? Having certainly put their spin on the one Gish , Gliss is, at times, evocative of several acts we love — Portishead, Goldfrapp, Warpaint and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (in no particular order).

But Gliss doesn’t feel manufactured or forced — inspired is more apt. And after two subsequent LP’s, Love The Virgins and Devotion Implosion, people (with money) are beginning to take notice. Clearly fond of its sexy, atmospheric ambiance, the advertising brass at Calvin Klein feature Devotion track “Sleep” in the ad for its new fragance, “Forbidden Euphoria.”

This is really good news for an indie band. Having recently been released from their contract after record label Cordless dissolved, Gliss, who never sold their publishing rights, now own the rights to all of their master recordings.  It’s a situation so win Charlie Sheen would approve: The band gets to keep the entire Calvin Klein check for “Sleep,” and their label-lessness shouldn’t hamper their ability to record a third album because they can probably fund it themselves.

Said to be titled Le Debut, the band is apparently doing just that. And since it’s rumored to be a vast departure from their previous work, Gliss might just be able to evade comparison this time around. Stay tuned.