Cali

Sounds like … well-crafted pop fare with a few urban touches a la Stacie Orrico, Nelly Furtado and Beyonce. At a glance … with a stunning voice and relatable songs, Cali's self-titled debut can't help but stand out. Track Listing Get Up Toodaloo Earth Come and Go Can It Be Sound So Good Twisted The Words Are You Listening? Shine Just Because Wonderful Glory Never Let Me Go

While her name might not be on your radar just yet, Cali and her music have already garnered the attention of a certain famous mouse. Mickey, that is, as she's currently featured as one of Radio Disney's "Incubator Artists" for the national release of her debut album. With the affirming message of her music, not to mention an impressive set of pipes, it's really not that surprising that the Franklin, Tennessee native is already gaining an impressive following.

Bitten by the proverbial performance bug at a young age, Cali grew up dancing and singing and was performing shows at Dollywood by the time she was nine. "It's always been my way of expressing myself as I grew up," Cali says. "Then I recorded a demo and went on tour for the first time when I was 16. I sang about eight songs on each date, we had dancers, costume changes throughout the show, our own sound system and the music that fell somewhere between Britney Spears and Destiny's Child."

While she cites those mainstream pop artists as musical influences, along with Stacie Orrico and Jessica Simpson, it was important to Cali to have a "message behind the music with real substance that people can dig into." As a co-writer on 5 of the 12 tracks, Cali surrounded herself with a team of songwriters that included her producers, Ric Robbins, Jason Eskridge, and Scott Krippayne, who penned one of the album's highlights, the electronic-tinged "Wonderful Crazy."

Covering a wide-range of subject matter from struggling through a difficult relationship ("Sounds So Good") to making the most of our God-given gifts ("Get Up") to the testing temptations we all struggle with ("Can It Be"), the lyrics are encouraging without being trite, which is always a refreshing switch from the norm, especially for a teen artist.

Equally exciting is her fresh vocal sound. While there are shades of Nelly Furtado here and there, Cali's overall sound is inventive and downright catchy. In fact, her lead single "Get Up" has such a great hook that I dare you not to press repeat.

Go on, see if you can do it…

For more information on Cali, check out her official website at www.musicbycali.com.

If you are an independent artist who would like to be considered for review on our site, please send your CD(s) and any related press materials to editor of independent artist coverage:

Christa Banister
Attn: Independent Christian Artists
300 E. 4th St. Suite 406
St. Paul, MN 55101

Due to the number of projects we receive, we are unable to cover or correspond with every artist that contributes. But we do give all submissions a fair listen for coverage consideration.