Le Switch

First of all, Le Switch are not French (if they were, they’d probably be L’Interrupteur or Le Bouton). They definitely haven’t worked with M.I.A, and they’re not that new British buzz band. They’re a Los Angeles based rock n’ roll band fronted by singer/guitarist Aaron Kyle. Le Switch got their start in 2006 when Kyle recruited drummer Joe Napolitano, trumpet/viola player Maria DeLuca, bass player Christopher Harrison and keyboard player Josh Charney.

The band’s self-released debut EP, Hello Today, came out in early 2007. Soon, Eastside Angelinos couldn’t escape them. They played shows pretty much every week at The Echo, Spaceland, Little Radio, Silverlake Lounge, El Cid, El Rey, The Scene and the Viper Room. Those gigs led to live appearances on KXLU and Sirius Satellite Radio as well as airplay on Indie 103.1 FM and KROQ 106.7. Local bloggers like Aquarium Drunkard, LAist, You Set the Scene, Radio Free Silver Lake, Amateur Chemist, Rock Insider and Passion of the Weiss praised their EP and their passionate live performances. They all lauded the band, but couldn’t decide if Kyle’s voice was more “raspy” or “whiskey-soaked?” One even worried that Kyle might someday sing so hard that his uvula would explode.

“The band is now a quintet and far beyond what you’d consider “passionate.” Furiously belting out melodies with guitars, percussion, bass and a wicked trumpet player in Maria DeLuca, the Switch played a brutal set with glorious results.