KARA'S FLOWERS : One Band * One Artist - Episode 4 #adamlevine

Welcome to "One Band * One Artist", a 15-minute YouTube series dedicated to shining a light on obscure bands. Each episode dives into the story of a single artist, blending commentary with a curated selection of their songs. Perfect for music lovers craving fresh discoveries beyond the mainstream."

Kara's Flowers was a Los Angeles-based alternative rock and power pop band formed in 1994 by high school friends Adam Levine (vocals/guitar), Jesse Carmichael (guitar), Mickey Madden (bass), and Ryan Dusick (drums). Named after a girl they collectively admired, the band played their first gig on September 16, 1995, at the Whisky a Go-Go. Their sound blended grunge, alternative rock, and power pop, evolving toward smoother pop-rock influences over time.
They released their debut album, …We Like Digging? (1995), a rare demo limited to 500 copies, followed by their only major-label album, The Fourth World (1997), through Reprise Records. Despite touring with bands like Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger, The Fourth World failed to chart significantly, leading to their departure from Reprise in 1999. After recording Stagg Street Recordings that same year, the band rebranded as Maroon 5 in 2001, adding guitarist James Valentine and shifting to a funk-pop sound that brought global success with Songs About Jane (2002).

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Special thanks to Scott Shawver for his vocal talents

[StevenDavid-q]

I got this to check out. I like the band.

[leegerstmann]

I’m going to have to check out the first album if I can find it. I’ve heard and reviewed The Fourth World. They had some cool stuff.

[DCToonTime]

I have this one. The single was “Soap Disco” (which is not a disco song), if I’m not mistaken. Pretty good CD overall.

[corleth]

Got that when it came out. What's next? Chewie Marble?

[sallocurto]

A buddy of mine wanted to sign them and was rejected by numerous major labels. 😂😂😂

[wolf]

Generally speaking I'm not a big fan of Adam Levine (or Maroon 5) but I do like The Fourth World. They have an earlier self-released album called We Like Digging? that I haven't heard. After this record (made in conjunction with folks who also worked with Green Day-you do some GD vibes here) they became Maroon 5...

So 6 good tracks on Fourth World, mostly (to me) in the Power Pop lane with some ALT overtones. The band still sounds less polished (a good thing) versus the later M5, there's an edge to this music that works well with the PP sound. And Levine mostly keeps his falsetto in check (again a good thing IMO) - that musical edge has some punkish vibes - yeah I like this album. Too bad M5 didn't continue on in this direction & went totally into the commercial pop lane (soft rock/dance pop/Indie funk/etc)...

[kevinalexander]

Love the show. Keep it coming. I think the band is just average.

[daveycretin]

The good news is that it’s better than Moron 5. And, of course, another lame band name.