In my first encounter with New York-native Dora Jar, she cartwheeled onto stage, followed up with a split, poured a bottle of water over her head, and shook herself off like a dog. She began performing “Opening,” off of her recently-released Digital Meadow EP. I was transfixed.
Dora Jar’s two new singles, “Spell” and “Bump,” epitomize her playful approach to weirdo alt-pop and perfectly set the tone for her discography. Announced during her November performance at DC9, she is releasing a third single titled “Shock”.
Jar’s music is spunky, whimsical, and possesses an ethereal beauty that demands you spin around with open arms –even in its more melancholy moments- demonstrated by her ingeniously unpredictable lyrics. My favorite track, “Scab Song,” was inspired by a Hawaii-shaped scab she earned from jumping a fence. This unconventional muse inspired out-of-body lyrics like “My skin is the sea and feel the ocean breeze” and “Loopin’ like spaghetti through your body’s traffic lanes.” Although none of Jar’s songs sound alike, her spontaneity and intoxicatingly melodic voice makes her music instantly recognizable. Her persona meshes everything lovable about Lorde and Stevie Nicks into one fairy-like creature.
She has only released seventeen songs and you should listen to all of them. If pressed for time, these are essentials: “Scab Song” on comfortably in pain; “Multiply” on Digital Meadow; “Polly” on Digital Meadow; “Lagoon” on comfortably in pain; and “Did I Get It Wrong” on Three Songs.
Refusing to be defined by a singular sound, Dora Jar is changing the alternative pop genre. She is an energetic, dynamic performer who goes above and beyond for her fans. I’ve seen her twice, and both performances involved the audience howling in unison. She’s weird and wants you to be too.
Vasiliki Vlastaras is a junior in the College studying Government and Modern Greek.