“Halo” The Elle’s latest single pairs beatsinmybackpack’s soulful production consisting of shimmering and twinkling keys, boom bap drum programming with The Elle’s cooly self-assured and sultry vocals portraying a narrator, who’s urgently, stupidly, foolishly and proudly in love — of the sort, in which you see your object of desire and love as being the most perfect creature on earth. Sonically speaking, the song manages to channel golden era hip-hop, classic hip-hop soul and neo soul and J. Dilla simultaneously but with a gentle cosmic sheen — and while being incredibly sensual.
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New Video: The Dario Argento-Inspired Visuals for Preoccupations’ Latest Single “Anxiety”
Although they received a massive amount of attention across the blogosphere with the 2014 release of their self-titled full-length debut, the Calgary, Alberta-based quartet originally known as Viet Cong actually formed in 2012 and can trace their origins […]
Adam Öhman is a Stockholm, Sweden-based electronic music producer and artist, best known as Mountain Bird. And with the release of several singles, the Swedish producer and artist has developed a growing internationally recognized profile for a sound that’s been compared favorably to renowned French electro pop act M83 — and for adding his name to a growing Swedish electro pop/dream pop scene that includes acts like Moonbabies, Niki and The Dove and countless others. Adding to a growing profile across Europe and elsewhere, Öhman’s work has received airplay on Steve Lamacq‘s BBC Radio 2 show, Radio X, Absolute Radio and elsewhere.
Naturally, building upon a steadily growing buzz, Öhman is currently in the studio working on new material that will eventually be released through renowned Swedish label With Love Recordings — the label home of acts like CANVAS, Swim, Neeco Delaf and others. Öhman’s latest single “Hearts to Gold” is as he explains in press notes “a tale of celebration. Shining positive light on creators, the over-thinkers, anyone who has ever been a part of a sub-culture anyone who dealt with the anxiety of society’s expectations.” Sonically speaking Öhman pairs layers of shimmering synths, swirling electronics, boom bap beats and wobbling low end in an ethereal, dreamy yet anthemic song that possess an encouraging and hopeful message to struggling creatives everywhere, and it should push those folks forward when times seem particularly difficult.
Lostboycrow is a rather mysterious Los Angeles, CA-based singer/songwriter and electro pop artist, who specializes in an introspective yet incredibly contemporary electro pop sound as you’ll hear on his latest single “Thursday” which pairs a slick and minimalist-leaning production consisting of shimmering and wobbling synths, ambient and swirling electronics, handclap-led percussion and stuttering drum programming with Lostboycrow’s silky smooth crooning in a song that bears a subtle resemblance to the work of Beacon and others. As a result, the Los Angeles-based artist has quickly developed a local and regional profile as he’s played at L.A.’s SchoolNight party, Neon Gold’s Popshop West at The Echo and a residency at Dirty Laundry last summer — and with the release of a number of acclaimed singles, the mysterious artist has built up quite a following. But this year may arguably be the biggest year of his growing career as his highly-anticipated debut Sigh For Me is slated for release later this year.
Formed by Moon Magnet Studios founder and ringleader Reed Fuchs back in 2009, Denver, CO-based collective deCollage features members of several locally and regionally known bands including Rose Quartz, Sound of Ceres, Candy Claws, Rubedo and others. Since their formation, the collective has developed a reputation for an immersive and interactive live show – and for material that sonically employs the use of synths, accordion, glockenspiel, found sounds such as typewriters, trains, crunched leaves, zippers, cirtcut bending among others and for material that lyrically focuses on metaphysics, surrealism, abstraction, wonder and navigating the fragmented post-modern world we live in.Unsurprisingly, as a result of their growing reputation in psych music circles, the members of the collective have opened for the likes of Animal Collective, of Montreal, Zammuto, Fever The Ghost and Linear Downfall among others.
“Crystal Choir,” the latest single off the collective’s soon-to-be released, new effort Magnetize is a hazy and swaggering bit of psych pop that possesses elements of contemporary electro pop and R&B as enormous boom-bap drums are paired with layers of shimmering synths, and layers of harmonized vocals in song that reminds me of In Ghost Colours-era Cut Copy — but with a mischievous and playful sense of hope.
Since its opening back in 2008, Outlook Festival has developed a reputation for being among the world’s preeminent sound system festival — and for providing sound system fans of all stripes an incredibly unique experience, as the proceedings are set amidst an abandoned fort and the beaches of Punta Christo, Croatia; in fact, the festival has hosted several hundred artists and was named Best Overseas Festival at the 2011 UK Festivals Awards.
This year, the US Launch Party, which takes place next week at The Paper Box in Bushwick, Brooklyn marks the beginning of several worldwide events in advance of this year’s festival in September. And for next week’s launch party the folks at Outlook Festival have teamed up with the folks at Dub Stuy, best known for developing and building a 15,000 watt bespoke, wooden speaker system The Tower of Sound, which will be used for an event which will feature two of Europe’s best known sound system champions – Glasgow, Scotland’s Mungo’s Hi-Fi and French-Swiss act O.B.F. — will battle against each other in two rounds of dubplates and other mixes on the Tower of Sound. Both crews will be accompanied by vocalists, who represent every era of sound system music including Jamaica’s Ranking Joe, France’s Shanti D, and Brooklyn’s Jay Speaker. Also Portland‘s E3, founder of acclaimed label ZamZam Sounds, as well as local selectors Scratch Famous and Dub Stuy’s resident DJs will be there for what will be a full night of dub and sound system music. And of course, JOVM will be there to cover the events of the night. But before that, check out Mungo Hi-Fi’s incredible and exclusive NYC Outlook Festival Launch Party mix.
Tickets are $10/$12/$15 and for those who are 21+. Cop tickets here y’all: http://www.dub-stuy.com.
Comprised of Keko (vocals), Oscar Poncell (vocals, tiple), Robert Douglas Sola (bass), Lazaro Ernesto Pompa (bass), Lachlan McLean (sax), Jethro Negron (drums), Nick Ryan Glennie (trumpet), and Marcelo La Greca (guiro and vocals), Melbourne, Australia-based Latin music nonet San Lazaro features bandmembers, who claim heritage from all over the Spanish speaking world — including Chile, Cuba, Catalonia and elsewhere. And as a result, the Australian act have developed a reputation for a sound that draws from reggaeton, salsa, Cuban son, 70s New York salsa, 60s Peruvian cumbia and seamlessly meshes them in a way that feels and sounds both familiar and alien. In fact, the act have developed a reputation for being one of Melbourne’s preeminent Latin music acts, as the band’s 2012 release Clave contra Clave helped the band win Best Australian Latin Band, and their single “Muchacho Tranquilo” was included on the 2014 Rough Guide to Psychedelic Salsa compilation.
The band’s latest effort La Despedida (translated from Spanish to English as “The Farewell”) thematically focuses on breakups, loss, insomnia, protests and more, and interestingly enough, the band has broken up and reconvened several times, which gives the material a deeper, more personal weight. La Despedida’s latest single “Amor De Despedida” is a propulsive song that swoons with heartache while being a bit of a kiss of towards a partner, who the narrator is glad to see leave. But most important, the band plays with a cool, self-assuredness through a song that structurally goes through a trippy tempo change at its bridge before returning to its dance floor-ready sound.
Promise Keeper is a London-based producer and electronic music artist, who has started to receive attention across the blogosphere for a sound that draws from classic Chicago house, blue-eyed soul and electro pop as you’ll hear on his sleek, dance floor ready, second single “Side Decide,” which pairs breathily cooed vocals with a production consisting of twinkling and shimmering synths, staccato drum programming and swirling and ambient electronics.
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Perhaps best known as a member of Karen, The Late Late Show with James Corden house band fronted by Reggie Watts and a weekly residency with Watts at El Cid, drummer and vocalist Guillermo E. Brown’s solo musical project Pegasus Warning has received musical industry nods through collaborations with an impressive list of artists including Twin Shadow, Das Racist, Gordon Voidwell, Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, Saul Williams, Mocky, Spoek Mathambo and others.
“Come Close” Brown’s latest single is about longing, “that oh-so-human feeling of missing someone to the brink of collapse like singing in the rain in the desert,” as Brown explains in press notes, and as a result his vocals possesses an urgent and plaintive need and an aching vulnerability. Paired with cascades of shimmering synths and a sinuous bass line, the single is both ethereal and undeniably sensual — and in fact, manages to channel Quiet Storm-era R&B. Or simply put, you should play this the next time you plan to have a romantic evening of naughty fun with that someone special.
Eric Krasno is a Grammy-winning guitarist, songwriter and producer, who’s written for and produced an impressive array of artists including Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks Band, 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Aaron Neville, The London Souls, and Allen Stone but he’s probably best known as a co-founder of cult-favored, genre-mashing/genre-defying acts Soulive and Lettuce. Over the last couple of years, Krasno has developed a reputation as a highly-regarded solo artist — and his solo debut effort was released to critical applause.
Krasno’s forthcoming sophomore effort Blood From A Stone was co-written with Rustic Overtones’ Dave Gutter and features guest spots from Derek Trucks and members of Soulive, Lettuce and The London Souls — but what makes the effort truly interesting is the fact that it marks the first time Krasno takes up vocal duties. Figuratively and literally, Krasno finds his voice on the album and as he explains in press notes “”I’ve been writing songs with vocals for other people for a while. With these songs, we initially wrote them thinking others would sing them, so when I was in the studio with different artists, sometimes I’d introduce one of the tracks and they’d record it, but it wouldn’t necessarily work out. Eventually, I realized it was because I’d written these songs for myself.”
Blood From A Stone‘s swaggering first single “Waiting On Your Love” is a decided departure from the jazz fusion, funk and jam band sound and aesthetic that has caught the attention of jam band, funk and jazz fusion fans for years as the material is reportedly draws from Bobby “Blue” Bland’s Dreamer and Muddy Waters’ Electric Mud as the songs are much more tightly structured. Interestingly, “Waiting On Your Love” is based on an old school 12 bars blues that pairs Krasno’s coolly soulful vocals with enormous power chords, tweeter and woofer rattling boom bap beats, a shuffling and bluesy guitar solo and an anthemic hook in a song that not only possesses an urgent, plaintive need but also manages to sound as though it drew from Eric Clapton, Lenny Kravitz and Steve Miller — but with a slick, modern touch.
New Video: The Surreal and Space Age Visuals for Boys Noize’s “Starchild” feat. Poliça
Over the course of the six year history of this site, Berlin, Germany-based producer, electronic music artist, DJ and Boys Noize Records label head Alex Ridha, best known as Boys Noize has become one of this site’s earliest […]
