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Transviolet – Girls Your Age

transviolet

We like the colorful-composition artistic weave of the lovely reverb’d main vocals, high-angelic-pitch accompanying background vocal melody and moody-sensational movingly-emotive melancholy undercurrent on “Girls Your Age” the new slow-mo-creative instrumentally-scenic debut track from NY-bred LA-based newcomer four-piece indie-pop band Transviolet; who say the track is about finding a balance between identity expectations and that free-spirited f-u artistic be-yourself vibe that is so important to foster in life (for young women especially). According to Transviolet regarding their vocals-led track, “It’s complicated- coming into your own. Especially for girls. The world wants you to fit a role- be smart OR be sexy OR be modest- they want you to fit into some tidy, little, one-size-fits-all box. The truth is, you are human, and you aren’t meant to be just one thing. You can be innocent, sexy, elegant, dirty, beautiful, and flawed all in the same instance, and you don’t have to let anyone flatten you out into some one dimensional caricature of yourself. Fuck that. You are multidimensional, and you are capable of being everything at once”. Empowering stuff. Transviolet plans to release more material this year so stay tuned! Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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07-17-15

Promised Land Sound – She Takes Me There

promisedlandsound

On their new deeply-rooted psychedelic-guitar-jangly second-EP debut-track “She Takes Me There” Nashville indie band Promised Land Sound dramatically linger amidst some dynamic-instrumentals, stylistically-interesting guitar-chord changes and divine turns of melody. “She Takes Me There” makes a great first-impression sample from the foursome’s psychedelic-expansed “For Use and Delight” EP that is out via Paradise of Bachelors on October 2nd. Curiously the group’s sophomore album features an expanded band which now includes new members from indie rocker groups, The Paperhead and (personal fave) Fly Golden Eagle. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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k-Os – Crucify

kos

It has been a long time since we have featured Toronto MC/singer-songwriter/guitarist K-OS who hit #25 on our top 40 tracks in 2009 list for “I Wish I knew Natalie Portman”. We are happy to be reacquainted to the creative talents of K-OS on his quite phenomenal catchy-hooked hip-hop-scratchy bold-versed Ella-sampling recent release “Crucify” off his forthcoming Can’t Fly Without Gravity LP that is out on August 28th via Dine Alone Records. A+ Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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07-17-15

Sharon Van Etten – Words

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B3 showcased Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten in June for her dark and seductive, superbly melancholic, vocally stunning “I Don’t Want To Let You Down” EP second single “Just Like Blood” (the EP released June 11 on Jagjaguwar). This week the talented noir-vocals-leaning pop songstress released her thoughtfully-poetic trap-beat-loaded stunted-pace track “Words” which is cinematic and emotive enough in its scope to be featured on the new July 17-released Netflix documentary Tig (which is about the rise to fame of stand up comedian Tig Notaro). Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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07-17-15

Mabel – Know Me Better

mabel

Travel down the road of artistic possibility with brand-new London vocal talent and daughter of Neneh Cherry Mabel on her summer-soaked forward-female-vibe pop-inspired career-first-single “Know Me Better” which relishes in some very choice, subtly hot and bothered, sweet n’ romancey lyrics and a catchy and unexpected hook that we think places the singer-songwriter firmly on the new artist map. We hope to know your music better Mabel and look forward to seeing what direction you take to further unveil your artistic style as well as what collaborations come your way. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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07-16-15

Ofelia K – As a Bell

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We dig the tension in the pauses, peppy animated percussion and sparkling acoustic guitar accents of new singer-songwriter down-tempo gem track “As A Bell” from LA-based songstress Ofelia K who also just released (in June) her very good nostalgic sentiment-laced career debut single “White T-Shirt”; both tracks come off Ofelia K’s “Heart” EP which is available August 2015 via South By Sea. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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07-16-15

Andrea – Without You

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B3’s low-key consistently-cool long-time-favorite trap-influenced eclectic-electro producer Andrea (who we recently featured for the infinite heady-atmosphere-laden Vanessa Elisha-featured track “Down”) turns the pace up a notch with his deeply-rooted herculean-bass-line-textured experimental-beat-embellished soundscape called “Without You” which is off the French producer’s “Black Magic” EP that released July 10th via Jakarta Records. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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Roy Wood$ – Drama (Feat. Drake)

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Tune into the classic r&b silly-as-f boyfriend-honesty-awesomeness, slick bass-line and compelling meld of vocals on new Drake joint “Drama” which showcases the immense promise of 19-year-old Brampton (Toronto suburb) vocalist homeboy Roy Wood$ who we recently discussed in regards to Krs’s newest bootleg endeavor “All Of U”; which is a slightly more upbeat percussively-textured bass-heavy take on Wood$’s track “All of You”. As you might recall Roy Wood$ wowed us on his original track with his superbly impassioned MJ Reverbing vocals and we are not surprised to discover how much we enjoy his super-fresh accompanying vocals on “Drama” (to the one and only Drake). Evidently the refreshingly light-hearted r&b-bent track is one of several Drake pet-projects (fellow Canadian) that aired on the debut OVO Sound Radio show on Beats 1 via Apple Music. Stay tuned and be sure to check out Roy Wood$’s upcoming project EXIS which is scheduled to drop sometime in 2015. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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SOCIETY – Protocol

SOCIETY

A really nice dynamic is struck between a beautifully-wandering thoughtfully-understated scratchy-vibed hip-hop essence, Brendan Lynch’s (Primal Scream, Weller, The Rakes) psychedelic leaning instrumental digs and James Girdler’s UK/Coldplay/U2 school-of-thought vocal atmospherics on new track “Protocol”; which is out via Luv Luv Luv Records on August 21st from UK indie-pop/pop-noir duo act Society (who B3 featured in 2013 for their classic UK-wrought meld of soul/r&b/gospel/hip-hop called “14 Hours”). We particularly enjoy the song’s subtle atmospheric reverb and picturesque horn-laced background terrain. Society also just released a very good deep-messaged beat-trippin’ electro-tinged 60’s-psych rock slow-burner called “We All have A Price” last month. Get into it and be sure to earmark Society for their divinely moody, intricately textured brand of broody drama-tinged vintage-leaning UK pop (noir) that we think stands out against a crowded genre of distinctly British sounding indie pop that’s currently permeating the blogosphere. Well done! Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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07-16-15

Zola Blood – Play Out

zolablood

London foursome Zola Blood perfect a wonderful mixture of vocal vulnerability and beautifully-spun calm-and-collected brightly-laced indie rock-leaning subtle electronic instrumentals on the group’s amazing new track “Play Out” which we are specifically drawn to for its gorgeous beats, slowly escalating synth-line and warmly reassuring friends-for-life lyrical sensibilities. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

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07-16-15

Giraffage & Viceroy – Impression of You (Feat. Patrick Baker)

giraffageviceroy

Get into the mesmerizing mood and bold-audacious synth lines on new-release “Impression of You” a sarcastic sweetly-lovelorn vocals-driven electro-pop ballad track which features a perfect blend of slow-building emotional-bent instrumental atmospherics beautifully punctuated by snares and dance-y vibed wicked-effect high-hat drum action (that we totally dig). “Impression of You” is a collaboration between B3 artist-fave San Francisco native Giraffage and B3-featured master-of-summery textures and fabricator of up-beat vibes, producer Viceroy. The duo go all out with subtlety and class on their inventive new video of the catchy mid-summery single. Their awesome perspective and emblematic humorous-angle in the video is best introduced (without ruining its artistic element of surprise) as the perfect single-guy visual iteration of how seductive and sexed up the track feels emotionally with its synth-y schmooze, deeply-grounding bass-line and sultry vocal charms of top-notch East Coast vocalist Patrick Baker (who hit B3’s Best of 2013: Readers’ Top 50 Most Popular Artists list at #27 for his soulfully-effervescent track “This Love (Higher)”. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

Giraffage (Facebook)

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07-16-15