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Track Reviews

Antony & Cleopatra – Take Me (Pat Lok’s “Yukon Funk” Mix)

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Vancouver DJ wiz-kid and producer Pat Lok (who excels at remixing new fresh-release tracks from A to B) captures our attention again with his fabulously funky, energetic new “Yukon Funk” dance edit of “Take Me” the tropical-vibe Anthony and Cleopatra new release out on Vitalic Noise. We’re impressed again by Lok’s rising-style producer skills on “Take Me” which Lok cleverly infuses with reverberations of his previous track, the brilliantly topped-out instrumental-heavy ‘Yukon Soul’ edit of Boxed In track “Mystery” that we recently covered here on the B3 blog. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

You will currently find Pat Lok on the last dates of his West Coast tour:

7/2 – Calgary, AB @ Stampede
7/22 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
7/25 – San Francisco, CA

Pat Lok canada (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-23-15

AZEKEL – Sold My Love

azekelsoldmylove

East London singer-beatmaker AZEKEL, a B3 featured artist who we adored for his EP debut-release of syncopated track “Mad About The Boy”, turns in “Sold My Love” which is AZEKEL’s second single from his upcoming “Raw Vol. 1” EP that is out via Thunderlightning Recordings on July 12th. AZEKEL, who sports an impressive mixture of his own amazing impassioned vocals, supporting instrumental melodies and a captivating reverse-beat exit on “Sold My Love”, is up there with our new favorite UK R&B/soul tinged emerging artists in 2015. If you’re blessed enough to be at Glastonbury this week be sure to catch Azekel’s debut live performance on the BBC introductory stage Friday the 26th. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

Azekel england (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-23-15

COMPNY – Gently Let You Down

compny

South London band COMPNY reveal latest track “Gently Let You Down”. Produced by UK indie hitmaker and all-time great name Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, Peace),
“Gently Let You Down” fixes a sharp summery atmosphere about kinetic polyrhythms and a subtle but infinitely catchy vocal hook “sometimes we’re out of love (or luck)…”.

COMPNY england (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-23-15

Janet Jackson – No Sleep

janetnosleep

Ms. Jackson is back with “No Sleep” her first proper single in several years. Firstly, we have to grant Janet her respect due here for attempting (very well) at this mature point of her career to still put out relevant music while still being arty and tasteful in doing it (Hi Madonna!). “No Sleep” sits atop at a Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness” style neat instrumental bed and Janet’s breathy coos; that and Jackson’s managing of the cool Latin vocab phrase “fait accompli” into a pop song hook. Listen.

Janet Jackson (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-23-15

Slime – Hot Dog

slime

Newcastle-born Will Archer a/k/a Slime is readying his debut LP Company for Domino imprint Weird World. New stream “Hot Dog” which despite it’s frankfurter-inspired title is a neatly-constructed bit of hazy and bare R&B set to easy beats, lilting horn samples and Archer’s cool falsetto. Sample “Hot Dog” below and look for Company on August 14.

Slime (Official)

reviewed by
06-22-15

Krs – All of U (Feat. Roy Woods)

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B3 just covered Toronto producer and Noir Sound (Film Noir) founder Krs. for his joint-effort acoustic-leaning fix of D.R.A.M track “Cha Cha” (feat. Tierra Wilson) that he created with Texas producer pal Romby. We love the endearing, artfully-inspired minimalist style and long-view creative vision gift of Krs. who is rapidly becoming well-accomplished in making bootleg remixes and introducing the world to some incredibly promising vocal acts. Krs. impresses again on his newest bootleg endeavor “All Of U” which is a slightly more upbeat percussively-textured bass-heavy take on talented 19-year-old Brampton (Toronto suburb) vocalist homeboy Roy Wood$; who’s track “All of You” features his own very attractive, superbly impassioned MJ-reverbing vocal talents that have indeed captivated us. Stay tuned and be sure to check out Roy Wood$’s upcoming project EXIS which is scheduled to drop sometime in 2015 and follow Krs./Film Noir for some lavishly modern minimalist cross-genre R&B/Hip-Hop roots hybrid electro-tinged tracks. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

Krs. (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-22-15

Jaill – Getaway

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Milwaukee psych-rock guitar-pop stylish-weirdos Jaill, who have been on the quiet for several years now since a slew of releases on Sub Pop, swagger in and premiere their brief and classically-harried jangly-guitar-driven pop-catchy dry-wit charmer “Getaway” which is off the indie veteran trio’s upcoming fourth studio album, Brain Cream that is out via Burger Records on June 30th. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

Cop a peep at the Brain Cream Tracklist below and try to catch the band live on their short and sweet Northeastern US tour.
Brain Cream Tracklist

01. Just A Lovely Day
02. Getaway
03. Got An F
04. Slides and Slips
05. Symptoms
06. Change Reaction
07. Picking My Bones
08. Little Messages
09. Draggin’
10. Pointy Fingers
11. Chocolate Poison Time
12. Look At You
13. Sweet Tooth Lovers *
* = bonus track
Jaill 2015 Tour Dates

07/09 – Indianapolis, IN @ Joyful Noise
07/11 – Columbus, OH @ 4th and 4th Fest
07/12 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
07/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
07/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium
07/16 – Cambridge, MA @ Lilypad

Jaill (Facebook)

reviewed by
06-22-15

Luca – Best On (Feat. Tei Shi)

luca

We are happy to introduce the freshly-minted collaboration “Best On” from two of our favorite NYC emerging-talent artists, LUCA (aka producer Luca Buccellati who is one half of Brooklyn-raised producer duo Yellerkin) and Brooklyn-based Argentinian gal-pal producer-songstress Tei Shi who has garnered our attentions many times on the blog with her world-class vocal prowess and fresh minimalist production/collaboration style. In November B3 covered the two’s previous diverse-genre joint-collaboration track (created along with Dave Bayley of Glass Animals) called “See Me” which was Tei Shi’s much anticipated follow-up track to her 2014 gem hit “Bassically” that hit #1 on Hypem and also helped land her slot #11 on our year-end list of B3SCI Best of 2014: Artists to Watch in 2015. New track “Best On” in which Tei Shi contributes the vocal/lyrical complement to LUCA’s production know-how and seductive beats, is producer Luca Buccellati’s ingenious lavishly-spun means to announce the launch of his solo side-project as LUCA. Well played! With its poppy intrinsically-wound minimalist instrumentals and Tei Shi’s signature dreamy ultra-feminine soulfully-artistic R&B-tinged vocal harmonies and stunning lyrical wiles, the incredible impeccably-produced debut track “Best On” showcases not only a terrific start to LUCA’s repackaged-as-solo-sound but it witnesses Tei Shi’s upper-echelon caliber talent gracefully unfolding into a new slightly-softer and poppy, tempered-edge more-confident drop-dead gorgeous sound. We are psyched to say that Tei Shi, with the assistance of LUCA (who stated that he enjoys collaborating with other artists and helping them fine-tune their sound) has embodied a new catchy appeal and level of emotion with her vocals on par with “Bassically”. “Best On” which is about “putting your best on” for someone special is out via LUCA’s own label Garden Party Records. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

Luca newyork (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-22-15

Astronauts, Etc. – Eye to Eye

astronautsetc3

Astronauts, Etc. wow us again with soulful new indie pop track “Eye To Eye”. Warm rhodes, hi-hat sync-d rhythms, and singer Anthony Ferraro’s excellent melodic choices frame “Eye To Eye”‘s potency. A+++

Astronauts, Etc. california (Facebook)

reviewed by
06-19-15

King B – Blind

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Indigo Future is the PNW-focused (Pacific North Wilderness) artist collaborative/label that currently features the work of many local-area artists and bands, including Spokane trio WILD PACIFIC, whose guitarist Daniel Riley unveiled his dreamy-vibe solo project debut track “Security” in 2014 as his new act King B (also rep’ed by Indigo). Ryley just released the first single since the launch of his solo debut called ” Blind” which is a fresh vista into his developing solo artistic potential as King B. New track “Blind” has the listener wrapped up in a soulfully-melodic chilwave vibe that sports King B’s superbly calm and decadent experimental instrumental style that meshes perfectly with the depth of honesty that we feel in the slightly-hazy at-times-woeful expression vocals (which with the dramatic accent of the synth sometimes borders on the sound of a beautifully expansive cry). Reviewed by Erin Shay.

King B (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-19-15

Seapony – Let Go

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We’re totally into the fresh synthy surf pop effervescence and hazy shoegaze vibrations of Seattle-based hybrid band Seapony who we recently pointed out again on the blog (after multiple past features) for their very good third album debut track “Saw the Light” off the Northwestern quartet’s new rapidly approaching album that is out on July 31st. The group’s newest track “Let Go” is a perfectly blissed-out guitar pop jam that is the second single to release off their upcoming album, A Vision; which apparently encompasses Seapony’s newfangled penchant for live drumming. Curiously the drums on the album were recorded at legendary producer Jack Endino’s Soundhouse Studio. Its interesting to note that Seapony began with a drum machine and the creative vision of the two original band members, Vocalist Jen Weidl and guitarist Danny Rowland, who worked together before moving to Seattle in 2010 and teaming up with bassist Ian Brewer. The upbeat-vibe Seapony who are back from a two year hiatus with the recent addition of a drummer (fourth band member Aaron Voros) and an increasingly greater degree of live gigs under their belt as a complete group, is quickly adapting into their totally-fresh new more-acoustic-leaning instrumental style that is celebrated on the album. On new track “Let Go” Seapony excels at beautifully intermingling the aforementioned natural percussive elements with a classic surf-pop-infused vocal melody and subtly-explosive matted down indie guitar riffs. We dig it. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

Seapony (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
06-19-15

Little Boots – No Pressure

littleboots

English electropop singer​-songw​riter trendsetter, Little Boots, who is well known for her boldly triumphant mainstream poppy appeal, adopts a modern future-bass-fringed sound on her new hook-laden synth-heavy dance-sensible beat-driven single “No Pressure” which is the third track to release off Little Boots’ upcoming “Working Girl” EP that is Out July 10th via On Repeat and Dim Mak. Reviewed by Erin Shay.

Be sure to check out LittleBoots on her cross-Atlantic Working Girl tour in July.

– 7th July: Oslo Hackney, London, UK
– 15th July: The Echo, LA
– 16th July: Constellation Room, CA
– 17th July: Popscene, LA
– 22nd July: Studio Paris, IL (DJ Set)
– 23rd July: Bowery Ballroom, NY
– 24th July: Great Scott, MA
– 25th July: U Street Music Hall, DC

reviewed by
06-19-15