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Track Reviews

Paul Conrad – Heresy Baby

PaulConradThanksForNothing-CreditCamTaylor2_zps8deed41c

The beautiful & refreshing “Heresy Baby” is new from Australian songsmith Paul Conrad. While certainly influenced melodically and in the instrumental track by 90’s alternative and indie music, “Heresy Baby” still sounds real and modern; it doesn’t sound like a pastiche or painfully muddled in influence gazing. Loaded with seemingly limitless feel and emotive quality, getting swept up in the track’s anthemic choruses and breaks is only avoidable by the most extreme cold of heart.

Paul Conradaustralia (Facebook) (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
10-04-13

RAC – Let Go (ft. Kele & MNDR) (Robert Delong Remix)

delong let go RAC

Undefeated champ of new wave tech house Robert Delong mixes up something very special with the neon plastic glow of his “Let Go” remix. “Let Go” is the lead single from the great RAC’s upcoming debut “Don’t Talk To” EP.

Robert DeLong (Facebook)

reviewed by
10-04-13

Misun – Promise Me (The Hood Internet Remix)

misun hood internet

The mighty Misun get an assist from Chicago remix collective The Hood Internet on “Promise Me”. Sonically somewhere between a Super Mario Brothers underwater level (see Mario swim) and a Caribbean cruise leisure deck, THI have us diddy bopping w/ a fire flower in our hand. Watch out for the fireball.

The Hood Internet (Twitter)

Rating 8.4

reviewed by
10-03-13

Mapei – Don’t Wait

meipi

Downtown Records artist Mapei returns with the release of the inventive R&B-leaning pop of “Don’t Wait”. On the song, a complex rhythm track (incl. kicks, finger snaps, & some sort of synth’d up drum that sounds like it was recorded inside a dungeon) frames up Mapei’s breezy but effective vocal. We’re into it.

Mapei sweden (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
10-03-13

Charlotte OC – Colour My Heart

Charlotte OC

Manchester-based Charlotte OC calls her music as “spooky gospel” which if you know B3 you know that is a description that is straight up our street. Let the darkly soulful Tim Anderson-produced (Solange, Sia) “Colour My Heart” be your introduction to Ms. OC’s very cool sound.

Charlotte OC england (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

reviewed by
10-03-13

PAPA – If The Moon Rises

Tender Madness PAPA

Maybe our favorite band period right now, PAPA let loose another winner with the wonderfully soulful call to arms (singer Darren Weiss said of the track, ” [it’s] a call for young people to get away from the b.s”), “If The Moon Rises” from the band’s much anticipated around B3 debut LP Tenderness. Get it while it’s awesome.

PAPA california (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

reviewed by
10-02-13

The Grand Affair – Work Week

grand affair

We dig the minimalist hip hop-influenced pop of new NYC duo The Grand Affair. The piano/beat-based track “Work Week” is maybe simple in its lack of complication but is special for its melody-works-so-keenly-in-the-beat mechanisms and the spaces where the tune does become more complex ie: those piano scale runs in the verse and those space lazer synth embellishments that help add tension. Sample “Work Week” below.

The Grand Affair newyork (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
10-02-13

Premiere: Troumaca – The Grace (Kyodai Remix)

Troumaca 02 - credit Christina Kernohan

We are very pleased to present the premiere of the Kyodai remix of “The Grace” by Birmingham UK-based Troumaca. From their upcoming “The Grace” single due November 4th on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. The Berlin-residing brother duo Kyodai outfit “The Grace” with a rumbling march-leaning beat juxtaposed with more relaxed worldly synth and piano atmospheres and adeptly manage the mix’s dynamic tension & ebbs with a cinematically-informed temperament.

Troumaca england (Facebook) (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.0

brown8

reviewed by
10-02-13

Louis M^ttrs – War With Heaven (Catching Flies Remix)

louis matters

Hot off the remix press, favorite of the site Catching Flies flips “War With Heaven” from Brighton UK artist Louis M^ttrs into a syrupy late night post-garage cooler.

Catching Flies (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
10-02-13

IAMNOBODI – Heaven’s Gate

iamnobodi

The great Soulection releases today Elevated, the debut LP from German-based rising soul bass producer IAMNOBODI. Our pick from the excellent 10 song set is the vibed down, champagne on the twilight terrace sounds of “Heaven’s Gate”. Give IAMNOBODI your ears below.

IAMNOBODI (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.10

brown8

reviewed by
10-01-13

The Landing – Strange Charm

the landing

We’re in love with the gorgeous tunesmithing of “Strange Charm” from New York band The Landing. Spacey w/ out being distant, withdrawn, or kitch; lovely w/ out being precious or twee “Strange Charm” is that perfect sort of piano-driven space-pop ballad that all the best & ambitious writers on both sides of the Atlantic aspire to write. A+.

The Landing newyork (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
09-30-13

//Fractures – Cadence

fractures cadence

Melbourne-based Fractures a/k/a multi-instrumentalist (and once owner of an actual fractured neck – our man injured himself last fall but is now 100% recovered) Marc Zito announces new single “Cadence”. Excerpted from a forthcoming EP due early next year, “Cadence” succeeds in many categories but is particularly special for its simple, beautiful, plaintive vocal melodies. Very well done.

//Fracturesaustralia (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.7

brown8

reviewed by
09-30-13