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Track Reviews

Context – Small Town Lad Sentiments (Mike Skinner Remix)

context skinner remix copy

“This is Mike Skinner, you got an garage?” Mike Skinner co-signs on Context’s brilliant “Small Town Lad Sentiments” with this classic-Streets-sounding flip. We can’t seem to get enough of this 2-step vibed, garage jam from the Midlands rapper , and it’s cool we’re not the only ones (Hi Mike Skinner!). Peep this rip of the Skinner Remix courtesy of a recent Mistajam BBC 1 Radio set.

Context england (Facebook)

Rating 8.5
brown8

reviewed by
07-10-13

Cavell – Supernova

cavell

Who doesn’t wanna have a go at people that think their ‘being bigger than the world’? Newcomer and Auckland-native Cavell slick R&B vocal chops and vibrant chiller beats breathe life into that story and more in “Supernova”. Song is dope. Have a sample at the track and new video for “Supernova” below.

Cavell newzealand (iTUnes) (Twitter)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-10-13

ScienZe – The Date (Feat. LeXuS) (prod. Lord Quest)

scienze

“The Date” is excerpted here from Brooklyn rapper ScienZe’s just released Ella LP. Featuring A+ production from the likes of Ski Beatz, Blu & Lord Quest (who’s featured here on “The Date”), we’re on about the more laid back easy to love “The Date” which plays out with ScienZe recalling on a particularly fly romantic interlude. You can stream Ella in its entirety on bandcamp.

Scienze (Official/a>)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-09-13

Alex Hepburn – Woman’s World (Neneh Cherry Cover)

alex hepburn

Already a success in France (Her Together Alone LP went to #1 there), the vocal power that is Alex Hepburn gears up to release her first single in the UK, the b3sci rec’d “Pain Is”. To mark that single release, Ms. Hepburn lets loose a stunning vocally-leaves-it-all-out-there cover of Neneh Cherry’s mid 90’s track “Woman”.

Alex Hepburn (Facebook)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-09-13

Laura Welsh – Cold Front (CFCF Remix)

laura_welsh_cold-front

Montreal DJ/producer takes an uncharacteristically summertime on the yacht approach to Laura Welsh’s glorious “Cold Front”. Although a bit of a departure sonically for CFCF (major keys, non-obtuseness in the arrangement) we’re most definitely digging the mix. Get a bit of Mediterranean summer in yr headphones below.

CFCF (Facebook)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
07-09-13

Premiere: Brotherun – The Dissonance Between Us

brotherun

Nashville via Arizona duo Brotherun (the pair are actual real life brothers) release new single “The Dissonance Between Us”. Previewed from Brotherun’s debut s/t EP due later this summer, the dark pop of “The Dissonance Between Us” marks a maturation for the Tillery Brothers as writers and arrangers. Neat and inventive bits of layering in the rhythm tracks and in the song’s flourishes of synth do well to complement the pacing and phrasing of “Dissonance”s excellent swath of emotively precise melodies. Check the b3 premiere of Brotherun’s “The Dissonance Between Us” below.

Brotherun (Official)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-09-13

Rihanna – If It’s Lovin’ That You Want (Blackedout Remix)

blackedout rihanna

Back at it again, Blackedout casts a mesmerizing spell on Ri Ri’s 2005 single “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want”. Seriously, I am taken aback by the production of each of the tracks that Blackedout has put on showcase. The young producer has really taken the blog scene by suprise and I am just glad we caught on early. By Brian Litwin

Blackedout (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
07-09-13

F.U.R.S. – Just Kids

FURS Just Kids

UK trio F.U.R.S. release second single “Just Kids”. The track (& band), another great find for Loose Lips Records (Chad Valley, Mausi, Night Works), tick all the anthemic UK indie rock boxes (rather amazingly actually) incredibly accurately & well. Every bit of the modern rock song formula is represented here and executed quite flawlessly; a huge singable chorus, a rumbling hooky bass & drums, a neatly melodic but still neatly lo-fi vocal, etc.

F.U.R.S. england (Official)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13

PAPA – Young Rut

PAPA

PAPA continue their crushing of the indie rock and roll game on the reg w/ latest track “Young Rut”. Previewed from the band’s debut LP due in the Fall, “Young Rut” is an excellent further realization of the PAPA sound; soulful rock tinged with enough “modernness” and “relevance” to make accessible good feeling music to even the coldest of cold indie music critics & dudes.

PAPA california (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

reviewed by
07-08-13

Body Language – Well Absolutely

body language

Yesssss. Body Language make their much-awaited return to B3SCI with the summer in the city bounce of “Well Absolutely”. The first single from BL’s upcoming Grammar LP due out in September, “Well Absolutely” is floor to frame loaded with hooks; hook after hook after hook (It’s like aw shit, that verse was great, and damn @ that prechorus, and then the chorus pushes the track into some previously unrealised 6th or 7th gear or something and then forget it, it’s all toe taps and hip shakes from there on out.) Get into “Well Absolutely” now before everybody on yr block is bumping out their boombox below.

Body Language (Facebook(/a>)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13

Propain – Got a Problem (Feat. Kirko Bangz & Slim Thug)

propain

Houston. H-Town. Baghdad on the Bayou. H-Town riser Propain grabs a rising Houston star (Kirko Bangz) and a Houston capofamiglia (Slim Thug) for the easy ride-out leaner “Got a Problem”. Styrofoam cups up. Ridin’ Slab is out today.

Propain texas (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13

Matt Corby – Brother (Kygo Remix)

kygo remix

Norwegian producer Kygo gives Australian star songwriter Matt Corby’s “Brother” track a high drama makeover that is as equal parts Mysterium Prefatory Action as it is Peter Gabriel.

Kygo norway (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13