This is my first time hearing of CALEBORATE, however it won’t be the last. He links up with one of my favorites G-Eazy for “Want it All”. The flow varies throughout the song, which displays CALEBORATE’s versatility. The beat is a blend of echo vocals and an interesting mix of varying looped sounds. CALEBORATE dropped a solid project a couple months ago called Hella Good, listen to it. Reviewed by Jake Goldstein.
CALEBORATE (Soundcloud)
We’re amazed by the awesomely-capricious synthy-funky groovy-guitar-touched sentiments and sweetly-luminous vocals-led melody of “Kemosabe” the superbly-catchy and poetic new one from B3-favorite LA-based producer/artist Noah McBeth, also known affectionately as NoMBe (an artist who is a shoe in for our year-end best-of lists for his uniquely drawing songwriting, lovely plaintive vocals and/or for his heavily remixed breakout-dynamo hit “California Girls”). Reviewed by Erin Shay.
NoMBe 
(Soundcloud)
We wholeheartedly recommend London artist/producer ZULU (Girls Music/Zoo Music/Enchufada) for his deeply phenomenal twist on recent track “Wet” by London-based Berliner and Squareglass label owner Robin Paul Braum, a.k.a. Ballerino. ZULU (a new artist to the pages of B3) has kept himself largely on the down-low since the release of his Clash magazine-premiered remix of Junk Son track “Eyes Shut” (very good). We’re fully vibing ZULU’s metallic-drum-studded take on “Wet” which has an incredibly-fetching awesome meld of sublimely-sensuous dance-centered synth-dominated deep-house accents. We think the remix is quite a stunning jumpstart to Ballerino’s more poppy-synthy catchy-accessible mellow-dance-driven 80’s-vibes (which we also really dig). The B3 crew is absolutely tuned in and loving your sound ZULU. Great mix! Reviewed by Erin Shay.
ZULU (Soundcloud)
Logic just released his third single off of sophomore album The Incredible True Story titled “Fade Away”. Logic might have the best flow in hip-hop right now and “Fade Away” displays it; as the dynamic MD rapper can speed it up for a few seconds, then slow it down to emphasize a potent lyric or take on multiple personas/narrative perspectives in a track as shown off in “Fade Away”‘s multi-faceted bars. Reviewed by Jake Goldstein.
Logic (Official)
New York trio Mainland catch a bit of pop-infused remix muscle from pals Fake Guns on new mix for “Outcast”. Equipping the track with a touch more spare rhythm-centric core, FG’s mix brings out from the original’s tune some neat and unexpected melodic turns. Mainland’s Jordan Topf had a similar vibe on the remix saying, “We love this remix from our good friends, Fake Guns. They really brought a whole pop electro element to the song that we’d never imagined. So many remixes totally change the original song, but this one took the original body and changed it’s outfit, or at the least have it a new hairstyle.” Spin the B3 Premiere of Fake Guns’ remix of Mainland’s “Outcast” below. Enjoy!
Mainland (Soundcloud)
Powerhouses RAC and Big Data kicked off their joint “Going Our Own Way Tour” in Detroit on Sunday and to mark the tour’s start are releasing a 2-track cover exchange EP called “Fair Trade”. On the RAC side, the Portland producer connects with vocalist Pink Feathers for a new take on Big Data’s Alternative #1 “Dangerous” adding Garbage-inspired tinges of 90’s and trip-hop; bands and a sound he “grew up….so I have a lot of affinity for that era.”
For Big Data’s part, RAC’s “Let Go” is spun in a minor key around a cool brusque bass-line. Big Data said in developing the “Let Go” cover, “I really tried to approach it from the melody, first. I sang the melody in my head over and over, and just tried to go with my first instincts as far as how to arrange it. I was trying to imagine the song in a minor key, and then the bassline jumped out at me. As I started to develop the arrangement, I wanted to give the song a bit more of a dusty-sounding feel with my mix. Andre’s original version of the song is mixed so phenomenally and the sounds are so punchy and clear, so I thought it would be a cool contrast to hear it that way. I brought in Lizy Ryan from my live band to sing it with me as a duet.”
The “Fair Trade” EP is out tomorrow on iTunes. We’re very pleased to B3 Premiere both tracks below. Enjoy!
Nov 06 Webster Hall New York, NY
Nov 08 Warsaw New York, NY
Nov 09 Union Transfer Philadelphia, PA
Nov 10 9:30 Club Washington, DC
Nov 12 Mill City Nights Minneapolis, MN
Nov 13 Concord Music Hall Chicago, IL
Nov 14 Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
Nov 15 Granada Theater Dallas, TX
Nov 16 Emo’s Austin, TX
Nov 18 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
Nov 20 Club Nokia Los Angeles, CA
Nov 22 The Observatory North Park
Nov 24 Showbox SODO Seattle, WA
Nov 25 Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
Nov 26 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC (RAC ONLY — w/ Karl Kling & filous) *LIVE SET*
Big Data (Soundcloud)
RAC (Soundcloud)
ROCH streams today second track online “Kintsugi” (following-up very good “Closer”). About the track, ROCH says she was “listening to a lot of early Grace Slick when I wrote ‘Kintsugi’ which was a major influence”; which we can hear in the coolly chant-styled hymnal-quality melody and vocal. And that the narrative of the track follows “feeling estranged from where you are or who you are, and that sense you have when finding yourself in unfamiliar situations and having to make conscious decisions to arrive at that certain point without knowing how you got there, (“are we altogether lovingly out of place”). We dig the juxtaposition of instrumental/aesthetic style (the warmth of the vocal lines) with the lyrical account of dislocation. It’s a potent conceptual blend.
ROCH (Soundcloud)
In the blog biz, those instances where a track/artist completely stop you in a moment and cause you to pause right there and just listen are really really special. “Vacant Grace” by UK newcomer George Cosby was one of those moments for us. “Vacant Grace” is stunning song and a powerful listen. Listen.
George Cosby (Soundcloud)
Manchester band Spring King deliver a jolting return on “Who Are You?”. From the jump, “Who Are You” is all go/all energy as a disto wall of guitar propels the track in a kugelblitz-esque fashion. The hook is quite strong and memorable too as evidenced by my tapping involuntary tapping of my keyboard to the chant-y bit “WHO ARE YOU?!”. Excellent track.
Spring King (Soundcloud)
Were taken with quiet-thriller “Place of Peace” an exquisitely-composed jazz-tinged experimental-beats-punctuated wonder from young L.A. MelodySoul beatmaker TheeReal in joint collaboration between B3-covered French producer CYGN. “Place of Peace” comes off of CYGN’s BLVNT Records rep’d The Gold Tape. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
TheeReal (Soundcloud)
Alaskan-bred Oregonite Electric Mantis soothes our romantic sentiments with a dreamy-whispery amazing-sublime bellowing-synth-fixed jam named “The One” which is nicely layered with a quintessential-Mantis melange of sparkling vibe-y beats, lovely-simplistic atmospheric vocals and vibrant wash of melodic piano-laced instrumentals. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Electric Mantis (Soundcloud)
Immerse your senses in the warm and vivacious XLR8R-premiered dynamo called “Coco” which relishes in a beautiful meld of cheerfully-glum piano-led instrumental elements and an amazing (sweet n’ romance-y) vintage-dance-vibe cinematic-scope which we dig immensely. “Coco” comes off the four-track “Places of Colour” EP from Japanese producer Takuya Matsumoto that is out now on FINA Records. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Takuya Matsumoto (Soundcloud)
