TULA - ANOTHER KIND OF RED

I stumbled across this record perusing soundcloud and instantly fell in love. I did a little research and I knew Tula is a group BB listeners need to hear. "Another Kind Of Red" starts with sporadic plucks meandering around sparse rhythm while her voice is so smoothly layered above. The chorus hits and you instantly understand why I'm bringing this to your ears. This crossover pop meets indie record showcases excellent songwriting laced with A+ production. Listening back to their other two records "River" and a cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" I'm happy to say this is the real deal, better hop on board the bandwagon now.

STEPHEN - YOUR LIFE + NEW LP 'SINCERELY'

Stephen's quick rise to prominence has been absolutely incredible to witness. Record after record he's sculpted wildly enjoyable, thought provoking, genre defying, emotionally charged music that has, to say the very least, impressed. I've been waiting for his 'Sincerely' LP to arrive and now that it has, we can look back and enjoy what has occurred and appreciate the groundbreaking tenacity of this young artist.

As a constant purveyor of electronic music, sound design is often the focal point of my discerning ears: the way in which sounds and oscillators are combined with filters and matrixes to construct musical notes unlike anything in current existence. It is this movement of scientific musical advancement that keeps me intrigued and addicted to music discovery. While Stephen has developed a sound design uniquely his own, he has also married it to blues guitar, and piano breathing new life into a relationship that for some new listeners has become seemingly antiquated.

However the ingenuity doesn't just stop there, lyrics make music relatable, singable and above all emotional. In a day and age where many pop lyrics are simple placeholders for notes or rhythms, it is easy to forget about the powerful impact thought provoking lyricism can provide. Lyrics and societal frustrations have always been interwoven, which is why music has continued to be such a beautiful catharsis. It's 'Sincerely' refreshing to see all of this come together in such a robust way.

According to Stephen,

"My album is a story of triumph, of letting go of all the uncertainty in my head and learning to walk the path of my own heart. Sincerely's about realizing how much better this world would be if we all loved ourselves, if we weren’t afraid of being vulnerable and honest. It doesn’t matter who’s president or what technology we invent or what extremists we destroy, the only thing I know is this:

"There will never be peace if we do not all love ourselves."

"And so I believe my generation needs a revolution. We don’t love ourselves. We are trapped in our heads because we were told to figure it all out and in our failed attempts we stopped having fun. We abandoned everything we loved doing because we thought it was slowing us down. We thought growing up was the process of holding on instead of letting go, and now we’re all collapsing under the weight. We don’t know what to do anymore."

"But we can do so much. We can change the world. We have to stop complying to the doubts in our heads and start following our hearts. We have to stop judging each other and start accepting ourselves. We have to stop living selfishly and start giving back. We have to have the courage to take a chance. My generation has all the power if we work together. This is my invitation to the ones who love."

Stephen's album is a perfect realization of where I thought music of the 2010's would be heading, but yet hadn't quite eclipsed. Music artfully crafted using the old with the new. Skillfully articulated and performed with such prowess that I see this album as a exciting roadmap of what lies ahead. Many have pointed out that much of a decade's defining music comes from the latter 5 years and with 'Sincerely,' the music of the 20teens takes flight. 

Listen to the entire album courtesy of Halfway House here.

JORDAN RAKEI - TALK TO ME

I love discovering tracks like this. We cover a lot of electronic music at BB, but first and foremost we strive to cover good music, and damn we have a golden beam of musical bliss right here from Jordan Rakei. If you're not familiar with him yet you might know him from his work with Disclosure on "Masterpiece." Where do I start, the beginning is somewhat simplistic with ambient textures of jazz piano puffing billows of sound around the enthusiastic percussion and droning bass. As Jordan's mellifluous vocals persuade us into his world of "fake reality" we are moved, turned and coaxed along this musical journey. The end comes far too quickly with an african sounding vocal hook at the end with crescendos of harmony that leave you feeling chills. I saw a debut album is coming June 3rd? Well I definitely can't wait. 

JUNIOR PROM - STAND!

Feel good tune time! Brooklyn's Junior Prom has delivered a fantastic get up and jump around dance pop record that strikes a wonderful balance between indie rock, alternative and dance. Showcasing their ability to give us earworm hook after hook, this radio friendly record has instant like-ability from the second you hit play. Starting with a synth line and a deep kick, we're quickly moved into the jovial guitars and melodies that sweep us through the song finishing with an "ah ee yay" chorus that's soo infectious. I'm totally on board lets "Stand!" Nab this on iTunes here.