DANA AND THE WOLF - GOT ME POLY

“I come from the luck of the draw," Dana Hobson sirens as the introductory hook and anthemic bridge of “Got Me Poly”, the first single of 2018 from peculiar new self-described “raw theater” duo Dana and the Wolf.

In December they gave us the cinematic and dark “Him” which created controversy as “not a Christian rock” song with artwork featuring a cross and lyrics that read as a burning commentary on religion. It charted on several Spotify Viral charts however, deservedly so in this writer’s opinion, with its forward-thinking production and innovative vocal arrangement.

Back at it with a new single to kick off their 2018, Dana and the Wolf have dropped “Got Me Poly”, and I’m cosigning this hard. A song about polyamory, it’s almost like this record was designed to induce anxiety in the listener. There’s even percussion that sounds like a heartbeat in the intro. Add on top lyrics like “turns out that love can’t be conquered and isn’t what you thought / 'forever' just another bubble stuck inside your throat” in a rap-sung mumble from Hobson, other bits of preachy wisdom from Daniel “the Wolf” (if you listen closely) and a chugging bridge that’s somewhere between The Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and Major Lazer, and this duo has crafted a piece of music that truly stands out amongst most of even the “alt pop” of today. Keep your eyes on Dana and the Wolf.

DANA AND THE WOLF - HIM

I'm excited to share this one for you this weekend. You could say it isn't our usual BB fare. "We are not a Christian Rock Band," epic dark pop duo Dana and the Wolf cry on their social media. After releasing clips of the overly-charismatic 1950's preacher Billy Graham juxtaposed with the dark instrumental from their new song, "Him," the LA based duo apparently received several DM's asking if they'd turned religious. 

But a close listen to their new song reveals that vocalist Dana Hobson and producer Daniel Wolf are anything but religious. "I gave it a go / gave it a roll / you don't approve of what I'm gonna do / be someone new," sings Hobson in an Amy Winehouse torching-manner.  Is she singing to a man, or the ultimate "Him" up above?

"Him" the track is an exciting and refreshing take on modern pop music, with elements of theater, hip hop, future bass, trap, it's a cinematic banger soundtracking this couple's life. There's word that more releases are in the pipeline very soon from DATW. I'm excited to say the least.

MAZDE - NEVERLAND (MEMBA & ARK PATROL REMIXES)

Electronic music is often portrayed as its own, stand-alone genre- specific to a certain crowd, following specific chord progressions and melodies. But, in recent years electronic production has influenced genres as niche as garage rock and heavy metal. Simply put, electronic music is changing the way the world listens to, and composes music. Stoney Roads Records' artist, Mazde confirmed this theory with the release of his single, "Neverland." The single was a collaborative track with Rhode Island rapper, Khary, combining two, seemingly different worlds, EDM and rap. As Mazde continues his European summer tour, he is rekindling his relationship with the 9 month old track by passing it on to two other producers for remixing. NYC duo, MEMBA and Seattle based, Ark Patrol stepped up to add their own, unique third dimension to "Neverland." MEMBA's treatment is self proclaimed as "cheeky." The twosome added a bangin' trap vibe, overflowing with pleasantly nasty turns and drops—it is dynamically hype. While MEMBA turned it into a slam dunk piece, Ark Patrol layered "Neverland" with a slower, deeper and darker resonance, putting emphasis on the conscious nature of its lyricism. It's safe to say that Mazde passed the torch to the proper artists for capitalization. Each remix possesses a distinctly different spirit, giving the original release the complimentary elements it deserves. Explore these polar yet plentiful remixes via Soundcloud, and keep your eyes peeled for a very special Mazde Buzzzmix coming soon. 

Mazde European Tour Dates:
03 JUN - Young & Tuneful, Germany
18 JUN - Aperitivo al Verde, Italy
07 JUL - Neversea Festival Constanta, Romania
29 JUL - MOX, Cluj Napoca, Romania
03 AUG - Untold Festival, Romania
04 AUG - Sounds Of The Forest, Germany
01 SEP - Awake Festival Targu Mures, Romania

XYLØ - DEAD END LOVE

Happy hump day! I'm gonna start things off with this awesome new single from XYLØ. The Duddy's are simply getting it done giving us some really great radio friendly tunes, and "Dead End Love" is no exception. The track has a mysterious, but pensive angle to it like much of their other songs. The darker lyricism teams up with the solemn soundscape of the instrumental creating a terrifically moody tune, "If we drive right off a cliff, we can live dead end love forever," Paige sings casting a shadow over the tune. However there's enough ear candy in her melodies, and the vox chop sound in the chorus lightens things up just enough to let this track shine. Add another great song to their growing catalogue. You can purchase on iTunes here and stream the single on Spotify here.    

OYSTER KIDS - 40 NIGHTS

I'm in a very indie vibe today, so I'm gonna keep it going. We haven't been able to show Oyster Kids love in a while, so I definitely want to catch back up and throw some support behind their new single "40 Nights," and mention a few of their other amazing tracks they've released since our post of their first release "Creepy" almost a year ago (wow it's been that long!!). If you haven't heard the groovy "Lips," and the laid back summer beach friendly tune "Gum (Everybody's My Friend)," do yourself a favor and put those on your day time jams playlist. "40 Nights" is their best yet in my opinion, the falsetto chorus is just too infectious. The active rhythm section keeps the song chipper while the verse vocals mesmerizingly drift on. The combination of the verse and chorus places "40 Nights" into a mixed bag of emotions: the chorus is lighter and catchy, yet the verses inspire something almost mysterious. The net result is a song that's interesting and pop friendly all at the same time, which is no simple task these days.