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Elli Ingram – Poetic Justice (Retrial) (Prod. Felix Joseph & Rudi Redz)

elli ingram

The very very talented UK up and comer Elli Ingram releases her debut “Sober” EP. A tantalizing (and we don’t use that word lightly) mix of current R&B and pop sensibilities w/ the powerhouse vocal quality and performance of the best and most well-lauded of the current wave female British singers; and, oh yeah, there’s this absolutely crazy re-work of Kendrick’s “Poetic Justice” that closes the EP and is our pick from the set.

Elli Ingram – Poetic Justice (Retrial) (Prod. Felix Joseph & Rudi Redz)

Elli Ingram (Facebook)

Rating: 8.5

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reviewed by
07-01-13

Bondax – Giving It All

bondax

Lancashire UK’s soul pop home team Bondax. We’re going proceed now with this track by forgoing the requisite Disclosure comparison and introduce you straight to the track, which (and it should really not be a surprise) is very good indeed. We’re talking hit-you-in-the-heart-area R&B vocals, the slickest of slick bass lines & “feel good for summer” vibes; the typical (& typically well-fashioned) Bondax formula. A+’s all around.

Bondax (Facebook)

Rating 8.4

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reviewed by
07-01-13

B3SESSION: X Ambassadors Perform “Unconsolable”

x ambassadors copy

Brooklyn based X Ambassadors recently stopped by Elias Studios in Santa Monica to perform a few tracks from their new Love Songs Drug Songs EP, and to do an interview with KCRW DJ & Music Supervisor Jason Kramer. This performance of their song “Unconsolable” especially showcases the band’s various stylistic intuitions, from pop to indie and alternative rock. Check out Part 1 of the session below.

X Ambassadors newyork: (Facebook)(Love Songs Drug Songs on iTunes)

reviewed by
07-01-13

Interview w/ Lovelife

lovelife

We were probably not alone in the music blogging game in scratching our heads at the notion that newcomers Lovelife were a partial extension of the once very well-hyped UK guitar band Viva Brother. That same band (or most of it) is now getting on well enough in their new digs as NYC-based 80’s dream-synth-poppers, Lovelife. We unlocked some of the band’s mystery during an interview before their recent Echo/Popshop West Presents show in L.A. We spoke briefly with producer/instrumentalist Ally Young and guitarist Samuel Jackson about their past, their new single with tastemakers Neon Gold, life on the road and more.

Lovelife (Soundcloud)

reviewed by
07-01-13

Los Girls – One For Sloan

LosGirls

Necessary chill coming your way from LA based producers LOS GIRLS. Their debut release “One For Sloan” fuses dreamy synths and subterranean beat culture into an experimental serving of surreptitious electro pop. Keep an eye out for their debut EP July 16 on Plug Research and sample the cinematic vibes of “One For Sloan” below.

Los Girls california (Plug Research)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
06-29-13

Duck Sauce – It’s You

ducksauce

NYC bros-in-DJ’ing Armand Van Helden and A-Trak a/k/a Duck Sauce a/k/a Goose Marmalade a/k/a Eagle Tapenade a/k/a The Ol’ Dirty Chinese Restaurant make a successful return to the $$$$ window w/ the playful kitsch of “It’s You”. Skip along to this one below.

Duck Sauce (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
06-29-13

Abigail Wyles – Mantra

abigail wyles

Soulful London girls over dark hypnotic beats; haha, for lack of a better way of describing it that lane of music may be the one we’re digging the most at the moment. And while Abigail Wyles joins a relatively crowded genre, there is nothing here on “Mantra” that sounds tired or imitative; a very strong singular vocal performance and tune well complements Wyles’ collaborator Holly Simpson’s spare but well-suited & unique ambient-touched production. There’s also an undercurrent of jazz (that you really don’t hear in this style of music or really done well elsewhere) both in Wyles’ vocal and in the instrumental (particularly in the verses) that is especially interesting.

Abigail Wyles (Facebook)

Rating: 8.3

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reviewed by
06-28-13

Twin Peaks – Irene

twin peaks

“Irene” is the lead single from Autumn Tone (Aquarium Drunkard) teenagers Twin Peaks. Excerpted from the Chicago band’s upcoming Sunken debut, “Irene” walks the well-done-to-get-there line between a song poppy enough that the melodies are sing-a-long-able while still being laced with enough rock history (most definitely The Velvet Underground) and interesting instrumentation and arrangement (we like how the lead vocals are a little bit mixed back) to flatter the tastemaker sensibility. Sunken is due July 9th.

Twin Peaks (soundcloud)

Rating 8.1

reviewed by
06-28-13

Trevor Dickson – Summer Legs

trevor dickson

We dig New Yorker Trevor Dickson’s new track for “Summer Legs”. Recalling in a strange way early Bowie (if he were way more fun to be around and got out in the sun a little more) not only vocally but thematically, there’s also a generous bit of other early 60’s and late 70’s influences and sounds to be had here. “Summer Legs” is the title track from Trevor Dickson’s new EP which is available now via Swoon Records.

Trevor Dickson (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
06-28-13

The Preatures – Revelation

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We loved Aussie band The Preatures excellent soulful-in-half-time single Is This How You Feel?. The Sydney-based act follow up with the darker, a bit tougher to crack (dare we say Fleetwood Mac-y), but certainly no less soulful groove of “Revelation”. So that’s two fabulous singles down for Preatures, we can only hope an album (or at the very least an EP) is not too far in the offing.

The Preatures australia (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
06-28-13

Premiere: American Authors – Believer (Captain Cuts Remix)

© Andrew Zaeh | ZAEH, LLC

B3SCI are very pleased to world premiere the latest creation from L.A.-based production trio Captain Cuts; their remix for “Believer” from BK band American Authors. Team CC boost up the beats, inflate the original’s already strong hooks to oceansize and blast the track’s chorus into a interstellar hyperspace (at least that’s what we hear when listening to it). Peep game and get with B3’s premiere of Captain Cuts new “Believer” remix below.

American Authors (Facebook) (Purchase)

Captain Cuts (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
06-28-13

JMSN – Fool

JMSN

To mark their summer tour with The Neighbourhood, favorites JMSN release a new 7-incher “Fool”. The dreamy, a bit more far off in sound “Fool” further shows the BK band’s versatility and ability to move between style with skill and ease.

JMSN michigan (Purchase) (Facebook)

Rating 8.1

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reviewed by
06-27-13