Budding Bristol, UK based multi-instrumental producer and composer Barny Carter continues down a road of picturesque soundscapes on his forthcoming EP, Montpellier. This sophomore release drops Tuesday, March 5th via DryCry Records. It features a recent Gilles Peterson (BBC) minted first spin with “Bouquet”, and as great as that track is, Montpellier as whole offers a momentous listen. From the serene initiation of “Clamour” to the piano chatter of “Oceans”, Montpellier boasts a complete body of work. B3SCI has your first listen-through, and if you have 20 minutes to spare, then we highly recommend that you lend your ears below.
Back again at the wonderful Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles, fellow B3SCI contributor Bruce Rave and I caught an intimate showcase featuring contemporary throwback, singer and producer, Willy Moon. The well traveled Moon has been all over the internet as of late and the buzz had grown leading up to the show.
Willy Moon’s band hit the stage and started playing “I’m Shakin by Jack White, which beckoned an enthused Willy to run onto the stage screaming. After nailing the opening set cover song, Willy immediately faced the audience, took a bow and said thank you, getting back in character was this polite gentlemen from overseas. However, the show itself was anything but polite. Ripping through his EP and single (oddly enough off of Jack White’s Third Man Records) “Railroad Track”, Willy was all over the stage, screaming and giving the audience a glimpse of what a rock show might have looked and felt like in the 50’s.
With a quick exit and re-entrance for a small encore, again the band cued Willy, this time playing “Yeah Yeah” as Willy ran onto the stage screaming. The single, most known for being in the Apple iPod Touch, Nano and Shuffle commercials, had the most room lit. That night, Willy Moon’s sound was as clean as the way he dressed, and Moon’s fusion of old school blues rock and modern backing tracks is something certainly worth taking note. In a large landscape of overproduced, chorus driven mediocrity, Willy Moon has found a way breath new life into something of the past.
Finesse Supafly is a part of Mont Brown’s Philly collective Astronauts Really Fly. The braggadocio of “Get to Steppin” is evident. Finesse and Jay Dempsey ride the soulful beat with nothing but cockiness. It’s just some fun, youthful energy as made clear by the witty lines and track artwork. While Mont has the Pop feel, tunes like this are perfect for Internet success. ARF is really tackling all angles of rap. This that type of music that you bump with your car windows open, like your cool. And, Spring is right around the corner.. By Teddy Pendergrass
Roosevelt, who impressed last fall with his debut track “Sea”, returns with sophomore single “Around You”. Light, airy, “summery” but still very well conceived as a pop song, “Around You” is very impressive indeed. Look out for an EP release from Roosevelt a bit later this year on Greco-Roman.
G.O.O.D. Music affiliate Ryan McDermott gets the inside bounce pass from label teammate Hit-Boy and WHAM! with the right hand (word to Joe Tait) the two connect for the nicely tipped R&B-flavored pop track. It’s “Joy”.
Young Amsterdam producer Saux may be a bit under the radar as of yet but the 19-year old (!) has already made some pretty impressive fans including Jessie Ware, Bondax & our buddy KCRW’s Anthony Valadez (who tipped us to the track). “Itay”, which is sampled here from Saux’s new EP “Bring Me Home” marries the R&B, soul-influenced electronic sound that’s been such a major Dutch export the last several years with more modern instrumentation and rhythm structures; that and the track sports an absolute lights out vocal melody. Get introduced to Saux below.
Zella Day lends her sparkling vocals to Swedish House Mafia’s current hit “Save The World Tonight” on this beautiful acoustic rendition. Don’t miss it.
OMG! Canadian West Coasters WMNSTUDIES get their hands into one of the best 90’s/R&B/songs maybe ever; (& because it’s WMNSTUDIES you know it’s going to be fresh) remixing Tamia’s 1998 classic “So Into You” to 100% perfection. “So Into You”!!
Yuksek is one of the most consistent remixers in the game right now. Here on his latest mix for C2C, the French producer does go for that big anthemic floor-filling sound but manages to do so without falling into the same tropes and cliches such a sound is often littered with. The mix sounds fresh and immediate and great and will make you want to re-live 2009 all over again (that and starting your own personal dance circle). Go ahead, do it. We won’t judge (too much).
Remixers Recycle Culture take How To Dress Well not to the club or to the cruise ship or the beach but to the roller rink with their new remix for “& It Was U”. Stacked wall to wall with “funky drums” and an instrumental that sounds lifted from the “King of Wishful Thinking” video shoot wrap-party, Recycle Culture’s mix should be your “go-to” for that next rollerblader date with yr shorty.
Misun’s impressive run of singles continues with new release “Darkroom”. The same D.C.-based cast from “Harlot” and “Battlefields” are your primaries again on “Darkroom” with rising newcomers Misun teaming with the equally skilled producer Nacey. “Darkroom”‘s blend of tight as tight hooks & instrumentation with just the slightest tinge surf rock in the guitar & drums is very very good and it may well be Misun’s best track yet (which is saying a lot).
UK based Chad Valley flips the fan fave from Ghost Beach. Peep his remix of “Tear Us Apart” and keep an eye out for Ghost Beach’s Modern Tongues Remix EP, which also features remixers like Penguin Prison, Gigamesh, Summer Heart and Shook, expected to drop this April.
(Purchase)
