Oxford MS songwriter Sanders Bohlke dials up a folk pop gem with the magnetic “Ghost Boy”, the title track from Bohlke’s just released LP. Spin it below and let us know what you think.
Sanders Bohlke 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Oxford MS songwriter Sanders Bohlke dials up a folk pop gem with the magnetic “Ghost Boy”, the title track from Bohlke’s just released LP. Spin it below and let us know what you think.
Sanders Bohlke (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
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.
Zella Day – Save The World (SHM Cover)Zella Day 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Oxford, UK artist Lewis Watson dials up a sweet & immediate rendition of SBTRKT’s “Hold On”; styling the song’s smooth soul-driven melodies into something a bit rougher & a bit more vigorous while still retaining it’s heartfulness. The “Hold On” cover is excerpted from Watson’s upcoming “The Wild” EP, which will see release a month from today on March 26.
Lewis Watson – Hold On (SBTRKT Cover)Lewis Watson 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.1
Desert Noises are a new favorite among the b3 squad. The band’s jangly melodic sound evokes for us open space, possibilities, the upper quartile best of Middle American summer days. If you listen to “I Won’t See You” and close your eyes super tight and think of England (or in our case Ohio) the imagery and cinema of the track become transportative, which is indicative of only the best sort of music. (At least we think so).
Desert Noises 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
Bristol band The Ramona Flowers connect some unique and intriguing musical dots on new track “Lust and Lies”. The far off melodies and harmonic textures of a band like Sigur Ros, excellent right-in-the-thick of the best of 2013 indie writing skills, and sharp/catchy (yet still unpredictable) use of electronic beats and rhythms make Ramona Flowers a band to watch in the year upcoming. If you’re in the UK, TRF will be touring the country (with Bastille) beginning the end of this month in Liverpool as well as releasing a new EP in April of which “Lust and Lies” is the title track.
TOUR
Feb
Thu 28th LIVERPOOL, O2 Academy
Mar
Fri 1st EDINBURGH, Liquid Room
Sat 2nd GLASGOW, Oran Mor
Mon 4th PRESTON, 53 Degrees
Tue 5th MANCHESTER, Academy 2
Thu 7th SOUTHAMPTON, Mo Club
Fri 8th NORWICH, Waterfront
Sat 9th BIRMINGHAM, HMV Institute
Sun 10th LEEDS, Uni Stylus
Tue 19th SHEFFIELD, Leadmill
Thu 21st NOTTINGHAM, Rock City
Fri 22nd OXFORD, O2 Academy
Sat 23rd CARDIFF, University Students Union
Mon 25th BRIGHTON, Concorde 2
Wed 27th BRISTOL, O2 Academy
Fri 29th LONDON, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
The Ramona Flowers (Tumblr)
Rating 8.3
The Lift (producer Davy Nathan (Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton) & singer Amber Ojeda) deliver a standout end-of-the-movie-credits-are-rolling ballad with “Make Me Believe”, the third track off their s/t EP. We are into it.
The Lift – Make Me BelieveThe Lift 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
Here is a new track out of the Canadian prairies from Nick Faye & The Deputies. Nick tells us a story, with smooth vocals throughout and the Deputies create the perfect ambience to back up his vocals. It’s the sort of track that makes you stop, sit, and just listen. This one is off their Harvest EP, which is out later this month. Nick and his Deputies traditionally have more of a rock sound, so look out for that. By Jon Herriot
Nick Faye and the Deputies 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.3
Brooklyn via our home state of Ohio (Cincinnati) five piece Wild Leaves earn high marks for their ably executed folk pop on new track “Wind & Rain”. The perfect for a Sunday evening slow dance “Wind & Rain” is excerpted from Wild Leaves’ debut EP which you can pre-order here is set for a March 26th release.
Wild Leaves – Wind & RainWild Leaves 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Suicide Squeeze artist Julianna Barwick steps into a more ambient piano-driven lane with return track “Pacing”. The combination of Barwick’s own looped vocal, the swirling synth atmospheres, and the track’s simple repeated piano lead create a sonic envelope/wave/coil that is both infinitely dense and infinitely sublime. “Pacing” is the A-side to an upcoming 7″ due March 5th on the aforementioned Suicide Squeeze.
Julianna Barwick (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
UK upstart John Newman, whom you may recognize from his recent hit collaborations with electronic act Rudimental, brings his soul-driven vocal stylings and expert songwriting skills (our man co-wrote both Rudimental hit tracks “Feel the Love” and “Not Giving In”) on the very good visceral pop of “Try”. Is “Try” the stuff of a Alex Clare-esque breakout for John Newman? Stay tuned.
John Newman – Try (Demo Version)John Newman (Facebook)
Rating 8.0
The Stockholm-based Josefina Sanner delivers a “Swedish surprise” with the exceptional pop track, “Do You Remember”. Outfitted chorus to verse with the sharpest hooks and crispest melodies, (and a cool guitar figure throughout much of the track that’ll feel like you’re in the middle of some sort of really cool Nordic sled race scene) “Do You Remember” is built for maximum quality and re-listenability. Already a critical darling in Sweden, Sanner is set to release more English language song this year and it’s not unreasonable to think she’ll conquer that linguistic sphere as well.
Josefina Sanner – Do You RememberJosefina Sanner 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.1
Balthazar, a duo out of the UK, make their b3sci debut with the Leonard Cohen meets Dangermouse sound of “The Man Who Owns The Place”. The spaghetti western, heat of summer sweeping textures of the track’s production and arrangements provide a really sharp counterpoint for the Cohen/Gainsbourg/Zimmerman lane stylings of “The Who Owns The Place”s melodies. The band will be supporting Local Natives later this month on their European Tour, and you can sample the particulars (as well as the track) below.
Balthazar – The Man Who Owns The PlaceTour
Friday 8th Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
Saturday 9th Edinburgh, Electric Circus
Monday 11th Dublin, Whelan’s
Tuesday 12th Liverpool, Kazimier
Wednesday 13th Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
Thursday 14th London, Scala
Tuesday 19th Copenhagen, Vega
Wednesday 20th Gothenburg, Pustervik
Thursday 21st Oslo, John Dee
Saturday 23rd Stockholm, Debaser Medis
Balthazar 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.1
