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Track Reviews

Body Language – Well Absolutely

body language

Yesssss. Body Language make their much-awaited return to B3SCI with the summer in the city bounce of “Well Absolutely”. The first single from BL’s upcoming Grammar LP due out in September, “Well Absolutely” is floor to frame loaded with hooks; hook after hook after hook (It’s like aw shit, that verse was great, and damn @ that prechorus, and then the chorus pushes the track into some previously unrealised 6th or 7th gear or something and then forget it, it’s all toe taps and hip shakes from there on out.) Get into “Well Absolutely” now before everybody on yr block is bumping out their boombox below.

Body Language (Facebook(/a>)

Rating 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13

Propain – Got a Problem (Feat. Kirko Bangz & Slim Thug)

propain

Houston. H-Town. Baghdad on the Bayou. H-Town riser Propain grabs a rising Houston star (Kirko Bangz) and a Houston capofamiglia (Slim Thug) for the easy ride-out leaner “Got a Problem”. Styrofoam cups up. Ridin’ Slab is out today.

Propain texas (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13

Matt Corby – Brother (Kygo Remix)

kygo remix

Norwegian producer Kygo gives Australian star songwriter Matt Corby’s “Brother” track a high drama makeover that is as equal parts Mysterium Prefatory Action as it is Peter Gabriel.

Kygo norway (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-08-13

Rave’s Fave: Bloc Party – Ratchet

block party ratchet

Bloc Party have announced another indefinite hiatus, to begin following their summer tour dates. Before they leave us, they will add a new EP Nextwave Sessions to the party. The first single is “Rachet”, which brings to mind the offbeat rhythms we heard on their Silent Alarm debut. They are planning six different festivals this month. By Bruce Rave

Bloc Party england (Official)

* Links and playlists from Rave’s weekly new music show can be found on his blog and be sure follow Bruce on Twitter too!

reviewed by
07-08-13

Josh Record – The War

josh record

National Anthem artist (CHVRCHES, Haim) Josh Record releases “The War” the title track from his upcoming follow-up EP to his brilliant “Bones” EP. Already anointed a “Hottest Record in the World” by Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, “The War” is stunning in its sparkling simplicity & beauty. Spare slightly-reverbed guitar arpeggios and Josh’s 100% committed vocal (& fine falsetto) highlight here a track that is clearly the work of an artist, writer & arranger of the highest ability and order. “The War” EP is out August 12th.

Josh Record england (Facebook)

Rating: 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

Context – Small Town Lad Sentiments

context

Listening to UK rapper Context’s new track “Small Town Lad Sentiments” is a little like having one foot firmly in sort of classic garage mid 90’s time-warp (and a very well-executed fresh approximation of that sound at that) and one being pulled at unflinchingly 20 years into the future; the rhymes, the feel of the track all sound very progressive, modern and futuristic (and we don’t mean “futuristic” in the future garage sense, we mean july 4, 2033 is tomorrow futuristic).

Context – Small Town Lad Sentiments

Context england (Facebook)

Rating 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

Jungle – Drops

JUNGLE-WEB-LARGE

Really this review could begin and end with a “Fuck yes.” but here are a few details about “Drops”, new from UK artist(s) Jungle. Space beats, space soul, soul w/ panache, pop w/ panache, pop that moves you; “Drops” is that soulful beats-driven modern pop that will absolutely move you at your most basic and most complex and will grab at you, addict you, make you feel a part of it. That is (roughly) how strong/powerful a track “Drops” is. “Drops” is a double-A w/ previously b3 rec’d “Platoon” and will be released on the very cool Chess Club Records, July 15th

Jungle england (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

Tinie Tempah – Trampoline (Feat. 2 Chainz)

tinie tempah

Ah yes, Tinie Tempah. The UK grime MC turned global superstar returns with his first solo release since his breakthrough Discovery LP, with (and just an indication of how far his star has risen) the Diplo-produced and 2 Chainz-featuring “Trampoline”. We would expect the gritty club-ready “Trampoline” to do nothing short of eviscerating charts from the UK and beyond all summer.

Tinie Tempah england (Official)

Rating 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

Clean Bandit – Dust Clears (Russ Chimes Remix)

Dust Clears

Russ Chimes’ nonstop tour of world-beating jams rolls forward w/ his latest melodic house mix for UK band Clean Bandit. If you know Chimes you will love this remix; if you don’t know Chimes then for the sake of your own humanity and humanity at large you should sort out pronto (also you will love this remix). Chimes 100.

Russ Chimes (Official)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

WOODS – Be All Be Easy

Woodsist

“Be All Be Easy” goes down easy with an always classic makeup of soothing harmony and folk rock roots music. The NY collective Woods will release the song as a new single on July 9 and be sure to catch them on tour throughout this summer and fall. Sample “Be All Be Easy” below along with a B-side cover of “God’s Children” from The Kinks.

Tour Dates

Fri-Jul-12 Hudson, NY – Half Moon
Sat-Jul-13 Boston, MA TT – The Bears *
Sun-Jul-14 Portland, ME – Space 538 *
Mon-Jul-15 Burlington, VT – Signal Kitchen *
Tue-Jul-16 Montreal, QC – Il Motore *
Wed-Jul-17 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern *
Thu-Jul-18 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
Fri-Jul-19 Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Music Festival
Mon-Jul-22 Louisville, KY – Zanzabar *
Tue-Jul-23 Charlottesville, VA – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar *
Wed-Jul-24 Philadelphia, PA – Morgan’s Pier *
Thu-Jul-25 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar *
Sat-Jul-27 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom #
Thu-Aug-01 Berlin – Berghain Kantine
Fri-Aug-02 Katowice – Off Festival
Sat-Aug-03 Vienna – Flex
Sun-Aug-04 Nürnberg – Folk im Park
Mon-Aug-05 Hamburg – Aalhaus
Tue-Aug-06 Köln – King Georg
Wed-Aug-07 Sibenik – Terraneo Festival
Sat-Aug-10 Helsinki – Flow Festival
Sun-Aug-11 Amsterdam – MC Theater
Wed-Aug-14 Luxembourg – Exit07
Thu-Aug-15 Paris – Plage de Glazart
Fri-Aug-16 St. Malo – La Route du Rock
Sun-Aug-18 Powys – Greenman Festival
Mon-Aug-19 London – Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
Mon-Sep-16 Vancouver, BC – Electric Owl %
Tue-Sep-17 Seattle, WA – Barboza %
Wed-Sep-18 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios %
Fri-Sep-20 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel %
Sun-Sep-22 Big Sur, CA – Woodsist Festival @ Henry Miller Memorial Library
Wed-Sep-25 San Luis Obispo, CA – SLO Brew %
Thu-Sep-26 San Diego, CA – Casbah %
Fri-Sep-27 Los Angeles, CA – Center for the Arts Eagle Rock %
Sat-Sep-28 Pioneertown, CA – Woodsist Festival @ Pappy and Harriet’s %#

* = w/ Parquet Courts
# = w/ Alex Bleeker and the Freaks
% = w/ The Fresh & Onlys

Woods (Official)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

Clubfeet – Cape Town (Panama Remix)

clubfeet cape town

New jam. Panama ring in the sunniness sounds of “Cape Town” (yes, both the track and the place) with this latest remix of the stellar Clubfeet track. Catch these two acts together on tour in Australia this summer ahead of Clubfeet’s new AA-side single release for Everything You Wanted/Heartbreak (July 15) and new full length album Heirs and Graces expected this September. In the meantime, get your daytime disco dance-on to this fresh take of “Cape Town” below.

Clubfeet – Cape Town (Panama Remix)

Panama (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
07-03-13

Smooth Hound Smith – Get Low

smoothhoundsmith

Smooth Hound Smith, the male/female duo out of Venice, CA, ably connect the roots of rock and soul to the more modern palette with their just released debut self-titled LP. A favorite of ours (of many) from the album is the stomping, compact, blues-in-motion sound of “Get Low”. You can stream stream Smooth Hound Smith in its entirety on bandcamp.

Smooth Hound Smith california (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
07-02-13