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Track Reviews

Bondax – Gold (Moon Boots Remix)

moon boots

The mystery around French Express DJ Moon Boots continues to grow as his popularity continues to rise. Not much is known about the DJ and on his facebook page it says, “Moon Boots entered the world in the mid-1980s via Cape Canaveral,” though in a recent interview with Set One Twenty he mentions he is from Chicago. All that mystery and popularity lead us to this patented nu disco spin that he has given to the 2013 release of “Gold” by Bondax. Already a hit with the online community, Moon Boots turns the head bobbing, bass heavy original into a booty shaking, synth heavy masterpiece. By Brian Litwin

Moon Boots (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
02-23-13

Rave’s Fave: Johnny Marr – New Town Velocity

johnny marr

Johnny Marr’s The Messenger album is out Tuesday and it’s an early 2013 highlight for me. The signature stamp of his guitar style is unmistakable just as you’d expect, and it dominates throughout just as you’d want it to. Marr’s vocal style often reminds of Morrissey, leading me to ponder how their many years together might have made an impact. Much of the album is upbeat, but there is a more melancholy track that will please many Smiths fans. That is “New Town Velocity”. It is easy going with a beautiful flow. Marr will embark on an 18-date North American tour in April that will include Coachella, with shows in Las Vegas and Santa Barbara with New Order. By Bruce Rave

Johnny Marr – New Town Velocity

Johnny Marr 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!Johnny Marr –

reviewed by
02-23-13

Throwback Saturdays: E Ness – Rest ya Neck

E Ness

You may remember Elliot Ness from MTV’s Making The Band. He was the Philly battle rapper always getting into fights. What you probably don’t know is that he has some really good music. “Rest ya neck” is 55 bars of punch line after punch line. He reminds me of a flashier Sean Price. They both put forth complex rapping but E. Ness expresses style and the new school, while Sean typically rambles over steadily less effective, golden-era instrumentals. Notice the multisyllabic/compound rhymes Ness spits effortlessly on top of the engaging, bouncy bass and spellbinding, spooky whistle. The track is from 2008 and still resonates. It sucks Diddy didn’t hone his skills for mainstream success. By Teddy Pendergrass

E Ness – Rest ya Neck

E Ness (Facebook)

Rating 8.0

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reviewed by
02-23-13

Kwabs – Spirit Fade

kwabs

Check out the latest Dave Okumu (Jessie Ware) collaboration in the form of the infinitely soulful & immensely intimate and affecting new track from London-based singer Kwabs, “Spirit Fade”.

Kwabs england (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

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reviewed by
02-22-13

F Y F E – St Tropez

FYFE f y f e

F Y F E remains a somewhat mystery, having created quite a buzz in the blogoshphere with his January single, “Solace” followed by a solid month of silence. He is back now with a new track, “St Tropez”. and the song shows the work and time put in. FYFE’s simple vocal and lovely lyrics like “take me home, is this not home dear?” are drenched in twisty drums and with delicate synth and guitar. Though “Solace” did set the bar high, “St Tropez” is not far behind. By Phoebe Anne Severin

FYFE england (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

reviewed by
02-22-13

Magic Man – Paris

magicmanpress

Providence-based Magic Man are really really talented; almost too talented (give these other new bands a break guys!). On “Paris”, the band’s debut track (!), everything’s an A+’ from the melodies (very good), to the hooks (very plentiful), to arrangement (very skilled). If “Paris” is any indication (and it’s an emphatic one) Magic Man could be in store for a really major 2013.

Magic Man – Paris

Magic Man rhodeisland (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.2

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reviewed by
02-21-13

Rudimental – Waiting All Night (Feat. Elle Eyre)

Rudimental_image

The beautiful, cascading, soulful drum & bass of Rudimental’s new release “Waiting All Night” is further force forward for the UK act as they fully bloom now into megastars. “Waiting All Night” has more gas than ExxonMobil and more juice than Denny’s on a Sunday morning with a groupon, and is one of those really special tracks. We expect no less than it to be blowing up charts all spring and summer.

Rudimental england (Official)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
02-21-13

Desert Noises – I Won’t See You

desert noises

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 utah flag (Facebook)

Rating 8.2

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reviewed by
02-21-13

New Gods – Razorblades

new gods

Aussie exports New Gods impress with the sunny fuzz of their new indie pop track “Razorblades”. Sounding somewhere between what Lindsey Buckingham’s cool band might sound like if he were 23 today and more modern psych-informed indie rock, the band works from a tasteful balance of both old and new (and awesome). Check out “Razorblades” below.

New Godsaustralia(Facebook)


Rating 8.2

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reviewed by
02-21-13

The Ramona Flowers – Lust and Lies

The Ramona Flowers - Lust and Lies

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 england (Tumblr)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
02-21-13

Secret Son – Friends

secret son

The soul-influenced UK band Secret Son hit b3 square in its rock and roll sweet spot with “Friends”. The genre “UK guitar music” is in a bit of a hype cycle nadir as of Feb 2013 with great upstart English bands like Secret Son all too uncommon. Secret Son’s “Friends” EP is due March 25th.

Secret Son england (Facebook)

Rating 8.2

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reviewed by
02-20-13

The Black Opera – Queen Of Hearts (feat. Mayer Hawthorne)

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Mello Music Group artists The Black Opera connect with the King of 2010’s Blue-Eyed Soul Mr. Mayer Hawthorne on “Queen of Hearts”. The minor-keyed paean to both love idealized and love unrealized features many head noddin’ moments, not the least of which is the neat juxtaposition of Mayer’s gloomy hook and the instrumental’s harp arpeggios. Ace of Diamonds.

The Black Opera – Queen Of Hearts (feat. Mayer Hawthorne)

The Black Opera (Facebook)

Rating 8.1

reviewed by
02-20-13