AraabMUZIK is ON FIRE! Swizz Beatz is not a great rapper but with support from AM’s producing-out-of-his-mind level beat he sounds at least competent here (if not enjoyable). The hipster hammer A$AP Rocky is on the feature here and easily holds up his part of the song with a fresh set of rhymes.
Swizz Beatz 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Check out this recently cut acoustic version of Electric Guest’s big hit “This Head I Hold”. You can really hear Danger Mouse’s (who produced the whole EG LP) hand in the melody with song pulled back like this. Give it your attention below.
Electric Guest 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Labrinth rolled through Zane Lowe’s Maida Vale studio yesterday and in addition to laying down ace live versions of “Last Time” and “Sweet Riot” dropped this great take on SBTRKT’s “Wildfire” jam from last year. Lab starts the cover slow on the roll with smooth electronics and subtle bass wobbles only to blow the track up in its final half with big guitars and heavy rock drums. Somehow it all works. Get a sample below.
Labrinth 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
The angels-on-high voiced b3sci fave Saint Saviour delivers again with a new A+ lush life send-up of M83’s ubersmash “Midnight City”. On the track, Ms. Jones’ on point vocals are framed by Cocteau Twins-esque synths and a great almost hip hop-feel backbeat. Be on the look out for more from Saint Saviour coming soon including a new album Union and new single “I Call This Home”.
Saint Saviour (Facebook)
Rating 8.1
Whomadewho drummer Tomas Barfod has one of his tracks remixed by the spectacularly consistent producer Shlohmo and it’s….(drum roll)……AMAZING. Shlohmo bends the track into an, at first, more ominous place (with slowed vocals and eerie programming), only to open the mix up a bit in the back half (a direction we don’t hear often from Shlohmo), leaving the listener (at least these ones) in a different place than before the song started (the best kind of music).
Shlohmo (Facebook)
Rating 8.5
Just a reminder: Our home state just (IRL trolled your brackets) put 4 teams in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, including Cincinnati, which is not only the alma mater of one b3sci’s writers; (shouts to Erin) but also the hometown of Tanya Morgan members Donwill and Illyas. Right so you know now that Brooklynati is in a stage of full effect. The chill subtle heater “Rock the Bells” is new from the trio and some of the group’s best and most consistent work to date. OATW.
Tanya Morgan 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
So we’re big fans of New Zealand act The Black Seeds’ fellow Kiwi soulmen Electric Wire Hustle (one of our standouts from SXSW, most definitely); and while The Black Seeds maybe have not reached the acclaim in the States (except maybe former Seed Oscar-winning! Bret McKenzie, who’s probably best known for his work on Flight of the Conchords) that EWH has, the Wellington dub act is no doubt a force to be familiar with. New track “Pippy Pip” is a great islands-tinged halfstep tune that while heavy on the reggae feel is light on any weird works-against-the-song white dude reggae wanking (you know what we’re talking about). It’s a really soulful track that while powerful grabs at you subtly; the sort of track that seeps in slowly. Soul business.
The Black Seeds 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
German band I Heart Sharks first hit our b3sci radars with new track and vid “Summer”. The Berlin-based collective hit on a sound that while relevant to “what’s happening” in 2012 indie sounds, at least in part, different. There’s definitely a bit of a broader sound palette at work here than many of IHS’ peers. Give “Summer” a spin and let us know what you denk.
I Heart Sharks – ‘SUMMER’ (HD) from Spike Morris on Vimeo.
I Heart Sharks 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.1
Marissa Nadler turns in this beautiful, spare version of “Washington Parks” by UK singer-songwriter Robert Manning for Mr. Manning’s “Music for MRI” project. Manning, who has MS, started the project as a way to raise money and awareness for the disease Multiple Sclerosis. You can read more about Robert Manning and this cause on his blog. What a gorgeous track.
Marissa Nadler 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.6
Ben Leftwich gives his own unique and quiescing treatment to the Gillian Welch classic, “Look at Miss Ohio”. His delivery is soothing as a summer night in the midwest heartland (something that Miss Welch surely also appreciates). Grab a free copy of Ben’s cover at his Soundcloud. Also be sure to catch Ben on tour in the Americas this spring along with The Jezabels. Full dates are here and this show is a don’t miss!
Benjamin Francis Leftwich (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
“Our Friend The Atom” has just the right amount of tune, riff-age and crunch, to make for a solid crossover rock track. Twin Terrace is the solo project of Gavin Redmond, from former indie rock band Vodkopter. TT will release its debut LP Plural this April.
Twin Terrace 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.23
By Jon Herriot
New track out of Vancouver from a dreampop group called Ferals. Anyone who likes Teen Daze won’t be disappointed. Maddi DeWalt sings on their music, and she has the voice for this genre for sure. The vocals are what separates this from some other chillwave stuff out there. They have a really nice EP on their bandcamp also, make sure to check it out if you dig this.
Ferals 
(Facebook)
Rating 7.9
