EL-P and Killer Mike’s announced today their second LP run today (the follow-up to their very acclaimed s/t first record) as Run the Jewels. RTJ2‘s first single “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” again wrests the best out of one rap’s best beatmakers (and emcees) EL-P — “Oh My’s” booming backbeat is top notch; and one of hip hop’s greatest living rappers Killer Mike — Bigga’s bars are EXCELLENT. RTJ2 is out October 27th for FREE c/o Mass Appeal.
Run the Jewels (Official)
The Other Tribe a newish band out of Bristol UK signed to Relentless Records (Bondax, Chris Malinchak) succeed on the soulful house/R&B-inspired and quite infectious pop of “I Can Give You Anything”. The band is currently in the studio at work on their debut LP. Don’t sleep.
The Other Tribe 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.5
Current UK scene hotbed Brighton has birthed another nascent great band in Fickle Friends. New one “For You” resides in a similar 80’s pop-inspired but soulful palette of sound as previous singles “Swim” and “Play” while keeping the quality level at a similarly lofty position. “For You” is out September 23rd on Crazy Heart Records in North America and on September 15th (today) on Killing Moon for the UK and the rest of world.
Fickle Friends (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.5
Rick Ross can pick beats. The Bawse proclaimed today his new and appropriately titled Hood Billionaire project today and dropped, with the announcement, the dope af lead single “Elvis Presley Blvd”. Featuring Memphian/Elvis scholar Project Pat, “Elvis Presley Blvd” is that big beat, plodding, soulful Southern-styled hip hop that is currently in a very short supply inside right now’s DJ Mustard-lorded rap world.
Rick Ross 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
The 2014 edition of Sacramento’s TBD Fest goes live October 3rd through the 5th. Artists at TBD this year include headliners Blondie, Justice, Moby & Empire of the Sun and B3 favorites like The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, and Goldroom. The three day festival also includes an excellent selection of cuisine from some of SAC’s best restaurants. To mark the festival’s imminent arrival in Northern California, B3 has a pair of weekend fest passes to giveaway; as well as the premiere of a cool new mixtape featuring festival artists from another B3SCI fave and a TBD Fest performing artist, Teen Daze. To win passes to the festival, hit our email by Friday September 19th @ Noon PDT HERE with the subject line “I WANT TO GO TO TBD FEST” and we’ll select soon after one lucky winner! For more info on TBD Fest in Sacramento including how and where you can purchase tickets, head to the festival’s official site, here.
TBD Fest 
(Official)
The piano-driven forward-thinking pop of “Not Going Home” is the latest from Olivver. The former Neighbourhood drummer’s penchant for adeptly blending more artful and stylistically adventurous swerves within the context of A+ constructed pop songwriting, as evidenced on ballad-y “Not Going Home”, is particularly special and sets Olivver up for a potentially breakout 2015. Listen.
Olivver (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.4
“Við Vökum” is another impressive entry in the oeuvre of Icelandic R&B band Vök. A sound that approximates similarity to The xx (but with more muscle and a larger visceral quality), “Við Vökum” also succeeds on its diverse instrumentation and arrangement (the insertion of horns and use of counter-rhythms are particularly standout). Vök’s “Tension” EP is due this fall from The MuseBox Records.
Vök 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.3
Mansionair’s “Hold Me Down” is one of indie music’s most streamed songs of 2014 and one of the year’s biggest success stories. Now signed to CHVRCHES’ Goodbye Records, Mansionair enlist B3 favorite Maths Time Joy to remix title track “Hold Me Down” to mark the trio’s October 13th EP release. For the remix, MTJ selects for a jazz ripped from the 25th Century-styled sound replete with tinkling piano chords and neatly arranged low-touch percussion. The remix is a must listen.
Maths Time Joy (Soundcloud)
Mansionair (Facebook)
Rating 8.5
Zella’s “East of Eden” gets a popping fresh new instrumental from New Zealand producer and master collaborator Samuel Truth. Zella Day’s s/t debut EP is out October 21 on our B3SCI Records.
Zella Day 
(Facebook) (Pre-Order EP Vinyl Here)
Samuel Truth 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
