Los Angeles based artist Monsta Ma$h has recently released a couple new tracks. His style is a unique blend of pop punk and hip hop. The song “Stay on Edge” for example is reminiscent of carefree late 90’s pop / hip hop songs (though he also has a remix of this jam available which utilizes an awesome 80’s synthwave backing.) His music isn’t quite heavy enough to be classified as “rapcore,” but also not light enough or cheesy enough to to fit in with mainstream pop groups like Smashmouth. He falls somewhere in between and strikes a good balance. One thing that’s clear from his jams is that Monsta knows how to have a good time. He’s often hamming it up and laughing and loves to sing about partying. His delivery is confident, articulate and his approach is laid back without coming across as lazy. The production quality is excellent, and Monsta’s latest tracks along with his colorful persona are highly marketable.

For more info:
http://www.monstamash.net/

New hip hop track available from “Bar None.” It has a terrifically eerie carnival styled musical backing to it, which even on its own is enough to give the song a great ambiance. “Devils in the Details” keeps it minimalist and mellow. The song doesn’t ever get too busy or tryhard with a lot of unnecessary flash. The rhyme delivery is unique in the way it alternates between fast and a kind of slow “drawl” style. This is a pretty decent jam, and these guys have a good aesthetic going.

For more info:
https://twitter.com/barnone302
https://soundcloud.com/chuckandlock/devils-in-the-details

“Don’t Let Go” is a new single out from indie artist Dario Black. It’s a pretty straightforward dance pop track which does a good job at capturing the positive spirit and aesthetic of EDM. After a colorful tropical intro, the song picks up the pace and is brimming with hypnotic romantic energy throughout. This is a club type jam, ripe for an outdoor festival or rave setting. The repetitive nature of the the chorus “Don’t Let Go” helps to drive home the message and enticingly programs the listener to stick with it long after the music stops. The production quality is quite good (as is expected with this genre.) This is a great effort. EDM is a crowded field and it’s difficult to get noticed, but hopefully some DJs will give this a spin.

Dario has a keen eye for color usage and aesthetic artistry, and I anticipate when/if a full video for this song is released it will live up the song.

Available on Spotify:
http://spoti.fi/2jEhu3Z

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaPlYR9LzMU

Award winning artist Lachi (whose single “Boss” recently aired on the show “Bad Girls Club”) has a new 4 song EP out. It’s titled “The Selfish Release.” Despite the title, the songs are more about self empowerment and looking out for one’s own interest. There are times when it’s necessary to take a break and sort yourself out for a while.

The impressive opening track “Selfish” shows what a great range Lachi has, both in the vocal sense and creatively speaking. The music is never monotonous and Lachi’s tracks are peppered with surprises here and there. Some of her songs have a Caribbean vibe, while others like “I’ve Decided” have more of a pop/R&B aesthetic. Unlike a lot of artists in this field who rely on producers, videographers and writers, Lachi actually wrote, produced, and performed all of these songs on The Selfish Release. She’s done pretty well for her self with this EP.

For more info:
www.lachimusic.com
http://soundcloud.com/lachi/selfish-written-produced-performed-by-lachi

Long Island based artist Mr. J1S has an R&B single out called “Right Now,” featuring D. Thompson. It has a terrific and somewhat dreamlike intro that sets up the song nicely. It’s a pretty straightforward R&B / light hip hop jam with lyrics that incorporate elements of pop culture that most people can relate to, rather than relying on boring cliches. Really good production values on this and it is a good representation of the genre.

For more info:
https://soundcloud.com/mrj1swpk/tracks
https://twitter.com/j1sinc

E. Bandit has a new track out called “I Been.” The video for it makes great usage of color and effects to illustrate the mood and give the song an artistic quality that goes beyond the lyrics. She describes the song as a “trippy kind of love song written in a drunken stupor.” The psychedelic atmosphere depicted in the video certainly conveys this image. The lyrics carry a lot of self reflection and remorse and plays out almost like a confession or reluctant goodbye letter. E. Bandit definitely displays some delivery skills and good musical instincts here. Expect more good things from her.

http://thehnicmixtapes.com/songs/e-bandit-drops-video-for-i-been-single/

Artist Daniell Nelson has a new track out called “Tomorrow.” It’s hip hop/R&B but with kind of a jazzy, tribal feel to it. The lyrics are reflective and socially aware, illustrating a depth which elevates Nelson’s music above that of most other similar artists. “Tomorrow” is an authentic experience and the song itself is smooth and pleasant to listen to from beginning to end. Daniell wisely chose to focus on substance rather than flash and hype when creating this jam, and it worked.

https://www.facebook.com/therealDaniellNelson/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlHfftH9Vnk

Armond Jason, “a singer, songwriter, recording engineer, and music producer from Midlothian, Virginia” has a new single out called “I Know.” The production quality of the vid is pretty good and incorporates a lot of gold color tones, which makes sense given that it’s the opening song on his debut album, “The Gold Album: Signature.” The song has a delightful, chimey intro. Stylistically, the music is kind of hard to categorize. It has elements of pop, hip hop, R&B and even electro. The backing music is especially good quality, and this seems like it could be a worthy club jam.

For more info:
https://twitter.com/armondjason
https://www.facebook.com/armondjasongranger

Houston based artists Grynd Season and Noah Archangel (Band of the Hawk) bring to you the new song “EZ” featured on the album titled “Grynd Season.” The style is reminiscent of the golden days of early 90’s hip hop, which is laid back and smooth but not frivelous. Unlike a lot of other contemporary hip hop, “EZ” refreshingly takes a straightforward approach to production. The artists don’t utilize unnecessary effects or over-process vocals the way many misguided young hip hop producers. This helps Grynd Season and Noah Archangel achieve an authentic mature sound that stays true to their influences, while incorporating some of their own modern flavor.

https://soundcloud.com/noah-archangel/sets/grind-seazon-warm-up-mixtape
http://www.bandofthehawk.com/
http://facebook.com/noahofhtx

Natstar is an artist, producer, and songwriter from Charlotte, NC. He’s looking to catapult himself out of the unknown, with his new album, “Anatymous.” The album contains 13 tracks and Natstar utilizes an array of different samples and instruments for the backing, giving the songs some intra-variety. The 2nd song, “Roulette” is probably my favorite jam on the album. The female vocals help to further enhance an otherwise decent track. The other solid song is probably “Dagga,” which has a wonderfully chimey and uplifting backbeat. Natstar also seems the most laid back and authentic on this track.

For more info:
Album: http://www.audiomack.com/album/nveglobal/anatymous
Link to Mobile App:http://officialnatstar.com/anatymous