Swipe Rixh 2 is a new EP from Lil Dream, an alternative hip hop artist based in the Washington DC area. Multiple producers were involved in the project, including Good Intent, Pentagrvm, Captain Crunch Beats and Moonman Johnny. Another artist known as Lil Gray also performs on the album. Swipe Rixh 2 is notable musically for its unconventional, mostly synth driven surreal beats. Thee track Out has some of the best backing music I’ve ever heard on a hip hop song. This album has a slightly eerie ambiance, but in a good way. It’s just quietly dark and hypnotic. The lyrical delivery makes good use of layering. The tone is subtle and conversational, with an underlying seriousness. Lil Dream doesn’t come off as flashy or obnoxious. He has a good flow and his voice emanates a quiet professionalism. I found this album to be very soothing, but it has enough pizazz to make you wanna jam out if you’re in the mood,

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/1lildream/
https://twitter.com/1lildream
http://smarturl.it/SwipeRixh2

One of These Days We’ll Go Get Us One is a new album from Dick Aven, a singer/songwriter from Franklin, Tennessee. It’s a full length release, and the professional production is apparent on the first track, Do What I Say. The best way I can describe the sound is that it’s like if you blended 60’s vibes with contemporary recording quality. The music has a very organic and Earthy feel, like folk rock. There’s a bohemian element to it all but as some of the songs build they become more “full” and often transition to a kind of groovin’ funk.

I can’t stress enough how good this is. Aven describes himself as a multi-instrumentalist, and that’s an understatement. There is a plethora of different instruments on these recordings. I have no idea if he’s the one playing all of them on this album, but if you watch his youtube videos you’ll see that he can play all these instruments. He’s a great singer, too. I love it when vocalists outperform the level that’s required for a genre of music, and that’s certainly the case here. He creatively extends notes and uses his voice in ways which ordinary artists would never have thought to do, and the songs are enhanced with personality as a result of this.

There’s quite a bit of musical variety here as well. Your Love has a smooth, jazzy, aesthetic. I would almost characterize it as lounge music. The most unique song on here is Jawbone of Jack Real, a minimalist, “synth” driven instrumental that sounds like something out of a 70’s scifi film. It turns out however, that the synthlike sound is actually generated not by electronic keyboards but by jaw harps whistling. I’ve been informed that Dick Aven is some sort of expert whistler. Yes, this guy can really do it all. My favorite track on the album is probably Common Ground. It’s a pure and lovely acoustic folk jam that’s stylistically reminiscent of stuff I’ve enjoyed from artists like Jake Holmes.

One of These Days We’ll Go Get Us One is a very impressive and comprehensive release. Dick Aven is one of the most multi-talented individuals that you’ve never heard of. I’m glad I found out about this guy.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/dickaven
https://www.instagram.com/whistlingdick/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOp-oUcuIX-14fXAX2u_7Q

It’s a mystery to me why musical duo “Pistacho Gods” (hailing from Dallas and Los Angeles) have less than 200 subscribers on youtube. They deserve way more. There are a lot of bands which make quirky, humorous and entertaining music, but these guys do this shtick very well. Stylewise, they remind me a bit of the group Grand Buffet, only there’s a lot more variety to the sound here. One of their tracks Cactus Juice incorporates a plethora of differest styles. It’s like if you combined late 90’s Vitamin C beats with country, reggae hip hop and LFO. It is just a very unique blend. The music is very bright and fizzy, leaving you feel all funny inside. Cactus Juice has a very summertime vibe. I could have easily seen this jam as a hit in the summer of 1999 along side LEN’s Steal My Sunshine. It could have easily made the top 20 on Total Request Live with Carson Daly. A lot of musicians who make humorous music like this do it to compensate for a lack of skill. Pistachio Gods on the other hand, are impressive musicians. Im particular, they manage to do all kinds of different voices and characters while still performing at a top tier. The songwriting and backing music are solid as well. These guys don’t cut corners. The songs are fun and pleasant to listen to. Apparently these guys have been making music together since they attended high school, and their experience as a team is apparent to anyone listening to these well crafted tunes.

For more info:
https://www.instagram.com/pistachiogods/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4R1WWka1Ro03XohAlyNm8q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gknh6xFxems

Touch is a new single from Sam Xhri6 (pronounced Sam Chris,) an RnB singer/songwriter hailing from West Africa. He’s also a guitar player. The first thing you notice about this jam is the smooth groovin synth driven backing music, which gives the song a futuristic, lounge-like atmosphere. Sam keeps with the relatively complex beat and pushes the limits of his vocals, hitting some impressive highs. This track has a very chill ambiance. It has heavy romantic undertones but is poppin’ enough that it can be enjoyed independently of the subject matter, by those who just wish to vibe out to the music. The production quality on the track is solid. In particular the levels of the mix are right where they should be. It’s relatively minimalist musically, but the backing music is pleasing and full enough, that one is grateful the sound is obscured or drowned out. Overall this is a good authentic effort by Sam Xhri6, one which is likely to hit its target audience in the sweet spot.

For more info:

https://song.link/T0UCH

http://www.facebook.com/samxhri6
http://www.instagram.com/samxhri6
http://www.twitter.com/samxhri6

Motor Honey (Peace) is a new track from Heavy AmericA, an alternative hard rock band out of Boston, MA. These guys definitely have some chops. Their sound reminds me of the late 80’s early 90s hard rock bands I remember growing up with, the kind that would appear on the soundtracks of cool horror movies and late night HBO action flicks. There’s nothing really “retro” or gimmicky about the song, but listening to this jam makes you remember how great it was before autotune and heavy processing became the industry standard. The song has a good clean sound, and the band members play their instruments very well. Motor Honey (Peace) is a testosterone fueld, pulsepounding adventure tune. The video visuals highlights the racing theme of the song, which I guess could be taken literally and/or metaphorically in the romantic sense. The music has a high power level, and the singer has the perfect voice for this genre of music. Singing well at this level of volume is way more difficult than most people realize, and this guy pulls it off. The performance here is very charismatic, and while this song will certainly get you pumped, there is a sentimental subtext to it that shouldn’t be overlooked.

For more info:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heavyamerica
Website: http://www.heavyamerica.us

Singer/songwriter Brandon James has released a music video for his recent single, So Emotional. The video is crisp and professional, with image quality on par with a television studio or indie theatrical release film. This R&B jam is ultra smooth and Brandon’s visual expressiveness matches the level of his soulful delivery. The video is mellow and not too flashy, keeping with James’ motif of substance and sincerity. It is very difficult to perform this kind of heartfelt material in front of an audience, let alone on camera. Brandon James is a true professional. The video has a light romantic narrative which intersperses with footage of James and his backing musicians performing. Both the song and the video for So Emotional radiate with class. The best part is that it just seems to come naturally for this guy.

For more info:

http://www.branddo20music.com/

Shattered is a new single from singer/songwriter Mason Roberts. The appears on his recently released EP, Bittersweet. Mason’s vocals are primarily what drive the action, and that’s a good thing because this guy can really sing. There’s no aggressive autotune or annoying processing. Mason’s voice is strong enough he probably could have even made it past the judges on American Idol. This music is too good and sincere for that though anyway. He sings in a way that’s heartfelt and emotionally expressive. The backing music is bright and full, with a somewhat uplifting ambiance (despite the title of the song.) Shattered has a certain dreamlike and surreal quality to it. The pacing is light but there’s still enough powerful energy in the song to get your pulse going. Shattered is a fine example of a professional vocalist doing his thing. I hope this jam gets some traction, cause it contains a solid performance.

For more info:

You’ll Be Okay is a new album from Canadian based group, Northeastbeats. Clockinh in at 16 tracks, it is a full album, gargantuan even. The sound falls somewhere between hip hop and trip hop. One of the most impressive things about this album are the retrofuturistic backbeats, which wouldn’t seem out of place on the soundtrack to Logan’s Run or some other 1970s scifi film. The rapping style also is surprisingly original, incorporating elements of alternative and vocal effects which would normally be more associated with indie rock. The delivery frequently transitions from a mellow and chill pacing to quick witted and adrenaline fueled. All of the songs on here are very full, and it’s really amazing just how much lyrical substance and elaborate storytelling are packed into this release. My favorite track on here is probably Old Cartoons, mostly because I just like the beat. Every song on here is distinct and has a worthy identity of its own. Check these guys out. They’re more creative than the average hip hop outfit.

For more info:

Pick It Up is a new single from hip hop artists Voss Soss and L-Shadaii. The two rappers’ styles complement one another well. Voss’s delivery style is mellow, low-key and hypnotic while L-Shadaii’s is quick witted and biting. It’s a crisp combo. This jam is haunting and intelligent with a leering backbeat. It’s chill, but the listener can definitely sense the underlying seriousness and suspense. Both of these talents have distinct and memorable voices, and their performances progressively increase in intensity through the duration of the song. The timing is on point, especially apparent in the more complicated lyrical portions of the track. For his part Voss Soss displays presence and a quiet charisma. This is indeed an entertaining track, which even includes an unexpected reference to David Beckham

For more info: