By Kat Bein, Billboard Just when you think you’ve got a handle on “Bullseye,” the bass comes in to shock your senses. The new collaborative tune from songstress producer Anna Lunoe and her buddies Valentino Khan and Wuki is a real sonic adventure. It starts out innocent, then beats you over the head with wonk, […]
By Timothy Monger, AllMusic Judah & the Lion are a folk-pop trio based in Nashville, Tennessee. Singer/guitarist Judah Akers met mandolinist Brian Macdonald and banjo player Nate Zuercher through mutual friends and the three began playing together in late 2011. Initially aligning themselves with the Christian music scene, their debut EP, First Fruits, was a […]
By Matt Medved, Billboard Lee Foss’ first full length solo album Alchemy has now seen the light of day. We’ll forgive him for the wait — the Chicago DJ/producer has plenty on his plate with newly launched label Repopulate Mars, not to mention his Hot Creations and Emerald City imprints with Hot Natured co-conspirator Jamie Jones. “Deep Congo” […]
By Ariana Marsh and Interscope Records Born in Nigeria and based in England, 25-year-old singer/songwriter Jacob Banks creates soul music that’s uncompromisingly honest but thrillingly cinematic. A self-taught musician who began singing, playing guitar, and writing songs at the age of 20, Banks got his start at open mic nights around Birmingham in 2011 and […]
By Ariana Marsh The definition of a self-made artist, London-based singer/songwriter Laurel Arnell-Cullen first came onto the scene in 2013 when she uploaded a demo for her song, “Blue Blood,” which she wrote, recorded, and produced in her bedroom studio. After sharing an additional two tracks online, the 22-year-old signed with Turn First Artists and […]
By Galore Girl Meet Los Angeles-based singer Quiñ. She makes aspirational electronic-pop music that is sure to send listeners into a dream. From her effortless style to her perfectly sequenced synths, Quiñ makes for an artist to watch. Where did your love for music come from? From the beginning of time, I’ve listened to my […]
By Scott Glaysher It only takes one listen of J.I.D’s The Never Story to realize why J. Cole and the good people at Dreamville decided to add him to their illustrious roster. The East Atlanta spitter’s lyric-driven rap style is basically contemporary counterculture in the South; something that J. Cole himself dealt with during his slow-burning […]
by James Christopher Monger A Norwegian indie rock quartet inspired by punk and power pop bands of the 1980s and early ’90s, Beachheads were founded in 2015 around the talents of vocalist Børild Haughom, drummer Espen Kvaloy, bassist Marvin Nygaard, and guitarist Vidar Landa, the latter two of whom also played in the Stavanger-based black […]
By Chris Neville Chances are you’re already a Julia Michaels fan whether you know it or not. After breaking into professional songwriting as a teenager, the 23-year-old Iowa native has been an invisible yet inescapable presence on pop radio in recent years; along with songwriting partner Justin Tranter, she’s penned Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” Selena Gomez’s […]
By Ariana Marsh Eccentric, theatric, and utterly uncategorizable, The Lemon Twigs is one of the more curious bands to have emerged in 2016. Composed of two teen brothers Michael and Brian D’Addario, who are joined by keyboardist Danny Ayala and bassist Megan Zeanowski when performing live, the group’s sound can most closely be identified as […]