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, then brings you back in for some whimsical groove.
The tune just dropped on OWSLA, and while there are no plans to form a proper super-trio just yet, an overpowering fan response could always inspire more creative collaboration. Pull the trigger and listen to “Bullseye” below.
http://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/anna-lunoe.jpg10801920wppshttp://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Untitled-1.pngwpps2017-04-10 11:40:512017-04-12 01:14:56ANNA LUNOE, VALENTINO KHAN AND WUKI TEAM UP ON TRICKY TUNE 'BULLSEYE'
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 worship-themed record that blended expansive folk and bluegrass with rich, old-timey harmonies. A year later, they returned with the more secular-oriented and pop-leaning Sweet Tennessee EP, which bore more of a resemblance to the uplifting nu-folk of Mumford & Sons and launched them into the Top 20 of the Billboard bluegrass and folk charts. Building on that momentum, they finally released their first full-length album, 2014’s wistful Kids These Days, which rose to number four on Billboard’s folk chart. For their follow-up, Judah & the Lion worked with producer Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) to deliver 2016’s Folk Hop n’ Roll, an album that further blended their myriad influences from hip-hop to indie rock and folk. By the end of that year, their breakout single “Take It All Back” had reached number one on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart and they followed it up in February 2017 with a new single, “Suit and Jacket.”
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” opens the outing with a muscular bass line and shimmering synthesizers, and the feel-good ride rarely relents from there. Other highlights include the disco-tinged “Living in the City” with Lee Curtiss and “Blue is the Distance,” which finds Foss reuniting with Hot Natured collaborators Anabel Englund and Ali Love.
http://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/lee-foss-boiler-room.jpg464650wppshttp://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Untitled-1.pngwpps2017-04-09 14:22:062017-04-09 14:40:38LEE FOSS' DEBUT ALBUM 'ALCHEMY' IS THE SPRING WEEKEND SOUNDTRACK YOU NEED
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 quickly won major attention for his commanding vocal presence and daringly intimate songwriting. In early 2013 he released his powerful debut EP The Monologue, earning feverish acclaim that soon saw him supporting such artists as Emeli Sandé and Alicia Keys on tour.
Although 24-year-old Jacob Banks recorded his first EP in 2012, his signing with Interscope Records in September is a clear sign that 2017 is set to be the year he gets big. After releasing his debut EP, which featured his first successful track, “Worthy,” Jacob was tapped to provide vocals on tracks for Wretch 32 and Chase & Status, before releasing his sophomore EP, The Paradox, in 2015. The British singer-songwriter has a voice that is unparalleled, and his new song with Seeb, “What Do You Love,” perfectly showcases his exceptional chops. We’re dying to know when he’ll be releasing a full-length album. It’s going to be huge.
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 released two EPs, To The Hills and Holy Water, in 2014 on her own record label, Next Time Records. In early 2016, she released a single, “Life Worth Living,” which signaled a notable shift in her sound. Unlike her previous dreamy synth work, the song features a strong indie rock influence, rendering her genre more alt-pop than anything else. Having signed to Counter Records last August and released another EP, Park, which features her buzzy single, “Hurricane,” Laurel is on the fast track to becoming a genre-bending darling du jour.
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 dad play the drums and the trumpet. I’ve always been in love with music and the escapism in it all. My first musical obsession was Celine Dion. She influenced my love for the capabilities of the voice itself.
Who are your idols?
The women who’ve watched me grow.
Who are your top 5 females that rock?
Erykah Badu, St. Vincent, Sade, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé
What makes an artist iconic?
Being the best they can be.
What does love mean to you?
Love is our fuel. It’s a feeling, an action, a necessity, and at our core, we are love. Love is adoration.
What song on the EP is perfect for making love to?
Every one of them!
What is next for Quiñ?
Lots of new visuals and sounds! Then I’ll be traveling all over the place with them.
http://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/QUIN-new-artist.jpg420630wppshttp://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Untitled-1.pngwpps2017-04-07 15:09:282017-04-07 15:09:28MEET QUIN, THE LA-BASED SINGER WHOSE MUSIC SPREADS LOVE
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 come up. In most cases these days, making out of the Atlanta scene might be easier than in most places Hip Hop hotbeds but to do so without touching a trap beat or messing with multiple layers of Auto-Tune is always impressive — or at least impressive enough to earn a Dreamville contract.
J.I.D brings a certain amount of bounce to this project but J. Cole’s conscious recluse blueprint is followed to a tee. After a brief one-minute motivational gospel croon, J.I.D puts that rap hat on and gets to work. There’s a mix of character development and aimless hater checking on “General” but a proof of talent nonetheless. “Even before grades, going to my brother court dates/And I asked my momma bout what he did but they’d never tell me/Then I figured he killed a nigga or got caught for some dope he selling” provides a dark yet discerning look into his upbringing – which then makes the unreceptive vibe of “Swear your raps so boring, nigga/Then you say you trap, you be lying nigga/I don’t fuck with none of y’all happy trappers” make a little more sense.
He really steps up his bravado on the million viewed hit “NEVER”. Christo Welch and Childish Major provide the type of hypnotic beat that has the potential to choke slam you into the sunken place. J.I.D dives deeper into his ‘perseverance despite hard times’ narrative that concludes with a “make the crowd jump like Zoboomafoo” bar, thus snapping you back to the reality that he’s still a millennial that isn’t afraid to rap about a talking lemur.
From there, he plays topical chairs just as any good debut would: females, family and friends. The former has J.I.D going full loverboy mode with diary-worthy bars where he quips “why you playing with my heart”? The latter shows up in explicit detail on “EdEddnEddy” and then on wax with Earthgang-featured, J. Cole-produced posse cut “D/vision”. These cuts, dripped in comradery contrasted to the album’s top “fuck everyone” vibe, are a little misleading especially on a major debuted aimed to give listeners a concise snapshot of who he is.
If there is one hypothesis that J.I.D wants you to walk away with after bumping The Never Story, it’s the notion that he can rap well. Which he can. The opening lines on final track “LAUDER” sum it up best: “Okay I told motherfuckers I was sick as a bitch/ Southern lyricists don’t exist like my flow is a myth”. We all know southern lyricists do in fact exist but in today’s mumble game, it’s refreshing to have him remind us with 12 tracks of crafty lyrics and crisp beats.
http://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/J.I.D-The-Never-Story-album-cover-art-640x640.jpg640640wppshttp://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Untitled-1.pngwpps2017-04-07 15:08:342017-04-07 15:08:34REVIEW: DREAMVILLE ROOKIE J.I.D TELLS HIS TRUTH ON "THE NEVER STORY"
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 metal party band Kvelertak. They issued the debut 7″ “Shadow of a Man” and “Get Away” shortly after forming, offering up a fuzzy and spirited 21st century take on Husker Du and Teenage Fanclub. More singles dropped the following year, and in early 2017 Beachheads released their eponymous debut long-player via the Oslo-based underground label Fysisk Format.
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 “Hands To Myself,” Hailee Steinfeld’s “Love Myself,” Nick Jonas and Tove Lo’s “Close,” and Britney Spears’ “Slumber Party” among many others. Michaels and Tranter have been so successful with regard to placing songs and making hits that a year ago they were the subject of a New York Times profile highlighting their abnormally high batting average. But the best song in their arsenal may be the one Michaels kept for herself.
Following guest appearances with Kygo and Jason Derulo, “Issues” is Michaels’ debut single as a lead artist. A portrait of two volatile people who help each other get a grip, it exists in her self-described thematic sweet spot: the intersection of emotional turmoil and sexual tension. Musically it’s stellar, boasting a brilliantly simple arrangement built from a darting string section, booming digital bass, finger snaps, and not much else. And with Michaels delivering an authentically dramatic performance against such a beautiful background, it adds up to the first great pop single of 2017.
When Michaels called me this week to discuss her past, present, and future, she was in Nashville working on music with an unspecified collaborator. So she’s continuing to work behind the scenes, applying the magic touch that has made her arguably pop’s hottest songwriter. But “Issues” indicates that we may come to know her as a star in her own right. Read our conversation below.
STEREOGUM: You moved from Iowa to Los Angeles as a child. How did you end up professionally songwriting in your teens? A lot of people wouldn’t even think of that as an option, especially as a teenager.
JULIA MICHAELS: I’ve always been a writer. I’ve always loved words, ever since I was a kid. I’ve written poetry most of my life. My sister actually started doing demos around the city, and my mom would take me to the studio mostly because I just loved being around music. And the songwriter my sister sang for asked me if I knew how to write or if I could sing. And of course my mom, who is like a total stage mom but I love her, was like, “Yes, of course she can sing!” And I was, like, 16. So I played a cover for her on piano — pretty poorly because I’m shit at piano — and she was like, “We should write sometime.” And I was like, “Really? Sure, yeah.” So we started doing songs for the backgrounds of television shows and commercials, stuff like that. And then from there we wrote a song for this Disney show Austin & Ally. It was the first thing we ever pitched for, and we got it. That’s when I kind of knew that I wanted to write songs.
STEREOGUM: I read the New York Times story about you and Justin, and it mentioned that you met in 2013 at a sort of “blind date” for songwriters. How many of those “blind dates” did you go on with other songwriters before you found that partnership that clicked?
MICHAELS: So many. When you first start out, people think this is super easy and you find your crew super quick. But you’ve really got to go through songwriter boot camp to find your people. For the first three years when I was writing I was doing sessions with a whole bunch of different people all the time every day until I met Lindy Robbins, who kind of mentored me. And then once you find that, all the pieces come together. You find the group that you feel more comfortable with and that you work really well with. I met Justin three years ago and, same thing. As long as you have one piece of the puzzle, it’s super easy to find the next one. And then you make magic with your friends. It just becomes fun and awesome.
STEREOGUM: I realize this is kind of an intangible thing, but can you describe how or why you and Justin work so well together?
MICHAELS: I like to think that together we make one perfect human being. Justin is a very light, very positive, very bright human being, and I’m rather dark and kind of miserable and depressing. So I think together we make up all the emotions that one person should have. We cover all bases when we write. I can think of the more emotional, kind of sexual situations, and then he can take care of the more fun stuff, and then we just kind of finish each other’s sentences at that point.
STEREOGUM: Speaking of emotional stuff, your bio includes a story about you giving away a song you’d written and crying about it in the bathroom for 90 minutes because you wanted to keep it for yourself.
MICHAELS: Yes, that’s me! Nice to meet you!
STEREOGUM: Which song was that?
MICHAELS: I don’t know if I really want to say that. But it really affected me, that song. It was the first time I had actually written a song and was really upset about it, and I wasn’t sure why. I mean, this is my job. I’m a songwriter, and I’m supposed to give my babies away and be OK with it. And then this one really affected me. Justin was actually the one that came into the bathroom and was like, “Maybe this is a sign. Maybe you’re really upset about this because there’s a bigger picture here and you’re trying to avoid it.” And I was like, “Maybe you’re right.” And when we wrote “Issues” I was like, “I can’t let this happen again. I can’t do this again.” It was the first time since then that a song felt so much like me that I just couldn’t let anybody else sing it. And now it’s out, and it’s insane!
STEREOGUM: What about “Issues” is so personally reflective of you?
MICHAELS: Lyrically, it’s just so much me. I guess it really pertains to anybody, but I am a very jealous person, and I do overreact to everything. And when I’m feeling down I’m super depressed, and when I’m excited I’m the most excited person on the planet. And the song was written because my boyfriend and I like to fight a lot. I have a lot of problems, and so does he. But then at the end of the day we realize how ridiculous we’re being and we’re like, “OK, everything’s good. This is just ridiculous.”
STEREOGUM: So when you sat down to write it, you were like, “I’m going through this situation, and I’ve got to channel it into a song?”
MICHAELS: 100%.
STEREOGUM: Is that typically how you work, or are there ever times when you’re just playing around without a specific inspiration? What’s the ratio there?
MICHAELS: It depends. A lot of it is definitely taking from personal experience. Even if I’m with an artist, I have a hard time connecting to something if I haven’t been through it. So even if they’ve been through something, I can always find an experience I can relate to and write from my perspective. It’s Justin, too. If you have all different kinds of perspectives, it makes it perfect for anybody who’s going through something. Most of the time that’s how it goes. I have this saying: “I can only write emotional songs, sexual songs, and sexually emotional songs.” That’s just who I am.
STEREOGUM: How often are you writing with another artist for another artist versus just writing and seeing what becomes of it?
MICHAELS: I’d say maybe 50-50? Most of the time we write to pitch, mostly because Justin and I, we go so fast and we just go off first instinct and the subconscious really. It’s just easier for us to go in and write down everything that we feel and then be like, “Cool, bye!” But it’s also cool when we get to sit down with somebody and hear somebody’s story, especially when they don’t know how to articulate what they want to say. They’re relying on two strangers, essentially, to help them get out these words. They’re trusting us to help their point of view come out, and there’s something really special about that as well.
STEREOGUM: Now that you’ve got a couple of features and “Issues” out there, do you expect to be keeping more of these songs for yourself?
MICHAELS: A lot of the time I can gauge what I want to keep for myself and what I don’t. If I go into a session with an artist or if I go to pitch, that’s not my song. I’m not that kind of person. Most of the time if I have an idea, I’ll voice note it and be like, “Oh, I want to keep that.” Other times I’ll be like, “This could be cool for this person.” I am a very possessive person, but not when it comes to music, usually.
STEREOGUM: Do you have some more singles ready to go? Is there a plan to roll out some more music, or are you just going to stick with “Issues” for a while?
MICHAELS: We definitely have some songs ready to go, but I think we just want to see how this one plays out because it’s going to be a lot. This is very new for me. It’s very exciting but also very nerve-racking. It’s something I’ve never done before. I’ve always been in the background, and happily been in the background, and this is the first time people are going to see me. It’s a very vulnerable situation. Again, it’s exciting and nerve-racking. But yes, I definitely have some other songs in the works and some things that I’m pretty ecstatic for everyone to hear.
STEREOGUM: Are you going to be doing some live performing soon?
MICHAELS: Maybe! [laughs]
STEREOGUM: Do you have much experience on stage?
MICHAELS: I’ve literally only performed twice. Last year I did the Wireless Festival with Kygo, and then I did the closing ceremony at the Olympics with him as well.
STEREOGUM: Those are two huge gigs!
MICHAELS: So it is pretty new for me, definitely.
STEREOGUM: Will you be performing songs you’ve written for other people too, or are you going to keep that separate?
MICHAELS: I think I’m going to keep that separate.
STEREOGUM: One last thing: On Wikipedia, which is not always trustworthy, it says “many big name artists” fought for the right to record “Issues.” Is that true? Did you have to fight to keep it for yourself?
MICHAELS: Yeah, there were quite a few people that wanted it. There were actually a couple who cut it and I didn’t even know about it. So it was definitely a battle, but at the end of the day it’s my words and my emotions and the song that I felt like was me, and it just didn’t feel right having somebody sing literally everything about me.
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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 psych rock, but with hints of retro funk, soul, and punk mixed in. Along with providing vocals, each brother is a multi-instrumentalist; both play the guitar, keyboard, and drums, while Brian is also proficient on horns and strings. Their debut album, Do Hollywood, which was released in October, is unique in that none of the songs on it were co-written by the brothers. Rather, each musician wrote his own songs, which alternate throughout the record, resulting a strange yet harmonious back-and-forth. If you can, we recommend you see them live. You’ll dig their throwback hairdos and Wes Anderson-esque wardrobes, which will make you feel like you’ve been transported back to an experimental, underground show during the golden ages of rock.