New visuals from our very own Katy B…

Ask and you shall receive. Two brand new songs from Alice Russell – no word on whether or not these are from her forthcoming new album – but that’s almost irrelevant. Just press play and listen. ‘Hard & Strong’ up top and ‘Over & Over’ after the jump.

Shouts to @tendertemper

Read more…

We’ve collectively been checking for Manchester Orchestra over here for a while now – not sure why we haven’t posted about them before. Either way the band just released their new video for ‘Virgin’ – it’s one of my favourite songs off their new album Simple Math.

Story has it a (student) fan randomly presented the band with the video on the street and after watching it – they put him in touch with their manager and got him to produce the final piece. #Inspired.

Anyways – if you haven’t heard their music before I recommend you check them out. Simple Math is their third album which was released earlier this year, their first two albums I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child and Mean Everything to Nothing came out in 2006 and 2009 respectively.

Wait, two Beyonce covers back to back? I’m not complaining especially considering the first was from Sonnymoon and the second is from vocal power house Alice Russell. Famed for her ingenious rendition of Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ – Russell proves that her interpretations are not to be fuxxed with, watch / listen to her do the damn thing.

Need. That. New. Album!

Shouts to SB

I have made no secret of my love for Rochelle Jordan. While the eager pretensions of blogworld continue to soil their HTML tighty-whities with every new track leaked by supposed “R&B saviours” – I remain steadfast in the opinion that this young lady is among one of the (quieter) leaders of nu-R&B revivalistism. See also: The Weeknd

Her melodies sound authentic and the moody disposition (a la Drake) which she encases them in produce a contemporary legitimacy – which I guess is the foundation of any revivalist movement – merging the old with the new etc etc.

Listen to these two new tracks and see what I mean…

Download: Rochelle Jordan – ‘Sing’

Download: Rochelle Jordan – ‘Revolution’

Sonnymoon produce some great music, moreover they produce some really great covers – their latest may be their best yet.

After taking on Drake’s ‘Houstatlantavegas’ last year the Boston based duo put their own unique and quirky spin on Beyonce’s ‘Yes’ (taken off her debut album Dangerously in Love) and yet again do another brilliant job. ‘Yes’ is one of Bey’s strongest songs and so to hear an ‘intelligently’ put together cover is quite refreshing – they honoured the original but made it their own.

Shouts to HT

Featuring music from some of our most beloved record labels including Stones Throw, Fat Beats, Tru Thoughts and Wax Poetics this latest instalment of “Label Love” features new / unreleased music from the likes of Nostaliga 77, Mark De Clive Lowe, Paul White and many more.

The 12-track project is available to download for free, listen and grab a copy below…

I love this chick. When it comes to originality, unique character and individualism, tUnE-yArDs is swimming in it. She performs for the first time on TV (I can’t believe this has not happened earlier) on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show, alongside the legendary Roots band. Even Black Thought comes on for a guest rap on ‘Gangsta’

Love this chick.

Here is some newness from Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet that he just posted on his soundcloud. It’s from an upcoming 12inch on his own label Text Records dropping in September. A nice morning bubbler for you ears. Really looking forward to seeing the dude on Sunday at the Big Chill Festival on the peoples ear stage. See you there innit. Brizzzzap.

Something brand new from Szjerdene and a touch of something different too. Used to the sounds of more folk led pauses, then dubbed basslines, it’s refreshing to hear Szjerdene lay her vocals over the deep electronic sounds of Dimlite.
With the track mixed by Mar, vocals recorded by The PSM (Gorillaz Sound System) and the artwork by the lady herself, quality is written all over this track.
Download below and be sure to catch her free gig tonight.

While searching for live clips of Erykah Badu on youtube, I spotted the name Y’akoto. With intrigue, I soon found out the 23 year old, who is half German and half Ghanian, supported Badu at her recent show in Basel.

Y’akoto boldy cites Sade, Nina Simone and Lauryn Hill as her musical influences and this becomes very evident when you hear her debut single ‘Tamba’. With her distinctive jazzy soul voice (which, to me, is more Billie Holiday than Nina Simone), she easily set’s herself apart from the many female singers releasing music at the moment.

‘Tamba’ is from the forthcoming EP of the same name which is released on the 26th of August. If she’s good enough for Erykah…

Download: Y’akoto – ‘Tamba’

Yasmin held off til’ we got some summer heat before dropping this one. ‘Light Up (The World)’ featuring the legendary Shy FX is flexing some Carnival vibes – it bumps, bassline is saying alot!

Turn it up.

SBTRKT just uploaded a live version of ‘Up & Down’ featuring Sampha on his Soundcloud. Pretty sure I could listen to a) SBTRKT’s productions & b) Sampha’s voice all day.

Many of our favourite artists have graced our ‘Rehearsal Room’ over the past 6 months, musicians we both admire and respect. As our exclusive show, produced in association with Red Bull Studios London, continues to grow we decided to create a mini-series within it designed solely to put focus on new talent emerging.

Our ethos has always been to concentrate on good music and an important undercurrent of that is discovering and exposing a new generation of music makers. Thus we have filmed a number of new episodes featuring fresh-faced musicians who you may or may not have heard of previously. They were selected for one reason and that reason is that we feel they are among some of tomorrow’s most promising acts.

Our second ‘introduces’ episode features Jono McCleery – a London based singer/songwriter recently signed to the infamous Ninja Tune label. Possessing a voice which demands recollections of such greats like Bill Withers – it is difficult to fathom his young age.

His debut single ‘Tomorrow’ which he performs with his band exclusively for us sounds like a newly unearthed Soul/Folk ode from the 1970′s – but with an ingenious broken beat keeping time it’s vintage feel is instantly updated.

Jono’s new album There Is is filled with wondrous Soul, Folk & Jazz influences – songs which combine the inflictions of yesteryear with the forward thinking of an innovative contemporary artist. Upon first hearing McCleery’s voice we instantly recognised a truly unique musician creating breathtakingly beautiful music – it’s a pleasure for us to introduce him to you.

‘Tomorrow’ is out now. The new album There Is is due out September 5th.

French beatsmith Teru has ‘founded a new sound using jazz breaks, samples, piano keys and arrangement science and is sharing it with the masses as Massive Suits Quartet on the new 4 track release Wonderland. The first single “The Grey Cat” is an electronic vision of jazz and trip hop music, with a touch of romanticism, elegance, and drama’.You can pick up the EP on a name your price flex over at Teru’s bandcamp here, its well worth pressing play and zoning out to this one. Nice laid back afternoon vibes.