Tag Archives: R&B

[Downtempo] Beacon – Running Out

Posted by Jordan Coburn - February 9, 2016

Beacon
Running Out

Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett first crossed paths in Brooklyn back in 2011– a meeting that would eventually birth the electronic downtempo duo Beacon. The duo has produced multiple studio albums and brings an electronic sound that’s deep and vocals that are soultry. In a way it’s like they’re pioneering their own dark R&B genre, using synths that are reminiscent of produers like oOoOO and beautifully reverberant vocals, which are always done by them. Thankfully they’ve released another full length album with Ghostly International, Escapements, and they’ve got one of our favorite tracks by them so far on there, “Running Out.”

“Running Out” commences with, simultaneously, an insanely deep bass synth and insanely airy vocals. It’s a juxtaposition that’s become quintessential in their work but still takes us aback, because it’s done so well. The first half of the tune the vocals are really taking the stage, but about half way through the song the tact of their electronic producing makes a showcase, the vocals disappear, and it leads up to a pretty epic balad chorus that’s backed with all of the intensity of their rhythm and beat design.

The rest of the tracks on the album put on a similar display, but we really just had to bring this Beacon track especially to you, because we think it’s especially awesome.

Electronic

[Indie/Rock] Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Can’t Keep Checking My Phone

Posted by Weston Pagano - April 26, 2015

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Can't Keep Checking My Phone

Stream Only

If you’re reading this on a mobile device we apologize for the irony.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra have revealed ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’ to be their second single ahead of their third LP Multi-Love which is due out May 26th, and it’s a hand-clapping psych-soul groove.

In a newsletter sent to fans, frontman and multi-instrumentalist Ruban Nielson explains it’s about “missing somebody and that point where you refuse to accept online ‘connectivity’ as a substitute for being with someone IRL.”

Opening with a bit of meandering horns and classical guitar, ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’ bounces around lyrical topics that include eating crickets, the aurora borealis, and wondering if the universe is really a hologram, all before putting the phone down and regrettably picking it up once again.

“Do you fall in love with the idea of someone? Or the chemicals they give off in person? Either way, I’ve got to get off my phone,” Nielson concludes.

TOUR DATES:
Continue reading →

[Chill] LostBoyCrow – HiyHiy (WATERBED Remix) [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Jordan Grammer - February 25, 2015

Lostboycrow
HiyHiy (WATERBED Remix)

Download

Not only is this track the latest and greatest premiere here on TMN, but it’s also both LostBoyCrow and Waterbed’s debuts on the site and the rest of catalogue finds themselves in good company with this release. LostBoyCrow comes to us from the warm streets of LA where it seems everyone has a dream, but not everyone has the talent or hustle to make it work. He’s only a few releases in but he’s proving himself to be an A&R’s dream come true with his unparalleled skills that will strike gold in today’s R&B market. WATERBED come to us with a Golden State of mind as well, and this certainly won’t be the last time we feature this dreamy duo either. It may be frozen east of the Rockies, but you can still warm up to anything on these two’s catalogue, we promise. As for the remix, it’s a knock out of the park. Airy, energetic, and a nice blend between indie pop & R&B, this track will make waves very soon.

[Indie/Soul] Janelle Kroll – Sunny Days

Posted by Clayton Warwick - February 17, 2015

Janelle Kroll
Sunny Days

Soundcloud

Let’s face it – this is the perfect song to dedicate to the cold weather.

While we know this tune had a more serious message than what was stated above, we couldn’t help ourselves. Jokes aside, if you’re not familiar with budding, young artist Janelle Kroll, now is a great time to get familiar, as she just delivered this enchanting new original, “Sunny Days.”

This up-and-coming singer from New York City has previously proved her talents on tracks with some of dance music’s finest (Dennis Ferrer and Codes) but now she’s adding to her catalog with yet another tune to call her own. On “Sunny Days,” Janelle uses her stunning voice as her paint brush, as she artfully tells a story of being consistently brought down, on a canvas of a chilled-out, downtempo beat with various melodic accents.

Have a listen to the outstanding song, and keep tabs on Janelle as she continues on her rise in music.

Indie
Soul

[Chill] Shadows On Stars – Dead Or Alive

Posted by Jordan Grammer - September 13, 2014

|SOS|
Dead Or Alive

Download

The Portland duo of Shadows On Stars are quickly becoming one of our favorite 1-2 team in music today. They blew us away with their gorgeous covers of Lykke Li and Aalyiah and kept us going with sultry, emotional, eclectic original pieces. Chi Duly, mashup artist turned bonafide producer, creates incredible soundscapes that words can’t begin to describe and the beautiful Randa Leigh takes it home from there. This is one of the few artists where we encourage you to dig through their entire discography; it’s that good. Oh by the way, the Mad Men sample takes this to the next level.

[Neo-Soul/Pop] Caroline Smith & Lizzo – Let ‘Em Say

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 25, 2014

Caroline Smith & Lizzo
Let Em Say

Soundcloud

The city of Minneapolis has been quietly carving out a name for itself as one of America’s most eclectic metropolis’ for years now. From their budding culinary and artistic communities to a thriving indie music scene; it’s safe to say we’ve had a watchful eye on the Minnesotan hotbed with a passion. So when we heard two of Minneapolis’ most revered female artists, Caroline Smith & Lizzo, were collaborating on a new tune to benefit the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota we had to wrap our ears around it at once. A gliding R&B laced pop diddy on the surface, “Let ‘Em Say” was recorded to promote the empowerment of girls and women around the world and after multiple plays, it was clear the tune’s lyrical content rolls much deeper than its inspirative instrumentation. Both vocalists’ respective incantations playfully bounce off one another to create a saccharine sweet listen; while it remains next to impossible not to add a little hip-wiggle while getting your aural fix on to this one.

It’s truly quite enlightening to see two young, burgeoning artists use their respective artistic mediums to get behind such a worthy and noble cause. Caroline describes this collaboration as a “celebration and recognition of all the ladies out there that were told they were ‘too this’ and ‘not enough that.’ This is for all of the mamas out there busting their asses and all of the girls and women out there that make us proud to hold a microphone”, While Lizzo added: “We’re liberating ourselves as women in this industry and as citizens in this industry and as human beings, and we’re so excited to be able to share that with everybody. When we made “Let ‘Em Say” it was so gratifying, because the song is everything we had been trying to get off of our chest.” Both performers will invest in their vision by donating a portion of the proceeds from this syrupy pop burner to the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota through a “Pay What You Can” on Bandcamp here, so why not do a little bit of good in this world and throw a few bucks to a pair of incredibly talented, altruistic and uber bad-ass musicians to start your week. Stream “Let ‘Em Say” above for the perfect Monday pick me up, and if you missed our lovely interview with Caroline Smith back in February, let her charm your socks off here while you listen.

[Show Preview/Denver Giveaway] Caroline Smith – Hi-Dive, 2/7

Posted by Matthew Bloss - February 3, 2014

Oh how we love to talk about our favorite artists whilst being able to hook up our amazing contingency of Music Ninjas with some perks in the process. Singer/songwriter Caroline Smith has seen a consistent musical symbiosis take place over the last few years; from early in her artistic career being embraced by the indie/folk community before recently being the focal point of one of our favorite press quotes of the year by the Star Tribune: “Goodbye, sweet, cuddly indie-folk songbird. Hello, sexy, glam R&B singer”. Her last LP Half About Being a Woman released back in October, and we just could not manage to shake those beautiful tunes for months afterwards, especially our personal favorite “Magazine” (which you can and should stream the Audiotree session for below). So in advance of Caroline Smith’s impending Half About a Woman album release tour, which kicks off in just three days, we wanted to team up for another ticket giveaway for our Denver family!

Caroline Smith invades one of our absolute favorite rock-bars in the Mile-High City, The Hi-Dive, this Friday, February 7 and we’d love to get you a pair of tix to the show. Entering is beyond easy. Just fill out the mailing list form below, “like” the Caroline Smith and The Music Ninja Facebook pages, and we’ll contact you via e-mail. There are a few rules, of course:
– You must be 21 or over to enter.
– You are responsible for transportation.
– You must bring a valid form of ID to pick up your tickets at the door.
– You must shout “I Love The Music Ninja” upon entry.

Good luck, ninjas!

Be sure to be on the lookout as we had the chance to sit down with the super-talented artist over the weekend and will run her full interview in the coming days. Check out the rest of the tour dates for Caroline Smith’s U.S. tour and stream the Audiotree Session of her track “Magazine” after the jump!

Continue reading →