Earlier this year, I discovered talented young popster Quinton Cochran. At only 18 years old, his vocal talents and song-writing finesse will be sure to put him in line to be then next big teen pop star hailing from Canada. Anyone who loves romantic singer-songwriter pop will definitely appreciate this find!
Follow Quinton’s journey on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
LA-based vocalist MOONZz has impressed us with her first 2017 release “Navigator,” and blown us away with her recently re-imagined version featuring production by New Zealand’s SACHI. “Home” adds the summer, pool-side sparkle to an already strong vocal track with popping synths and an up beat melody. This paired with the sultry feel of MOONZz’s voice has this track slated to be one of the hottest of the summer.
MOONZz shows no sign of slowing down between building a four piece band for her upcoming Summer and Fall tour and working on her 2nd EP, due this Fall. With collaborations including Khamsin, STINT, SRNO, Netsky, Armin Cekin and more to be featured on the upcoming EP, this vocalist is on our top watch list. Avoid missing what MOONZz has to offer by streaming here or purchasing via iTunes here.
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Gabriel Garzón-Montano at The Rickshaw Stop
Saturday May 13, 2017
Following the release of his debut full-length album Jardín (see our review here) in January, it was only a matter of time before Gabriel Garzón-Montano shared his creation with fans in person. After kicking off his tour to start the month of May, Garzón-Montano introduced himself to San Francisco’s music scene at the Rickshaw Stop this past Saturday. The sold-out crowd enjoyed 75 minutes of passionate soul-baring as Gabriel gave the crowd his all.
With the help of drummer David Frazier, Gabriel Garzón-Montano delivered an incredible musical experience in the intimate, hazy ambiance of the Rickshaw Stop. Highlights included GGM’s sensual crooning on “Six-Eight”, and the funky vibes of popular song “Crawl”. He relied heavily upon a participatory audience during the show, one that was very excited to engage in clapping, snapping, and singing along to Gabriel’s call-and-responses. Furthermore attendees were delightfully treated to a bilingual set. After interlacing a song or two in Spanish throughout his repertoire, Gabriel’s encore was nearly entirely in Spanish with the exception of first track “Bombo Fabrika”.
Garzón-Montano took us through a musical journey of his entire discography, and then some. With his masterfully-crafted music and soulful approach to showmanship, we continue to have high expectations for this artist in the future.
Future tour dates can be found here— don’t miss a chance to see Gabriel Garzón-Montano live! Continue reading
Musical identity is a nebulous concept that has a significant impact on how listeners interpret, relate to, and appreciate music. It is an amalgamation of many characteristics–only one of which is the sound itself. It determines how we categorize and, often, immortalize musicians (i.e. Biggie and Tupac forever enshrined as icons of a classic era in hip-hop). The release of a debut album is an artist’s single best opportunity to assert their artistic persona–a musical first impression is as important as any. Take Kanye West’s The College Dropout, or Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon Pt 1; two hugely popular albums that put soon-to-be breakout stars’ skills and talents on full display. In a similar vein, Gabriel Garzón-Montano’s debut LP, Jardín, is a bold declaration of Garzón-Montano’s ingenuity– one that gives him the potential to be a mainstay of today’s crowded music landscape.
Brooklyn native Garzón-Montano is the son of Colombian and French immigrant parents, and his heritage certainly contributes to his musical identity. He cites his father’s Colombian roots as a source of inspiration. That appreciation of salsa and cumbia manifests itself in the funky and rhythmic nature of several tracks on the album. Garzón-Montano attributes his original love for music to his mother–a classically trained musician who passed those skills down. The two contrasting influences mix beautifully on “Bombo Fabrika,” a track that features cello accompaniment alongside a syncopated groove that subtly commands you to dance. Continue reading
Once again we’ve been fortunate enough to have been graced with new music from American singer/songwriter Ed Prosek. This brilliant new release ‘Shadows’ is beautifully crafted by soft guitar picking, a relaxed drum beat and smooth vocals. Prosek delivers such an essence of comfort, despite reminding us of his story having left California and his home for something, and somewhere new.
Personable and intimate lyrical imagery, such as, ‘crooked smile’ draw us further in as listeners; bridging the gap between us and him, and the music. A liberating release of vocals crafts the powerful chorus, as if he’s letting go of the emotive tension carefully built throughout the heartfelt verses.
Elements of folk break through the piece, resembling some of his older music and initial stylistic features. However, rather than singing of a longing for home, ‘Shadows’ focuses on elements of acceptance, and conveys love for a city, time and a moment in life.
The bridge section is musically diminished to almost nothing, driven by a delicate guitar and piano section, before rising dramatically into an awesome final chorus: a stylistic element typical of Prosek’s songwriting.
Developing on the success of his EP ‘Truth’, released earlier this year, Ed has been spread across European radios and featured on Apple Music’s ‘Best of the week’, and there’s no wonder his music is increasingly gaining traction both online and live. He will be touring Germany throughout November, and we can expect an anticipated EP release due next Spring!
Hearing something for the first time is great, but how good is re-hearing something that you forgot existed for 9 months? That’s magic. How did it come up again? We don’t know. But it did. And it’s glorious. The throwback is real, and today we’re throwing it back to a song released by an artist named Nicole Dollanganger whose innovation is welcomed by us time and time again.
Nicole Dollanganger has been releasing completely angelic music for the last few years and we’re happy to see her getting some more spotlight. Her release “Chapel” is especially representative of some of Dollanganger’s most enjoyable artistic characteristics—her vocal and lyrical talents. With a voice that possesses its own dialed-in breathy reverb that any artist strives to attain strictly in the studio, Dollanganger showcases her blessedly-toned voice in conjunction with some of our favorite lyrics she’s released yet with this release.
A song for the tragic, “Chapel” has lyrics that impart a kind of emotional gravity on the listener that they might not have been ready for, and we’re fans of songs that can move like that. One of our favorite lines comes at the end of the sorrow-stricken chorus: “You know I don’t love anyone, but I love you.” Wow. That’s real. Nicole Dollanganger makes us feel. We can say that for certain. Oh, and let us not forget– our favorite superstar Grimes is a big fan of her, too. She brought her on to her Eerie project pretty much before anyone else, and anyone who’s a friend of Grimes is most certainly a friend to us.
Australian-based producer and vocalist Yates is set to release his debut EP Mercury tomorrow and our ears are perked. He released the first single off the EP that shares its name a few days ago, and we’re thankful for the taste he gave us. “Mercury” serves as a strong first big release for Yates, an artist whose sound reminds us of a James Blake and Sam Smith musical child, and if such an operation exists that creates those children, can we have more please?
His sound is a take on the electro-R&B genre that soared with Blake, but with a heavier focus on pop vocals, and it’s really a winning combination. The producing is finessed, and that shows especially in his tasteful use of live symbols and piano in the song. It’s a star track that displays an aesthetic that can be difficult to achieve—catchy but relaxing, and upliftingly deep. With a relatively small following at the moment, Yates is sure to send himself into the sights of many, many more.
