Video Premiere: Elle Varner feat. J. Cole “Only Wanna Give It To You”
October 4th, 2011Up-and-coming singer, “soulwriter” and musician Elle Varner premieres her video for her buzzed-about single, “Only Wanna Give It To You“ feat. J. Cole – who also makes an appearance. Tonight, Ms. Varner is stopping by BET’s 106 & Park for an exclusive television premiere. We look forward to seeing more from this promising young talent.
New Track: Dessa – “The Beekeeper”
October 4th, 2011
Minneapolis bred singer and rapper Dessa is set to release her sophomore album, Castor, The Twin, tomorrow. The first single off the album is “The Beekeeper,” an orchestral pop ballad with classical sensibilities. This song is made to be on a soundtrack.
Dessa “The Beekeeper” by doomtree
Pre-order Castor, The Twin on Amazon
Next Step September Winner: Tall Black Guy Productions
October 3rd, 2011
We are thrilled to announce our September Next Step Artist Spotlight contest winner! In previous months, we highlighted vocalists Tara Priya and Iman Williams, and this month we have an incredibly talented producer on deck. Congratulations to the Detroit based Tall Black Guy Productions!
Raised on Motown, jazz, and classic hip-hop, the Detroit bred artist eventually made his way to Chicago where he basically owned at a number of beat battles, including Red Bull’s famed Big Tune. Of late, he’s been piling on the accolades with loads of love from Gilles Peterson (including a slot on the most recent Brownswood Bubblers project) to creating the soundtrack for the prestigious Roy Ayers Project trailers.
Below, we have a couple exclusive free downloads – “Sweet Europe,” which dropped a week and a half ago and “The Special,” which we are proud to premiere for you. After that, you’ll find purchase links for two of Tall Black Guy’s most recent projects, one of which is an adaptation of a popular Fela Kuti tune! This guy is outputting greatness like fire – can’t wait for more.
Tall Black Guy Productions – “Sweet Europe” [MP3]
Tall Black Guy Productions – “The Special” [MP3]
Purchase Tall Black Guy & The Primeridian – Darling Lure on iTunes | Amazon
Purchase Tall Black Guy – Water No Enemy 7″ on Crosstalk
New Release: Sepalot – ‘Chasing Clouds’ + Free MP3
October 3rd, 2011
Munich-based DJ and producer Sebastian Weiss a.k.a. Sepalot doesn’t stick to convention. On his most recent release, Chasing Clouds, he journeys from dance to lo-fi hip hop to atmospheric jazz without skipping a beat. He’s got some tasty features as well, including Fashawn, Ono, Ladi6, Buff1, Hanz Gable, and Esther Adam.
Take a listen to how he mashes up soul, dance, and hip hop on “Changes” with Fashawn – it’s a free download below. After that, check the video for the ambient electronic soul track, “Rainbows.”
Enter our contest to win the album!
Sepalot – “Changes” ft. Fashawn [MP3]
Video: Hindi Zahra – ‘120 Seconds’ on Friends We Love
October 3rd, 2011
In this video on Friends We Love, Moroccan musician Hindi Zahra discusses the influence of her album photographer, Hassan Hajjaj. Sharing a mutual appreciate for color and visuals, Hassan and Hindi bonded, making way for Hassan to inspire Hindi to paint more.
Also, be sure to check out the recent feature on Hindi on the New York Times website!
New Track: Oddisee – “For Certain” ft. Diamond District
October 3rd, 2011
Here’s a treat. Oddisee teams up with his compadres from Diamond District for a vocal version of “Closed After Dark” from his recent Rock Creek Park album. This version is called “For Certain” and features a crazy catchy chorus amidst swinging horns. Always nice to hear a Diamond District collaboration – these dudes go so well together.
