Music

Tiny Danza: You Could Have It All…

It's not an understatement to call Tiny Danza's You Could Have it All... one of the most accessible and vibrant hip-hop album I've encountered in years. Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, this six-year old group traverses a variety of genres from hip-hop, dance to r&b. With musical influences like The Roots, Led Zeppelin, Donny Hathaway, Michael Jackson and The Beatles, it's not a surprise that the group's new album is a plethora of polished tunes and potent lyricism.

MJMJ Records: Back in Bizniss

MJMJ Records is a small "cassette label" that love to deliver eclectic, home spun music to their audience. The label is made up of friends Andy and Charlie. Both are currently based in LA and building up the record from scratch after suffering through some setbacks. Back in Bizniss, as the title implies, is a celebratory compilation of sorts. After a near shutdown, MJMJ (Two Michael Jordans) is moving forward and continuing their foray into the indie music world by creating a great compilation. It's filled with music from various indie bands and musicians that are worth checking out.

Diner House: Selections from the Diner House Family Bands

Not much is offered online about this project except for the fact that it's the first installation in a compilation and features some really beautiful songs from talented artists. Composed of 10 selections from amazing artists, Selections from the Diner House Family Bands, is a tasty sandwich of punk, alternative, folk, and acoustic that offer up a real treat. It offers music from bands such as Wood Spider, Whale, Whale, Whale, Michael Ditrio, Hyena, and The Rotten Jazz Quartet among many others.

Karma Tree: Sleepium

Karma Tree mostly sounds like a Swedish version of Vampire Weekend. Although occasionally they venture out and mix alternative and sugar pop, it's hard to deny that the boys have a knack for the indie sound. Sleepium is the full length debut for the trio. It was recorded late 2009 and released the following year. Much of the songs on here showcase the band's penchant of mixing everything up, they can easily go from pop with bright twinkly guitars, to heavy metal sounding riffs and even boyband sounding beats.

Ghastly Menace: Pitcairn

Although indie bands are abundant these days, occasionally you'll find a group that deserves all the hype they're getting. Ghastly Menace is one of these groups. Composed of Andrew Schroeder and Christopher Geick (formerly of They Found Me, They Named Me;) the duo set their sights in creating a wonderfully melodic and entertainingly sweet indie pop band. Pitcairn is their first EP. It contains 5 songs that clock in at less than 3 minutes each but filled with some gorgeous and catchy beats that makes you want to leave it on loop for a long time.

Fola: Go

Singer/songwriter Fola is ready to take over your playlists with pure flavor. In his latest mixtape Go, the young Londoner devours on unlimited dosages of pop, soul, and r&b. Set to make his mark on the music scene, Fola started crafting his music at the young aged of 11 by joining talent competitions around London. In 2007, he entered in the tv show The X-Factor and toured with Grammy Award nominated singer Josh Groban for his Awake UK Tour. Since then, Fola has been working with talented producers, songwriters and vocal arrangers including Maleek Berry, DDark, J Warner, Davidb, and SOS to name a few.

DFRNT: Actaeon EP

Continuing on with their bevy of strong releases, Cut Music debuts their tenth compilation album. This time it's from Scottish producer DFRNT. Known for his minimalistic style, the artist has created a record that includes 3 originals and 2 remixes. Actaeon EP comes with a collection of 5 tracks that resonate with cryptic drum and bass that ebbs and flows beautifully. Coupled with the occasional vocal sample and ethnic instrumentation, the record is a moody compilation that crosses boundaries.

POPCULT: POPCULT EP

Once in a while , you come across a band that you just know has that special sound that could make it big if given the right amount of exposure. Popcult is one such band. This four piece crew is comprised of Justin Renaud, Tyler Venter, Alex Halvorson and Brandon Proff. Discreetly titled, 2011, this is the first EP for the group and they're offering it for free in exchange for an email address. It's a pretty good deal since you get a great set of polished indie pop rock tracks that's charming and easy to listen to.

Manther: Manther

Is there anything better than old school beats transformed into modern day awesomeness? Yes, some of the tracks on this one great release might take you straight back to the 80s, but believe me, in some strange way Manther has done an outstanding job in bringing the funky sounds all the way to 21st century. The group composed of Erich McVey, Mitch Morris and Kevan Hanson, has created its own world "where neon is the new black, tank tops are formal wear, and flip up sunglasses are standard issue," so of course we are more than happy to have them here!