Emerging from the Perth music scene is Braves, a four-piece band that operates around the lo-fi, dream pop genre. The band has gained to comparison to other acts such as Cloud Nothings and Beach Fossils.
Dubbed by BBC as “The Manila band most likely to cross over to the lucrative Anglophone market of North America”, Up Dharma Down (UDD as they are called by their legions of fans) is among the heavyweights of the music industry back in its hometown Philippines. If you are just wondering how big UDD is, just imagine this – they have opened for big time foreign bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Bloc Party, The xx, Tegan and Sara, among many others. This is proof of their ability to draw crowds everywhere they play and the trust given to them by many concert producers to open for bands with much more accomplished resumes.
We will never run out of new bands to discover and new music to try. With the great number of bands breaking musical boundaries, the number of new genres are also staggering. Meet Scowler, a band who self-decribes their sound as “Milwaukee non-denominational hardcore”. But can we all agree that amidst all these new multi-hyphenated genres, all good music will just be defined as what it really is? Good music.
Grammy-awardee Gregory Porter is a force to reckon with in the world of jazz and R&B music. Want proof? His latest release, Liquid Spirit, won the 2014 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album. This LA-born and California-bred grew up as a football player until a shoulder injury sidelined his future as an athlete. Bad luck on his young self but good news for jazz aficionados out there as this little bend in the corner gave us this crafty and soulful singer.
Canadian indie-rock band Stars has been around since 2000 and they show no sign of slowing down as they release a new five-track No One Is Lost Tour EP. It is hard to believe that it has been more than a decade since the band’s breakout album Set Yourself on Fire. Their latest EP is a tight collection showing the band’s dance-y and electronica side.
Performing since 2010, singer-songwriter Ray Brown hails from Salem, New York. Canyon is the first release from the artist and it’s been described as a sandwich of fun and tragedy at the same time.
Containing 12-tracks, Brown’s genre of choice is acoustic folk but he manages to extend and incorporate a little bit of alternative and country to the mix as well.
With already a number of releases under his belt, Derek Clegg returns to our blog with another set of tracks in, Life Unfolds, which was originally released in 2012. Much of his previous works have been featured here on Frostclick as well, including his debut album KJC which has reached more than 100,000 downloads since it first grazed the pages of the blog.
Based in Mexico, Breathe Compilations has long been a haven of eclectic electronica and dark, dub waves.
The label has been around since 2008 and they've become a platform for several releases; offering them all for free download under a Creative Commons License.
Ivan Black's Genuit Machina EP consists of 4 tracks that paint ethereal and dark soundscapes; making you feel as if you're walking through a dark, slightly menacing, tunnel in the middle of the night.
After discovering Aaahhh Records two years ago, (Uniform Motion's Pictures was one the first reviews I did for the blog) they've definitely come a long way. They've added great acts to their roster and continue to deliver some of the most amazing indie folk compilations available. And yes, they're still offering everything absolutely free!
Chuck Morgan is the newest addition to their lineup and he's definitely got that special touch as well. His self-titled debut EP echoes with a beautiful sonic presence. Armed with an acoustic guitar and gorgeous melodies, it's a record that's a potential staple on your playlist.