Album Archives

Call Me Ace – “Out Of Office”

Ace Patterson is a double agent. A white-collar employee by day hacking away at spreadsheets, but come nighttime he transforms into Call Me Ace. Occasionally his Jamaican side emerges in the form of his double-entendred alter-ego High Grade. Balancing all these different versions of himself is a common theme in his music. An astonishingly prolific writer, Ace’s brand new record “Out Of Office” is his THIRD album released during the pandemic. Where does the man find the time? Covering a myriad of socio-cultural topics drawn from his own life experiences, “Out Of Office” addresses the lack of diversity and equity in the workplace, mental health problems, the first-generation immigrant’s dilemma and the challenges of building generational wealth. The cutting first line of the opening track says it all: Less than 8 percent get the jobAnd out of that3 percent of ‘em sort of look like me2 percent from the same […]

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The Familiar – “Shelter”

The Familiar’s music often sounds ominous, but nothing bad really ever happens. Just the glow of slow-burning embers softly illuminating the darkness. Out this week, their debut full-length album “Shelter” is itself a long-form crescendo. Starting with the dark and brooding “Spectre”, the record slowly unfolds into the light culminating with the ethereal release of the lead single, “Everything”. The song’s vivid imagery romanticizes life in a remote, frigid landscape where the complications of city life are rendered numb by the cold: Rawest simple thingsBread, water, museMagical and undefinedSparkling the faint daylight Simpler herePhone frozen unusedWatching bus headlightsTrained on snowy hues Since their chance encounter above the Arctic Circle in Norway, the transatlantic duo has taken their time to meticulously craft their music exactly the way they want it. Ruth Mirsky’s sultry vocals provide a perfect complement to the dark, pulsating synthesizers and cinematic orchestral elements of Tromsø-born producer Mads […]

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Chris Mann – “NOISE”

As covered in a recent LA Times feature, Chris Mann is an impressively multifaceted talent. You might remember him from his stint on “The Voice”, or perhaps his starring role in Phantom Of The Opera, or most recently from his viral parody videos which entertained millions worldwide. But none of that holds a candle to Chris’s amazing new Pop/R&B record “Noise”. “I was inspired to create a new sound for “Noise” that really encompasses what I love most about pop music— classic, hooky melodies, urban beats, vintage horns, and honest lyrics that speak to where I am right now in life, love, and the times.” Working with a cadre of incredible talent including Ca$h Clay Beats, India.Arie, Ian Barter, Willy Beaman and Thomas Daniel, this album blends a healthy dose of 90’s throwback R&B a la Justin Timberlake with a ton of other influences pulled from Mann’s diverse musical experiences. […]

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TruRebel Migs – “Lust, Love & War – Detox & Quarantine | Part 1”

Like so many kids growing up poor in the NYC projects, two clear options were laid before Miguel Cespedes, better known as TruRebel Migs. Pursue a life of crime in the streets, or plan an escape route through music. And it was the latter which brought this brilliant young rapper out to Los Angeles to record his EP “Lust, Love & War – Detox & Quarantine | Part 1”. From the very first hit of the opening track “Needs” you immediately get drawn into a dark, swirling vortex with a bit of a menacing vibe. With lyrical themes of sex, drugs, violence and street life, it’s very much what you’d expect from a rap record. But Migs delivers real emotion in his voice that you can really feel. His elevated sense of phrasing, melody, wordplay and imagery set him apart from most rappers. The production on the record is notable […]

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Trevor Hall – “In And Through The Body”

“In And Through The Body”, the brilliant new record by Trevor Hall invokes self-examination by exploring themes such as struggle, growth, and redemption. Produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, the War on Drugs, Hiss Golden Messenger) this album sees him taking bold chances with his music while staying true to his core values. Hall uses a palette of genres that span from folk, roots-rock and electronic, all with a consistent wash of authentic far-Eastern influence. “As an artist I’ve always received songs about abstract things. One of the reasons that I love music so much is that I can enter any world, and sometimes I’d write about things that I couldn’t explain in words but were a feeling. I would tend to push away human emotions because I thought they weren’t as worthy as these abstract states. But this album is called “In And Through The Body”. It’s about entering […]

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BAILE – “Forth”

Brooklyn-based artist Reed Kackley, best known under his moniker BAILE, brings forth a deep dive into the hard-hitting world of electronic music with his brand new EP entitled “Forth”. The record is a melancholy mixture of boomy analog synths, lush vocals and organic instrumentation set to driving, percussive dance beats. Inspired by house, downtempo and experimental music, Kackley’s elegantly layered compositions blend together foley recordings with warm analog synthesizers and lush vocal performances from artists like Felicia Douglass (Dirty Projectors, Ava Luna) and K. Marie Kim (Mitski). In addition to his original work, BAILE has prolifically collaborated on some epic remixes with artists such as Sasha, Beacon, DRAMA, Tim Green and boerd. He’s also one half of the duo Haulm, who we’re also fortunate to rep one-stop for sync. His music has frequently received airplay from KCRW, Pete Tong & Danny Howard (BBC Radio 1), and been written up in […]

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No Suits – “Sex”

The new sophmore EP by Los Angeles locals No Suits, unsubtly titled “Sex”, is a distinct contrast to their debut EP “Virgin”. Marking a sort of end to their sonic puberty, their evolution from downtempo indie soul pop to confident and punchy funk-hop took form in the making of the new EP throughout the last year. The band’s unique sound comes from a tasteful blending of an indie psych-rock vibe a la Tame Impala with throwback elements from classic hip hop, soul, rock, funk and jazz. The result is music with a pervasive smooth swagger to it, which is likely the key to much of their recent sync success. The lead single off the record “Sue” has achieved over 2.6 million plays on Spotify and was featured in a segment with Brad Pitt for NFL on Fox. Their 2019 single “Clothes Off” has been in spots for MINI Cooper and […]

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Deep Dive: Jackson Boone – “Natural Changes”

It’s pretty likely you’ve never heard of Jackson Boone. He lives a fairly low key life managing a vegan juice bar tucked away all the way up in the top left corner of the country, while also quietly making stunningly gorgeous records. The song we’re highlighting today is the title track to Jackson’s album “Natural Changes”, a timeless psych-folk ballad with lush strings that is tailor-made for a bittersweet cinematic montage. Recorded at Cannon Beach along the Oregon coast with producer Riley Geare of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, “Natural Changes” is rich with vivid imagery of the Pacific coastal setting where it was conceived. Despite touching on heavy subject matter like death and passing into the unknown, the song remains light and dreamy with that small touch of levity Jackson often weaves into his songwriting. The string arrangement throughout is subtle and understated, elevating what would otherwise be a somewhat somber […]

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The Kickdrums – “Blurred Colors”

Alex Fitts, widely known under his moniker/band name The Kickdrums, is a bit of a wizard. With one foot firmly in shoegaze indie rock and the other in the mainstream hip hop world, Alex has made a name for himself by effortlessly blending these two seemingly incompatible genres together as few others can. With their brand new album Blurred Colors with features by rappers R.A. The Rugged Man and Blu, the Kickdrums are back in full force. Standout single “Sunshine Guy” has electro-pop Big Data sensibilities, and it feels especially relevant with the refrain, “All these days are blurring together.” They suuure are. Over the past 15 years, The Kickdrums have shared the stage with revered indie rock acts such as Miike Snow, The Walkmen, Andrew W.K. and Miguel. As a producer, Alex has worked with artists like 50 Cent, Kid Cudi, Freddie Gibbs, A$AP Rocky and Lana Del Rey, […]

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Orrin – “No Adlib”

Orrin is a strange dude. A self-described “collective conscious and cyborg sent by a higher civilization to warn humans about the incoming apocalypse”, Orrin exclusively speaks using plural pronouns. They claim to use music as a vehicle to spread their message about disease, famine, environmental disaster and the overall impending apocalypse. Oh, and of course he went on Dr. Phil. Regardless of who or what Orrin really is, there is undeniable musical talent hidden within. “HARLEY”, the first single off his upcoming full length album NO ADLIB, is a hard-hitting alternative hip hop track merging early 2000’s rock sonics with the modern “punch-in” flow made popular by Rico Nasty and Lil Uzi Vert. The rest of the album is loud, bassy, brash and absolutely filthy. We have the clean mixes, but honestly it won’t make much of a difference. If you’re looking for raw and unique alternative rap, WE got […]

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