Welcome to our sixteenth installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New Music Reportmagazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio.
“If You Love Me”
Pop
Commingling purring, soulful vocals with French cabaret and Spanish instrumental influences (notice the castanets), Auad gives more gusto and creativity than would be expected from an artist under the bland title of pop. RIYL: Amanda Palmer, Nou Non Plus, Plastiscines
“Image of Chicago”
Electronic pop
This cutesy indie pop takes good direction from their electronic influences, making them sound like they traded their acoustic guitars in for synths. Simple lyrics and a tinge of emotionality brings more versatility yet stays within the indie spectrum. RIYL: Postal Service, Moldy Peaches, Casual Women
Welcome to our fifteenth installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New Music Reportmagazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio.
“Changing Faces”
Hard Rock
The strength of Sicarus’s “Changing Faces” lies not in its blistering guitar solos or insane bass pedal pumping, but in contrasting them with a powerful opening (and recurring) vocal riff. RIYL: Mastodon, Rise Against, Saosin
“Crown Me”
Hip-hop
Sampling the opening riff of Beethoven’s Edgemont Overture is an educated and compelling move that will go over most heads, but works brilliantly in this boisterous young rapper’s favor. RIYL: Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, Jay Electronica
“Grand Theft Auto (GTA)”
Hip-hop
The title says it all. This track is pulsing with a beat that generates enough adrenaline to take on the street racing, police helicopter evasion, gang wars, and girls described in the lyrics. Let’s see the 5.0 try and keep up with this! RIYL: The Game, Young Jeezy, Lloyd Banks
Welcome to our fourteenth installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New Music Reportmagazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio.
“Call and Response”
Alt Country Channel
Four-part harmonies and pulsing bass put the heart in this up-tempo tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, eliciting strong sympathy with its driving melody and lush vocals. RIYL: Jayhawks, Old 97s, Fleetwood Mac
“Reminiscin’”
Alternative Hip-Hop Channel
Acoustic guitars paired with funky beats keep Lady Maverick’s solid rhymes about her African roots and old-school hip-hop fresh and emotional, while still allowing the girl some serious street cred. RIYL: Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Bacci
“It is going to be your darkest day”
Folk Channel
Lunga has a talent for the subtle and offbeat whispers of somber darkness that feel introspective without toeing the “woe is me” line. This is tender, dark folk done right. RIYL: Devendra Banhart, She And Him, Joni Mitchell
Welcome to our twelth installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New Music Reportmagazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio.
“What I Want”
Indie Rock Channel
Opening with a somber “working on the railroad” feel, this track hovers between an antiquated version of “Another Brick In The Wall (Part Two)” and an early 1900s jailbreak song all set to a catchy beat for the modern listener. RIYL: Rasmus, Mute Math, Hush Sound
“At The Gates”
Folk Channel
A mixture of folk and blues with southern vocals, Secret Handshake’s sound boasts an obvious yet endearing influence of hometown Nashville, Tennessee. RIYL: Bird And The Bee, Emiliana Torrini, Jenny Lewis
“Yahala”
Heavy Rock Channel
Timer’s epic track cracks the nine-minute mark, chronicling the nervous anxiety before entering war, as well as the brutality of the fight itself, through guttural screams and layered guitars. RIYL: Isis, Agalloch, Thrice
Welcome to our eleventh installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New Music Reportmagazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio.
“Nothing”
Indie-Pop Channel
The San Jose based trio is fronted by guitarist Angie T, who sings softly over pulsing guitar chords and heightening drum lines on “Nothing,” giving Grace Slick a solid run for her money. RIYL: Jefferson Airplane, She Keeps Bees, Cat Power WEB: http://www.myspace.com/thestarsmisplaced
“The Gilded Cage”
Electronic Channel
As they take turns on the mic, the husband and wife duo makes music that teeters between atmospheric, moody art rock, and infectious dancey rock ’n’ roll. RIYL: Placebo, Radiohead, Metric WEB: http://www.tangemeenie.com/
“Mellow Deep”
Experimental Channel
These minimalistic technoids hail from Poland with just the right amount of abstract groove and beat. RIYL: Ellen Allien, Kraftwerk, Apparat WEB: http://www.myspace.com/baxandallip
Welcome to our sixteenth installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New Music Report magazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio.
