Within the endless current of new music, it’s difficult for anyone to keep up with all that’s coming out. To combat this ongoing influx of sound, we publish our “Best New Artists of the Month” articles in the hopes that you never miss out on the outstanding new artists emerging in recent times. [do action="sub-heading" title="Years & Years"/] London-based electro-pop outfit, Years & Years, has been at the forefront of our minds this year with the release of their latest EP, Real. Back in January, we were given our first taste of the new material with the lead title track. It was a vivacious assault of energetic 60’s soul, brought into this new generation with the help of deft electronic proficiency. Our next course was served by way of “Eyes Shut”, the second single to come from the EP. Whereby the first single was vigorous and sprightly, this new track took a different, yet equally impressive direction. The musical elements remain muted in the background, effectively creating a subdued vehicle for lead singer Olly to flex his vocal muscle before the percussion kicks in halfway through to bring the song home. To date, we have adored everything this trio has produced, and we can’t wait to see what else they can come up with. -written by Like Widmer [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="45695" artist="Years & Years" title="Eyes Shut" id="135634404" link="http://soundcloud.com/yearsandyears/eyes-shut-1"/] [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="42418" artist="Years & Years" title="Real" id="129483465" link="http://soundcloud.com/kitsune-maison/years-years-real-original-mix"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="Vaisle"/] We’re not sure what’s up with the pattern of artists and producers making quick ascents into popularity, and then fading as quickly away. We’ve seen it more than we’d like to, but because the individuals have given us anything at all to enjoy, perhaps we’d be better off appreciating the contents of their craft, rather than lamenting over their potential banishment from existence, however surprising and unannounced. Ella Vaisle (vaisle) is perhaps our most iconic example of the aforementioned trend, having manifested out of nowhere earlier in the year to provide us with two outrageously infections instrumentals in “Your Side” and “More for Less”. Each were the kind of efforts able to propel the young producer into future stardom, and the fact that she came swinging out of the gates so strongly with her sound was testament to her innate appeal. It's highly unfortunate then that's she's since disappeared, but we hope she’ll surface again soon enough, and with her presence, her ever-engaging instrumental works. -written by Taylor Rummel [do action="big-player-server" thepostid="45006" artist="Vaisle" title="Your Side" filelink="/hd_uploads/songs/vaisle - your side.mp3"/] [do action="big-player-server" thepostid="44600" artist="Vaisle" title="More Or Less" filelink="/hd_uploads/songs/Vaisle - More for Less.mp3"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="Shura"/] While Shura is landing a spot on our “Best New Artists” list, she isn’t necessarily a rookie to the music world. The London-born songstress has been involved in a few notable releases in the past, as well as officially releasing three songs with producer, Hiatus. However, Shura decided that she's ready to fully embrace her own style, and our adoration for her instantly compelling release, “Touch”, leads us to fully support her decision to go solo. Shura’s sound can most accurately be described as smooth; her delicate utilization of synths revives halcyon vibes from pop sounds of the past, and the polished production behind her brings a new, fresh feel. Her own captivating croon over the downtempo percussion carries her sound into the realm of R&B, but while many R&B efforts end up sounding similar, Shura separates herself with her ability to continuously vary her instrumentation and still maintain a constant feel throughout the entire piece. Our first glimpse of Shura’s new work has left us ecstatic for her future offerings. -written by Cole Ryan [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="44926" artist="Shura" title="Touch" id="133509917" link="http://soundcloud.com/shura/shura-touch"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="ZHU"/] First it was "anonymous", then it was "Z", and then it was "ZHU". This mysterious producer has been tricke-feeding us information about his identity for the past couple of weeks now, but despite our lack of knowledge about the man himself, you can't agrue with the quality of his music. His first release was met with almost instant acclaim from almost every major music blog on the web, and his follow-up track did something even more surprising, replicating that same positive reaction. There's no question that ZHU's unveiling was orchestrated down to the last detail, and so his success may not be as unprecedented as the others on this list, but his music has finesse, and it looks as though he has a bright future ahead of him. -written by Chris Danks [do action="big-player-server" thepostid="45617" artist="ZHU" title="Moves Like Ms Jackson (Outkast Cover)" filelink="/hd_uploads/songs/Moves Like Ms Jackson..mp3"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="Ed Thomas"/] When writing about an artist as great as Ed Thomas, it's hard not to descend into hyperbole. Much like the first fleeting moments of a new love, you just want to scream of your infatuation to all who will listen. Similar notions were felt here at the Hillydilly camp as we were introduced to this incredible London artist. As he released single after astonishing single, we were waiting for the inevitable missstep (I mean, no one can continually hit this level of excellence, can they?!). Then came the release of his Outlaws EP, which quashed any reservations we had about him as an unparalleled artist. We were floored with this near-perfect collection of thoughtful, electronically styled R&B. And not only was the EP amazing, but Thomas released it as a free download from his website. What more could we want? -written by Like Widmer [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="45377" artist="Ed Thomas" title="Outlaws" id="134050381" link="http://soundcloud.com/edthomasartist/outlaws"/] [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="41730" artist="Ed Thomas" title="On My Own" id="128412153" link="http://soundcloud.com/edthomasartist/on-my-own-1"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="RKCB"/] RKCB only has one song out right now, but that's precisely why they've made it onto to our top new artists of the month list. Thier inagural song, "Comatose" ,was a complete surprise, and the fit and finish its sound displayed was on par with groups that have been doing it a lot longer than RKCB has. Comprised of producer Riley Knapp and vocalist Casey Barth, this duo is well on their way to a succsessful career in experimental R&B, and if their future releases are anything like this one, then consider us excited. We were one of the only ones who found this track right when it was taking off, but with the warm reception RKCB has been getting so far, you can bet we won't be the only ones keeping an eye on these two later on. -written by Chris Danks [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="46000" artist="RKCB" title="Comatose" id="135683857" link="http://soundcloud.com/rkcbmusic/comatose"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="Maudlin Strangers"/] Maudlin Strangers is the alias for Jake Hays, but listen to his breakout track, "Overdose", and you'd have an easier time believing Maudlin Strangers was a five-piece professional band, rather than a lone wolf recording everything out of his bedroom in Agora Hills, California. Yet, despite what the sound would have you believe, this is exactly that, the product of a very talented producer and vocalist who makes music that challeges preconceived notions about what can and can't be accomplished when you're working just down the hall from the kitchen. "Overdose" is a big, sweeping song that defies its humble roots, and it has earned Maudlin Strangers a well-deserved spot on this month's edition of our list. -written by Chris Danks [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="46289" artist="Maudlin Strangers" title="Overdose" id="135968858" link="http://soundcloud.com/maudlinstrangers/overdose"/]
Best New Artists of the Month