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="Ásgeir"/] Rarely do we come across musicians like Ásgeir who encapsulate such emotion & stunning power in their music. With his potential album-of-the-year debut, In the Silence, dropping in North America next week, it won't be long until this Icelandic singer is one of the biggest new artists of 2014. We can't say enough about his debut, in fact at the end of the year, expect to see this album sitting atop our lists. It's simply brilliant and one of the best debut's we've ever heard. [do action="big-player-server" thepostid="42700" artist="Ásgeir" title="Going Home" filelink="/hd_uploads/songs/07 - Going Home.mp3"/] [do action="big-player-server" thepostid="42700" artist="Ásgeir" title="In Harmony" filelink="/hd_uploads/songs/09 - In Harmony.mp3"/] [do action="big-player-server" thepostid="42700" artist="Ásgeir" title="On That Day" filelink="/hd_uploads/songs/10 - On That Day.mp3"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="MANSIONAIR"/] As far as debut tracks go, it really doesn't get much better than "Hold Me Down" by Sydney duo, Mansionair. The dual musical talents of Lachlan Bostock and Alex Nicholls mesmerize as the flickering percussion and minimalist electronic distortions lay the foundation for the aurally arresting vocal track courtesy of Revier frontman, Jack Frogatt. The distinctive guitar picking in "Hold Me Down" gives the track an air of Darkside about it, yet with a much sunnier disposition. If Nicholas Jaar and Dave Harrington spent their formative years growing up on the beaches of Australia, then this would be the type of music they would be churning out, and that's a testament to just how great this single is. We look forward to seeing what else Mansionair has to offer in 2014. - written by Luke Widmer [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="41054" artist="MANSIONAIR" title="Hold Me Down ft. Revier" id="125386766" link="http://soundcloud.com/mansions-2/hold-me-down-revier"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="Nick Leng"/] Nick Leng is a South African-born producer whose music manages to straddle the line between indie-electronic sounds and the hip-hop inspired beats that have been enjoying some massive popularity these days. His breakout track, "Crawled Out of the Sea", has a near-perfect balance of smooth textures and light synths, and the drops pull everything together with just the right amount of punch to keep the composition diverse and engaging from start to finish. Nick is just now starting to build steam, but if the reception he's gotten on his music so far is any indication of what the future holds for his career as a producer, then expect to see a lot more of him in the coming months and years. This is definitely somebody to keep on your radar. - written by Chris Danks [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="41456" artist="Nick Leng" title="Crawled Out of the Sea" id="102272525" link="http://soundcloud.com/nick-leng/crawled-out-of-the-sea"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="Mar"/] The Dutch singer, Mar, is just getting started, but listen to those vocal chords do their thing in his newest single,"Man X Woman", and it's instantly obvious that this kid is going to have a long and successful career ahead of him. The track itself is house inspired, but when it's combined with Mar's huge range, the finished product is both refreshingly unique, and deeply impressive. "Man X Woman" has only been out for a little over three weeks, but the play count on SoundCloud alone sailed past the quarter-of-a-million mark days ago, and it doesn't look like the the enthusiastic response is going to be tapering off any time soon. When an artist lands on a sound that does this well with the listeners, and the music is itself sophisticated enough to stand the test of time, you know you have a future star on your hands. - written by Chris Danks [do action="big-player-soundcloud" thepostid="41709" artist="Mar" title="Man x Woman " id="128376296" link="http://soundcloud.com/bdmnr/mar-man-x-woman"/] [do action="sub-heading" title="Hollow & Akimbo"/] The golden boys of Ann Arbor, Michigan are looking to make 2014 their own as they ready the world for the release of their self-titled debut LP next month. Jonathan Visger took time out from his extensive, yet equally excellent solo project, Absofacto, to join forces with childhood friend Brian Konicek to create an imposing force of indie-pop that is now known as Hollow & Akimbo. Last year saw the release of their Pseudoscience EP, from which we featured the vigorous single "Solar Plexus", and we were instantly hooked when we listened to it. The love affair continued as they offered us a first taste of the new album earlier this month with "Singularity", too, and we were swooned by the refined sound, the faultless vocals, and a production that had a stadium-esque grandeur to it. If the work is any indication of what is to come, then we are all in for a treat when the LP drops on February 11th. written by Luke Widmer [do action="big-player-server" thepostid="42101" artist="Hollow & Akimbo" title="Singularity" filelink="/hd_uploads/songs/01-hollow_and_akimbo-singularity.mp3"/]
Best New Artists of the Month