R&B – Page 4 – 7th Level Music

Rochelle Jordan’s new album, “Play with the Changes,” is due April 30th, but she wants to get “Next 2 You” right now (if you’re lucky).

Los Angeles-based artist Rochelle Jordan announces her new album, Play With the Changes, out April 30th on TOKiMONSTA’s Young Art Records, and today presents new single/video, “NEXT 2 YOU.” For Jordan, a desire for sonic expansion has long been embedded into her fusion of futuristic and ancestrally soulful R&B. To hear a Rochelle Jordan song is to absorb a blend of sampledelic 90s pop, vintage UK house and garage, 31st century electronic bangers, airy late night ballads, and progressive hip-hop. On Play With the Changes, Jordan showcases not just her own personal evolution, but a path to pushing sound forward. Produced by KLSH, Machinedrum, and Jimmy Edgar, the album presents her as a modern heir in a lineage of powerhouse vocalists with style and imagination: everyone from Whitney Houston to Celine Dion, Aaliyah to Amerie, Kelis to Mariah Carey.

Following singles “GOT EM” and “ALL ALONG,” “NEXT 2 YOU” is an alluring R&B track backed by a 2-step beat and radiant, celestial synths. The accompanying video was directed by Lissyelle Laricchia. “When KLSH first played me this beat, I thought it was so jarring and unconventional that I fell in love with it,” says Jordan. “It really took me back to the days when I obsessed over Deadmau5 and Artful Dodger, but this was a very futuristic sound I hadn’t quite heard before. It’s as strange as it sounds, as it feels, and is as beautiful and unique as I love for my music to be. As far as the lyrics go, the song is about what it says. I’m trying to get next to you.”

Watch Rochelle Jordan’s Video for “NEXT 2 YOU”

Born in London to British-Jamaican parents, Jordan and her family relocated to the eastside of Toronto in the early ‘90s. Her father, a drummer, encouraged her love of art and instilled an appreciation for Northern soul, and Jamaican reggae and dancehall. Bleeding through the walls of her childhood bedroom, the adolescent Jordan soaked in the record collection of her older brother: funky UK house, nocturnal drum and bass, garage, and all the gospel samples contained therein.

Jordan’s first releases ROJO (2011) and Pressure (2012) revealed an effortlessness to her left-field R&B sound, blending sultriness with grit, confidence and a playful experimental streak. After relocating to LA, Jordan’s career swiftly elevated. She toured with Jessie Ware, collaborated with Childish Gambino(Donald Glover) on his 2014 Grammy-nominated album, Because the Internet, and landed a stint doing voice over work for the Adult Swim show, Black Dynamite, where she appeared in a memorable episode featuring Erykah Badu, Chance the Rapper, and Mel B. of the Spice Girls. Jordan’s first complete statement, 2014’s 1021, produced the acclaimed singles “Lowkey” and “Follow Me.” Pitchfork named the latter one of the most essential post-Drake Toronto tracks, calling 1021 “one of the best Canadian contemporary R&B albums of the last five years.”

After a contemplative period marked by spiritual and artistic growth, Jordan returned with a slew of ethereal soul – collaborations with Jimmy Edgar, Machinedrum, Jacques Greene, and J-E-T-S. It all led up to the radiant
breakthrough that is her new album, Play With the Changes.

Defying categorization to create a project full of slinky, dancefloor-packing burners that channel her U.K. roots, Play With the Changes is reminiscent of Jordan’s childhood nights spent listening to her brother’s 2-step hymns from the other side of the wall. These are songs of experience: grappling with depression, homesickness, and struggles with an industry that rarely has room for true originals – especially ones who write all their own music. But they are unmistakably songs of triumph.
Pre-order / Pre-save Play With the Changes

Listen to “NEXT 2 YOU”

Listen to “ALL ALONG”

Watch Visualizer for “GOT EM”

Play with the Changes Tracklist:
1. LOVE U GOOD
2. GOT EM
3. NEXT 2 YOU
4. ALL ALONG
5. BROKEN STEEL FT. Farrah Fawx
6. COUNT IT
7. ALREADY
8. NOTHING LEFT
9. LAY
10. SOMETHING
11. DANCING ELEPHANTS
12. SITUATION

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Rochelle Jordan’s new single, “All Along,” is out now.

Today, Los Angeles-based Rochelle Jordan returns with “ALL ALONG,” her second single of the year for TOKiMONSTA’s Young Art Records. Following the recently released “GOT EM,” “her most devastating dance floor track to date” (Resident Advisor), “ALL ALONG” is an R&B song tapping into a new jack swing sound. Working again with producers KLSH and Machinedrum, “ALL ALONG” is percussive and lush while showcasing Jordan’s rich and hushed vocals.

“ALL ALONG” initially developed as a love song to someone close to Jordan, but as she continued listening, it transformed into an ode to self-love. “As the song started to close in, I began to get this overwhelming feeling that I was actually speaking to myself. This song felt better to me once I started hearing it as the importance of recognizing your own self as your greatest lover. It’s so easy for us to get caught up searching for someone else to fill our voids, instead of working on us in order to make ourselves whole.”
Listen to Rochelle Jordan’s “ALL ALONG”

Born in London to British-Jamaican parents, Jordan and her family relocated to the eastside of Toronto in the early ‘90s. Her father, a drummer, encouraged her love of art and instilled an appreciation for Northern soul, Jamaican reggae and dancehall, while an adolescent Jordan simultaneously soaked in the record collection of her older brother: funky UK house, nocturnal drum and bass, garage, and all the gospel samples contained therein.

Since relocating from Toronto to LA, Jordan has gone on to tour with Jessie Ware, collaborated with Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) on his 2014 Grammy-nominated album, Because the Internet, and landed a stint doing voice over work for the Adult Swim show, Black Dynamite, where she appeared in a memorable episode featuring Erykah Badu, Chance the Rapper, and Mel B. of the Spice Girls.

“ALL ALONG” and “GOT EM” are Jordan’s first pieces of new music since last year’s single, “Fill Me In,” in addition to collaborations with the likes of Jacques Greene, Machinedrum, Jimmy Edgar, and others.
Stream/Purchase “GOT EM”

Watch visualizer for “GOT EM”

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Aaron Frazer – Introducing…

Aaron Frazer‘s debut album, Introducing…, sounds like it’s played by cats who casually walk into a restaurant where they sometimes have jazz or soul bands play on Friday nights, but are playing on a rare Wednesday evening when they have the good chicken pot pie special, and then are so good that your pot pie becomes cold because you forget to eat it due to being wowed by them.

Introducing… is a sharp R&B / soul record, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys no less, and Frazer’s first solo record. He’s one of The Indications, as in Durand Jones and The Indications, and is known for his falsetto voice, drum chops, and all-around love of soul, love songs, and grooves.

Opening track, “You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby,” with its horn section back-up and lead bass, let you know right away that you’re in for a treat. Frazer’s voice comes out of your speakers like warm maple syrup. “If I Got It (Your Love Brought It),” inspired by a Teamsters slogan, has a groove you can’t escape – nor do you want to do so.

Fuzzy guitars join the party on “Can’t Leave It Alone” as Frazer delivers a verbal smackdown on his lover for treating him bad, yet he knows he can’t walk away from a hot thing. “Bad News” would make Marvin Gaye proud with its bad-ass 1970s groove, jazz flute, and Frazer’s assured vocals that sound so natural that you think he could just roll out of bed and put down a track like it anytime he wants.

Frazer’s gospel influences are evident on “Have Mercy” – in the title, the backing voices, and Frazer’s pleading to a lover to go easy on him because he’s fallen so hard he might shatter. He’s “Done Lyin'” on the next track, however. The groove on this cut is so good that you’re moving and swaying like you’re one of his backup singers within seconds.

“Lover Girl” is classic soul that sounds like it was found in a Detroit basement near the Motown Studios’ original property. Frazer encourages his lover to take a love journey on “Ride with Me.” He just wants to her take the leap of faith and head off into a groovy sunset with him. Who doesn’t want that?

Big and bold piano and horns start “Girl on the Phone,” then the piano turns downright funky as Frazer sings, “Wish I had someone to love me like this girl I just heard on the phone.” It’s a tale of him overhearing a conversation on a party line (Remember those?) and falling for her just from the sound of the voice, and being envious of the lover to whom she was speaking. Frazer tries to answer a question people have been asking since, well, there have been people on “Love Is.” It’s “what you make it,” according to Frazer, or “anything you make it.” I know I’m in love with the bass groove on the track because it could seduce the coldest of hearts.

The drums on “Over You” (the album’s first single) are as hot as popping popcorn and Frazer’s vocals bounce off the back of the club wall and practically shove you out of your chair to the dance floor. The album ends with “Leanin’ on Your Everlasting Love,” with Frazer and his band laughing as the song begins and sweet organ chords taking us by the hand for another gospel-inspired love song. It’s a lovely send-off.

And it’s a lovely record that I’m sure will be high on my “Best of 2021” list. There isn’t a bad track on it, and Frazer knocks his debut out of the park.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Khruangin – LateNightTales

When asked to make their own LateNightTales compilation, Khruangbin decided to make it as much a showcase of international talent as possible. The result is a luxurious musical trip around the globe.

Opening track “Illuminations” by Devadip Carlos Santana and Turiya Alice Coltrane is like the opening theme to an exotic romance / adventure film with it’s luscious harp strings, playful violins, and simple piano and guitar chords. “I Know That (When the Spring Time Comes)” by Brilliantes Del Vuelo is robotic dub with thick bass, reverbed hand percussion, and vocals that sound like a Star Wars droid. “Khushi” by Nazia Hassan is Middle Eastern disco with neon synths and a slick hand percussion beat.

Kelly Doyle‘s “DRM” is full of thumping electro-bass and fun, slightly off-kilter beats. The bass gets fatter on Sanullim‘s “Don’t Go” – a track that will go directly onto your disco and / or funk playlists. Maxwell Udoh‘s “I Like It (Don’t Stop)” is more slick disco and David Marez‘s “Enséñame” has big brass horns that Portishead would love to sample and sharp 1970’s Spanish love song vocals.

Gerald Lee‘s “Can You Feel the Love (Reprise)” is pure 1970s bedroom rock with sultry female vocals (“Here we are, sitin’ with one another, so alive and so free…”). Justine and the Victorian Punks have a pillow talk conversation over a sweet groove that would be perfect for strutting your stuff down a runway. George Yanagi and Nadja Band then saunter into the room with a Japanese slow jam that should be on any turntable in the Land of the Rising Sun if you plan on any nocturnal mixers there.

Russian lounge jazz follows that. Khruangbin slide into the mix next with a cover of Kool and the Gang‘s “Summer Madness” that is so smooth that you almost slip on it as it oozes out of your speakers and settles on the floor around you. Paloma San Basilio‘s “Contigo” has playful female vocals backed with R&B bass and wicked high hat work. The horn section on the Roha Band‘s “Yetikimt Abeba” is top-notch, knowing when to move to the front and when to stay out of the way of the vocals and effortless beat. The album ends with a spoken word piece by Tierney Malone and Geoffrey Muller. It’s a love poem that sounds like it’s from space (and, after all, much of the poem is about the speaker chasing after his love who has left the Earth) with simple banjo plucks and space transmission beeps.

It’s a lovely compilation and one that will make you seek out a lot of these artists, as any compilation should do. Hats off to Khruangbin for putting it together for us.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Aaron Frazer releases “If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)” from album due January 08, 2021.

Aaron Frazer (of Durand Jones & The Indications) releases new single, “If I Got It (Your Love Brought It),” from his Dan Auerbach-produced debut album, Introducing…, out January 8th on Dead Oceans/Easy Eye Sound. Following previous singles “Over You” and “Bad News,” “If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)” cheerfully skips with piano, wurlitzer, plucking bass, and a blend of brass instruments – trumpet, saxophone, and trombone.

Frazer elaborates on the song’s origins:

“I was at the DMV in Sacramento and above the commercial vehicles desk I noticed a wall full of toy trucks, and at the top a teamsters slogan from the 1950s: ‘IF YOU GOT IT, A TRUCK BROUGHT IT.’ I thought, damn that’s a hot line. Jotted it down, and when I brought it up with Dan, the song felt like it was writing itself. It’s a song of gratitude for who/whatever it is in your life that brings you happiness, grounding and self improvement.”

Listen To “If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)” by Aaron Frazer

A testament to his wide-ranging influence and deep gratitude for his musical community, Introducing… is both loving and gracious, critical without losing hope, and a showcase of a young artist on a seriously soulful ascent. Working with producer Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys), Frazer works to combine ‘70s soul with Auerbach’s particular sensibilities. Across Introducing…‘s 12 tracks are songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron, as well as uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop.

Introducing… was recorded in a week at Auerbach’s antique and ephemera-laden studio in Nashville following a rapid and prolific songwriting session. Auerbach called on a crew of heavy session players — including members of the Memphis Boys (who played on Dusty Springfield’s “Son of A Preacher Man” and Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman”), symphony percussionist Sam Bacco, and members of the Daptone–Big Crown Records universe. With a collaborative vision, Introducing… manages to hit the sweet spot between intuition, intentionality, and craft – a love song that’s both personal and universal.

Watch Video for Aaron Frazer’s “Over You”

Watch Video for Aaron Frazer’s “Bad News”

Pre-order Introducing…

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Aaron Frazer releases “Only You” ahead of debut album out in early January 2021.

AARON FRAZER PHOTOGRAPHED IN NASHVILLE, TN FOR EASY EYE SOUND & SECRETLY CANADIAN

Aaron Frazer (of Durand Jones & The Indications) is pleased to announce his debut album, Introducing…, out January 8th, 2021 via Dead Oceans and Easy Eye Sound, alongside lead single, “Over You,” and its accompanying video. A testament to his wide-ranging influence and deep gratitude for his musical community, Introducing… is both loving and gracious, critical without losing hope, and a showcase of a young artist on a seriously soulful ascent. Working with producer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Frazer expertly calibrates consciousness-raising, as previewed by early single “Bad News,” and the desire to be enveloped by love. Where previous songs were written in a partial state of turmoil, Frazer’s debut LP shows maturation and range.

Soft-spoken with the look of a slightly disaffected 1950s matinee idol, Frazer possesses a unique voice that’s both contemporary and timeless. The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter first came into the international spotlight as the drummer and co-lead singer for Durand Jones & The Indications. He’s certainly created a community through his work with the Indications, gospel-soul project The Flying Stars of Brooklyn, and countless side shows in Bloomington and New York. Throughout, Frazer has used music to call attention to issues of inequity and injustice, while highlighting the work of organizations like the Poor People’s Campaign. “It’s important ethically to try to use music for good. If you have something to say politically, don’t hide it until it’s asked about,” he says, adding that Introducing… balances songs of happiness with more political messages.

The 12 songs on Introducing… combine ‘70s soul with Auerbach’s particular sensibilities, and include songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron, as well as uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop. The album was recorded in a week at Auerbach’s antique and ephemera-laden studio in Nashville following a rapid and prolific songwriting session. “Dan likes to have this writing process where you just let go and embrace the kind of pressure cooker environment that comes with extreme time limitation,” Aaron says, adding that the writing sessions pushed him creatively. Dan brought in legendary songwriters such as L. Russell Brown, who wrote hits for fellow falsetto Frankie Valli and co-wrote the album’s opening track, “You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby”. Dan adds: “As soon as Aaron started singing, Russell looked at me and his eyes lit up. He instantly understood Aaron; it was a perfect, effortless way to start the record.”

New single “Over You” is telling of the collaboration between Frazer and Auerbach. “‘Over You’ is inspired by the legendary northern soul 45s that electrified dance floors across the UK in the 1960s,” says Aaron. “Breakneck speeds and breakbeat drums challenged even the best dancers to pull out all the stops. Lyrically, ‘Over You’ captures a moment of despair in the darkest hour of a breakup. But sometimes to feel better, you just gotta shake your ass.” The accompanying video, directed by Marc Parroquin, visualizes this spirit, with a psychedelic color scheme, a slick car, and a smoky dancefloor.

Watch Aaron Frazer’s Video for “Over You”

For Introducing…, Auerbach called on a crew of heavy session players — including members of the Memphis Boys (who played on Dusty Springfield’s “Son of A Preacher Man” and Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman”), symphony percussionist Sam Bacco,and several members of the Daptone-Big Crown Records universe .“I really didn’t want to make a retro record with Aaron; I wanted it to be its own thing, have its own sound. The crew had not made records together before, so it was a very fresh feeling that I think will strike a chord with people. There’s this amazing cross-section of musicians, young and old, with Aaron leading the way.” With a collaborative vision, Introducing… manages to hit the sweet spot between intuition, intentionality, and craft – a love song that’s both personal and universal.

Pre-order Introducing…

Introducing… Tracklist:
1. You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby
2. If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)
3. Can’t Leave It Alone
4. Bad News
5. Have Mercy
6. Done Lyin’
7. Lover Girl
8. Ride with Me
9. Girl on the Phone
10. Love Is
11. Over You
12. Leaning’ On Your Everlasting Love

Watch Video for Aaron Frazer’s “Bad News”

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Aaron Frazer’s debut single for Dead Oceans is a soulful stunner.

Aaron Frazer, the co-lead vocalist and drummer of Durand Jones & The Indications, debuts a new single/video, “Bad News,” via Dead Oceans / Easy Eye Sound. The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter – who previously released music as The Flying Stars of Brooklyn, NY – possesses a unique voice that’s both contemporary and timeless, which conveys a wide emotional palate and progressive worldview in the tradition of musical masterminds like Curtis Mayfield.

Produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, “Bad News,” is a song with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron. Recorded in Nashville with a crew of legendary session players — including members of the Memphis Boys (who played on Dusty Springfield’s “Son of A Preacher Man” and Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman”), symphony percussionist Sam Bacco, and several members of the Daptone/Big Crown Records universe, Frazer shows maturation and range with his new single, melding 70s soul with Auerbach’s particular sensibilities. “Aaron is just so incredibly gifted; to be so good at drums and sing like that at the same time. It just hit so hard,” says Auerbach, who reached out to Aaron immediately after hearing The Indications’ standout, “Is It Any Wonder.” “I love falsetto singing – there’s something so vulnerable about it,” Auerbach recalls.

A soul-jazz rumination on the tumultuous state of the earth, “Bad News” reflects on the ways we choose to tune out in the face of crises like homelessness and climate change. “I wrote ‘Bad News’ last November, originally as a song about climate change – a threat that feels so big, so existential, that sometimes it’s easier for us to just look away,” says Frazer. “But today, I think it’s taken on a new meaning. It’s become a song that gives voice to the things everybody is experiencing right now: isolation, and figuring out how to get through our daily life in the face of relentless bad news.”

The accompanying video for “Bad News”, directed by Julia Barrett-Mitchell, features Frazer and dancer Nicole Javanna Johnson, who physically interprets the song’s sound, her movements compelling and unyielding as she dances throughout Red Hook, Brooklyn.

“I had this concept for the Bad News video in my head for a while,” explains Frazer. “Dance has long been a way for people to express feelings that go unheard elsewhere. When I brought on my friend, director Julia Barrett Mitchell, she immediately understood the vibe and connected me to her longtime friend and former classmate, racial justice activist Nicole Johnson. I wanted to give Nicole, who is also a musician and educator, as much space as possible to interpret the song how she felt it. Nicole’s movements rise in intensity over the course of the video to express the rising urgency of the moment.”

Watch Video for Aaron Frazer’s “Bad News”

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Rituals of Mine scores on her new single – “Free Throw.”

Rituals of Mine – the immersive, hybrid R&B electronic project of Los Angeles-based songwriter Terra Lopez – will release her new album, HYPE NOSTALGIA, on September 25th via Carpark Records. Today, she shares the new single/video “Free Throw (feat. KRIS),” which follows lead single “Come Around Me.” Through the dark pop and noisey beat of “Free Throw,” Lopez urges equality for BIPOC artists in the music industry. Lopez and KRIS (King Woman, Miserable, NGHTCRWLR) recorded the song in the studio last summer with Wes Jones. The accompanying video, animated by AvaantGarbDesign, is futuristic and matches the track’s noir tone.

“Kris and I talk a lot about our experiences being women of color in the music industry and how time and time again, we’ve been fucked over by either white women musicians or white guys and that shit takes a toll on you,” elaborates Lopez. “It takes a toll on your mental health, your confidence, your perseverance. It also limits your access to opportunities within the industry in a very real way. We wanted to address how we were feeling and have been feeling for years in ‘Free Throw’ by airing it all out, putting it all out there because at this point this needs to be addressed. These disparities within the industry have to be examined and ultimately broken down. Kris and I want to help change the industry and music is just going to be one of the ways in which we shed light on issues. We have a lot of things in the works to help even the playing field when it comes to BIPOC artists. ‘Free Throw’ is just the introduction to that.“

Watch “Free Throw” Video:
https://found.ee/Z4h5

HYPE NOSTALGIA follows 2019’s SLEEPER HOLD EP, which was filled with emotional intensity and self-reflective songwriting, confronting the emotional rollercoaster that came with the death of her father and later, her best friend.

On HYPE NOSTALGIA, Lopez didn’t want to solely focus on the heaviness of her life. Instead, she opted to create an album written from a pre-loss perspective. There are dark moments and devastation throughout, but what largely transpires is Lopez’s ability to reconcile with her emotional trauma by reimagining her past in a way that isn’t shrouded in total darkness, but glimmers of light and hope.

Between St. Augustine, Florida and Los Angeles, Lopez collaborated with producers Wes Jones and Dev the Goon on HYPE NOSTALGIA. The result is a self-assured 13-track album interspersed with future R&B, electronic and pop, and layered with the softness of Lopez’s ethereal vocals. From tackling what it’s like to be a woman of color in the music industry to exploring intergenerational trauma, HYPE NOSTALGIA is an all-encompassing look at Lopez’s personal growth and resilience.

With HYPE NOSTALGIA, Lopez offers a glimpse into her own experience in the hopes that it will open the door for listeners to confront their own mental health challenges and serve as a touchstone as they find their own way to process and heal.

Watch “Come Around Me” Video:
https://found.ee/Z6XU

Pre-order HYPE NOSTALGIA:
https://found.ee/uEkw

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Naeem covers Silver Apples’ “Little Things.”

37d03d is pleased to announce new signing, Baltimore-born/Los Angeles-based artist Naeem (full name Naeem Juwan), alongside new single: a gorgeous cover of the Silver Apples classic, “You and I”. Restlessly creative in his artistic pursuit, Naeem creates impressionistic, genre-bending music. Having spent much of the last decade stretching his creative legs in a variety of ways, he’s hit the road with artists ranging from The Avalanches and Bon Iver to Big Red Machine and Mouse on Mars, took part in a 37d03d residency in Berlin, and was selected as the music resident in 2019 for New York’s Pioneer Works space. Through it all, he’s been building and creating, pulling from creative circles all across the U.S. to craft a truly unique sound of his own.

Reinterpreted for today’s fraught times, Naeem’s cover of “You and I” is deeply textured, emotional, and daring. “It sounds like a James Brown song to me,” says Naeem, “but if he sang it, he’d sing it as a slow song, and then I imagined myself crooning it. It’s an important song for people to hear right now, especially in terms of the ideas of self-care and the attention economy. The song’s about how we don’t have time for the little things, which feels really heavy and makes so much sense right now.”

Listen To Naeem’s “You and I” –
http://lnk.to/You_and_I

Expect to hear more new music and news from Naeem in the coming weeks.

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Hala announces new album, “Red Herring,” due May 1st.

Hala, the project of Detroit-based musician Ian Ruhala, announces his new album, Red Herring, out May 1st on Cinematic Music Group, and a North American tour. Today, he shares the lead single, “Emotional R&B,” and an accompanying video. Ruhala’s music is at once precise and playful, skipping breezily between decades and their musical aesthetics while executing them with care and sincerity. On Red Herring, which is his studio debut, he elevates this formula, applying his genre-agnostic blueprint to a set of songs that comprise a no-concept concept record. It’s a varied album which explores the tragedy and comedy—often, both at once—that color and confound the modern 22-year-old’s existence.

To execute his wide-lens vision, Ruhala worked with producer Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy, Ra Ra Riot) at his legendary secluded Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, Washington. Over a few months in late 2019, Ruhala and Hadlock sifted through a stockpile of prepared demos and assembled the 12 songs that comprise Red Herring. Apart from strings—played respectively by Andrew Joslyn and longtime Brandi Carlile-collaborator Josh Neumann—Ruhala wrote and performed each instrument on the record, including guitar, piano, bass, drums, baritone ukulele, xylophone, vibraphone, and all vocals.

Ruhala’s singular operating style is a credit to Red Herring’s simultaneous idiosyncrasy and unity: each track bears the earmarks of his tendencies for saccharine melodies, clear instrumentation, and a sort of ethereal, out-of-time placelessness—and yet each could also be from a different artist.

Lead single “Emotional R&B” showcases this infatuation with kaleidoscopic tonalities and narrative double-entendres. The track is about the early stage people go through in relationships, when things begin to become more intimate. “Things feel a lot more cinematic, maybe because these moments of a relationship are portrayed and documented in countless Romantic Comedies,” says Ruhala. “It’s the feeling of riding a romantic high, perhaps turning a blind eye to things that would normally set you off in pursuit of what could possibly become a substantial, long lasting relationship.”

Red Herring is a coming-of-age record from an artist recognizing that cohesiveness need not only be expressed in structural sameness. It can and should be found in other experiences, in the complex, poignant, life-and-death fleetingness of a three-and-a-half-minute pop song. Or better yet, 12 of them back-to-back.

Hala will tour across North America in support of Red Herring. A full list of dates is below.
Watch “Emotional R&B” Video:
https://youtu.be/bHHHbpQnd-4

Pre-order/pre-save Red Herring:
https://hala.ffm.to/redherring

Red HerringTracklist:
1. Turn Out Right
2. Making Me Nervous
3. Somehow
4. Camera5. Why Do You Want Anything To Do With Me?
6. We Can Start Again
7. Emotional R&B
8. Lies
9. Nobody-Body Knows
10. With You Now (It’s The Only Place I Want To Be)
11. Red Herring
12. True Colors

Hala Tour Dates:
Fri. May 8 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx- (Record Release Show) %
Sat. May 9 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement %
Sun. May 10 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd %
Tue. May 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade %
Wed. May 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Creep Records %
Thu. May 14 – Boston, MA @ Once Ballroom %
Fri. May 15 – Montreal, QC @ L’Esco %
Sat. May 16 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel %
Thu. May 28 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas *
Fri. May 29 – Milwaukee, WI @ The BackRoom at Colectivo Coffee *
Sat. May 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry *
Tue. June 2 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza *
Wed. June 3 – Portland, OR @ Lola’s Room *
Fri. June 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *Sat. June 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
Sun. June 7 – San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe *
Wed. June 10 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
Fri. June 12 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar *
Sat. June 13 – St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill Duck Room *

^ with Miloe
% with PONY
* with BOYO

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