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Earlier this week, Lou Ottens died. Name doesn’t sound familiar, does it?
Lou Ottens is the Dutch inventor of the cassette tape. There would be no mixtape without Lou. The cassette tape was, as one musician put it “your gateway into creativity”. Countless hours or not only recording off of the radio, but eventually, building real playlists and mixtapes off of vinyl and CDs. I’d be so precise with my writing of each song title and artists and creative with the names of each one.
Thank you Lou – My love of music and certainly this blog, might not have been possible without your great invention.
Now, onto the new music of the week.
Check out new releases from the following artists:
- Selena Gomez – The pop sensation has released first-ever Spanish language record. The project is almost 10 years in the making. Her voice is more mature than in previous releases and the music accompanies it so well. Check out the track “Buscando Amor”
- Allie Crow Buckley – Recorded with an A+ team, the latest from the Los Angeles-based artist is haunting and mixes big synth sounds with Buckley’s strong voice. Check out the track “Gold Medallion”
- Lake Street Dive – One of my favorites is back with a release full of AM gold – and that’s a great thing! The quirkiness of the band is still there, but the tracks, while catchy as hell, are more mature lyrically and the addition of full-time keyboard player Akie Bermiss bring an even more complex and full sound to an already talented group of musicians. As the weather turns better, turn this one up as you soak up some rays. Check out the track “Same Old News”
- Jacob Banks – New to me, the Nigerian-born, U.K.-based singer is back with empowering songs of love and loss and protest, showcasing the singer's versatility as an artist with his words and lyrics flowing over a mix of heavy beats and acoustic sounds. Check out the track “Parade”
- Joshua Bassett – The former High School Musical star is out with his debut EP full of poppy songs that are catchy. Think boy band singer goes solo. Check out the track “Only A Matter of Time”
- Nick Jonas – Speaking of…Jonas has produced some catchy, sexy pop tunes that are sure to keep him in rotation at lots of radio stations around the country. Check out the track “Delicious”
- Harmony Woods – Produced by the amazing Bartees Strange, the project fronted by Philadelphia-based songwriter Sofia Verbilla, surprise-released their third album today and it’s pretty damn great. Verbilla’s voice is gorgeous and the rock songs are gritty and vulnerable. Check out the track “Graceful Rage”
Today’s featured artist: Valerie June
One of the most unique voices in music is back with another great collection of songs that merge folk, blues and pop. Working with acclaimed producer Jack Splash (Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys), June embarks on a journey that spans the musical spectrum with the arrangements showing complexity and a dreamlike quality to the songs. It’s a beautiful blend of music, words, beats and sounds that takes you somewhere completely different. Her voice is another instrument and has never sounded better. Drench yourself with her new album. As always with June, it’s a perfect mix of classic meets modern.
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