Browsing Tag

Soul / R&B

A&R Factory Present: B00TY

The HOLY video was directed by Sadé Clacken Joseph, who recently was awarded by the White House with the 30 under 30 Emerging Carribean American Leaders Award. The video stars Golden Globe nominee and Satellite Award Winner, Sarah Hay and was choreographed by Polish So You Think You Can Dance star, Ida Nowakowska Herndon. The song and video also feature Rhea Dummet, who tours singing with Pharrel Williams and sang on his hit song ‘Happy’.

The electro-soul-funk band of multi-instrumentalists led by joint frontmen Edan Freiberger and Adam Epelbaum have been sparking up dancefloors at 1am in sold-out clubs around their adopted home of Los Angeles since they found each other at UCLA. Their set-up of falsetto swagger, horns, electric violin, and endless keyboards have made them a must-see band around the local scene of East Hollywood and Downtown LA. B00TY are the ideal visceral hedonistic party hang for anyone who wants to channel themselves back to the original vibe of 1970s primetime Sly And The Family Stone via the modern twist of electropop pioneers like Flume and current soul messiah D’Angelo. As you can tell by the name, which they’ve realised bears certain challenging connotations, B00TY don’t take themselves too seriously. They channel a goofball carefree attitude, shared by their comedic heroes. Having released three singles over 2015 and the start of 2016, this summer begins for B00TY with single ‘Holy’, their biggest and boldest statement to date. ‘Holy’ is a swelling, soaring R&B ballad with an indie flavour. It’s the type of drama-heavy, piano/strings-led soul vibe the likes of Jessie Ware, BANKS, and The Weeknd have breathed new life into.

Edan and Adam both came from prolific artistic backgrounds; Edan via San Francisco’s Bay Area following a childhood perfecting the violin, then learning every other instrument he could get his hands on, and Adam from Miami where he grew up obsessing over films, comedy and screenwriting. Both hold down full-time day jobs, Edan producing music for Hollywood (he’s currently working with Sir Anthony Hopkins on a project), Adam writing scripts with a dream to make the major studios some day. By night, however, they’re joined by childhood friend and drummer Connor Irias (who doubles up as a co-producer), guitarist Nick Setter, bassist/horn player Jesse McGinty and back-up singers Rhea Dummett (sings on Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’) and Sadé Clacken Joseph. Via ‘Holy’ the B00TY family seek to further establish themselves on the map as one to watch. The track showcases the mature side to a project that has so far combined B00ty’s musical passions with their constant search for good times, soulful intervention and a relentlessly positive outlook to life on the West Coast. “Improvisation is at the heart of everything we do.”

A&R Factory Present: Elsie And The Vibe

Independent Australian soul singer-songwriter Elsie has released explosive debut single Riverside with her band Elsie and The Vibe. Elsie’s smooth and smoky vocals command each note with a deep, raw emotional vulnerability, and her honest lyrics connect directly with the listener to create a cell-tingling, two-way exchange.

Elsie is a Melbourne-raised Brooklyn-based artist whose music resides at the intersection of soul, Motown, R&B and pop. Her explosive tracks sit somewhere on the spectrum of Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone and Alicia Keys and have been touted as “some of the most exciting new music to come out of Melbourne’s booming soul scene”.

2016 will see the long awaited release of Elsie’s debut EP with her band, Elsie and The Vibe. The independent EP was produced by Robert Upward (emaar, Shelly Segal) and Jonathan Dreyfus (Gretta Ray, Lama), and features a number of talented and accomplished musicians known as The Vibe. Lined with modern references to vintage sounds, the 5-track EP is refreshing yet uniquely familiar, strong on horn and string lines but rooted in an inescapable groove. Elsie’s smooth and smoky vocals command each note with a deep, raw emotional vulnerability, and her honest lyrics connect directly with the listener to create a cell-tingling, two-way exchange.

Elsie is passionate about social change, empowerment, the expansion of thought and that an inherent positivity exists in all people. These beliefs serve as the foundation for her music as well as her online blog, Higher Vibration, which focuses on people who are expanding our collective social conscience (i.e. anybody and everybody!). She believes that art is a platform to promote social good and hopes to be a part of the change through her work. Elsie and The Vibe is a collection of 60s throwbacks, gospel inspired refrains and soulful ballads and will be available on November 22 2016. Get ready for some serious vibe.

A&R Factory Present: Jackie Brown Jr

Sydney Soul Rock band Jackie Brown Jr have released their refreshingly honest feel trip ‘Lake Loser’and unveiled local launch party date.

‘Lake Loser’takes an honest look at what it’s like to grow up and try and do something you love. Lake Loser’is the first of two new tunes the band are releasing. June 3rd sees the band take over Tokyo Sing Song, curating you a night of good vibes and good tunes with a massive Double Single Launch Party.

Jackie Brown Jrare a vibrant 5­piece known for their unique brand of music, dubbed affectionately as ‘Pulp Fiction Soul Rock’. Founded in 2014 the band combines upbeat soul infused horns, with elements of hip-hop and an unabashed rock energy.

Jackie Brown Jrhave already unleashed their first 4 part split­single release ‘The 44 Project’ which received airplay on multiple radio stations throughout the country and North America as well as scoring coverage vie Tone Deaf, adamNOTeve, YOLO Magazine, The Brag, Friends + Lovers plus many more online outlets.

A&R Factory Present: Wade Hampton

Check out 19 year old R&B Singer-Songwrtier Wade Hampton. He is currently living in Nashville TN currently and his Influences include D’Angelo & PARTYNEXTDOOR.

He is planning on releasing a song a month. The first one was titled “GAMES” and was released early march and the second is titled “Make ya Say” which he also shot a video for, and was  directed by Matt Zervos.

Keep an eye out for him this year!

A&R Factory Present: Magic City Hippies

Tarantino trip-hop meets dusty, rock-and-roll-infused, post-apocalyptic R&B in the Magic City Hippies’ new make-up-sex-inspired jam, ‘HUSH.’ Ethereal guitars glide alongside smoky vocal game-spitting and whistling soul organ, all grounded in the heavy booms, baps, snaps, and bouncing 808s of a Timbaland-style banger. But make no mistake, the rock knob was not twisted gently during the torrent of feedback and buzzsaw guitar riffage that rounds out the tune before it disintegrates into the fattest future-funk you’ve heard all week.

‘HUSH’ is the Hippies’ first release in the wake of their Spotify Viral 50-topping track ’Fanfare’, which has collected over 1.7 million streams since it was released as a part of the Hippie Castle EP back in July 2015. All of this follows up a streak of Hype Machine-ranking tracks from their back catalog under former name Robby Hunter Band in 2013, from which songs have recently resurfaced on network TV shows like The CW’s iZombie and Showtime’s Ray Donovan.

Having just returned from their first regional US tour, the self-proclaimed “indie funk” trio is planning on stepping out of Miami for more pending tour dates while wrapping up their second full-length for release this summer.