Song : Jarbird : “Such is the House”

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Jarbird is a brand new five-piece that just came on our radar calling London home. Their debut song is titled “Such is the House” that has an official release as a single slated for next month. On the song, vocalists Ric Hollinberry and Lana Verney croon out the lyrics in soulful falsettos over intricate musicianship that holds a lot of similarities to Dirty Projectors. We have math rock, maybe this could be called math R&B? No matter how you wish to describe it, it has us wanting more. Listen below.

MOKB Premiere : Night Panther : “I Want You To Know”

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The self-dubbed sex pop group Night Panther hailing from Doylestown, PA have a new three-song EP, KISS, they are giving away. The release continues the trio’s trajectory of feel good vibes that could be categorized as nu-yacht rock. It comes just in time as the sun slowly starts to creep through the cold winter clouds that have been hanging over much of the States the last few months.

The song we have from it is the upbeat and carefree “I Want You To Know.” When we hear it, we begin to think of all of those less-than-serious movies that littered the ’80s like Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie’s, and so on. That is the best thing about Night Panther, they make great hook-laden indie-pop that doesn’t take itself too seriously. You can stream the track below and the full EP here. Also, for those in or around Philly, the band will be having a residency at Bourban & Branch (see flyer below). So be sure to check that out.

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MOKB Premiere : Lockets : “Wrecking Ball” (Miley Cyrus Cover)

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We have spoken on a couple of occasions about Philadelphia project Lockets. The duo make romantic dreampop cinematic in scope and sound. Like with many projects in their infancy, they fell victim to lineup reshuffling with previous singer Dani Mari choosing to pursue other avenues. To remedy this, producer Todd Mendelsohn recruited Catie Parker to takeover vocal duties.

To introduce her to the world, the pair decided to showcase her powerful vocal abilities covering one of the better mainstream pop tracks from last year, “Wrecking Ball” from Miley Cyrus. While many might take issue with Ms. Cyrus’ persona, you can’t deny the appeal of the song. With the cover, Mendelsohn continues Lockets masterful use of fluttering synths complimenting the epic highs during the chorus. While emotional gravitas from the original is maintained, this version just might make it soar even higher. Listen below.

Song : How To Dress Well : “Words I Don’t Remember”

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Nick Krell, better known as R&B crooner How To Dress Well, seems to only get better with each and every release. His latest work “Words I Don’t Remember” is unequivocally, without a doubt his best work to date. The craftsmanship and restraint used to slowly build the song on top of itself is truly something special, especially at the end with the breakdown of him wailing sound oh-so-familiar Prince’s end guitar notes in “Purple Rain.” Krell says of it, “This song for me is about love, trust, commitment… and what happens to these things and, like, what happens to really real love when sentimentality is so co-opted and ruined. What remains of true love in this world of simulations?” While the song is not attached to any formal release at the moment, it is probably a safe bet something is on the horizon. Listen below.

Tour Dates:
3/17 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
3/18 Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy
3/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
3/22 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
3/24 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
3/26 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
3/27 Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bears
3/28 Montreal, QC @ SAT
3/29 Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
3/30 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

Song : Joel Ford : “Connection To”

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I don’t know if it is premature to call Joel Ford a production genius yet, but it could be argued at this point. The guy has had his hand in all sorts of great much spanning the likes of his projects Ford & Lopatin, Ejecta, Airbird all the way down to many people’s best album from last year, Autre Ne Veut’s Anxiety. The guy is as versatile as he is prolific.

It appears that he is finally deciding to come out of the shadows with the release of “Connection To” under his born name. The song sounds simplistic only until you start really paying attention to the intricate weaving of sounds and beats throughout. The song will be released under his own Driftless Recordings.

Song : Mac DeMarco : “Brother”

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Wow, isn’t this just a melodic, rolling slow-burner? Mac DeMarco has his new LP, Salad Days, dropping on April 1st via the fantastic Captured Tracks. We already heard the very solid “Passing Out Pieces,” now we have this one “Brother.” The stringy guitar work on this one is everything and hooks you right in. Have a listen below.

MOKB Premiere : Anushka : “World in a Room”

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Anushka is the Brighton-based combination of producer Max Wheeler and singer Victoria Port. They made waves previously with their excellent Yes Guess EP from last year and, most recently, with the quirky pop-dance track “Never Can Decide.” On the UK’s Record Store Day, April 19th, they will be releasing a brand new four-song EP, Distorted Air, through Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. You might recognize Peterson from his hand with acts such as Roni Size, Jamiroquai, and Erykah Badu.

Anushka infuses jazz with club beats that are heady without sacrificing pop sensibilities. A more dance-friendly Little Dragon might be an appropriate comparison. The first taste from the new EP is the fashion runway-ready “World in a Room.” Find it below and for those heading to the mecca, Austin, TX, next week, you can catch them at a couple of showcases.

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