Artist Profile: Big Black Delta

Electro pop act Big Black Delta began as an experiment, when LA transplant and Mellowdrone founder Jonathan Bates decided he needed a break from the band aesthetic. Buying a used laptop from friend Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails, Sonoio) and began playing with sound, twisting, bending and contorting to create a musical style not bound by gravity or any one instrument. "Give me anything, and I'll make it work. Especially if it’s stringed,"Bates says. Combine this penchant for experimentation with a love of UFO folklore and you have the otherworldly coolness that is Big Black Delta, made up of Bates and live drummers Mahsa Zargaran and Amy Wood.

Bates' ambition to stretch the boundaries of pop can be heard in sonic stunners like "Huggin' And A Kissin'." Driven by whiplash-inducing drums, atmospheric, searing electronic sounds and robotic bass, the track sounds like Depeche Mode on steroids (a very good thing in case you were wondering). "Zebra" lifts the trademark alt-rock loud-chorus-soft-verse dynamic and brings into the dance realm with fantastic results,  vacillating quietly between spage-age samples and gentle harmonies and grimy, distorted synths and deep, thumping bass. Meanwhile "IFUCKINGLOVEYOU" borders on punk and hardcore, melding wall-of-sound-style choruses with a nasty bass, pummeling drums and fat blasts of what sounds like mangled brass.

Big Black Delta is currently working on a full-length debut. In the meantime, you download the group's Big Black Delta EP for free, or the aforementioned "Huggin' And A Kissin' below.

Artist Profile: The Bewitched Hands

Formerly known as The Bewitched Hands On Top Of Our Heads, French psychedelic pop sextet The Bewitched Hands formed in 2005. While band members Anthonin and Benjamin act as the chief songwriters, everyone takes part in creating harmonies. The approach is evident in the band's music, as their sound is packed with multiple melody lines that often weave in and out of each other before coming together to create one big voice.

The band takes the same approach to instrumentation, with three guitarists playing different tones and percussion instruments jockeying for position within a song. While it would it seem that this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink attitude would spell disaster, tracks like "Work," "Sea" and "Hard To Cry" reveal otherwise. The Bewitched Hands full-length debut Birds And Drums, is set to be released in the U.S. on May 24. Listen to a few tracks below.

Artist Profile: The Gromble

California-based indie rockers The Gromble was formed by four friends in the summer of 2009. While they've only been together for less than two years, they show a talent for melding hooky riffs and melodies with intimate,  dense lyrics about relationships.The emotional nakedness seems to impact the musical as well.

"Toto" is a swinging pop gem full of bouncy drums and guitars, but ends with a series of somber, slightly distorted chords.  "Creepy Crawly" opens with off-kilter, plucked strings, that eventually explode into pummeling power chords and pounding drums, providing a good back drop for lyrics like "We're still alive inside my mind/And that might be the only place I see you." Listen to a few tracks and watch the band perform "Parking Lot" below.

Artist Profile: Tic Tic Boom!

When the goal is for your music to be labeled "electro-pop-tacular," you better stack big beats and supersonic synthesizers or go home. Fortunately Hollywood-based indie pop quartet Tic Tic Boom! are up to the task. Driven by the creative collaboration of Mike DeLay and Leilani Francisco, the band crafts giddy synth pop that combines lo-fi guitars, electronic flourishes and catchy melodies.

The uptempo romp "Just Friends" sounds like a long lost Go-Go's track, with it's bendy new wave-style guitars, fluttering synths and smooth harmonies.

Meanwhile, "The Pattern," driven by loopy synths, frenetic bass and Cure-style guitars, discusses such somber topics like death and nuclear war, proving that Leilani's voice has the power to make anything sound bright and poppy. A "99 Luftballoons" for Generation Y. Listen to a few tracks below:

Find more Tic Tic Boom! songs at Myspace Music

Find more artists like Tic Tic Boom! at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: The Five One

Forming in Reston, Virginia The Five One crafted their music, a mix of hip hop, R&B, reggae and indie rock, in a basement full of guitars, a drum set and recording equipment. The multicultural, genre-hopping approach carries over into the The Five One's personal philosophy as well. Each member goes by only different colors--guitarist Red, drummer Blue, keyboardist/vocalist Green and bassist Gold--to distance themselves from the complexities of social identities.

The group toured relentlessly around the DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia) area, performing at the Afro Punk Festival in 2008 with a diverse lineup that included Janelle Monae, Saul Williams and Murs.

They attracted more attention with their Road To SXSW digital album, which featured remixes and remakes of songs from an eclectic range of artists ranging from Janet Jackson's "Got 'Til It's Gone," Daft Punk's "Need You Now," Vampire Weekend's "District of Colossus" and Outkast's "Spottieottiedopaliscious."

The Five One's latest single, the Semisonic-sampling "Closing Time," is set for release in June. Listen to it and watch the clip for the song below. You can listen to Road To SXSW and view the band's upcoming tour dates at the band's official site.

Artist Profile: The Sounds

Together since the late 90's, Swedish indie rock The Sounds were formed by four classmates, eventually recruiting keyboardist Jesper Anderberg, the band's youngest member, at the Hultsfred Festival. Since then the quintet has released three albums--2002's Living In America, 2006's Dying To Say This To You, and 2009's Crossing The Rubicon--that blend punk rock snark and new wave cool in a way that recalls Blondie and The Cars at their best.

The group has also attracted a celebrity following that includes Dave Grohl, who wore a Sounds T-shirt in the Foo Fighters' video for "Times Like These,"  Quentin Tarantino, Pharrell and Britney Spears. Their latest release, Something To Die For, continues in the new wave/dance-rock sonic soundscape, with rave-tastic rip snorters like "Better Off Dead," where the electronic effects are set off by huge blasts of fat brass. "

"The No No Song" reveals more of the band's gritty, rock n' roll side, with singer Maja Ivarrson snarling "In moments like these/Don't give a fuck/About you/Cause I've enough/It's not me, it's you." In "Dance With The Devil," another two ton dance floor banger, Ivarrson invokes the power of the beat, shouting "We conquer our planet with dance." A revolution under a groove. Listen to a few tracks below:

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Artist Profile: Royal Bangs

Hailing from Knoxville, TN, the Royal Bangs have been more critics' radars since their performance at the first night of Bonnaroo back in 2008. Since then the trio has moved up with the help of the Black Keys' Patrick Carney, who released the band's first two albums on his label before they signed with Glassnote Records.

The group's latest disc Flux Outside comes out on March 29th. "Fireball," the first single, seems to give a good indication what listeners can expect. Beginning with whirling sounds before giving way to a swinging rhythm filled bombastic drums, hooky guitar licks and twinkling electronic effects that creates a weirdly melodic sound that is oddly soothing.

"Grass Helmet," follows in the same vein. Although filled with pounding drums, pummeling riffs drowned in distortion and a cacophony of sounds that include a cowbell, the track still retains its melodic edge despite the strange detours. Listen to a few of Royal Bangs' tracks below, and download "Fireball" over at Spin.

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Find more artists like ROYAL BANGS at Myspace Music

Find more artists like ROYAL BANGS at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: The Downer Party

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San Francisco-based band The Downer Party (kind of a contradictory name isn't it?:) have a knack for making catchy songs that combine pop melodies with grimy guitars that are, in their own words, "fun songs about crappy situations."

Made up of members from several Bay Area bands like French Miami, Elephone and Two Seconds, the band's upcoming Cities EP explores the agony and ecstasy of young love in the urban metropolis.

"Cities is about being disconnected from the people you care about and the attempts we all make to cope with that weirdness," singer Sierra Frost explains. "It's about home and removedness...you know?

With songs like "Country Kid" and "Chicago," hooky gems filled with warm, off-kilter melodies and lyrics that are by turns humorous and biting but always accessible, it's likely plenty of people will be singing along whether they want to or not. Cities comes out April 1st. Listen below:

Country Kid

Chicago

Artist Profile: The Movement Fam

The Movement Fam, made up of rapper Cee and singer Bekah, as well as occasional appearances from solo rapper Notion, craft a mix of hip hop, soul and pop/rock they define as "Soul Hop." Originally hailing from Melbourne before making their way to Toronto, their music mines the soulful, R&B-influenced hip hop of Common, College Dropout-era Kanye West and Lauryn Hill.

Tracks like "Livin' This Life" blend DJ scratching, Bekah's sultry vocals and guitar licks while Cee nimbly spits rhymes about being successful against all odds. The old-school soul sampling "Anything For You" gives Bekah space to get her Alicia Keys on, as she wails over the track about a loyal lover. But lyrically the theme consistently turns back to the struggle for success.

"Even though I'm so imperfect/I'm so determined/Been doin' this for too long to be crashin' and burnin'" Notion raps in "All Of This Time" while Bekah advises "Don't look back/The past is dead," in "Livin' This Life." Romance is fine, but unbridled ambition and love for the music are the group's real motivations. Such determination, along with their evolving style, will likely propel them into the stratosphere of superstardom they desire. Listen to a few tracks below:

Artist Profile: Dot

Releasing his first mixtape, Microphone Fiend, in 2006 after leaving to pursue, in his own words, a "Masters on the Billboard charts," rapper Dot sounds a like a student of the Kanye West path to fame. But in actuality the Philly native sounds more like Yeezy's mentor Jay-Z, with his laid back but confident delivery and clever metaphors. Rapping since the age of 11, the aspiring MC experienced the highs and lows of life early, growing up in Philly's rougher neighborhoods while attending Catholic school.

Inspired by NYC rap icons like Nas and Biggie, Dot decided to relocate to the Big Apple last year to work on his debut album, entitled Aviators & Bombers, a concept album based around people's belief that having a lot of material goods equals success. The album is set for release later this year. Until then though, get into the video for "The World Is Not Enough." The track has an East Coast, mid-90's feel to it. Download the track here.

Artist Profile: Rachel Brown

Born and raised in New York City, 23-year-old Rachel Brown combines both her hometown's multi-cultural atmosphere and her Bermudian and Ethiopian heritage to create a sound that's equal parts pop, folk and reggae.

While she's only been performing since her junior year at Harvard, and is not classically trained in any instrument, Brown managed to learn the guitar and ukulele on her own. "My songwriting process—which started about five years ago— consisted of grabbing my guitar and learning to play it while I wrote these songs,” she said. “I just kind of play things until they sound right.”

This simple-can-do attitude spills over into her songwriting as well. The bubbly reggae-fused pop of "Bumblebee" finds her head over heels for a new infatuation, while "Diamond In The Rough" strikes a slightly more seductive tone, with the lines "Your smile is like a bonfire/It melts all my cares away." But Brown can also sing the break-up blues as well, as proven by the somber live track "Lullaby," where she tries to her best not to break down. "No that's not a tear/I swear/I just got somethin' in my eye."

Such emotional honesty has earned her opening slots for acts like Mary J. Blige and Robin Thicke, as well as an impromptu performance with her musical idol Wyclef Jean, who asked her to join him onstage for a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song."

Brown is currently working on her debut album, set for a late summer release. Until then, click on the links to listen to a few tracks below:


Bumblebee

Lullaby

Diamond In The Rough

Artist Profile: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead

Together since the mid-90's ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of The Dead have methodically built their indie rock royalty credentials with each subsequent release, from their 1998 self-titled debut and sophomore release Madonna to their major label stint with Interscope.

After leaving the label the band formed its own Richter Scale Imprint and dropped 2009's critically-acclaimed Century of Self. The band's latest release Tao of The Dead, continues ...Trail Of Dead's ferocious approach to progressive rock, with tracks full of pummeling guitar aggression that still manage to retain an evocative, emotional edge. Listen to the band's new track "Summer Of The Dead," a searing blast of laser-gun riffs and demented distortion, and few assorted cuts from their back catalogue below:

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Find more artists like ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead at Myspace Music

Find more artists like ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead at Myspace Music

Find more artists like ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: The Seedy Seeds

Folk and electro seem as likely to mix well together as oil and water, but Cincinnati-trio The Seedy Seeds make it work, coming up with a sound that is whimsical and refreshingly innovative. Twangy acoustic guitars bop alongside dashes of feverish electro sounds in "Verb Noun," while "Ethel" meshes loopy samples and dramatic strings with a touch of R&B. "Telephone Constrictor" ups the wackiness, using a cacophony of strange voices and pares them against a bouncy pop beat complete with a banjo. Yes, a banjo. Listen below:

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Find more artists like The Seedy Seeds at Myspace Music

Find more artists like The Seedy Seeds at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: Art Vs. Science

Art Vs. Science is an apt description for the dutch-pop band's music, a combination of the cold crush of pummeling electro beats and synths married with vocals are full of life and vitality. The Australian trio have gained a huge following in their home country due to their blistering live shows and two independently released EPs, both of which have gone gold.

It's easy to imagine thousands of people manically jumping and dancing themselves to death when you hear  tracks like "Flippers" and "Magic Fountain," full of gargantuan slabs of synths and two-ton beats that drop like atomic bombs. The band can also veer into more traditional territory as well, with songs like "Finally See Our Way" and "Friend In The Field," revealing a softer, albeit still gritty, flip side to the non-stop sonic assault. Listen below:

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Find more artists like ART vs SCIENCE at Myspace Music

Find more artists like ART vs SCIENCE at Myspace Music

Find more artists like ART vs SCIENCE at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: Tahiti 80

French indie pop quartet Tahiti 80 have been making music together since the mid-90's, starting with the release of their self-produced and self-financed EP "20 Minutes" back in 1996. But the band--made up of singer/guitarist Xavier Boyer,  bassist Pedro Resende, guitarist Mederic Gontier and drummer Sylvain Marchand--are not nostalgic relics. The group has put out four albums in the past four years, creating a sound that is equal parts soulful pop ("Heartbeat," "1,000 Times") and new wave-influenced rock ("Big Day"). 

Tahiti 80's new album The Past, The Present and The Possible, shows the group is still adept at making a variety of different songs. There's the melancholy pop of "Darlin'," which sounds like a darker version of The Turtles or early Beach Boys, while "Solitary Bizness" is all spliced-up samples and shots of synthesizers layered over pounding drums. "Me and The Princess" combines kinetic electro pop with a touch of lite-guitar funk. Take a listen to below:

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Find more artists like Tahiti 80 at Myspace Music

Find more artists like Tahiti 80 at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: Jade Alston

Philly-based singer/songwriter Jade Alston has officially introduced a new word into the pop-culture vocabulary: the She-Mixx. What is a she-mixx you ask? It's when a female artist (in this case the aforementioned Jade) covers a popular song from a male artist but puts a feminine spin on it.

It seems that Alston has mastered this clever spin on the ever popular remix, with her beautifully vulnerable covers of Coldplay's "Clocks" and Kanye West's "Runaway." And like Yeezy, the singer has been releasing all of the covers that will make up her SHE-MIXX: A Woman's Perspective one track at a time, with a new song coming out each Tuesday. This week Jade turns up the swagger on her version of Lil Wayne's "Bill Gates."

Alston has been in the industry for a minute, working with Grammy-winning songwriters and producers like Claude Kelly and Jon Jon Traxx and was a VJ for a local music station. She even did a stint as the hype girl for Kelis' promo tour and was the opening act for 50 Cent and Amerie. Now the singer has her sights set for creating her own hype with Single On A Saturday Night, set for release in late March.

Until then listen to a few of Jade's covers below, and check the rest of the she-mixxes here.

Artist Profile: Alex Winston

Alex Winston proves looks aren't the only thing can be deceiving. The Detroit-based singer/songwriter/guitarist's voice may sound all sweet and baby doll like, but her lyrics pack quite a punch. "Hey there sister wife/Get the hell out/It's my life," she barks at a nosy ex over thundering drum. The target of her fury on "Medicine" is unclear, it ferocious just the same.

Although Winston's background is in opera, her sound is a grab bag musical styles, from the bouncy, melodic pop of "Medicine," the honky tonk piano, twinkling bells and rolling drums of "Choice Notes and the confrontational "SisterWife." Winston crafts a zany, insanely catchy world all her own. Take a listen below:

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Find more artists like Alex Winston at Myspace Music

Find more artists like Alex Winston at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: Carly Jamison

Cee-Lo's "F*ck You" might have found a kindred spirit in New York-based country-pop/rock singer Carly Jamison. The singer lays out her feelings for any potential detractors in the frank and hilarious "Ask Me I Give A Sh*t." Fortunately Jamison's deep, smoky voice, backed by bluesy guitars and smooth harmonies, has plenty of attitude to back up such a bold statement.

"If you wanna start with me/Bring it on" she snarls on the tough-talking continues on "Bring It On," while "Doubt" finds Jamison kicking herself for falling for a two-timing loser who only gave broken promises and disappointments. She kicks the bum out of course. The singer shows her softer side on "The One With You" a tale of young love lost set to a country-pop soundtrack. "The Hills Of Jericho" varies the subject matter a bit, with lyrics about breaking free of old traditions and the mind-numbing influence of advertising and television. Listen to a few tracks below:

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Find more artists like CARLY JAMISON at Myspace Music

Find more artists like CARLY JAMISON at Myspace Music

Find more artists like CARLY JAMISON at Myspace Music

Find more artists like CARLY JAMISON at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: Drawn From Bees

Australian-art rockers Drawn From Bees seem to take a meticulous approach to creating their music. Piecing together different elements--a bit of echoed vocals or singing in a round with background harmonies, sneaking in  somber strings, guitars sounds that veer from warbled distortion to haunting steel pedal slides, or stripping down the bridge to just a few chords--to craft a unique set of songs.

Such attention to detail shines through on tracks like "The Eastwood Fox" and "Waiting For The End," with their hypnotic swing, and the pop/rock gem "Stand Against The Storm." Fleetwood Mac-style stacked harmonies and jangly chords and riffs drive the song, while a synthesizer line weaves in and out, slowly working its way under your skin . Listen below:

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Find more artists like Drawn from Bees at Myspace Music

Find more artists like Drawn from Bees at Myspace Music

Find more artists like Drawn from Bees at Myspace Music

Artist Profile: A House For Lions

L.A.-based indie rockers A House For Lions weave together the worlds of art rock and alt-country with the standard rock attack of distorted guitars and driving drums. It's a curious mix that surprisingly works.

Tracks like "Let Back", are crammed to the brim with searing guitar solos and fuzzy feedback, while "Ease My Mind" and "Come On Let's Go" mine folk and country territory with plenty of steel guitar and gentle back beats that conjure images of lazy summer nights or long midnight drives.

The band's EP I Want Us To Be Remembered will be released nationally on March 1st, but is currently available for download. Listen to a few tracks below:

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Find more artists like a house for lions at Myspace Music

Find more artists like a house for lions at Myspace Music