The Needledrop Collection (a division of Score a Score) is a diverse compendium of material created by independent artist hand-selected by the SAS creative team. All of our tracks are exclusive, one-stop, and ripe for the world of sync.
Featured Playlists
Moody Electronic
Various
8 Tracks | 3:11
Summer Beats
Various
8 Tracks | 3:12
Indie Rock
Various
8 Tracks | 3:44
Featured Artists
Jon Dixon
Ever since he could remember, Jon Dixon has had a passion for music. Jon began playing by ear at the age of four and has always enjoyed challenging himself by learning music in this manner. He began reading and studying classical piano at the age of 15 while enrolled at The High School For Fine and Performing Arts where he also studied jazz with Mr. Edward Quick. Upon graduating, he began performing with the Detroit Symphony Civic Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Detroit's own Godfather of jazz, the late Marcus Belgrave. While performing locally with this ensemble, he also attended Wayne State University where he studied jazz piano under Matt Michaels. As time went on, word of mouth began to spread about Dixon and his talents.
While in college he accompanied The Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit as an accompanist/bandleader for their productions and concerts as well as performed all over the city and state. Jon currently teaches multiple group piano classes at the Michigan State University Community Music School in Midtown Detroit. He has had the chance to also play for/with Chick Corea, Jeff Hamilton, Robert Hurst, Delfayo Marsalis, John Clayton, The Count Basie Orchestra, Marcus Belgrave, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Leon Ware, Eric Roberson, Dwele, Amp Fiddler and more over the past decade.
Recently Dixon has been taking another approach towards music and production while currently working on various hi-tech jazz projects. In 2015 Jon started an independent label, 4EVR 4WRD (Forever Forward) to focus on making electronic music fused with elements of jazz, hip-hop, and other styles of music. "I feel that it is important for me as a musician to not only continue the rich culture and history of both jazz and electronic music but to also use my knowledge, theory, and experience to combine the two and take both genres to the next level!"
Jon has had the opportunity to not only lead the Underground Resistance live acts Galaxy 2 Galaxy and Timeline, but he has also performed with Interstellar Fugitives, Amp Fiddler, Jeff Mills, Mike Banks, Derrick May, Francesco Tristano, Carl Craig, Goldie and more. Dixon is one of the city's most sought-after musicians for every genre ranging from jazz to techno. He believes that the more versatile and open-minded you are at your craft, the further it will take you. Jon is currently working on multiple projects that are sure to be the beginnings of a new approach and chapter in Detroit's music history.
BALTHVS
BALTHVS is a psychedelic funk trio from Bogotá, Colombia composed of Balthazar Aguirre, Johanna Mercuriana, and Santiago Lizcano. Since their start in March 2020, they have released 22 singles, two albums, three live sessions, and two videos. They have won four government prizes for excellence in their work in the local music scene in Bogotá. They also were a part of the international German Music Never Stops festival in 2020 hosted by Thomann, Europe’s biggest music retailer. They have played in the second biggest festival in Bogotá (Festival Centro) and were invited to play in SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas.
To date, their music has had over 850,000 streams on streaming platforms and they have over 13,000 followers on social media. Their sound can be described as an eclectic mix of funk, surf, soul, psychedelia, house, and Middle Eastern music.
Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish is a fresh and innovative artist hailing from the valleys of Youngstown, Ohio, with a new sound and style that the world needs to hear! Jefferson has unique qualities as a musician, to say the least. Parish is not only a rapper but also a singer, producer, and songwriter.
Working with Nexus Sound Studio, Idorra Park Music, & B.Sharp Publishing, Jefferson Parish has been able to create an astonishing melodic and harmonic sound that combines and fuses various genres and styles of music together. This allows him to be as creative as possible and also appeals to an array of audiences of all ages. Parish was influenced by a multitude of musicians and artists from his younger years, growing up in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, LA.
In Louisiana, he learned piano, and violin, and was also in choir since he was eight years old and has always been a huge fan of literature. His fascination for words led him to write poetry and spoken word, which eventually led to writing songs. Parish is a very creative and unique artist, which is the key to making new and inventive music that we all desperately need. When Parish is not being a very busy and sought-after entrepreneur with his fashion line Muaegabi, Parish can be found producing and writing songs at the studio. With the multiple styles and sonics, It’s safe to say that Jefferson Parish has music for everyone to know and love.
Tano Brock
Tano Brock is a San Francisco-born producer, songwriter, and mix engineer based in Los Angeles, CA.
He grew up surrounded by music and began playing percussion at a young age. Throughout his childhood, he added more instruments to his arsenal, including piano, guitar, clarinet, and saxophone. In his teen years, he discovered the world of recording and production, which quickly became an obsessive passion.
After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2019, Tano moved to New York City, where he worked for a year before relocating to Los Angeles.
Although he focuses on music production and engineering, Tano is a versatile artist, releasing his own original music, composing for synch licensing, and performing live with numerous projects including La Doña, Aya Safiya, and Sarma Brass Band.
Patois
Patois is the alt-pop moniker of Daniel Johnson. A native Detroiter, he began releasing music as Daniel in 2009, starting with the Bulbz EP for Ghostly sublabel Moodgadget, followed by three full-lengths, Lazrus, Extracolor, and Sicko, and the Hard Feelings EP, all repped by Downtown Music.
“Stay With Me,” from Hard Feelings, was prominently featured in Beauty and the Beast on the CW network. A rework of the Lazrus cut “Hard Core” by his side project Avila was featured in MTV’s The Real L Word. Avila, for which Johnson produces and writes, has had their music featured in numerous commercial and TV campaigns for brands including Victoria’s Secret, Trojan, Orange is the New Black, The Bachelor, and Showtime’s The Affair.
Johnson also works prolifically creating custom music for TV and commercials. His productions have included collaborations with Flint Eastwood’s Jax Anderson for ESPN and Luscius for Santander Bank.
In 2019 Johnson, feeling that the use of his first name for his solo work was so common as to be unsearchable, and wanting to refocus and recommit, adopted the new alias Patois.
Bevan
Bevan is a singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from the seaside town of Bournemouth. After picking up drums at the age of twelve and later guitar, the benevolent artist began producing tracks while still attending the University of Sussex. Studying everything from jazz and R&B to '60s pop and world music, the UK-based artist grew a penchant for ear-catching melodies and lovelorn lyrics. American songwriters like Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Paul Simon would become influences during this developmental period. With an eclectic sound blending the best parts of the past and present, the future is set to be an exciting one for Bevan.
Zoos of Berlin
“Detroit’s Zoos of Berlin are an intriguingly odd lot, whose music doesn’t really sound like anything else going on right now. The word I keep coming back to is regal. It is soft-focus but obtuse, a little foppish and often fancy. Still pop music made by guitars and keyboards and drums and voices, but these guys are definitely in their own orbit.”
- Brooklyn Vegan
Stratøs
Michigan native Stratøs is a saxophonist, composer, producer, and film photographer whose presence in the modern jazz scene is rapidly growing. His improvisational style is rooted heavily in the subtle melodicism of the cool jazz tradition and extends to the bold, complex nature of the electronic jazz scene. His compositions explore a combination of elements between jazz and other styles such as hip-hop, metal, electronica and classical. Stratøs is the three-time winner of the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award from 2019-2021. Additionally, he was awarded the ASCAP Foundation’s Johnny Mandel Prize as well as being selected as a National Sawdust New Works Commission Contest winner. The latter granted the composer the opportunity to write for the world-renowned JACK Quartet.
In 2017, Stratøs began working with indie rock/R&B artist Charlie Burg. The saxophonist is featured in several of Burg’s works such as “Intentions” and “Lancaster Nights."
Stratøs’ latest project, Planets, is a full-length album entirely produced by the saxophonist which features the likes of Alekos Syropoulos (Mac Miller, Anderson .Paak, Vulfpeck), 2019 JUNO award nominee Andrew Rathbun, John Hébert (Fred Hersch, Maria Schneider), and renowned saxophonist/composer/producer David Binney (Donny McCaslin, Knower). The album is the amalgamation of the producer’s diverse musical identities. Reaching from the visceral, distorted sounds and grooves of the death metal world to the serene soundscapes akin to Hayao Miyazaki film scores, Planets seeks to connect a narrative throughline between these juxtaposing elements. The record was released on October 1st, 2021.
Twïnn
Twïnn is a music duo based out of Detroit, MI comprised of long-time friends Sean Healey and Gjon Gjevalini. Together they create psychedelic indie rock with a strong foundation in synthesizers and melody. With sounds ranging from 1960's style surf to futuristic trip-hop, Twïnn blends a versatile sound not bound by genre.
Romantic Dividends
Romantic Dividends is a cinematic soul experiment under the direction of Los Angeles based composers Allen Blickle & Josh Wiener. Their debut LP, Giallo, is the group's retro-futurist love letter to European film scores of the 20th century, exotically crafted with orchestral arrangements, hypnotic rhythms, and expansive modern production.
Morgan Stewart
Morgan Stewart is an American musician and designer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Having previously released multiple albums with her dream pop band Sleep Experiments, her recent solo work is spare melodic pop featuring piano, guitar, her ethereal voice and wry, introspective lyrics.
Marcus Elliot
Marcus Elliot is a saxophonist, composer, improviser, and educator based in Detroit, Michigan. Marcus is a 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow, awarded by Kresge Arts in Detroit. His compositions and improvisations have been described by the New York Times as "convincing and confident, evolved in touch and tone...", and the Detroit Free Press has said, "Marcus Elliot represents the next generation of jazz". Elliot leads and co-leads many different Detroit based bands including the Marcus Elliot Quartet, Clockwork, Balance, Beyond Rebellious, and Lanula. Elliot performs in the Shigeto Live Ensemble. He is a Fellow of the Geri Allen Gathering Orchestra. He co-founded the nonprofit Polyfold Musical Arts Collective. Elliot is the director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Civic Jazz Ensembles. Elliot received his master's degree in improvisation from the University of Michigan.
Mia Pixley
Mia Pixley, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and artist who uses her cello, voice, and music performance to study and represent aspects of self and other, community, and the natural world. Similar to the collaborative lens from which she approaches her psychotherapy practice, Mia’s artistic collaborations lead with curiosity, honesty, humility, and humor. Protectively whimsical and simultaneously melancholic, Mia’s music gravitates toward the beauty hidden in sorrow, pain, and loss and this beauty’s potential to inspire curiosity, wonder, rebirth, and reconnection to ourselves, each other, and the natural world. She has a professional studies diploma in cello performance from San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Class of ‘18). She has performed on GRAMMY award-winning albums and award-winning off-Broadway musicals. She tours regularly with Windham Hill Winter Solstice Tour and collaborates with artists both in the SF Bay Area and NYC. Mia lives in the California Bay Area with her husband and their son. She cares about community, interconnectivity, and nature. Mia just released her first full-length album titled Margaret in the Wild (2021), which you can find on streaming services and Bandcamp.
Lulu Fall
Lulu Fall is a singer, award-winning songwriter, and actor currently based in New York and Detroit. Lulu, a formally trained jazz vocalist with a musical theatre background, is one complete and unexpected package. As a product of Senegalese and Cameroonian parentage, her music reflects her global perspective by way of her American sensibilities.
Because Lulu has a background in musical theatre, she alternates between that and music. Among other shows, she was a performer in the Smithsonian’s American Songbook Program and an ensemble member in Studio Theatre’s adaptation of Passing Strange. She was also a featured ensemble member in the acclaimed hippie love-rock musical HAIR, both the first National tour and Broadway. Her off-broadway credits include Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, the acclaimed porn musical Pretty Filthy, and the acclaimed folk-opera Hadestown. Lulu portrayed the character of Brenda in Capital Repertory’s production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe in Albany. Lulu was most recently in the Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, and the off-Broadway productions of This Ain't No Disco and Wild Goose Dreams.
With a degree in Jazz Studies, Lulu attended Michigan State University. Lulu Fall independently released her debut EP, It’s Official in 2009, both in Washington DC and London. Her title track single can be found on Spotify. Lulu also independently released a collaborative EP, Heal: Part 1, with the LF+JT (Lulu Fall and James Theory) project in 2015. Lulu's latest collaborative project album, The Unpaved Road, was released in August 2017 with writing partner Kris Johnson. This full-length album can be found on all major music platforms ( iTunes, Spotify, CD Baby) as well as the Artist Centric Music label website. The latest video single from this album, entitled "Painfully Sober," was exclusively released by AFROPUNK. Some of Lulu’s music performances include the Winter Music Conference in Miami, FL, Blues Alley in Washington, DC, Langnau Jazz Nights Festival in Switzerland, Jazz Re:freshed in London, and Cliff Bell’s in Detroit, MI. Lulu was a finalist in the 4th annual Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Jazz Competition. Lulu won the Mid-Atlantic Song Competition (MASC) and was awarded gold and silver for her songs “Fight” and “No Better” in the R&B category. Her single “Pretty For a Dark Girl” was awarded TOP 5 WINNER in the R&B category of the Great American Song Contest. Lulu is set to release her next album, Between Two Worlds, on November 8th, 2019 under Ropeadope Records.
Love Axe
Sitting somewhere between the orchestral chamber pop roots of Randy Newman and the melted soundscapes of Ween, each song on Love Axe’s new full-length THE FOOD creates its own unique atmosphere. “This is a record for the desperate weirdo in everyone,” songwriter Chris Hatfield (Those Transatlantics) says. Embracing pop in a more ravenous way than before, the songwriting envelops Stevie Wonder through a smartphone funk of Unknown Mortal Orchestra on opener “Do The Transform,” and standout single “Give Me A Kiss.” The soaring aughts-pop crunch of “Black Out The Sun” hearkens back to the guitar and heartbreak-soaked South Dakota days, giving the album a solid grip to launch itself into unfamiliar waters. The record is shot through with power pop careen (“Parasite,” “Armageddon Stuff”) and dance floor oblivion (“I Can Find You,”) before finding a bittersweet ache on “Do What You Want To” and “Sympathy,” bringing to mind the effortless pop immediacy of Jenny Lewis.
Conceived and recorded over a period of five years in LA’s Frogtown neighborhood, THE FOOD was originally intended to be a country album. “I started the record with this one shitkicker of a song that kept getting pushed back by the next one I’d write,” says Hatfield. “Eventually, nothing started making sense until I surrendered to my true motivations,” which, along with the usual components of fear and loathing, was “anything that felt significantly deranged enough compared to the last record. The result is a genre-destroying, technicolor achievement fueled by undeniable grooves and alternative-universe pop songwriting.
The album also sees contributions from both erstwhile and new collaborators, including original Love Axe drummer Heath Johnson and bassist/vocalist Joelle Barrios, drummer Amber Barnard and multi-instrumentalist Todd Boepple, and on “Think”, the album’s pop triumph centerpiece, a collaboration with Grammy-winning chameleon Andrew Dost. The communal feel of the record embraces and encourages its eclectic nature. THE FOOD swings in all directions, inhabiting a charmingly sincere wrecking ball with enough momentum for the desperate, inner weirdo in each of us.
Eyelid Kid
Eyelid Kid is the creative moniker of Austin-based producer and musician Paul Grant. EK's forward yet nostalgic sound consists of electronic grooves that meet catchy, pop-inspired vocals melded with R&B beats. Think naturally textured rhythms over a bed of lush melodies placed in a coming-of-age film.
David Shabani
Born to Congolese parents in Paris, Shabani immigrated to Canada before launching alternative hip-hop artistry in Texas.
In an area where the music culture is expansive and rapidly accelerating, Shabani’s sound keeps pace by blending compellingly personal lyrics with high-energy backbeats that combine to work double time. The result is a product that dually satisfies the late night thrill seeker with stimulating, club pounding rhythms while still providing the idle listener with lyrics that flow in a story-like format.
Influenced by Kid Cudi, Kaytranada, Lupe Fiasco, and Childish Gambino, Shabani identifies with the outsiders of hip-hop. The independent artist has more than 50 original songs available on all major music platforms and has established a presence with performances at iconic venues across the United States and festivals including South by Southwest, ESPN X Games, and So What Music Festival alongside D Smoke, K CAMP, Trinidad James, Mac Miller, and Kanye West.
His idiosyncratic multi-city story plays out in his latest EP, Shabani’s Smooth Sounds of the Summer. With homages to his native French and Lingala, Shabani blends bouncy club beats with spacious soundscapes to let lyrics lead.
Brave Little Howl
Brave Little Howl is from the DFW area in North Texas. The band was formed initially by Marc Atkinson and Billy Hale in 2015 in an apartment with two acoustic guitars.
THE BAND:
Marc Atkinson (guitar), Billy Hale (vocals & guitar), Josh Miller (keys & bgvs), Cory Phifer (drums), Clay Friddle (guitar, xylophone, percussion & bgvs), and Cole Risner (bass).
Their first recording Make Your Heart Sweat EP was recorded in 2016 in Nashville with Buckley Miller and Michael John Scheuchzer and released the following year. Over the next couple of years, the band found their sound, a kind of Wilco-meets-indie-rock-meets-the-Eagles sound.
Our Lives Aren't Movies, the band's first full-length album, was the result of finding and exploring that sound. The album was recorded at Redwood Studio in Denton, TX over several sessions from Sept. 2017 through Feb. 2018. The producer was McKenzie Smith from the band Midlake, who has also worked with artists like St. Vincent and Sarah Jaffe. Joey McClellan, also of the band Midlake, was the engineer.
Kris Johnson
Kris Johnson is an award-winning trumpeter, composer, and educator. He has appeared on five Grammy-nominated albums and composed the original score for the four-time Emmy-nominated web series King Ester. Kris toured the world as a trumpeter and arranger with the Count Basie Orchestra from 2008 to 2019 and served as the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Utah from 2015 to 2019. Currently, Kris is a freelance composer, arranger, and educator in Metro Detroit, and the creator and curator of the online educational series Office Hours with Kris Johnson.
Kris was recently commissioned by Plowshares Theater (Detroit, MI) in partnership with the Kresge Foundation to compose a musical influenced by Detroit’s historic Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods. Hastings Street: The Musical is currently in development with music/lyrics co-composed by Kris and playwright/actor John Sloan III who also wrote the book. In 2012, Kris received an ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers award and was selected as one of 25 Detroit performing and literary artists to receive a $25,000 Kresge Artist Fellowship. Kris was awarded a grant in 2014 from New Music USA to fund a studio recording of his original musical Jim Crow’s Tears with a book by Gary Anderson of Plowshares Theater (Detroit). Kris has been commissioned to write compositions and arrangements for the Count Basie Orchestra, Ken Thompkins (principal trombonist, Detroit Symphony Orchestra), Arts League of Michigan, Karen Clark Sheard, Yolanda Adams, the Clark Sisters, Farmington Community Band, Detroit Symphony’s Civic Ensembles, Ferndale Community Concert Band, Motor City Brass Band, Troy High School, New Trier High School, and many others.
Mr. Johnson has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious jazz venues including the Apollo Theater, the Blue Note Jazz Club (US and Japan), the Sydney Opera House, Blues Alley, and the Hollywood Bowl. He has also had the opportunity to perform with many jazz greats including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, Patti Austin, Wess Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, Jon Hendricks, Monty Alexander, Christian McBride, Jamie Cullum, and many others. As the leader of The Kris Johnson Group, he has recorded several studio albums including Odd Expressions, Journey Through a Dream, and The Unpaved Road with Lulu Fall. He has also produced a series of video projects including live performances, virtual big band videos, and his audiovisual album SAFE featuring his abstract illustrations and animation. Kris was featured soloist in the 2013 standup-comedy film Make Me Wanna Holla starring Sinbad.
Johnson has a keen sensitivity to the nuances of film as is evident in his award-winning film scores for various web series, documentaries, short films, and feature films. Kris scored the Dui Jarrod web series King Ester which was picked up by Issa Rae’s YouTube Channel Issa Rae Presents. The series was nominated for four Emmy Nominations in 2020. Kris received an Outstanding Score award for his work on the comedic web series The PuNanny Diaries at the 2011 LA Webfest and wrote the score for Searching For Shaniqua which won HBO’s Best Doc Award at the 2016 Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival.
Joey Joesph
Joey Joesph (né Cook) is a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist based in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has shared bills with Chastity Belt, Diane Coffee, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Islands, Pillar Point and others, and was named Cincinnati's New Artist Of The Year in 2017. In 2020 Joey released his completely self-recorded cover of the legendary Beach Boys album, Smile, available exclusively on Bandcamp.
Joesph also co-founded the psych pop band Pomegranates in 2006, who released five LPs and toured nationally with artists such as Phantogram, Wye Oak, Islands, French Kicks and more.
Annabelle Freedman
Annabelle Freedman wraps you in a delightful blanket of upcycled sounds. Based in Los Angeles, they breathe bewilderment into their generous collaborations bringing you undiluted sincerity. They are an interdependent artist, rather than an independent one. Through the use of undulating vocals captured on a Telefunken TF-29 Copperhead, expansive Ableton production, NS electric violin, and Fender's Tenor Tele, their collaboration with companies as well as their musical collaborators beckons listeners to celebrate the magnificent as well as the mundane.
Their release, "Blastin Pastem," with Zhao, broadcast on NPR as a top tune, premiered on KCRW's most popular show, Morning Becomes Eclectic, and was played by KCRW DJs Valida, Novena Carmel, Anne Litt, Raul Campos, and Aaron Byrd. It made the top 20 of 2020 list of several KCRW DJs. Annabelle also released the singles, "reCOLLECTION" along with a music video by Kellen Malloy, "Rainbow", "Green Tree Tops", "Slippin", and "Mirror's Eye" in 2020.
In 2021, they released “Hope” with Def Sound and Zhao which also premiered on KCRW’s MBE while Annabelle was working on their first full-length album with Rachel White. Their first production credits, "Flowers" and “A Poem Called Here” by Def Sound, also graced KCRW airways by way of several DJs.
Aaron Percy
Aaron Percy writes music to soften chaos within, piercing inner demons with stillness. Shepherded by Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, and Sufjan Stevens, Aaron’s songs are familiar but new. Like lullabies long forgotten, they weld delicate melodies, puckish rhythms, and lucid prose. Somewhere between New England and Northern California, Aaron is singing a song. For himself, for his pup, and for you.
Sleeping Lion
Nate Flaks & Noah Longworth McGuire, the two halves of the pop-adjacent duo, Sleeping Lion, met while living down the hall from each other in Boston. Though they were initially pursuing other career paths, after a chance encounter with Halsey in early 2015, they were encouraged to break into the pop music scene. With Noah living in Rome and Nate living in New York, Sleeping Lion wrote & produced their first few songs together entirely over Skype.
Since their move to Los Angeles in 2017, the duo has worked with countless writers, artists, and producers in hundreds of sessions, looking to build and grow with their extensive community of musician friends. This led them to dozens of cuts (Transviolet, Cody Lovaas, Emilia Ali, Salem Ilese, Lizzy Land, etc.), remixes, and packed shows (including The Echo, Madame Siam, and The Peppermint Club).
Sleeping Lion also hosts a podcast called Talking Lion where they chat with their artist friends and share the stories behind their songs.
Takkin
"TAKKIN [tok-kin] 德堅 dé jiān - “firm virtue”
The NYC-based singer and songwriter (born Tobias Wong) creates cinematic soundscapes with haunting vocals grounded in pulsating, electronic beats. His musical genesis began in the pews of international churches, where American folk music, English hymns, and Mandarin ballads collide. Growing up in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, South Korea, Michigan, and now Astoria, Queens, Takkin wrestles with the feelings of loneliness in liminal space and finding home.
Shiva Linga
As a musician, the effect of music on the inner being is a central theme of Shivani’s work. Shivani grew up learning Indian Classical music and studied Music Technology and Experimental Pop Music at the California Institute of the Arts founded by Walt Disney. Shivani is a skilled touring musician and producer, with placements on Deb Never’s EP and touring experience with Dominic Fike, Brockhampton, Tommy Genesis, 88Rising, and more. The pure experience of music is the most inspiring aspect.
Praise & Warships
Dig if you will the picture: a cool, electronic breeze filling every void with catchy, funky synth frills; and a voice not unlike young Wayne Coyne, addressing technological, spiritual, and extraterrestrial quandaries in a love letter to a world where suddenly, everything has changed.
Praise & Warship’s sound is as much organic and grounded as it is densely layered with aural easter eggs for your tympanic membrane. It’s edgy, danceable pop juxtaposed against the sociological nightmare we’re all living. This is earphone candy for the new world.
HEY DONNIE!
‘HEY DONNIE!” (p/k/a Don Neil) has been making a name for himself in the music scene since 2017.
From his self-released single "Hey Donnie" supported by Rap Nation, he has been able to garner co-signs from platinum producer K Swisha (Produced "Lil Donnie," "Tell The World.") and viral sensation Lonely God (Produced “Get Goin,” “Get Goin 2 ft. NUT!!!). As well as having support from platforms such as Lyrical Lemonade, Rap Nation, Promoting Sounds, RESPECT MAG, and many more.
Born in 1997, Don Neil is a young, hungry, and most importantly, talented rap artist from Baltimore, whose musical influences range from Kid Cudi, J. Cole, and Chance The Rapper. In listening to Don's music, you can easily hear that he is not like the average artist talking about a negative lifestyle. Far from corny, Don's music has a message that conveys that it's okay to be young and not sure of which road to take, but at the same time, have motivation, be patient, have fun, and learn to smile while enjoying the process.
Avila
Avila is the collaborative musical brainchild of musicians Daniel Johnson and Brie Stoner. The two Michigan musicians collaborated on music featured on Victoria's Secret, Orange is The New Black, The Affair, and other international TV and film campaigns.
Their first full-length project Feminine Tense was released in February of 2020.
Tchad Cousins
A Michigan native, Tchad crafts a unique voice onto a churning instrumental palette ranging from funk to new wave to trip-hop. Their oddities shine through as a vehicle to a kaleidoscopic inner world.
Danny Diamonds
At the heart of Danny Diamond's art lies a balance of lyrical introspection and melodic ear candy. Refusing to be pigeonholed, he is at once sonically dynamic and visually captivating, as is evident in the cover art he illustrates himself. Through these talents, the Boston native has earned a dedicated following that continues to grow with every release.
Cale Parks
While he's best known for decades of drumming in Yeasayer, Aloha, and such high-profile side hustles as Passion Pit, Chet Faker, Paradis, and Joan of Arc, Cale Parks has become more of a mood-altering electronic producer in recent years. The first sign of that shift was 2015's Lagoon Fool EP, a multi-faceted record that featured lots of interlocking melodies and everything from acid techno asides ("Big Hills") to piano-laced synth progressions ("Jade").
2020’s Boards EP ventures even further into the ether, piling on the sort of polychromatic chords, artful hooks, and mood-altering melodies one might find on an old Air or Durutti Column album.
Cale’s recent solo efforts can be found on a variety of boutique electronic labels worldwide, with new releases lined up for 2022 and 2023.
Stoney Creation
Stoney Creation (she/her) is a 22-year-old pluralist from Oakland, CA. Stoney involves herself in many art mediums including, singing, DJing, radio hosting, and more. Stoney strives to use these art forms to connect with herself and others but to also share perspectives and her healing truths to guide people into understanding their own individual freedoms. Spiritually and through her artistry, she channels raw, authentic, and vulnerable energies to ultimately lead people and herself into their true self-awakening.
Bailey Miller
Bailey Miller is a solo producer, singer-songwriter, vocalist, and classically trained violinist and harpist. She makes dark, orchestral, and abysmal music that is hard to pin down, drawing from genres such as electronic, folk, R&B, singer-songwriter, classical, ambient, doom, and trap. Her music explores unusual combinations of textures, the depths of existential searching, and vulnerable singer-songwriting. Bailey’s live shows are raw and immersive, always striving to ask what can be done in a solo format with many different instruments and contrasting elements while keeping the integrity of softness and openness at the forefront.
Shoffy
Shoffy is an LA-based artist, producer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Racking up over half a billion streams globally, Shoffy has gone on three headline tours across North America (selling out venues including the Troubadour) and charted on Billboard, US Top 40 Radio, and Spotify Viral charts.
Samanta Liza
Born in Hawaii and living in NYC, Samanta Liza is a global citizen, having also lived in London, Sweden, Kuwait, Qatar, Florida, and Shanghai. She brings this cultural and musical melting pot to her artistry, and it can be heard across her music, which excellently fuses dance, indie, and electronic music. Samanta has an unrivaled ability to create a unique journey for every new crowd, with the mixing of her innocently sensual live vocals and percussion, flowing into a true hybrid performance of original melodic and high-energy mixes. Her performances never fail to capture and energize the crowd.
Samanta has gained the respect of producers and music critics alike, with support from the likes of Denny Tenaglia and Paco Osuna on her latest melodic techno release. Samanta has released several records that have charted on Beatport and Apple Music and has performed in some of the most exclusive nightclubs in NYC. Her sets vary from downtempo, psychedelic rock, and organic to driving indie dance and melodic techno. Selected venue/events highlights: The Soundgarden at Scenery Roof (NYC), Virgo (NYC), Mercury Lounge (NYC), The Williamsburg Hotel Water Tower (NYC), and Paradise Club (NYC).
Lucys
Lucys started as a dream pop project during the emergence of bedroom pop in 2017. Rather than just fitting into the genre, Lucys' music was defined by its ability to capture elusive moods. Their songs are reminiscent of long drives down unknown roads and relaxing summer nights.
Penny EAU
Alternative and atmospheric indie artist Penny Eau knows there is power in her words. The US-born singer grew up in the performing arts space but never felt quite at home in America. At 18, she moved to Liverpool, England to attend Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. In Liverpool, her artistry and maturity blossomed, and she realized that this, performing, is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Since graduating Penny has worked internationally between Norway, the UK, and Los Angeles.
Penny has success as not only an artist but also a writer, vocalist, and producer. She has had radio placements on BBC 6 and NRK P3 for her debut single "Lavender & Gasoline." Other recent accomplishments include her cover of "New York, New York" with Daemon and Zech Biship being featured in the Shonda Rhimes-helmed Netflix Original miniseries Inventing Anna and original "Zeros and Ones" being placed in MTV's Teen Mom. Looking forward, she’s excited to release her debut album in early 2023 made alongside many notable producers including Oscar Neidhardt (Thirty Seconds to Mars, Emeline) and HAO (2 Chainz, The Isley Brothers).
In addition to these accomplishments, Penny also has an impressive history of performing live. She’s performed at the 2021 Vegan Camp Out, the Liverpool Digital Music Festival, London’s O2 Academy Islington, and the Liverpool International Music Festival.
Penny’s songs paint a picture with their hyper-metaphorical lyrics, with topics ranging from heartbreak to climate change. She takes inspiration from genre-bending experimental artists such as Bon Iver, James Blake, and The 1975, and from her passions for veganism, sustainability, mental health acceptance, and destigmatizing the struggle of addiction, having dealt with the latter two herself. Penny Eau is a wholly unique artist, and her signature blend of cinematic flair combined with her haunting voice will make sure you’ll never forget her.
Urbanites
Considered by Alternative Press as one of the “up-and-coming bands from Brazil you should listen to,” Urbanites was founded by singer-songwriter Gui Lazzari, whose lyrics delve into internal struggles and existential dilemmas. Sometimes delivering pounding guitar riffs and others releasing heartfelt acoustic songs, the band pulls their influences from the '90s and 2000s alternative rock scenes.
DΛVIS
DΛVIS Mallory, known for his participation in MTV's The Real World Denver & The Challenge: Inferno III, Duel II, and Rivals, has made a new name for himself as a DJ and singer-songwriter in collaboration with renowned DJs RetroVision (“Little Victory”), John Dahlback (“Anyone Would Know” and “Forget U”), Landis (“Loud”), Noize Generation (“Hold Me Down”), Going Deeper (“Believe”), DJs From Mars ("Dance 2 the Beat”), and others. DAVIS has been getting solid support from some of the industry's biggest DJs including Tiësto, Don Diablo, Hardwell, Cedric Gervais, and Morgan Page. DΛVIS has releases on record labels Hexagon, Revealed, Armada, Warner, Soave, and others. DΛVIS' music has also ended up in film and TV for networks like MTV, Snapchat, and Hulu.
Rachael Marks
Rachael Marks is a Jamaican-born artist currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia. Her love for songwriting and singing was fostered from a tender age. Rachael infuses a blended sound of neo-soul and pop. Her deep and rich vocals are one that will resonate with you!
Ronnie Riggles
Ronnie Riggles is a rapper, multi-faceted creative, and community outreach leader in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Known in his area as someone who makes it his mission to show support to the less fortunate at every show.
Whether that be audience members bringing donated goods or donating to local efforts. He has dropped four projects - Prep School Negro his first EP, and 3 albums Nebula released in 2019, (The) Cost of Living in 2021, and "Nothing to Show", released in 2023, as well as diverse catalogue of singles outside of his projects. Recently, he completed his first international tour; a 10+ show tour, the "Nothing To Show Tour", where he was able to perform for his new found international fan base out in London and Bristol in the UK; he concluded the tour with his west coast USA family in LA. With 35k+ followers on his Instagram account, he has been able to build a solid foundation for more work to come. He is constantly looking to continue expanding his music and message past his Philly home base.
In his nine years as a musical artist, Ronnie has opened for notable acts like CurrenSy, Conway The Machine along with SZA and also worked with other young legends and artists from the Philadelphia area, including Digital Crates, Ben Thomas, Nic Hanson and Tierra Whack He has also collaborated with Boldy James and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan.
Wnderland
Wnderland are an electronic cinematic pop duo from London consisting of musicians Sarah Mcintosh and Thom Robson. Thom's backdrop of emotive piano, strings and vintage synthesisers juxtaposed against Mcintosh's intimate and honest vocals creates Wnderland: a hybrid between soundtrack and pop.
To date, Wnderland's single "Dreamer" has received radio play and support from the likes of BBC Introducing, and has been added to Spotify's "UK Hot Artists" playlist.
Mcintosh was the lead vocalist and songwriter in the early 2010s indie band, The Good Natured, where she toured with Imagine Dragons, Bastille, played at Maida Vale for BBC Radio 1 and headlined BBC introducing stage at Glastonbury. Her later pop act 'Sazzie' saw her collaborate with the Beastie Boys' Mix Master Mike and play at Coachella's Vestal Village. Thom has a background primarily working on film and television soundtracks, His music can also be heard in season 3 of Stranger Things, the recent Netflix series Street Food and the Emmy winning series Chef's Table. He has also written scores for a number of acclaimed feature films. In 2018 his track "From Fragments" was released by Injazero records on their debut label compilation "Injacomp001". Collaborations include string arrangements for Tony Njoku and Albeca, an electronic/ambient project.
Faster Horses
Faster Horses is an alt-country duo whose songs peek through the endearing limitations of recording and arrangement techniques from a bygone era to explore both the sadness and generativeness of heartbreak. The project is the result of many years of off-again-on-again collaboration between Kate Ellen Dean and Steve Sopchak—attempting to make the most of the rare moments when the two find themselves in the same city. Press around Faster Horses’ debut described it as “leaving behind a breadcrumb trail of folk and traditional American songwriting influences with a sound that recalls the sadness-tinged balladry of Bonnie Raitt and the country-pop sensibilities of early Taylor Swift.”