The sun is shining bright and summer is in full swing, especially in Ibiza, Mallorca, Tenerife and the many other beaches Spain has to offer. But why am I bringing up Ibiza? Do we have another EDM banger that will melt your face off with its radiating progressive bass? Not quite, but we have something just as satisfying and perhaps, even more refreshing that speaks to the heart of Spain. We are pleased to introduce you to Paco Varsailles.
Guitarist/composer Vahagni and songwriter/producer Ryan Merchant have combined two very distinct sounds, blending together rhythmic flamenco guitar with a prominent French disco electronic production, paving the way to a new genre they are calling Dancemenco.
The result is simply a fantastic poolside disco track that forces you to enjoy yourself. The flamenco instrumentation spreads across the track providing a new, almost foreign foundation in contrast with the nostalgic, inherently French production that we know so well. Spanish meets French for a European-influenced track that will no doubt be played in the beach parties of Miami.
You can listen to their single Unwind above, and also catch them tonight, June 26th at, The Peppermint in Los Angeles.
The modern concept of marriage itself is simple enough for young kids to understand. When two people love each other, they get married and start a family. An obvious oversimplification but often a satisfactory explanation. However, the opposite is not so simple. Divorce, beyond two people not wanting to be together, leads to more follow up questions. Especially coming from a confused son or a daughter trying to grasp what exactly is happening around them.
James TW’s 2015 single ‘When You Love Someone’ dives right into deconstructing the intricacies of two people falling out of love with genuine honesty and hopefulness. Even though his parents did not get divorced themselves, it is very much a personal story. While teaching instruments to kids a few years back, James found out of a boy’s parents were separating. The 11-year-old had not been told yet and it made James think about how will these parents be able to explain things to the boy and still paint it with positivity. How can other boys and girls understand what happened between their parents and not come out of it with negative conclusions? In Mister Roger’s fashion, James sits us down with a song that speaks directly to the heart, even if he often doesn’t perform wearing a red cardigan.
It has been some time since he has released a new song but that is soon about to change. James TW, the 19-year-old self-taught singer-songwriter from the UK will release his new single “Say Love” on March 30th. It will be the first single from the highly anticipated new album due later this year.
Listen to the acoustic version of his song ‘When You Love Someone’ below. Continue reading →
It was early in 2012 when we were introduced to the now ubiquitous dubstep Producer/DJ Seven Lions. He has been capable of not only contributing to the evolution of dubstep, but mastering the interlacing of soothing extended vocals and melodies. Early on, as dubstep hit America, many up and coming producers were primarily going for sonic aggression, while another sub-section of electronic artists, including Seven Lions, prioritized on well-crafted harmonies above all else. Fast forward 4 years and it is still true today. A Seven Lions track can caress you into a soothing mental trance and equality shake you to the core, all the while providing a fresh take on the genre. This obviously brings us to his latest EP Creation. The collection of tracks are much rooted in organic elements than his previous work, providing a new marriage between the acoustic and the electronic worlds. Following a new approach to producing, Seven Lions explains,
This time, songwriting really took place on guitar. There are more acoustic elements in the songs, and that ties it together. I wanted to get a little more experimental. I didn’t worry if something was going to be a big banger on the dancefloor or not. I just made what felt right at the time.
And he absolutely nails it.
This, along with many other reasons is exactly why we are extremely humbled to introduce our next Artist of the Month of October. There are many artists we admire, but not everyone has stayed as consistent about evolving their style as we have seen from Seven Lions. During the following weeks we will bring you more insight into his world, exclusive new tracks and a few surprises in between.
In the meantime, we highly encourage picking up tickets to one of his upcoming shows. Aside from what you’ll witness in the video below, you’ll also be helping support the fight against cancer through the tour’s charitable partner, Fuck Cancer.
As a person that easily binge watches TV shows, it is easy to get to a point where you have almost seen it all. Or at least, all that appeals your interest. Yet, the minute that you find out the release date of your favorite show’s next season, you suddenly have more purpose in life. Ok, maybe my life is a “little bit” more Netflix-driven than yours, but my point is that finding out when The Hunnaa was releasing their full-length debut, 100, gave me just enough rivaling purpose. Introduced through their lusciously euphoric rock single ‘Bonfire’ back in October 2015, capable of filling rooms with their anthemic rock sound, The UK-based four-piece grabbed our hearts and ears from the very start. Ten months, millions of Spotify streams later and praised Zane Lowe, Annie Mac and Huw Stephens, The Hunna have captured just more than an audience. They are one of the few bands today that can define their own following as a ‘movement’ and 100 further proves their case.
This brings us to why we are incredibly honored to present the next Artist(s) of the month: The Hunna, as their kicking off their debut album this week. Join us this month as we get to know Ryan (Vocals/Guitar), Dan (Lead Guitar), Jermaine (Bass) and Jack (Drums) and their quest to conquer the world (musically).
With the cyclical nature of music, there are bound to be sounds that keep crawling their way into our present day. How can you not savor something that is already familiar, that just feels like a small piece of home or a bite of your mom’s favorite dish that you only tried years after moving out and surprised yourself in shame that you had forgotten how delicious it tasted? Often times, however, these sounds and their creators exhausted themselves trying too hard to pay tribute to their predecessors, that unfortunately miss the mark completely. One thing is to revisit the past with a modern take, and another is to include the fading memories that also made them forgettable. Fortunately for this world, the Los Angeles-by-way-of-Provo duo Sego, have created an immersive experience of collected sounds that challenge what you once knew, while still disrupting what you know today.
Within minutes of entering the biosphere of their debut album, Once Was Lost Now Just Hanging Around, depicted by lightly controlled undertones of the 90s indie rock scene, euphoric synthesized notes and vocals masked with distorted frequencies, Sego establishes itself with the intro track “Obscene Dream”. Personally, the song gave me goosebumps and not because of the production quality, which is remarkably clear and balanced, or their infectious choruses (that are just as catchy as wearing Toms in 2012), but because it frightened me a little to write this review. I couldn’t find words to properly define them. How can you properly define Sego and this precise album? And the longer you spend listening to each track, you come to realize that you don’t. You don’t need to define it to make sense of it. While the intro track might sound like a remixed, more distorted version of early Two Door Cinema Club songs, the following, ‘False Currency’ is reminiscent of a more sporadic Cake with statement-like lyrics that now live in a post-millennial world.
Yet among all the different directions Sego finds itself going, the most appealing quality of the album is undoubtedly its constraint. As eclectic and sometimes even as random as their music appears on the surface, it is apparent in calmer tunes “Stars” and “Fool Around” that they understand the spectrum of music they can deliver. Some tracks find themselves pushing the envelope of what the ears can handle, challenging our own perception of the genres we know, while others are simply smothered with beautiful harmonies, making them a breeze to consume. “Wicket Youth” shines as an example of a delightfully bright indie-electro-pop, mid-summer poolside anthem with enough inherent joy to make you want to do cartwheels.
Ultimately, Once Was Lost Now Just Hanging Around feels like a meticulously ordered playlist of Sego’s own music, which today, is accompanied by the delightfully bizarre animations of from renowned GIF artist Gustavo Torres (a.k.a – Kidmograph). It opens up with robust musical elements meshed and layered together over synthesized blips, kicks and riffs to establish a form of authority that then carries over the rest of the album. Just because they can create these extended experimental experiences, doesn’t mean that is all they will do. What follows is an exciting journey deeply rooted in genuine sounds, nostalgia and inducing a completely new fascination for the married genres they have fused together.
Once Was Lost Now Just Hanging Around, will be out March 4, 2015, in North America and May 6 in UK/Europe.
When TMN Co-Founder Clayton Warwick first came up with the idea for Cadence & Cause, we all rallied behind him in support. The fusion of music and charity has always been a big part of the industry, from “We Are the World” to artists donating portions of their ticket sales to their charity of choice. But, we had yet to see someone bring the two together in a way that carries the passion and dedication we know Clayton is capable of.
If you’re not familiar with this platform just yet, you’ll want to start digging in sooner rather than later. The site offers a selection of exclusive music, merch, memorabilia, and experiences from artists you know and love. Each time you enter a sweepstake or pick up a new shirt from the site, you’re benefitting one of the many charities they’ve curated.
We’re not an official partner, nor are we monetarily invested, but we are, in a way, related. It’s easy to look at The Music Ninja and Cadence & Cause as cousins, both in the ever-growing family tree that is the music industry. With that in mind, we wanted to showcase some of the incredible work they’re doing. So, for the next thirty days, you’ll be given an inside glimpse at some exclusive content from both the musicians that support this initiative and the charities that are supported.
Hello Ninjas! I just wanted to take a break from our usual posts to say something that means a lot to me. The Music Ninja turned 6 years old this year and while we may already be potty trained (with a few accidents here and there), we know there is so much more room to grow and mature as a music loving publication.
However, early on in Music Ninja history, Clayton Warwick came along. It was immediately apparent the kind of impact Clayton would have, not just on the site, but on my life as well. Through pure love for music and making fun of the state of the music industry on a daily basis, a friendship was born and partnership came next. His enthusiasm for the music scene, our own ninja team and all the things that come with it seems to grow even more on a regular basis. I am incredibly proud and honored, both personally and professionally, to also have him in my life on a regular basis and I know everyone in our team feels the same way. Today we celebrate Clayton’s five-year anniversary at The Music Ninja. Five years of writing genuine and thorough posts, thoughtful no BS interviews and mentoring every new writer. Five years of fighting when things have been tough and five years of celebrating every single accomplishment. Thank you Clay, for all that you do. I love you.
If you have a minute today, let’s blow him up on twitter (or facebook) and congratulate him on five fantastic years and many more to come.
