Bryce Vine “Baby Girl”
Critically lauded, Bryce Vine has brushed with fame as young as 13 when he came close in auditions for The Glee Project. After some acclaimed EPs (“Lazy Fair” and “Night Circus”) and a single “La La Land” featuring YG, Bryce Vine is back with “Baby Girl.” With this track, Vine — who cites influences like Third Eye Blind and J. Cole — busts out of the gate with an uplifting funk sound while cooly rapping “Baby girl got style, she’s stylish/Ready for the long haul, ain’t no flight.” The whole song follows suit with a vibing funk beat that is sure to get you and “baby girl” off the wall and on the floor.

 

Emotional Oranges “Iconic (Rejuiced)”

With the classic EDM sound, “Iconic (Rejuiced)” has favorable hints of “Waves” by Mr. Probz. “Tell me what to do, do, do/When you feelin’ in the mood, mood, mood/’Cause I’m ready, make a move, move, move” is the pre-chorus of this track from the Los Angeles-based R&B group. The digitized sounds make sense as one of the members of Emotional Oranges, Emo is an audio engineer. Despite a laid back vibe, the song has enough juice in its vocals to make it pop for a dance-worthy number. In an interview with Billboard, one of the members said they chose orange because “it feels like the calm before the storm.” That encapsulates this song, but right before the most wonderful kind of storm.

Stripjoints vol72 animated

 

Don Toliver “No Idea”

Some of you will know this song from TikTok, the video-sharing app. For the uninitiated, “No Idea” is what put Don Toliver on the map. Toliver has haunting vocals that tell a complex story that can be sometimes rare in the rap genre, “First things first let me get that introduction/We on a long road to self destruction/You were so in love, you weren’t gon’ tell me nothing/Let me get this clear ’cause I had no idea.” That kind of introspective vulnerability isn’t necessarily commonplace among 25-year-old rappers — at least not vocalized commercially.

Dexter “Answer to Love” (ft. Earl St. Clair)

Dexter, in an interview for StripJoints.com, made no secret his adoration of Avicii. “[Avicii is] the foundation to my career,” Dexter said in that interview. Everything I’ve learned, I learned through just listening to his music and trying to dissect all of his melodies and arrangements. He’s the man.” With “Answer to Love”, Dexter has ably produced an homage track worthy of Avicii’s praise. Whatsmore, Dexter has enlisted the services of Earl St. Clair, who worked with Avicii on the latter’s “Stories” album. It truly was, as Dexter called it, a “full-circle moment.” If you like Avicii, Dexter is the answer for you.

Bush “Flowers on a Grave”

Though ubiquitous with the ‘90s alt-rock movement, Bush has not relegated themselves to the nostalgia tour circuit. Far from it, in fact. The band is set to release a new album, “The Kingdom,” in May. The first single from this effort, “Flowers on a Grave,” is available now via StripJointsMusic.com. The most iconic aspect of Bush’s trademark sound — specifically, the voice of Gavin Rossdale — is front and center on “Flowers,” as is a slick, modernized version of their post-grunge sound. If you dug such classic Bush tracks as “Glycerine,” “Machinehead” and “Everything Zen” (and didn’t we all back in 1995?), you’re gonna like where Gavin and crew are in 2020. – Dave Manack

 

Motive Black “Broken”
“Broken” was singer Elana Justin’s attempt at a more vulnerable song. Still, this song is anything but “soft.” “Broken” starts as suddenly as the breaking through of a door. Justin’s vocals tease at the next unwavering fusion of guitar and drums. For those of a certain age, this song sounds like a hardened version of an early 2000s Avril Lavigne song. Listening to this song, keep in mind System of a Down, which Justin recalls as the most memorable performance she has witnessed in an interview for StripJoints.

EXPO deal 1