:::THE MATCHUPS:::
“Butter” – Bad Flamingo vs. “Monster Squad (Love So Crazy)” – Sam The Astronaut
“Dark Lines” – Spin Maddox vs. “Riviera” – Dancing On Tables
“Strong Enough” – Jude The Obscure vs. “Keep A Beat” – Midnight Mystery Club
“Ciao Ciao” – Lita vs. “Lonely Ghost-Self” – NKOS
“Moonstruck” – DJ Wei x Shingo Sekiguchi vs. “Try Another Taste” – Shenna
“Jumpin’ In The Rain” – badmonsham vs. “Pretty Pills for Broken Hearts” – Cloudy June
“Neighbourhood” – DC vs. “Psycho” – Tia Gostelow
“walk but in a garden” – LLusion x mxmtoon vs. “Future Love” – nxtime
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“Butter” – Bad Flamingo vs. “Monster Squad (Love So Crazy)” – Sam The Astronaut
Bad Flamingo‘s “Butter” is what I imagine the product of a Mac Demarco/HAIM jam session would sound like. Mellow and easy-going, the song features raspy, soft-spoken vocals and chimy, lo-fi guitar riffs. Last round, it defeated Rvkah‘s “Slow Down.” The second song from Sam The Astronaut‘s 2020 EP “High For You,” “Monster Squad (Love So Crazy)” exemplifies the brand of “anthemic, West Coast alt-pop” the Vancouver duo is quickly becoming known for. It defeated “Smart Child” by Josh! last round.
Vote here.
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“Dark Lines” – Spin Maddox vs. “Riviera” – Dancing On Tables
“Dark Lines” was Spin Maddox’s first single of the year and showcases the influence he borrows from upbeat pop artists like Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams. It defeated “Dandelion” by Hazel Rose last round. “Riviera” is the second-most recent single from Scottish five-piece Dancing On Tables. The song is ideal indie-rock for people who had a big pop-punk phase growing up. Expert harmonization and well-built transitions are the hallmarks of this song. In Round 1, it defeated “American Spirits” by Niki Black.
Vote here.
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“Strong Enough” – Jude The Obscure vs. “Keep A Beat” – Midnight Mystery Club
With “Strong Enough,” Jude The Obscure channels the smooth, groovy-yet-chill jazz-rap coming out of the UK currently being championed by artists like Loyle Carner and Tom Misch. His debut single shows excellent musicianship and an exciting glimpse at what’s to come. In the first round, it defeated ANNA‘s “Bando – Remix” ft. Rich The Kid. Meanwhile, “Keep A Beat” is the latest single from duo Midnight Mystery Club, and it reminds me of a modern Phil Collins, or a more indie-rock Francis & The Lights. It narrowly defeated “Sinful City” by Seatbelts last round.
Vote here.
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“Ciao Ciao” – Lita vs. “Lonely Ghost-Self” – NKOS
“Ciao Ciao” comes from Berklee alum Lita, who was born and raised in Rome but moved to the USA for school. The song, her debut single, both honors her musical roots and Italian heritage while sounding current and providing something fresh. It defeated Jenn Nucum and Kritty Uranowski‘s “Honest” in Round 1. “Lonely Ghost-Self” is fairly different. NKOS‘ third single and second of the year, it’s a strangely satisfying blend of Royal Blood, a shot of STS9-esque jamtronica, and a dash of Twenty One Pilots’ production. Last round, it defeated “Cherries & Lemonade” by LO LA.
Vote here.
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“Moonstruck” – DJ Wei x Shingo Sekiguchi vs. “Try Another Taste” – Shenna
Malaysian label exec and artist DJ Wei teamed up with Shingo Sekiguchi on “Moonstruck,” a vibey, jazzy instrumental piece featuring squeaky-clean electric guitar, a fat bass, and exciting electric piano riffs. Last round, it defeated “Love Me” by Monoir, JFMee, and Ameline. On “Try Another Taste,” Shenna offers a jazzy R&B/pop song with an ear-worm of a chorus and air-tight delivery. The song defeated KOWL‘s remix of Patrice Rushen‘s “Haven’t You Heard” last round.
Vote here.
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“Jumpin’ In The Rain” – badmonsham vs. “Pretty Pills for Broken Hearts” – Cloudy June
“Jumpin’ In The Rain” is the debut single for Florida rapper/vocalist badmonsham. He showcases both his singing and rapping skills in a tasteful, vivid way on this understated, honest, and thoughtful song. Last round, it defeated “The River” by Edwin Organ. “Pretty Pills for Broken Hearts” by Cloudy June starts a little slow, but it quickly turns into a pop banger as soon as the chorus hits. The song came out at the end of last month and is currently her most popular song on Spotify. It defeated iamtheliving and Teon Gibbs‘ collaboration “Between The Groove” in the first round.
Vote here.
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“Neighbourhood” – DC vs. “Psycho” – Tia Gostelow
“Neighbourhood” is UK rapper DC‘s breakthrough hit, having already reached the million-stream threshold on Spotify. The single about hustling hard and putting money before fame became his first single of 2020 when it was released in May. It defeated Osborne‘s “Ocean Floor” in Round 1. Meanwhile, Tia Gostelow‘s “Psycho” brings upbeat indie rock with light electronic riffs and slightly washed production. The Australian artist released the song in May. It defeated “hazy” by margo in the first round.
Vote here.
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“walk but in a garden” – LLusion x mxmtoon vs. “Future Love” – nxtime
With “walk but in a garden,” producer LLusion delivers a chill, lo-fi beat and features Oakland’s exploding up-and-coming vocalist mxmtoon. The collaboration defeated “Come Back To Life” by The Zolas last round. Meanwhile, “Future Love” is the debut single from New York City band nxtime. It features Kayla Joe and is hip, warm, and easy to listen to. Musically, it pulls as much from indie and R&B as it does from 80s pop. In Round 1, it narrowly defeated Sam Vesso‘s “Feels.”
Vote here.
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