It’s no secret that we have a slight obsession with discovering new sounds! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’ve un’covered three super-talented and multidimensional brothas that have been blessed with golden pipes and really know how to carry a sweet tune. Moreover, not only are these guys vocally adept, but they also have unique origin stories, musical influences and styles that really come together to create something special. Ladies, you’re welcome! ;-)
Moses Sumney
At only 24 years old, the remarkably talented, Moses Sumney is somewhat of wunderkind – slowly but surely catching the ear of some very influential people in the music industry. Once you listen to his music, you’ll see why. With Ghanaian roots and an American upbringing, Moses is cognizant of his “hybrid identity” which he explains is an intersection of two cultures that create a third identity that exists entirely on its own, because it is neither and both of the two. It’s hard to believe that this young talent, didn’t start performing until the summer of 2013 and was able to quit his job in Marketing and transition to being a full-time musician. We’re so glad that he did, because we’re really beguiled by this guy! Check out our favorite tracks “Plastics,” “Mumblin” and “Man on The Moon” from his debut EP Mid-City Island, available on iTunes and Spotify.
Liam Bailey
We stumbled upon Liam Bailey, a British musician from Nottingham, England while discovering Moses Sumney. Although his genre is undoubtedly soul, he also successfully mixes in reggae and early rock influences making his sound reminiscent of musician, Ben Harper, mixed with a touch of Bill Withers and Sam Cooke. His debut album Definitely Now was released in the US in August 2014 and in a recent interview, Liam was quoted as saying “It’s been torture trying to figure out which way to go” in terms of a musical direction” but in our opinion, it seems that he’s more than found his footing. Our favorite tracks on the album are “Stun Me” and “Summer Rain” which can both be purchased on iTunes or streamed on Spotify.
Jesse Boykins III
Without knowing much about him, we’ve been following the eclectic and bold stylings of Jesse Boykins on Instagram for quite some time now, not ever really taking the time to actually listen to his music. With his distinct look (think Andre 3000 meets Maxwell) we never really imagined what type of sounds would emanate from his vocal cords, but once we finally sampled his work, we were pleasantly surprised. Although he’s been around since 2009, the Chicago native, is currently unsigned and releases his work independently. His style of World Soul, Neo Soul and R&B converge on his latest LP “Love Appartus” which features our favorite track “I Wish” which is perfect for fireside listening this winter. Download on iTunes or stream online.
