Craig Mack, Like Swimming, & Fickle Friends
Indie Pop and Superstar Hip-hop
This week, we have some KILLER Artist SoundPacks to share with you! Ranging from a historical rap genius who kick-started Bad Boy Records with Notorious B.I.G., a band that has been on the cover of Billboard Sweden, to a UK pop trio mega-chef Jamie Oliver has invested in.
This Week's Featured Artists
Fickle Friends Explode Blog-o-sphere with "SWIM"
The new-wave 80's-influenced Brighton, UK based five-piece known as Fickle Friends has been blowing up the blogosphere, and is definitely a group to keep on your radar in 2014. Their debut hit "SWIM", uploaded to the band's Soundcloud 12 days ago, is already at 104k plays! This track emits carefree positive feelings with up-beat 80's groves and infectious, sugary female vocals.
Leading up their debut single, 2013 saw Fickle Friends win two competitions back to back. The first was the Music Gateway that awarded them Best Live Act, which lead to a recording session at Abbey Road Studio. The second was a public vote to open forJamie Oliver and Alex James’ The Big Feastival. Jamie Oliver, impressed with what he heard, paid for them to spend a week recording at Giant Wafer Studios in Wales.
"Go Buffalo" with Like Swimming
After 7 years of writing, playing, producing and touring Europe and the US in their former band, You Say France & I Whistle, the three band members, Ida, Petter and Claes, decided to form Like Swimming. The energetic beats and melodic harmonies from their former band is still there, but now they come with soothing water, sparkling oceans and cleansing rivers.
In the beginning of 2013 the group released their first two tracks, "God Knows" and "Dance Anyway I Please", recorded in a small cabin outside of Norrtälje. At the end of the summer 2013 the Swedish trio began to gain momentum and USA Today premiered their third single "Go Buffalo". The band is currently booked for their first USA tour visiting both Culture Collide in Los Angeles and CMJ in New York, and has appeared on the cover of Billboard Magazine in Sweden.
Craig Mack’s Historical "Flava in Ya Ear"
An above-average rapper blessed with a bit of luck and connections as well as talent,Craig Mack practically made Puff Daddy's Bad Boy label with a remix of his 1994 hit "Flava in Ya Ear." Based in Brentwood, Long Island, Mack cut his first single while still a teenager, though nothing came of it. He was working as a go-fer for hometown heroes EPMD when he hooked up with Sean "Puffy" Combs, who offered him a spot on a Mary J. Blige remix in 1992. Impressed, Combs offered him a contract on his Bad Boy label. What really sold the LP, however, was a platinum remix of the top single "Flava in Ya Ear." Featuring a parade of East Coast talent — the Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes — it ranked as one of the first posse tracks to go overground in a big way; a Top 10 pop hit, and #1 on the rap and dance charts.
Other SoundPacks Added This Week
"Defeat Dinosaurs" – Ben Landis
"Honeymoon in a Motel Room" – Alexander Spit
"I Can Pull it Off" – Boldy James
Featured User of the Week
Koala is our featured user of the week! Check out the leaping-over-genres chiptunes/reggae mashup"Heal World".
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