The {Fancy 4} is a new monthly series where we feature four artists of the moment!

You might discover someone about to become huge or maybe it’s just an artist you heard awhile back on Grey’s Anatomy (what? I don’t watch it either!). I write a lot about uber-indie musicians. But for those familiar with my mixtape, you know we’ll drop a Top 40 artist from time to time (hey, indie kids like their swagger, too)! Either way, the goal is to present 4 artists – musical and other – that are rockin’ the free world, as someone once said.

All four will be featured in the latest Music Hi Fi podcast. In the podcast, we take a listen to new tunes and talk about the latest news in music and tech. This week, we briefly touch on Google music, Soundcloud, and more. You can hear it in the player below or at http://feeds.feedburner.com/musichifi.

So without any kind of further-ness, let’s cut to it, shall we?

1. The Femme fatale

Produced by  long-time faves Simian Mobile Disco, Beth Ditto of The Gossip has a new EP out later this month that’s like a dream come true. It’s a place where dance meets electro, the videos are funky, and the lyrics decidedly relatable. With hook, song, and style, Beth further cements her superstar status.

2. The New School

When I did a Google search for “Braids Music”, I learned that Kim Kardashian is sporting “full on braids” for her upcoming music video. Whaaaa?  I mean, that must have been labor intensive. She must have sat for at least 4 hours for that! Thanks for reminding me about the hardship and many intricacies of ladies hairstyling, Google!

I discovered the actual band Braids not from Google but from someone else’s mixtape.  I then found the full-length on Spotify and becamed hooked.  These guys are sweetly mysterious because it’s hard to pin down their sound – they take you on a journey without losing their identity to genre constraints. Braids gives electronic music a new twist.

Read More »Introducing The {Fancy 4}

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