MMN Artist-Run Radio: Brother-Sister Duo the Belle Brigade Introduce Their Friends, Including Obi Best and Ja Prawn (STREAM)
From time to time, MMN asks its favorite artists to create personally curated playlists for our curiosity-satisfying- and audio-streaming pleasure. Themes and styles will vary, but you’ll always know your favorite bands just a little better after listening.
Today’s MMN Artist Radio DJ is: The Belle Brigade.
Sharing the same record collection as kids have helped the Belle Brigade create a sound that’s both nostalgic and organic at the same time. Consisting of siblings Barbara and Ethan Gruska, the band’s folksy, intimate sounds have a distinctly modern feel while still invoking the greats of the genre’s past like Simon & Garfunkel, which is something that listeners are already discovered with killer early singles like “Losers,” and something that will gain them even more fans when they unleash their self-titled debut album on April 19th via Reprise. For now, though, the duo share a set of songs from friends, including Obi Best and Ja Prawn. Check out the tracks alongside the Belle Brigade’s commentary, and stream the playlist (YouTube links have been provided for any selections not available in our MOG library) after the jump….
Stream The Belle Brigade’s MMN Artist-Run Radio Playlist
1. Blake Mills – “Hey Lover”
The Belle Brigade Says: “This is our dear friend Blake Mills. This whole record is incredible but the reason why we chose this song in particular is because it really shows as much of the whole spectrum of Blake’s talent and inspiration as one song can. Everybody knows Blake for his guitar playing, he is truly one of the most free, soulful and inspired guitarists on the planet, but what the world may not know yet is that Blake is also an off the charts lyricist, producer and songwriter. Blake’s personality can be described in the same way this song can — beautiful, fun, bold, honest, full of energy and in our opinion, brilliant.” (HEAR IT HERE)
2. Obi Best – “Blooms Like Flowers”
The Belle Brigade Says: “The first five times I heard this song I cried, and still do from time to time. Alex Lilly is the mastermind behind Obi Best — writing, producing and almost entirely performing everything on her records. The reason why we love this song in particular is because there is such a perfect contrast between the celestial and expansive sound of the music and the earthbound and “gridlike” tone of the lyrics. This song exudes such gentleness, longing and understanding. What more could you ask for in music? If ‘time bloomed like flowers,’ it would sound like this.”
3. B.R.A.M. “Messages”
The Belle Brigade Says: “Bram Inscore is yet another musician well known for his contributions on one instrument, bass, but manages to be a mind blowing song writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist at the same time. You can dance to every song on this record at a party or sit at home and zone in on the lyrics, melodies and production. Bram knows so well how to make music fun and light feeling even when the subject matter is heavy. He is a musical hero to us and taught us so much about restraint, tastefulness and craftiness in both songwriting and production.”
4. Alex and Sam – “Laura”
The Belle Brigade Says: “This band is guitarist and songwriter Harlan Silverman and singer Samantha Sidley. Most of their songs draw from jazz/pop/folk sensibilities showing off Samantha’s incredible vocal dexterity and Harlan’s tasteful ability to pay homage to genres while staying true to his own style, but we chose this song, ‘Laura,’ that is clearly influenced by African High Life music. The combination of Samantha’s vocals perfectly layered in harmony, sizzling above the galloping drums and Alex’s driving electric guitar lines give me goosebumps every time. This song is the epitome of feel good driving music.”
5. The Whispertown 2000 – “Atlantis”
The Belle Brigade Says: “Morgan Nagler is the songwriter and singer of The Whispertown 2000. To us she’s a master of finding hope and positivity amidst the saddest of feelings and expressing it all so clearly with grounded imagery through music. We are suckers when it comes to happy and sad balancing each other out in music. Every time I hear a new song of Morgan’s, I can’t help but say, ‘this song is about everything!’ Morgan’s stories are like little utopias surrounded by the weight and heaviness of the world around it- kind of like Atlantis.”
6/7. Benji Hughes – “Baby It’s Your Life” and “So Well”
The Belle Brigade Says: “What can be said about the best songwriter of our time? Benji is a genius and there is nothing we could say to do him justice. We chose 2 lesser known songs of Benji’s, just to show that you could blindfold yourself and reach into the ‘Benji Song Hat’ and pull out a pretty perfect song every time. If the reader isn’t familiar with Benji Hughes, do yourself a kindness and pick up his double disc album A Love Extreme. You shant be disappointed.”
8. Ja Prawn – “Soulja Boi”
The Belle Brigade Says: “This band is the trio instrumental brain/crotch child of our friends Bram Inscore (Beck), John Kirby (Nora Jones, Mike Doughty) and Pete Mcneal (Cake). When these guys aren’t off making other people’s music sound amazing, they are at home making their own alien dance jams. It’s a party no matter where they are, whether it be a seedy club or the oval office. We are pretty much always in the mood for this band, but something magical happens if you listen to them at around 1am. Try it sometime and be ready to see your body move in ways that may scare you at first!”
9. The Sweet Hurt – “Always Knew”
The Belle Brigade Says: “This song puts me in a teary bliss coma. When I want the troubles of the world to seemingly melt away for a few minutes, I put on headphones and listen to this song. This is Wendy Wang showing all her beautiful talents as a singer, guitarist and writer all at once and it reflects perfectly her beauty and sensitivity as a person and friend. We highly recommend her albums and live shows.” (HEAR IT HERE)
10. Johnnie Newman – “Sell Your Soul”
The Belle Brigade Says: “This record is the best pop record you’ve never heard! All these songs are written and sung by Johnnie Newman, who doubles as a writer for soap opera Days of Our Lives, and produced by the illustrious and prolific Jake Bercovicci. We are not really sure why half the songs on this record, The Golden Coast, aren’t staples at every karaoke joint in the country. The songs are equally as good on just solo piano and voice as they are with the full bombastic production on the record. It sounds like Johnnie wrote these songs on a piano aboard a cruise ship sailing up the California coast because, well, he did! This song is such an upper as is the whole record. We absolutely adore it.”
Listen to The Belle Brigade, and hear Losers (Single) along with other albums, at MOG.
