BEST NEW ARTIST: REI BROWN

Rei Brown, formally known as Ray Baboon (I commend the name change), is 100% our favorite new artist we’ve heard all week. Hell, all month! And this isn’t just me speaking personally, it’s me speaking for the entire We Are: The Guard staff without them knowing it or have any power for me to do otherwise. I guess I could be sued for libel but I don’t really care because Rei Brown is worth it.

We literally hear thousands of songs everyday, but this lo-fi chill house R&B vibe is just the kind of thing to turn our :( into :). So we’re giving it the Official “We Are: The Guard Thumbs Up of the Week.”

These hazy vocals and mellow beats are just the cure for our can’t-find-any-good-tunes-blues.

STREET FIGHTER

Street Fighter carries more emotional resonance than I did for the entirety my twenties. We’re so insulated and closed off, holding onto our emotions like they’re scars that others couldn’t possibly handle seeing. But not Rei Brown. He wears his heart right on his sleeve and it’s warped and twisted and maybe even a little brown. Hearts aren’t really supposed to look like that. But maybe that’s why we’re so attracted to the brokenhearted and the downtrodden. They express things we’re too afraid to express ourselves so we glom onto them as a form of expressing ourselves. Damn, Rei Brown getting deep into my soul and burrowing in tight. Hope he has the same affect on you.

Rei (or Ray) is also a hell of a photographer. And just between us... every song on his Soundcloud is this hot. So get listening. Get some should work.

As always MusicalHeartBeat is my MusicalHero. Mega props for discovering another artist that’s bound to be your, mine and ours new favorite. How do they do it? HOW DO THEY DO IT? SERIOUSLY I NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE IM NOT FINDING ANYTHING GOOD ON MY OWN.

From deep within the murky depths of the Los Angeles River emerged a creature: 50% raver, 50% comedian, 10% Robotcop. Kurt Kroeber doesn’t own a dog, operates Soundbleed (the world’s only dance party comedy talk show rave), and is down to party with you. Come up some time and say “Hey dude!” But definitely make sure to casually drop the secret Illuminati password.