The A&R Guru

Back in June of this year, LA based artist, Rikki Valentina, released her debut EP, ‘Daddy’s Girl’!

This EP encapsulates the process of healing and is filled with stories of hardships and challenges along with overcoming them.

It covers topics of anxiety, depression, learning from your mistakes, and growing as a person.

One of the things I love about music and the versatility it brings is that anyone can connect with a song, the title, the lyrics, or the bridge and scream it at the top of their lungs in their car.

It’s a powerful thing.

Rikki’s EP consists of five tracks displaying her versatility from soft and melodic to energetic and upbeat.

Her title track, “Daddy’s Girl” reflects on being the oldest child in the family and feeling the need to take on a certain responsibility that her father had.

Amidst writing this song, it made me realize that even though I am losing the title of being my ‘daddy’s little girl,’ I want to emulate my father’s talented and hard working self. I’ve always had a great passion for music, but ever since the sudden tragedy occurred, it’s opened even more perspectives on the way I look at songwriting and the stories I portray. Moving forward, my biggest goal is to live on my father’s legacy, and to carry on the passion we both share for music.

RIKKI VALENTINA

Rikki was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in a household where her father was a drummer and her mother pursued acting.

It’s no surprise that Rikki followed her parents footsteps in the entertainment industry.

She keeps her fans engaged by telling realistic stories through her music.

She wants to bring attention to modern day lifestyle, feelings, and emotions that people shy away from.

Rikki expanded her audience globally when her single in 2020, “April Fool”, became a trend on TikTok.

I wanted to write songs that showed who I was before loss and who I am now and how going through that affects people and the growth that comes with it. This new perspective on life made me realize that I have the capability to accomplish many things if I put my entire heart and soul into my projects. As a little girl, I was constantly surrounded by music, thanks to my dad. He was a drummer in various bands, so he definitely inspired me to be who I am today. I always had a heart for music (especially growing up on Disney movies), but my father is truly the main reason for my love of music. My dad recently passed away in December due to a tragic motorcycle accident. He constantly supported and motivated me in my career. As long as I continue to create music I know he will forever live on.

RIKKI VALENTINA

Connect with Rikki below and stream her newly released single, “Paranoid” and her EP ‘Daddy’s Girl’!

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Voodoo Bloo, an alternative rock band based in New Zealand, releases brand new single, “SKIN”!

Influenced by bands such as Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys, Voodoo Bloo is slowly making an impact in the music industry, especially on the international level.

Their last album, “Jacobus“, was well received around the globe especially in Australia, the UK, and the United States.

The line-up for Voodoo Bloo consists of Daniel, Oli, Jackson and Rory.

They are currently recording their second album due in the first quarter of 2022 so be on the lookout!

Following their second album release will be a New Zealand tour, and hopefully overseas (as long as COVID allows).

Skin is about ripping out of your teenage years and facing yourself in the mirror in a cruel, yet reflective look at what you love and hate about your life.

Voodoo Bloo

Connect with Voodoo Bloo below, and stream “SKIN”!

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New York City based singer-songwriter, Ruby Greenberg, releases new single, “Run Away”!

“Run Away” is all about taking risks and finding our place in this world.

Ruby was only five years old when she discovered her love for singing. That love grew into a passion for music and songwriting.

Music became a power that connected her with the people she loved.

I’ve always wanted to create connection with other people. I want to use empathy to build that connection and reach people, and I think the way I reach that deeper level is through music.

She pursued jazz during her college years, but later gravitated towards the singer-songwriter style, fully embracing it.

She immediately self-produced local shows, booked regional tours, and even recorded her own music.

Formerly a Colorado native now established in NYC, Ruby remains connected to the outdoors.

She has used her mountain-view roots as inspiration in her writing.

“Run Away” embodies her experiences of living in the city and reflects on the memories that she’s never forgotten back home.

‘Run Away’ is a song about loving home. When I first moved to New York, I was constantly surrounded by new people and experiences—I could walk down the same street every day and see something I’d never noticed before. I was usually excited, but some days I got homesick, wishing for comfort and familiarity. I wrote ‘Run Away’ when I was feeling particularly nostalgic. One day I was sitting in a tiny rehearsal room with only an old piano and a small window that faced another wall. I started playing a melody on the piano, thinking of home and the way that the mountains out west created my sense of direction.

Ruby Greenberg

Connect with Ruby below, and stream “Run Away”!

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Growing up in Las Vegas, music has always been a part of Joey’s life. As inspiration for sound, Joey looked up to David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, and Morrissey.

Joey turned to writing music for comfort. His writing demonstrates his natural ability to trust his intuition.

He has five studio albums under his belt and always wants to be two steps ahead of his audience.

As he continues to move through this industry, Joey has made it a point to give back to the causes that matter to him.

His work tells stories of rejection and dejection, but he also sings of hope, second chances, and liberation.

“Eternal” tells a story of commitment in a new relationship tying his Las Vegas roots to his New York City lifestyle.

is sexy – I guess I’ve always been a serial monogamist and found that it’s an essential component to my relationships.

Joey Miceli

Connect with Joey below and stream “Eternal”!

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Nashville based singer-songwriter, Caroline Romano, releases new electric single, “Ireland in 2009”!

Following the release of her singles, “Oddities and Prodigies” and “Lonely Interlude”, “Ireland in 2009” is the single about gritty teenage romance.

Throughout her releases, it’s easily noted that Caroline has a signature of unfiltered lyricism.

It’s a story of falling in love in car parks and waking up in your school clothes. It’s about being far too young to know anything at all and the all-or-nothing emotions that come with juvenescence.

Caroline Romano

Caroline has a talent for storytelling and this single is no different where she’s channels the nostalgia of young love.

“In Ireland in 2009 / With my sundress that you kept like a prize… in the car park listening to Blink / He’s got his Calvins in the backseat“

Caroline’s songwriting ability shows that she’s wise beyond her years displaying the highs and lows of being young in today’s world.

At just 20-years-old, Caroline has racked up millions of streams and has been praised by Hollywood Life, American Songwriter, and Just Jared.

She even landed a single “I Still Remember” with R3HAB on the Billboard Dance charts. What?!!

I saw the movie Cherrybomb recently, that was made in Belfast, Ireland in 2009, and I thought it would be a lovely place to write this story. I’ve never been to Ireland, and I was only 8 years old in 2009, but I’m obsessed with scenarios I know I’ll never experience. I think we all have our own versions and our own times and places of ‘Ireland in 2009.’ I hope this song reminds you of yours.

Caroline Romano

Connect with Caroline below and stream “Ireland in 2009”!

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Nashville based singer-songwriter, Jeffrey James, releases unforgettable EP ‘Songs I Found In The Year I Lost’.

This EP consists of 5 melodic tracks showcasing James’ rich vocals and insane lyricism.

1. Sober
2. Making It Up
3. In The Back Of My Mind
4. Small Talk
5. We Can Be Heroes

2020 was a different time for all of us. It was a time to slow down, and take in each moment. It was a time where people learned new hobbies. It was a time where people found their true passions. It was a time when TikTok decided to take over the world while we were stuck in our homes. It was a time where creativity flourished.

During this time, James escaped into writing and creating and worked remotely with collaborators in Los Angeles, London, and Nashville.

“Sober”, “Making It Up”, and “Small Talk” came to fruition during these sessions.

The other two songs, “In The Back Of My Mind” and “We Can Be Heroes” were written pre-pandemic.

James was featured on NBC’s Songland in early 2020 receiving positive feedback from the show’s judges and the at-home audience giving “We Can Be Heroes” new life.

James released his first project, Walls, an EP back in 2016 and in 2020, he released his sophomore EP, East London.

James went to London for a month in search of collaborators who would challenge him artistically and help develop a sound that would resonate with others around the world.

His music has been featured in many TV shows and and films. Criminal Minds, All-American, Jack Ryan, Good Trouble, Shameless… just to name a few.

He’s racked up millions of streams and continues to inspire music lovers around the globe.

2020 by all accounts should have been a big year for me. I released my ‘East London’ EP and was featured on NBC’s Songland. However, instead of touring and promoting my new music, I (like everyone else) was forced to stay home with nothing to do but sit in my studio, work and think.”

Jeffrey james

Connect with Jeffrey below and stream ‘Songs I Found In The Year I Lost’!

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Rising queer pop artist, Mike Taveira, arrives back with his new single, “Sex for Breakfast (ft. Allie X)”.

“Sex for Breakfast” is the second single to be released from his approaching debut EP, ‘Cut Velvet’, following the lead single, ‘Switch’ which was released earlier this summer.

This highly anticipated EP will be released in early 2022. ‘Cut Velvet’ goes through the journey of Mike making the move to Los Angeles, the ups and downs of young love, and all the predators along the way.

This single features indie-pop star, Allie X and is packed with suggestive wordplay and beats that will get ya moving.

Making his artist debut back in 2019, Mike has received praise from Billboard Pride, Gay Times, PRIDE, and Attitude.

Mike showcases an infectious pop delicacy while tackling the twists, turns, and openness of sexual identity, love, gender and sex.

Mike is a lively force in the evolution of queer pop!

A message that we should always remember: be true to yourself – whoever you love, whatever you identify as, and whatever life throws your way.

“Sex for Breakfast” was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle songs. The idea came to me after an intense morning with this guy I was head over heels for. We were essentially dating but kept pretending it was a fling. We ended up in this almost masochistic cat-and-mouse game, knowing we were so right together but both being too uncomfortable to admit it.

Mike Taveira

Be on the look out for Mike’s EP ‘Cut Velvet’, connect with him below, and stream ‘Sex for Breakfast’!

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At the beginning of September, NYC based singer-songwriter Rachel Bochner released her single, “ghosted my therapist”!

This is one of the most relatable singles of 2021, and as Rachel puts it, “…it’s about not knowing how the fu*k to be an adult.”

“ghosted my therapist” is the anthem for all the twenty-somethings navigating the realities of growing up.

Don’t we all wish we could ghost our therapist?

Rachel shared a snippet of this single on TikTok and it clearly captivated music lovers earning her brand new support!

One of the things that Rachel is known for is campaigning for women in music. Her upcoming EP, along with this single, has been co-written, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by women.

Be on the look out for her Rachel’s upcoming music and EP!

Her coverage for her first single can be read here.

Connect with Rachel below, and stream “ghosted my therapist”!

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Mexican singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Julian Lamadrid, releases debut single, “Teenager”, under Arista Records!

“Teenager” is an indie-pop single that reflects on the changing period between childhood and adulthood.

At the age of 18, Julian moved to New York City from Dubai. He enrolled in New York University’s film school and in addition to his studies, he continued to write and produce music.

Julian ended up landing a record deal with Arista Records in 2019. During the same year, Julian released his first album, Mala Noche.

This single also has an accompanying music video that can be watched here. The music video was directed by Julian, and stars his sister, Ximena. For this video, Julian and Ximena returned to their hometown of Valle de Bravo in Mexico and turned to nature for inspiration.

Julian brings a refreshing, new wave of indie-pop that has inspired many around him. He has been praised by V, Wonderland, CLASH, Flaunt, L’Officiel, Billboard, and more since the start of his musical journey.

His sophomore album, Rebels of the Neon God, will be released on November 12, 2021.

Julian will be joining BANNERS as supporting act on their US tour starting October 28 (this Thursday!!) and will conclude his run of the tour on November 13 ending with a massive performance in Monterrey, Mexico.

There are moments in life that signify turning points and pivotal changes that can alter the view of oneself, the world, or even the person you thought you loved. ‘Teenager’ is the reflections of being blindsided by a reality that is veiled by innocent eyes. Adolescence brings heartbreak, growing brings pain, but by riding the wave, you are able to adjust.

Julian Lamadrid

Check Julian out below, and stream ‘Teenager’!

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After much continued success with his first two singles, “I Can’t Say” and “More Time”, LJR continues to hit the ground running. He recently released his third single, “Need a Little Lovin'”.

“Need a Little Lovin'” is the track to listen to, to put you in the best mood possible with its high-energy anthem.

This song tells a story detailing the excitement of love and the frustration we can experience when we get in our own way in a new relationship. I can’t be the only one to experience this feeling, right?

As mentioned before, this is LJR’s third single that will form his debut album, “When the Sky Begins to Fall.” His upcoming album is a collection that highlights LJR’s personal growth, and revealing the raw, organic experiences and moments that have shaped him over the past decade.

Be on the look out for more music coming from LJR monthly that will eventually construct his debut album.

His previous features “I Can’t Say” can be found here, and “More Time” here.

Need a Little Lovin’ is about desperately needing love from someone in order to feel okay, not knowing what to do when you get healthy love, and pushing it away, and repeating the pattern. It features my close friend and college roommate, Gurpreet Sarin (American Idol), who plays tabla and sings North Indian classical style on this track, and my brother Daniel John Roberts with a ripping rock guitar solo.

LJR

Check LJR out below, and keep streaming “Need a Little Lovin'”!

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