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Brunettes - “Small Town Crew”
Auckland City, New Zealand
File Size: 5.32 mb, Length: 3:16
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Ah, New Zealand… the pristine land of extreme sports… but where do they rank on the musical scale? There may have been a few worthwhile bands who have come out of New Zealand, but the number is definitely not extremely high. How about the Brunettes? Sometimes touring as a five piece and sometimes playing as a ten piece Orchestrette, the Brunettes incorporate marimba, glockenspiel, banjo, cello, trumpet, alto and tenor saxophone, the clarinet and more. This track features beautiful vocals and can be found on their latest Sub Pop release, Structure & Cosmetics.

Artist Website: Brunettes
Label Website: Lil Chief, Sub Pop

Jana Hunter - “Babies”

Baltimore, MD
File Size: 5.52 mb, Length: 3:16
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Jana Hunter is a songstress originally from Houston but now residing in the ever-growing B’more music scene. While at first listen she might come off as just another female folkie, further listens reveal a good amount of depth at play sonically and thematically. First, her voice is just great, she’s got that husky feminine vocal thing going on that I fall for nearly every time. Also, her music can take some really bizarre turns into spastic electronic freakouts a la Dan Deacon that, while kinda strange and disconnected from the rest of her stuff, is appreciated nonetheless for consciously fighting against the tired female singer-songwriter cliches (check out her myspace for examples). Here’s a song from her new record ‘There’s No Home,’ a nice little ditty to introduce yourself to.

Artist Website: Jana Hunter
Label Website: Gnomonsong