Undiscovered or under appreciated, either way these are vocalists, artists, & musicians
worth getting to know.
Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 8:25PM 
First track from Max, a 17 year old MC out
of the Windy City, from his upcoming album
The Wonder Tape. He also produced this joint
and if this is any example of what the final
product is, we see great things from Max
Wonders.
Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 4:19PM
Check out this suave track by the NYC based duo.
Short and sweet.
Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 4:12PM 
So this singer by the name of Allie X dropped her
debut single, ‘Catch’ last month. Its breathy
vocals and light sound made heads turn just
as much as her apparent dislike for heavy
publicity. It’s noted that she prefers working
on her projects without a lot of fanfare. The
producer Billboard got a hold of her single and
turned into a trippy, slightly dark gem. Take a
listen below.
Friday, March 7, 2014 at 3:42PM 
It takes a skilled artist to cobble together a precise and
prescient voice that speaks to those voices inside us
that are finding their strength. Amatus displays her
knack for doing just that with her debut Ep, Broken
Compass. This is her first solo project, the latest
success in a career that saw the Chicago native get
her start musically once she moved to Philadelphia
and sat in on sessions with The Roots & Erykah Badu.
She also received mentoring from the great Meshell
Ndegeocello. This background led her to fully utilize
all of her gifts, which she would need in later years
with the shooting deaths of her brother in 2007 and
a cousin in 2010 and a roommate in 2011.
Amatus’ music proves to be phoenix-like throughout
Broken Compass. The EP is a succinct blend of lyrics
that probe emotions a la indie pop and enthralling
beat-making inspired by electronic music and hip-hop.
‘Messin’ storms in with her sultry vocals and a steady
drum that compels you to move. ‘Punk’ evokes some
chills with it’s haunting vocals competing but completing
the song as a trance-like gem. ‘Cherish’ is incense
and joy, woven together with her singing and some
choice guitar riff drops. Broken Compass as a debut
shows that Amatus is someone who will always find
her way.
http://amatusmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amatus/195148272729
https://twitter.com/amatus23
http://instagram.com/amatus23
http://amatus.bandcamp.com
Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 11:09AM 
What we sometimes lose sight of, is that there is
a certain appreciation to be had of the melancholy
certain aspects of love brings out. For Austrailan
singer, songwriter and guitarist Michael Cullen,
his debut solo album Love Transmitter takes that
into account and weighs it well with all the other
more endearing qualities of love. Cullen is no
stranger to music, having been part of a successful
group out of Sydney with his brother in the early
1990’s. Love Transmitter also marks the artist’s
first project since taking an extended break from
performing with the group, Watershed in 1997.
The album is a swirl of emotions laid out track
by track. Cullen’s unique vocal stylings give off
a musk that harken to Lou Reed and Tom Waits
slightly. On ‘Tidal Wave’, there’s a haunting
quality to it draped throughout the song,
especially the chorus. ‘All Used Up’ really strikes
at the core of feeling spent, with guitar riffs
that scale up and down to mimic that bit of
a rollercoaster. ‘Closer’ is somber, with a quick
backing drumline. It does bring home all of
what surrounds someone in the last gasps of
a breakup. Love Transmitter is an album that
will take you through some familiar thorns but
it also takes you to a couple of hopeful patches
as well. Take a listen to the album below, now
available on re-issue.
https://soundcloud.com/michael-p-cullen/sets/love-transmitter
http://michaelpcullen.bandcamp.com/album/love-transmitter
Artist info:
http://www.michaelcullen.info/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Cullen/158771380856604
Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 11:06AM 
There’s something to be said for forging perserverance
through your art. And for Gemini Wired, it is an ideal
committed to flesh and spirit. The R&B singer has given
the public a new rallying song against bullying with a
real empahsis on upliftment, entitled ‘What Now’ It
came about when Gemini drew upon her turbulent
and triumphant experiences growing up in Boston,
Massachusetts that saw her overcome being displaced
while going to high school and earning a scholarship
to college despite the hardship. ‘What Now’ has all
the verve of 1990’s ‘New Jack Swing’ and snappy
lyrics that totally bring forth Gemini’s sharp personality
and her inner strength. In her own words:
“The message behind my video ?What Now? is to encourage everyone to go
for whatever you believe in no matter how many times others may put
you down or try to get in your way. We won?t let them. These bullies
cannot beat us. My video also represents the consequences for people
hurting others and how it always goes back to karma. I want my ?What
Now? song & video to inspire as many people as possible. There’s kids
that have so much to offer and don?t know it because they want to hide
their talents or intelligence. I don?t want them to be ashamed
anymore. I want them to know people like myself and all these
organizations have their backs. “What Now!”
Here’s the single, available on stream:
https://soundcloud.com/gemini-wired/what-now
Check out the video for the single:
www.geminiwiredworld.com
https://www.facebook.com/GeminiWiredFanPage
Monday, March 3, 2014 at 12:05PM
Hard-hitting lyrics, almost sinister feel on the boards…
striking vid from the up and coming Brooklyn emcee
here. Reminds us of that Gravediggaz feel.
Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 10:54AM 
Glass Animals, is a four-piece pop rock band from Oxfordshire, England. Dave Bayley,
Drew MacFarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward make up this talented ensemble.
And if you can’t already tell, this single shows they’ve got something special.
They’re into Flying Lotus, Burial, Radiohead and Animal Collective.
Their debut EP is scheduled for an April 8th release on the Harvest imprint.
Until then check out more of their material below.
https://www.facebook.com/glassanimals
https://twitter.com/GlassAnimals
Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 1:02PM 
Danny Severance is someone who has already spoken to
your soul, but you don’t realize it until he begins to sing.
And sing he does, exceptionally well. Danny’s voice, whether
it be as the lead man with the Na Capellas, the house band
of NYC’s Street Poets Open Mic or with SWANK, a group he
was the frontman for in his home state of Illinois, Danny
Severance brings forth finely-tuned Americana with all of
its soul with his music. In addition to that, Danny is also a
trained classical violinist, a gift he also employs in his music
as well as being a poet and writer. Manifesto Magazine got the
chance to talk with Danny as he was finishing up with the
This-Or-That Tour in Los Angeles, California The tour is a creation
of Off The Wall Graffiti, a non-profit that encourages young
people to utilize their art in a positive and legal manner.
Check out his music and get more information at his website,
http://www.dannyseverance.com/ and follow his band page,
https://www.facebook.com/dannyseverancemusic
Manifesto Magazine: What drew you to both poetry and
music as your means of expression?
Why those two forms?
Danny: It’s a very organic answer for me…I think that
especially as a writer, it’s a process where it just
kinda comes out. So I started writing partly for my own
personal catharsis as a 13-year old boy you know, maybe
younger than that. At first it was kind of just prose, poetry,
scribblings, and then it developed.And then when I went
to Bradley University, they have a very strict creative writing
program, that really encouraged me in poetry, it’s a
poetry focused creative writing program. I did have thoughts
on going back to school for poetry. As far as music, it’s also a
kind of weird transformational, organic moment for me
because I started violin when I was 5. I started classically -
I was so fortunate to have gone to an elementary school
that was basically a fine arts magnet elementary school in
Illinois. It’s basically a school that was founded for gifted kids
per se, in an urban area. So I was very fortunate to go there.
So I started at age 5, taking lessons in school and then private
lessons in middle school. But by age 18, I went through some
personal struggles and I started writing blues and started
expressing myself that way. And then I started singing as well.
Manifesto: In listening to you, one thing that I get is a great deal of depth.
That’s what stands out to me and I’m sure everyone else
that’s heard it, the depth of it. The other term that comes
to mind is, ‘old soul’. Do you feel that the term fits your current
styling of music at this point in time, because I’m sure there’s
going to be a continued evolution as you grow within the
music?
Danny: Well, thank you for saying that, first off! I think I’m
definitely going for depth. Coming from the perspective of
someone who writes poetry and music, I’m very serious
about my words. I want them to carry meaning, I want
them to hear those words, and…not to badmouth
anyone else’s music, but sometimes the lyrics are not as
heavy, and it’s cool and it’s fun music and I dance to it & that’s
fine. But personally, I just have trouble writing those kind
of lyrics. They have to hold some weight in and of themselves.
And at the same time I really appreciate ambiance and the
atmosphere and going for, to speak on the ‘old soul’ point, getting
under people’s skin. But then also going for..I definitely like getting
into blues type styles, getting into soul, into Americana, digging
around in history a little bit. Coincidentally, I have a bachelor’s in
history so that’s kind of an inspiration for me too. Just kind of
looking through Americana.
Manifesto: Well, that leads me to my next question which is, what
is the breadth of your musical influences? You mentioned
some Chicago soul, blues…what else influenced you?
Danny: Well, first and foremost, Howling Wolf. There’s other
Chicago legends, but specifically Howling Wolf. He really
influences me to go for texture and be okay with the
scratchiness…you know, even Louis Armstrong kind of
had that too, Howling Wolf was kind of known for that.
He was an influence on the Rolling Stones, I kind of look
to that thread of American music, I drew a lot from that.
Rolling Stones, I grew up a lot on The Beatles for sure, I
kind of raised myself musically on The Beatles from when
I was pretty young. I’m constantly trying to push into
jazz, learn more about jazz. I was raised with classical…and
I’m always trying to pay attention to Bill Withers, Otis
Redding, Al Green, just to name a few, Sam Cooke is huge
for me…as soul influences. ‘Cause I’m coming to the point
where I’m defining myself more and more as a soul artist, not
as a blues artist. So, that’s a process for me.
Manifesto: And with that definition, the voice that you have is the
key thing. It’s very distinct and resounding, and in my
mind at least, has an impeccable, rich sound to it. I’m
sure you’ve gotten a lot of reactions to your sound
and how unique it is. Has it ever thrown you for a
loop or amazed you, even now, to hear the reactions
as long as you’ve been doing it?
Danny: Yes, absolutely. I think I’m a very critical person,
and self- critical. When I’m in the moment, it feels good,
I’m expressing and singing. But I’m always critical and
wondering where, if the tone isn’t quite right you know,
and focused on getting all the elements right at the same
time. I get kind of lost in that and then I come out of the
performance and I’m asking very sincerely, ‘was I good?’
People are blown away…it continues to amaze me, absolutely.
Manifesto: What do you feel is the message that lies at the core of
your music ultimately?
Danny: I think there’s always an attempt for me in my
music, and also in my poetry too, to explore things
that are unsaid. Or getting under people’s skin and kind
of pushing them to a point, bringing them to a head where
they have to kind of start those conversations themselves
that maybe they’ve been avoiding in their personal life
or confronting their role in society or whatever it is,
things I believe in I guess. Also, just kind of being loving,
love…not being afraid of beating people over the head with
tough love.
Manifesto: You had mentioned at the outset about reuniting
with your old band members…will there be any
new music this year from you on the horizon?
Danny: On both projects, or anything in New York?
Manifesto: Anything you’ve got coming up!
Danny: Absolutely, absolutely. I have a new soul/electronica
teaser out, called ‘Thank You’ on my Soundcloud. It’s
called ‘Thank You’, it’s produced by Smash Daisaku.
I actually have a couple other beats from him that
I’m sitting on and we’ll be putting out this year. In
addition, I have plans to record with Danny Severance
and the Na Capellas in New York, and aside from that
I will definitely be working more with my old projects,
especially SWANK which was my most recent project
before moving to New York. We’ll probably be playing a
festival or two this summer, though I’m not sure what
that means for recording with that project but potentially
that’s good.
Manifesto: Last question that I have: what words of wisdom
would you give to someone looking to travel your
creative path?
Danny: Accept help. Don’t be stubborn. Don’t be stubborn
about accepting help and also hearing that someone
else is right.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at 1:43PM
Savages and director Giorgio Testi collaborated to make this short film for the song SHUT UP off their debut album “Silence Yourself”
