ukulele – Modern Mystery

The island pop duo Brittany and the Blisstones specialize in heart-crafted and smooth songs that sit in your soul, bringing love and serenity to any listener. Their musical style is unlike anything else with an expansive artistic palette of pop, orchestral, rock, jazz, reggae, ska, Latin, new wave, and beyond. Brittany Bliss contributes sultry vocals, jaunty ukulele playing, and co-writes the songs alongside her partner Reid Givens, an accomplished drummer and percussionist with an expansive command of rhythms and a keen sense for the healing power of good grooves.

The duo has started recording their debut EP, La La Love. “The pain that comes with living is inevitable, and it can breed fear that may stop us from daring to dream. Our songs are about finding the courage to face these fears, and being vulnerable and evolving,” shares Brittany. Reid adds: “These songs are born from our collective experience. There are uplifting vibes here, and when the songs are sad, they are there for solace.”

Their first two releases from La La Love, which are now streaming, took listeners by storm, setting them into a state of mindfulness and calm. Their new release, “La La Love,” the title track, continues the island vibe and reggae beat utilizing trumpets and other horn instruments. The song is about love, romantic and otherwise. “We believe that love is something that is always there, it’s ever-present, but it’s on us to recognize it and invite it to be part of our lives,” Brittany and Reid share. “That realization and invitation is what ‘La La Love’ is all about.”

“La La Love” carries almost an Alanis Morrisette meets Susan Tedeschi vibe. There’s a jam feeling, but also a deliberateness behind the music and lyrics. Brittany’s voice carries a separate, yet cohesive sense of peace and love as she sings “Love is what’s left over when the fighting’s through.”

Listen here:

Love exists even in pain and fear. It’s that part of our lives we can’t see that it’s the most present. “La La Love” is entrancing and hypnotic. You’ll be bound to replay the song over and over again.

Find Brittany and the Blisstones via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Soundcloud // Spotify

Strolls in the park are so much sweeter with the dulcet melodies of The Leftover Cuties. The duet exudes a sound that transcends our time and travels back to the better days on Pearl Harbor.

Derived from a world of plump floral dresses and tweed cab hats, the style of the Cuties is that of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Their music seems to have been produced in a jazz club with a hint of blues on the side. Their songs feature singer Shirli McAllen’s somber voice which smoothly compliments the up-beat melodies of bassist Austin Nicholson’s ukulele and the rest of the band.

Their tale began as a jam session among friends McAllen and Nicholson. To their delight, the result tickled their fancy and it soon led to the birth of their first song “Game Called Life.”

After the Cuties perfected their craft, they played their first show in late 2008 to a full house. Their debut EP “Game Called Life” soon followed.

I was notified by the group that they are currently working on their forthcoming full-length album which will be released in late 2009. I was also told that they are in the process of doing a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” which we hope to have up promptly for your listening pleasure. I enjoy when a group can dabble across genres since I feel that some of the best music can, at times, come from such experimentation.

More exciting news, the Cuties just released their first music video yesterday and is available for viewing below along with their “Lost in the Sea” mp3.

The leftover cuties are in the process of booking new shows but if you find yourself in the Los Angeles area, catch them live in Venice on August 7^th as a part of the “First Fridays On Abbot Kinney.”

Track listing for “Game Called Life” Ep: