A music series for emerging artists and hidden gems, B-Drop Worldwide premieres its tenth showcase, featuring California-based artists Pool Surfers and Wingtip!

Just as every country has its hidden gems waiting to be discovered, every artist has their own hidden gems waiting to be heard.

Atwood Magazine is proud to be featuring B-Drop Worldwide, an exciting new music series giving a platform to emerging artists and shining a spotlight on the A-sides, as well as the beloved (but oft-neglected) B-sides. The latest iteration of this unique melting pot of music premieres today, with a special performance from A music series for emerging artists and hidden gems, B-Drop Worldwide premieres its ninth showcase featuring California-based artists Pool Surfers and Wingtip!

“B-Drop Worldwide came from B-Drop TV, an online music platform supporting emerging artists doing a similar format,” founder Cindi Avnet tells Atwood Magazine. “Prior to the pandemic we were filming twice a month in a studio space, doing a few bands each time. The bands would do two songs – an A-side and a B-side, with a brief interview at the end. The last question we asked the artists would be what’s one of your all-time favorite B-side. In 2020, we decided to do continue virtually with Instagram live streams every Monday and Friday doing a similar format.”

“One day I realized I wanted to create a worldwide community that supports emerging artists everywhere. Our plan is to film every 6 to 8 weeks moving from country to country. We will have six artists total performing each time we do the session: Three from the US, and three from the country we have chosen. The format will be similar to regular B-Drop, but it will be in-person sessions. We will also try to support indie labels from other countries by supporting their bands from their respective countries. We started with the UK, and because we think that it came out so well we might spend the summer doing UK sessions just to build up momentum before we move to another country!”

B-Drop Worldwide Showcases VALÉ & Foxtide

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Why B-sides?

“Historically, often B-sides became more popular than the A-sides,” Avnet explains. “At B-Drop we want to encourage artists to have a chance to play one of their songs that is less well known or may have never been recorded. It’s interesting to have them do a current single as well as a B-side. From my understanding most music platforms want to just hear the current single but on our show we enjoy having the point of difference.”

B-Drop Worldwide is a showcase on a mission.

The project is now a collaboration between Avnet, Bella Elbaum, and Chris Jiannino as co-producers.

“Going forward, our vision is to bring attention to bands that may not often have opportunities and chances to thrive in this overcrowded music space we are in, Avnet says. “Our focus is to bring attention to undiscovered artists that may have not had the chance to be seen and heard otherwise. My hope is B-Drop listeners will discover new artists that they may never have heard before and add them to their playlist of artists to listen to. Also if someone is already a fan of the artist, then perhaps they will enjoy their B-side if they’ve never heard it before. The main thing for B-Drop is cultivating music discovery from new artists.”

Avnet’s favorite B-side? “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys, from the band’s unparalleled 1966 album Pet Sounds (the A-side was “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”). Co-producer Bella Elbaum’s go-to B-side? The Beatles’ “Baby You’re A Rich Man” (the A-side was “All You Need Is Love”). Co-producer Chris Jiannino’s favorite B-side? New Order’s “Elegia” (full version) off their 1985 album, Low Life. “‘Elegia’ is just one of those truly beautiful pieces of work,” Jiannino says. “It’s cinematic, and each riff holds an epic part in the deep story of the group’s late frontman Ian Curtis.”

B-Drop Worldwide is all about expanding our musical horizons. Discover VALÉ and Foxtide in the series’ latest episode, and dive deeper into both artists’ music and B-side picks below!

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B-Drop Worldwide is produced by Cindi Avnet, Bella Elbaum, and Chris Jiannino, and directed by James Schumacher of vertigo productions. Both performances were shot at Zula Den Los Angeles, with host Chris Ruckus.

Pool Surfers

Atwood Magazine: Can you share a little more about the songs you performed and what they mean to you?

Pool Surfers: We kicked off the set with this tune called “Elvira.” Bridged it into a dynamic live song we play at shows called “Garden.”

It takes you on a real journey, delving into the complexities of a raw relationship. We’re talkin’ toxic vibes, the struggle to make things right, and the tendency to brush aside the underlying issues. This one’s got that laid-back acoustic sound that gets you deep in your thoughts. Recording “Elvira” was a trip, man. We wrote it a couple of years back, but just finished it up in our parents’ garage not too long ago. It’s got that nostalgic feelin’ of the early days, mixed with the fresh creativity we’re always bringing to our sound. We’re trying to really give all the genres in our music.

Moving on, we got “Certain Disaster.” It’s all about the temptation for a good time, even when you know it’s gonna lead to some serious consequences. This track draws inspiration from our own experiences, man. It’s like seeing someone close fall into a wild situation, and we realize we’re kinda disconnected from it all. The groove on this one? Straight up Santana-inspired, Pluck does all the guitar, always bringing that extra flavor to the mix.

Can you dive a little deeper into the B-side(s) you highlighted, and why that music is special to you?

Chris Preuss: Sticky Fingers. Not trying to be like them. Definitely my favorite music to go deep with. I love all of their music, there’s not one I don’t like.

Johnny Pluck: MUSE.

Alex Escalante: “Wild goose chase” by Steel Pulse. They are the first band I had ever seen live. I grew up on their music amongst other artists and they hold a really significant place in my heart in regards to the music I play and create.

What's the significance of a B-side, for you?

Pool Surfers: Inspirational. The importance of a B-side to us is the fact that it’s the most relatable at a distance. Loving a track that only true fans of a particular artist typically know of is the most endearing form of appreciation. That means you took the time to listen to more than what was just on the surface. You dove in.

Our B-side with a bit of a twist was the first track we performed, “Elvira,” however, we transition into another track that if you’ve been a fan coming to shows is all too familiar, “Garden.” The two together form an amalgamation of what Pool Surfers is about and how our sound really has no boundaries. We write songs and as a whole, make them sound the way we think they should, regardless of genre, style, and even public perception. We make these songs for ourselves first and foremost, and we feel that it translates to the audience.

It is that type of energy that even makes a B-side enjoyable. The pure enjoyment of an artist fleshing out their ideas and sharing them with the world. Authenticity resonates within those that get to experience it.

Wingtip

Atwood Magazine: Can you share a little more about the songs you performed and what they mean to you?

Wingtip: I played two songs from my EP, Get Well Soon – one was “Down (Exit Song),” a single with Bre Kennedy, which was one of the first features I’d done. It’s about being scared in a relationship and looking a bit for the exits as a way to calm yourself down. The other was “Manipulator,” another song on the EP about the ways we perform in dating and relationships, and how we conform to the idea of ourselves other people have.

Can you dive a little deeper into the B-side(s) you highlighted, and why that music is special to you?

Wingtip: “Manipulator” is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, and I think it’s because when I was writing it, I was prepared not just to have people not like it, but have people react to the idea negatively. A lot of the time in songwriting, it’s easy to try to paint yourself as the good person, or the victim, or just overall the correct perspective, but in this one, I really wanted to express the less virtuous sides of myself, and in the end, I found that really cathartic.

What's the significance of a B-side, for you?

Wingtip: I think the art of a B-side has been kind of lost in the age of streaming where everything could be a hit and everything could be a single. To me, the gift of B-sides is to liberate you from the expectations you impose on yourself with singles, and to try something in an environment or context where people understand it’s experimentation. I think now, instead of a B-side being something the label imposes on you, you have to kind of mine for them yourself, and give yourself the space every once in a while to make one.