A music series for emerging artists and hidden gems, B-Drop Worldwide premieres its latest showcase featuring LA indie rock band Not From England!
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 Los Angeles indie rock band Not From England.
“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!”
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 and Bella Elbaum as co-producers, and Joseph Calhoun as graphic designer/videographer.
“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”).
B-Drop Worldwide is all about expanding our musical horizons. Discover Not From England, comprised of Cass Blum, Leo Blumenfield, DeRon Munroe, and Beckett Pasdar, in the series’ latest episode, and dive deeper into the band’s music and B-side picks below!
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B-Drop Worldwide is produced by Cindi Avnet, Bella Elbaum, and Joseph Calhoun. The Los Angeles performance was shot at Cosmic Church LA with hosts KTJ & CARLY.
Not From England
Atwood Magazine: Can you share a little more about the songs you performed and what it means to you?
Not From England: “Rest of It,” the second song we performed, is about a close friend of mine that went through some unfortunate things and about me trying to be there for them, yet not being to help and instead getting in the way.
What's the significance of a B-side, for you?
Not From England: A B-Side often lets a band show a track that is not necessarily in the same style as all their other songs or a song that is a bit more experimental and can be an acquired taste, which can often lead to a special track.
What is one of your favorite B-sides, and why?
Not From England: My favorite B-side is “Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men” by The Strokes and Regina Spektor. I love the way Julian Casablancas voice mixes and harmonizes with Regina Spektor voice in this track.
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