- Save The Date: Azz-Is Jazz/Not-Jazz Festival on Sunday, Nov 6th in Venice, CA - October 22, 2022
- Bay Area Singer-Songwriter Evelyn Rose Releases New Album “Little Moments” - October 14, 2022
- MR PUZL – “Tomorrow – Original Mix” (feat. Maarten Goji) - July 20, 2022
Balance and the Traveling Sounds have found a way to masterfully blend together an original fusion of hip-hop, jazz, funk, and soul. The result is music that has both the smooth lyricism of MC Kirb, dreamy sounds from producer EBO, and the ambiance of Jeff Kolhede with his saxophone. Most of the members met while attending CSUN in the San Fernando Valley. This is definitely a band where every member is really talented and each person brings their own sound into the collective.
Balance and the Traveling Sounds, sometimes referred to as BTS, officially appeared on the music scene in early 2008. Their debut album Travel Guide Vol. 1 was released in 2009 through Bandcamp. After their debut album was released they began playing shows up and down the Golden Coast and developing their sound even more. I saw them play a set at the Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown and now they’re one of my favorite local acts to see because of the energy and vibe they bring to the venue.
In September of last year BTS decided to take it to another level on their recently released Departure EP. The drums are punchy, the saxophone licks are sexy, and there are vocal melodies that will make you jump up and start moving in ways that might seem unnatural at first. Don’t worry, they’re probably not as bad as my dance moves. Their rework of Daft Punk’s “Something About Us” is transformed from a chill, electronic love song into an instrumental jam with rap verses over the main theme and a really cool, jazzy guitar solo near the end. On YouTube you’ll find a quite impressive and entertaining video of them performing the Daft Punk cover live at Sound Studios.
The latest EP release Lost Luggage was out this past July. It’s full of the most laid back Summer jams that are sure to get you in the mood for beach outings, late nights in the city, or cruising the town on spontaneous adventures. It’s got some solid reworks of classic tracks from Wu-Tang, Blackstreet, and of course, Tupac. They still bring the same energy and vibe as they do on Departure, but it definitely seems like they’re growing as a band, exploring new ideas, and pushing the boundaries. I’m really looking forward to their next full album release Travel Guide Vol. II.
In this ever-changing musical ecosystem it’s not always easy to find bands that are truly doing something new and finding creative ways to incorporate old trends and new sounds into their own. In this case I believe we’ve got something special. Balance and the Traveling Sounds are on their way to global success, so take a listen and be glad you did. Check out their website and be sure to explore their music on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and Spotify. They’ve also got some great music videos on their YouTube channel. If you dig the sounds be sure to follow them on social networks to find out when their next show in LA is. I’ll pick you up, lets do this.
Balance and the Traveling Sounds – “Won’t Do”
