Music by Bergman: Surfaces

Sunny days. Ocean breezes. Sandy shores. Leafy palm trees. Cool jazzy sounds spiked with pop, hip-hop, reggae, soul, calypso, even some street-corner swing, all in the service of positive vibes, spiritual uplift and “don’t worry, be happy” fun. Look beyond those alluring, seductive Surfaces, though, and that’s where the three-dimensional musical depth of the band’s principals, Colin Padalecki and Forrest Frank, truly shines through. With Frank on vocals and production, and Padalecki working on writing and arrangements, the pair have increasingly meshed their individual talents into one impressive whole. They’ve just released their second album.

Music by Bergman: The Dead South

The Dead South is actually from up north, but the Canadian band has cultivated a following in stateside circles too. With a raucous approach to roots music, they’ve been guests of SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction, showcased at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, and recorded their newest album, Sugar & Joy, in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Upon its release, they debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s top bluegrass albums chart.

Formed in 2012, the band is back in its original lineup of Nate Hilts (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Scott Pringle (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Danny Kenyon (cello, vocals) and Colton Crawford (banjo).

Music by Bergman: Tennis

Indie-pop duo Tennis—made up of husband and wife team Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore—are based in Denver, Colo., but “based” is a relative term when it comes to these two musicians, who split their time between land and sea. They wrote the majority of both their 2011 debut album Cape Dory and 2017’s Yours Conditionally whilst on sailing excursions.

Then, a four-month sailing trip in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, resulted in their next project, Tennis’ fifth album Swimmer, which is out on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), 2020. The news arrives with a single, “Runner,” their first new music in almost three years, and lush visuals Moore said were “made with our long-time collaborator Luca Venter,” and “inspired by my love for old musicals and all things Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Bob Fosse.” Watch the music video below.

Music by Bergman: San Cisco

San Cisco are a  indie pop group hailing from Fremantle, Western Australia. Initially whipped up in the wake of high school graduation, the foursome soon found themselves unwittingly defining hipster culture with the video for their breakout hit “Awkward.”

Fast forward to 2015 where San Cisco delivered their sophomore album Gracetown which debuted at #2 on the ARIA charts showcasing a new sound for the band — a more worldly approach to life; exploring the tyranny of love, displacement, homesickness, heartache and heartbreak, via disco, funk, soul and hip-hop undertones. The group released their third album The Water in 2017 and embarked on an extensive world tour — playing 21 shows in 46 days across America, Europe and Australia.

The trio San Cisco – Jordi Davieson, Joshua Biondillo, and Scarlett Stevens- made their long-awaited return with the latest single “Skin,” the first track from their upcoming album that is slated for release in 2020.

Music by Bergman: Elyella

Him, electronic music. Her, guitars. Him, organization. Her, spontaneity. Him, technique. Her, passion… ELYELLA‘s success lies in the balance that exists between Ella and MØNØ, s halves of this duo.

With their instinct for the dance floor and their ability to spread their enthusiasm to the audience, it’s only natural that ELYELLA have become the favorite DJs of Spain’s indie scene. This year they’ve released their debut album Dreamers.

Music by Bergman: Gerry Cinnamon

Gerry Cinnamon – born Gerry Crosbie – is a 35-year-old musician from the Castlemilk housing scheme in Glasgow. His childhood was challenging: no father figure around, it seems, and some trouble in his teens.

His robustly-melodic, singalong Scotpop-folk anthems about drugs, mugs, thugs and ordinary life have 100 million cumulative Spotify plays across his Top Ten most-played tracks. His debut album has sold 132,000 copies – and that’s an album he wrote, recorded and paid for himself. He’s an unsigned artist.

Music by Bergman: Blood Red Shoes

Blood Red Shoes are an alternative rock duo in Brighton, England consisting of Laura-Mary Carter and Steven Ansell. The brilliant and yet somewhat underrated band have shapeshifted their style during their decade and a half career. Mortality, psychosis, neurosis, sex,  dreams, the future, alienation, failure, escape, mass celebration, hope. regret, taking things too far……..and Fleetwood Mac. Following the success of their fifth studio album, ‘Get Tragic’ released earlier in 2019, they will kick out in Mad Cool 2020.