Timothy Bloom/Sherena Wynn

Straddling the intersection of soul, R&B and dusty Americana songwriting, Timothy Bloom is quietly gaining some traction for doing things a little bit differently than his contemporaries. While songs like “Wooooooo!!!” would fit in real nicely on most college bars’ playlists, the off-kilter brass section and stutter-step beat are just enough to throw bovine pop listeners for a loop. Still, Bloom’s got a penchant for the catchy, and he should be sought out for such. “A Long Time Ago” (with Dezi Paige) is a throwback to Motown complete with weird production effects. Here’s Herbie Hancock on Bloom’s music: “Timothy is very talented, sincere, and passionate about good, relevant music. His music has all those elements. That's a hard combination to beat.” We agree. (Sandy)