“It got a shine to it.” A gleaming collage of deconstructed hip-hop and jazz, “Ready to Ball” is the latest single from the Seattle drummer, producer, musician, emcee, and… Continue reading
A collaboration between two of London’s best. “May” is a summery yet bittersweet bop about love and loss. Jgrrey ft Kojey Radical – “May” … Continue reading
Raw and in-the-moment. The artist behind my number 1 song of 2021, Dijon makes music that sounds so immediate, it’s as if you’re right there witnessing in real time… Continue reading
A recommended gem of a mix. A slow roll. Ta-ku returns to gift us with a new edition of the Drive Slow, Homie series, the first in… Continue reading
“1, 2, 3, 4…” With its centrifugal beat and pleading guitar lick, “Barley” by the experimental art-pop duo Water From Your Eyes is relentless and hypnotic. Water… Continue reading
A horn-led and piano-driven shuffling sundowner from the Iranian-American artist and NTS Radio DJ. Originally from Lansing, Michigan and now based in upstate New York’s Hudson Valley, Rahill‘s latest… Continue reading
An easy and breezy jazz rhythm from the Afrobeat luminary. Hackney, East London-born and Nigeria-raised Dele Sosimi was the keyboard player and musical director for Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80… Continue reading
It’s all about those piano key runs. Allan McConnell and Finn Rees, the Melbourne-via-Tasmania duo otherwise known as Close Counters, sampled fellow Aussie artists Izy and enlisted Lucky Pereira to… Continue reading
Sampha’s vocals always, always shine. Fresh from turning in my 22nd favorite remix of 2022, London’s Speakers Corner Quartet have teamed up with Sampha to create “Can We Do… Continue reading
Atmospheric 5am jungle breaks with lyrics sung in Indonesian. Melati ESP is an Indonesian-born, NYC-based artist. Sounding not unlike a lost Future Sound of London dubplate, her… Continue reading
A hip indie-hop jam with “extra spice.” With an intro that sounds like a chop of the Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache,” “Lady Papaya” by the Thailand-born, New Zealand-raised, and… Continue reading
It’s officially UMO szn. Very excited for Unknown Mortal Orchestra aka the Portland, Oregon-residing, Hawaiian-New Zealand artist Ruban Nielson‘s new album. “Layla” is the second single to… Continue reading
Introducing the sound of Noirwave, the genre coined by Petite Noir. Petite Noir is a Congolese artist, who was born in Belgium, raised in South Africa, and now divides… Continue reading
Produced by Raphael Saadiq. Last year I was very happy to hear Daniel Caesar working with BADBADNOTGOOD on the excellent “Please Do Not Lean,” which ended up at number… Continue reading
I’ve been a fan of Dina and Faro, also known as Diva-Sachy Jeffrey and Alex Headford, for nigh on nine-ish years now, ever since I first heard “Late Night” back in 2016.… Continue reading
A new signing to the legendary Brighton, UK label. “Superego” is a brand new track from the Bristol, UK-based producer and songwriter, where warm neo-soul keys meet a shuffling… Continue reading
“Patience, like evolution, evolving into love.” “Evolution” is a gently upbeat yet calming indie-electronic cut from the Montreal trio. Watch the deep-dive-into-nature-themed video below. Braids… Continue reading
Featuring Malcolm Catto of the Heliocentrics on drums. “Oh, Silly George,” the latest single from Donny-via-Joburg artist and Brownswood Future Bubblers alum Skinny Pelembe, is a wistful and nostalgic… Continue reading
New songs added every Monday. An ongoing playlist of 2023’s very best music. If you dig leftfield beats, electronic soul, and experimental sounds, you’ll feel right at… Continue reading
“Plant-based drippy psyche-pop.” I’m on board. “Blueprint” is indeed a blueprint for the future of electronic R&B from the Los Angeles-via-Jacksonville duo of Rania Woodard and Brian Squillace,… Continue reading
A subtle, pensive start to 2023. “Ashes, Ashes,” the latest single from San Francisco’s Meg Baird, is a mindful, half-speed, folk-jazz instrumental with warm piano keys that meander around… Continue reading
Dusty and sweet vintage soul honey. “By The Lake” is a new collaborative single from Los Angeles-via-Germany artist Pale Jay (who lists his musical guides as Donny Hathaway, J… Continue reading
Brass-powered rootsy soul from Austin, Texas. Fronted by songwriters Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins, Wild Child is a seven-piece ensemble that create richly constructed songs like “Photographs,” my favorite… Continue reading
Any and all new output from Sampha gets an automatic post from me. The London artist has reshaped a standout track from Nilüfer Yanya‘s latest album, PAINLESS, into a… Continue reading
Magnificent MPB from Minsk. I am stunned by the musical expertise on display here. Led by Alex Chumak and featuring Mikita Arlou and drummer Anton Nemahai, Belarus… Continue reading
Gorgeous lo-fi folk. “Not Ideal,” the latest song from the Montreal trio of Lia (vocals, guitar), David (vocals, guitar, drums), and Éloi (vocals, keys, drums), is lush yet bittersweet… Continue reading
Alt-electro from Belgium. Antwerp‘s Mozes Mosuse aka Movulango‘s latest, “The Peak,” is a dizzying rush of pulsing electronic drums paired with a vocal that imagines Kurt Cobain meeting Gary Numan.… Continue reading
A recommended gem of a music documentary. One of the most beautifully shot docs I’ve seen. I truly loved watching SoCal Soul, the latest in the Scenes series… Continue reading
I first fell in love with the sounds of Goon when I first heard “Garden of Our Neighbor” back in January of this year, which was the first track on their Paint… Continue reading
Featuring an eccentric and bee-centric video. London’s DanDlion will get you dancing with this Tom Misch-ish dance-pop bop. DanDlion – “Knock Knock” … Continue reading
Hints of Unknown Mortal Orchestra-esque psyche-pop. “Snakebit,” my favorite track from Julien Chang‘s new album, The Sale, is a dreamy yet faded cut of filtered funk-indie. Julien… Continue reading
Stay pozi. “Slightly Shaking Cells,” the latest track from the London trio Pozi, is a Stereolab-ish bass-led groove with discordant strings and digitized rain stick flourishes. Pozi… Continue reading
A Quincy-esque soul bossa nova ode to self-belief. Brooklyn-via-Assam, Northeast India artist Jitwam‘s “Confidence” brims with bravado. Jitwam – “Confidence” … Continue reading
A new project from Phil Swan (guitar) and former Fiction frontman Mike Barrett (vocals, keys). Phil and Mike have worked together previously in outfits such as Brand New Moon… Continue reading
A mid-tempo nu-soul 2-step skip. “Lonely” is my favorite song to date from Brooklyn’s FFFACTS, a trio comprised of Soul Clap’s David Marston, Dan Izco, and Mirror Gazer’s Dorian… Continue reading
Toro Y Moi meets Thundercat. Love this gauzy psychedelia from Wellington, New Zealand’s Paddy Fred. (And love love those light yet ride cymbal-heavy drums.) Paddy… Continue reading
A buoyant dry beat that hops and skips around a rubbery bassline. “Like Honey” is a late-night bedroom-pop-meets-R&B soundtrack to a lonely cityscape from the Hong Kong-born, London-based artist… Continue reading
A 10-minute 10-second song released on 10/10 that scores a 10/10. The mysterious UK outfit led by producer Dean Josiah Cover aka Inflo has teamed up with the Jamaican… Continue reading
If Minnie Ripperton and Erykah Badu co-wrote an ode to self-care, it would sound a lot like this. “Take Care” is a mellow and soulful jazz cut that features… Continue reading
Love these scattered drums. Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers are Weval. “Never Stay For Love” sees the Amsterdam-based duo teaming up with Dutch singer Eefje de… Continue reading
Is there a more beautifully poetic coda to a song than this? “Let the decades come down And let the years just float by ‘Cause when you spend them in love… Continue reading
A funk-steeped verse turns into a breezy soulful pop chorus. Into this new track “Pair of You” by NYC artist FIG, a “bop you can listen to while munching… Continue reading
Grand Rapids, Michigan musician Sam Hall is Ghost Orchard. “Rest” is a loose and lo-fi acoustic guitar-led jam. Love that dreamy pedal steel courtesy of Bennett Littlejohn.… Continue reading
Into this irresistible bouncing bass. “Therapy” is a feel-good and freeing dancefloor spinner from Wellington, New Zealand artist and producer Myele Manzanza and Omar, one of the UK’s most… Continue reading
A new musical direction for the Montreal trio. “Billie Toppy” sees Men I Trust trading their singular style of downtempo jazz-inspired indie for taut uptempo post-punk. Love… Continue reading
A pastoral, flute-imbued track that features the Future Islands frontman. “Leaving the Canyons” is the latest single from the Portland, Oregon producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Eric Phillips aka Kennebec.… Continue reading
Orchestral warmth that swells and sways. Love this latest brass-soaked sunbeam from Skinshape aka Will Dorey who hails from Swanage, England. Skinshape – “High Tide, Storm Rising”… Continue reading
It’s all about that sax and those synth swerves. New track “Hiwave” from Melbourne, Australia’s Cy Gorman is a lazy river of experimental jazz and spacious R&B slumbers. … Continue reading
Elkka’s latest track features a John Martyn sample. “I Just Want To Love You,” the London artist, producer, and DJ’s first solo release of 2022, lifts the John Martyn song… Continue reading
Piedmont, Oklahoma meets Melbourne, Australia. What a collaboration. “Take Me Back,” the latest song by Thunder Jackson aka Piedmont, Oklahoma musician Kyle Bradley and Melbourne, Australia’s Chet… Continue reading
