Diggin’ This: No Buses – “Eyes” (S.S.G.G. Records)
Named after an Arctic Monkeys deep cut. “Eyes,” a math-rock-flecked indie jaunt from the Tokyo five-piece, contains the most delightful guitar riff. Fronted by Kondo Taisai (近藤大彗)… Continue reading
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Diggin’ This: Jaguar Sun & Husbands – “It Gets Better” (Born Losers Records)
Chris Minielly, the Ontario musician behind Jaguar Sun, has teamed up with Oklahoma City duo Husbands. “It Gets Better” is a highly pleasant and pastoral indie march that culminates… Continue reading
Diggin’ This: Kassa Overall – “Ready to Ball” (Warp Records)
“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
Diggin’ This: JGrrey ft Kojey Radical – “May” (PACE Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Dijon – “Coogie” (R&R Digital)
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
Recommended Gem: New Mix from Ta-ku – Drive Slow, Homie Pt 6 (Video)
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
Diggin’ This: Water From Your Eyes – “Barley” (Matador Records) (Video)
“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
Diggin’ This: Rahill – “I Smile for E” (Big Dada)
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
Diggin’ This: Dele Sosimi & the Estuary 21 ft Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly – “Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán” (Wah Wah 45s)
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
Diggin’ This: Close Counters ft Izy – “Only One” (Holy Sound) (Official Video)
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
Diggin’ This: Speakers Corner Quartet ft Sampha – “Can We Do This?” (OTIH Records) (Official Video)
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
Diggin’ This: Melati ESP – “E.M.Z” (Carpark Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Phum Viphurit – “Lady Papaya” (Rats Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Layla” (Jagjaguwar)
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
Diggin’ This: Petite Noir ft Sampa The Great – “Blurry” (Roya) (Official Video)
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
Diggin’ This: Daniel Caesar – “Do You Like Me?”
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
Diggin’ This: Jadu Heart – “There Is No Door” (VLF Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Slowe – “Superego” (Tru Thoughts)
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
Diggin’ This: Braids – “Evolution” (Secret City Records) (Official Video)
“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
Diggin’ This: Skinny Pelembe – “Oh, Silly George” (Partisan Records) (Official Video)
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
Dan Digs 2023 Essentials
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
Diggin’ This: LANNDS – “Blueprint” (Run For Cover Records) (Official Video)
“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
Diggin’ This: Meg Baird – “Ashes, Ashes” (Drag City) (Official Video)
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
Dan Digs Top 100 Tracks of 2022
It was a joy to hear great, great songs from Chronixx, Ural Thomas & The Pain, SAULT, Flying Lotus, Jimetta Rose, Toro Y Moi, Floating Points, Kokoroko, Gabriels, Mount Kimbie, Kutiman, River… Continue reading
Dan Digs Top 30 Albums of 2022
Toro Y Moi, Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin, DOMi & JD BECK, Whitney, СОЮЗ, Triathalon, SAULT, Beth Orton, Kutiman, and many more all feature in my 30 favorite albums of 2022. … Continue reading
Diggin’ This: Pale Jay & Okonski (Durand Jones and the Indications) – “By the Lake” (Karma Chief/Colemine Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Wild Child – “Photographs” (Reba’s Ranch Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Nilüfer Yanya – “Midnight Sun” (Sampha Remix)
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
Diggin’ This: СОЮЗ – “Beige Days (Бежевые дни)” (Mr Bongo Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Afternoon Bike Ride – “Not Ideal” (Friends of Friends)
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
Diggin’ This: Movulango – “The Peak” (DEEWEE Records)
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
Recommended Gem: Scenes: SoCal Soul by SoundCloud
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
Diggin’ This: Goon – “Flower Bell” (Démodé Recordings)
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
Diggin’ This: DanDlion – “Knock Knock” (Official Video)
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
Diggin’ This: Julien Chang – “Snakebit” (Transgressive Records)
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
Diggin’ This: Pozi – “Slightly Shaking Cells”
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
Diggin’ This: Jitwam – “Confidence” (Roya/Warp Records) (Official Video)
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
Diggin’ This: Awkward Branches – “A Frame (Not a Window)” (Tip Top Recordings) (Official Video)
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
Diggin’ This: FFFACTS – “Lonely” (Fresh Selects)
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
Diggin’ This: Paddy Fred – “Found You” (Extra Soul Perception)
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
Diggin’ This: bb sway – “Like Honey”
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
Diggin’ This: SAULT ft Chronixx & Jack Peñate – “Angel” (Forever Living Originals)
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
Diggin’ This: KIRBY ft Dave Guy – “Take Care”
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
Diggin’ This: Weval ft Eefje de Visser – “Never Stay For Love” (Technicolour)
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
Diggin’ This: Ben Zaidi – “Younger With Time” (Acoustic) (Nettwerk Music Group)
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
Diggin’ This: FIG – “Pair Of You”
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
Diggin’ This: Ghost Orchard – “Rest” (Winspear)
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
Diggin’ This: Myele Manzanza ft Omar – “Therapy” (DeepMatter)
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
Diggin’ This: Men I Trust – “Billie Toppy”
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
Diggin’ This: Kennebec ft Samuel T. Herring – “Leaving The Canyons” (Night Time Stories)
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