Secrets – Magdalena Bay
The best song from an album that is a great listen from start to finish. Secrets is a big, driving sound that won’t give up.
Johnny & Jonnie – Twin Shadow
Very upbeat melody, major chords, with rich analog sounds driven nicely. A touch of calypso mixed with dub, and an attitude that it will all work out.
Break Her Heart For Me – KIRBY
KIRBY sings her way into everyone’s heart, and this song is just another example of her amazing talent and charm. A little more old-school soul sound in this track, but KIRBY’s energy cuts through no matter what subgenre she performs under.
No Va A Ser Contigo – Los Caliz, La Explosiva Banda De Maza, El Bebeto
No Va A Ser Contigo shows influence from bachata and island sounds, while staying rooted in sierreño. This song is proud of its tradition, while serving as a bridge to the future of its genre.
Ball Hog – AJRadico
“Tweet tweet but they never left the nest”. This song is a smooth victory lap for when they make it big
Shepardstown – Olivia Newton John
The musical version of a waitress at a diner asking “more coffee, hun?”. This is a more basic Olivia song that doesn’t really showcase her talents, and that is part of it’s elegance.
Sidewalks – Dacey
A little bit of jazz and soul, with dashes of old rap beats and math rock. Dacey’s smooth vocals sing an upbeat melody over major chords that contrast nicely with the topic.
High Heel Heavy – Mister Strange
A garage psych song with strong proto-metal and punk rock roots. Very fat distortion sounds on just about every instrument, with an intensity I haven’t heard since Raw Power by Iggy and the Stooges.
2223 – Andreas Toftemark
I don’t really know about jazz but this is a good song to get chores done in the city while it rains.
Muzibe Wa Love – Kataleya & Kandle
From Uganda, Kataleya & Kandle deliver a relentless hit that flows between tension and resolve within their verses and chorus over a stepping beat that paints a lush and vivid experience.
Paprika – Japanese Breakfast
An raw and honest emotional journey by a talented genius
All Night – Tae
Bubbly bass over a hard moderate beat. Tae recently got a contract for her music to play at H&M stores.
Let You Down – Lukas Ki
Indie dance / pop song that I think was written by a sad robot. The song feels like it could be a teenage romance movie montage where our sad robot protagonist makes efforts to be cooler. When the guitar solo hits, he breaks out his new cool guy dance at the prom in front of everyone at the prom and impresses the cool girl.
Balcony – JJ Adrian
A perfect slow jam. Song has a nice spacey interlude that relaxes you before the song hits you with the harder-hitting, but still-delicate chorus
Akayimba – Dre Cali
Dancehall from Uganda, blurring the lines of Caribbean and African music. Dre Cali’s voice is smooth, over the soothing guitar and keyboard and an energetic rhythm arrangement.
Coleman Rose – Riley Downing
A folksy, blue grassy, rock country song that was written by a real life version of a Mike Judge character
Microwave – Zoee
An avant-pop song by Harriet Zoe Pittard under the pen name Zoee. This song made me late for my meeting at the audio-visual club at the 80’s high school I made up in my head while listening to this.
Take Me Where Your Heart Is – Q
An rnb ballad that connects to it’s audience on different levels with vulnerable vocals sung in a pentatonic melody, and as an homage to the late 80s/early 90s
No Necesito Más – Marissa Mur
Is it a blend of Mexican folk and pop? Is it from an alternative universe? Did the melody appear first in a dream?
Warm It Up – Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard
A song about cooking a late breakfast by Welsh stoners who listen to a lot of 70s rock
Dior – Ruger
A happy and fun afropop / afrobeats that shows a little reggae style too. A catchy and melodic hit from Nigeria.
It’s Not My Choice – Mykki Blanco, Blood Orange
Soul rap poetry, or as we like to say, slroetry. Very good video too. “Bring ya ass home, bring ya ass home”
Wedding Guests – Cheekface
Song of the year. This song sounds like a PhD candidate cracked under the pressure and turned to songwriting instead of alcohol. “Not much to say unless you have a slow joke you wanted to tell I guess”
Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/31rqTkFtkTdhmq961tTXEn?si=721dff4744614b45
Extended 2021 Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4U3QmAgL18ReFkZZS0gXoh?si=3929488e4441413b