Double Down is a new single from hip hop artist, Misfit. The song is vocally drive, with Misfit’s formidable delivery front and center. Backed by thick southern bass and a minimalist melody, Misfit chronicles and celebrates series of accomplishments, vowing to continue pushing forward in pursuit of his dreams. He has a commanding vocal presence and lays everything down in a very straightforward manner. One thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is his storytelling ability. He relays these personal anecdotes in vivid detail rather than vague platitudes. You really get a high resolution picture of these events he describes, giving this song a substance that makes it stand out among similar tracks from other artists. The production is clean and clear. This is fairly solid hip hop jam that gets the job done without trying to be flashy.

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/misfit_gc/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4_sg70i7N0

Earth Without Art is a new track from singer-songwriter, Nick Davies. This timely track is about as immediately relevant as it gets, since it deals with the subject of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the song is to inspire artists to continue creating in this uncertain age and resist the inclination to be discouraged. Nick wants you to keep making music and pursuing your artistic goals. The arts are now as important to society as ever.

Earth Without Art is an impressive single in its own right. The song features an electric piano/Wurlitzer style backing which builds into a wider array of brightly symphonic pop instrumentation. This guy is a phenomenal singer. He’s so good that I’m surprised his music isn’t playing in grocery stores everywhere. Excellent radio quality production and a performance that ranks up there with Billy Joel and Michael Buble. Whether you’re currently involved in the arts or not, Give Earth Without Art a listen, and maybe it will inspire you to create something. It’s a strong message bolstered by an equally powerful performance.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/nickdaviesmusic
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/nickdavies/earth-without-art

Power of Praise Vol. 1 is a compilation album released by Palmdale-based record label, Elmark Music. This inspirational gospel album features 15 uplifting tracks, aiming to set people on the right path in their lives. The songs combine themes of empathy and struggle with the promise of salvation. What makes this album astonishing though is that from a musical perspective, it defies stereotypes normally associated with gospel music. I have a ton of respect for traditional gospel music (and those who can perform it,) but I have to admit this is groundbreaking. Power of Praise Vol. 1 is high energy and downright futuristic, blending elements of synth-driven disco, EDM and soul. Melodic and fast paced, these songs offer listeners a bright, pulse-pounding ambiance that will appeal to a wide demographic of people. Having music that’s this accessible and fun is a great way to open up people to being receptive to a positive, spiritual message.

For more info:

https://www.elmarkcompany.net/

Circle up the Wagons is a new self-titled single from Venica (CA) based duo, Circle up the Wagons. This soulful and contemplative Americana song dives down deep. Filled with introspective lyrics that deal with struggle, optimism and vulnerability, the track is quietly inspirational. The production quality on this release is among the best I’ve seen from this genre, which typically trends toward a more lo-fi orientation. This however is on par with mainstream, major label productions. It still maintains the raw emotion and grass roots charm though. The best of both worlds. While the ambiance is mellow, the lyrics have an intensely personal feel. Circle up the Wagons is a beautifully performed piece that captures the spirit of reflection.

For more info:

Website: https://lovemeinthedark.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/wearelovemeinthedark
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2qMPWPnjjh2rxPBktFstpn?si=Hz6r0DhiQB28JqqgBTmzYA

Debussy’s Fawn is a new album from Los Angeles-based act, Music By Gestalt. This avant garde EP combines elements of the classical and the futuristic. The track titles allude to an accord with nature, with appellations such as The Frog’s Song and Rabbit in a Snowstorm (parts 1-3) and of course the title track itself. There’s a playful innocence that shines through in these recordings, despite their sophisticated craftsmanship and professionalism. A pattern emerges where the songs often begin with mellow, piano driven intros as they slowly develop into jazzy, artfully kaleidoscopic richness. It is in fact, very difficult to classify this music due to its uniquely eclectic character. It could work just as well on a video game soundtrack as it could in a highbrow film.

Ultimately Debussy’s Fawn is colorful, vibrant and brimming with vitality. The music is dynamic and adaptive, with frequent transitions and unexpected, instrumental twists and turns. My favorite songs on this album are those that comprise of the Rabbit in a Snowstorm trilogy. They emit a “classic fairy tale” kind of energy and give the imaginative listener an abstract, “wintry warren” narrative to visualize. This is some of the most creative classical adjacent music you will ever hear. It’s quite good.

For more info:

https://musicbygestalt.com/
https://www.instagram.com/musicbygestalt/
https://www.facebook.com/musicbygestalt
https://soundcloud.com/user-666266537

Well well well, this is right up my alley. Ambient Psychedelic Gnawties is a collaborative release from a number of Norwegian artists and producers. I can’t even pronounce most of the artists’ names because they are in non-English characters, but refer to the Spotify playlist below for the full lineup.

What makes this album incredible from a creative standpoint is that it blends the sound of 60s psychedelic rock with contemporary hip hop. These 14 mind-bending jams will tune your brain in to uncharted frequencies. The songs are very dreamlike, not in a cute and sparkly, “Rainbow Brite” sort of way but more along the lines of a dark, slow motion, time circuit altering trip. As you might guess, with so many artists involved, there is a lot of musical variety, (particulary in the vocal delivery department but in the backing sounds as well). Some tracks are more beat oriented while in others an Alice in Wonderland style psychedelia is emphasized. Still, the sound is remarkably cohesive and has the feel of an epic. The album can take your mind to some strange places if you allow yourself to really vibe out, so tread lightly. My favorite song on here is probably alvenes siste dans which sounds like a cross between relaxing music from a love scene in an old western film and a post apolcapytic dream sequence from Logan’s Run. Ambient Psychedelic Gnawties is a cool album. I really dig it.

For more info:

Shoot Shots Forever is a new EP from Vaughantego. Legend has it, this artist walked away from music a decade ago. He was ahead of the tech curve and working with computers to create beats long before that practice became mainstream though. Shoot Shots Forever marks Vaughantego’s continued return to music, with a promise of taking chances, regardless of where they may lead. Production quality on this release is obviously very good, as this guy clearly knows his way around a mixing program. The backing music is very ambient and contains a lot of EDM elements, which is somewhat unique for this genre. It’s like if you were to combine vaporwave with soul and R&B. He somehow is able to make this concostion work. The songs are very dynamic and fluid, working in a lot of transitions and essentially functioning like well organized sound collages. There are just a lot of changes within each of these tracks, keeping them fresh from start to finish. Vaughantego tends to describe his comeback musical efforts in very humble terms, stating that they could either lead to “one hell of an inspirational story or a complete train wreck.” Well, this isn’t a train wreck by any means. Shoot Shots Forever demonstrates both creative imagination and technical ability. He can get somewhere with this.

For more info:

Bandcamp – https://vaughantego.bandcamp.com/album/shoot-shots-forever
IG – https://www.instagram.com/vaughantego/
Website bio – https://vaughantego.com/my-story/

Spring Grass is a new single from Michigan-based band, Bedroom Ceilings. The track is very welcoming and upbeat, featuring a bright and organic, “coffee house” sound. Style wise, it is somewhat reminiscent of early 2000s Bright Eyes and Belle and Sebastian era indie pop. As one might guess from the title, this track is fairly mellow and incorporates more of a sunny springtime outlook in its approach to overcoming depressive vibes. While the song begins in a minimalist acoustic form, the music slowly builds and blossoms into a full and rich sound. Ultimately Spring Grass is about finding joy in the small things, such as a roommate cooking you breakfast one morning when you’re feeling down. This is a really sincere and innocent indie pop song that represents the best elements of what the genre has always had to offer.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/bedroomceilings/

Rules of The Jungle is a new single from Indonesian singer/songwriter, Chitarra. The song was influenced by the classic story of The Jungle Book, which pretty much everyone should be familiar with. Aside from the music on this track capturing a nature oriented ambiance and tropical, jungle-like quality, it serves as a metaphor for Chitarra’s personal artistic journey through the world of music. The phrase “It’s a jungle out there” is an old saying that’s frequently used to describe the rough and tumble business climate of the corporate world. The music industry is no exception.

In beautifully vocalized terms, Chitarra describes the danger and uncertainty of this environment. The theme though of course, is that one shouldn’t allow themselves to succumb to the harsh rules of the jungle. Rather, the challenge is to survive and thrive in the jungle, while remaining as sincere and true to yourself as possible. It’s a lovely song, very eloquently performed and will tug at the listener’s heartstrings a bit.

For more info:

https://www.instagram.com/chitarramusic/

Wanna Roll is a new single from hip hop artist, YPC Young Pharaoh (also featuring Flyboy Troy) from the DMV. “Toastonthebeat” is credited with handling the production side of this slick party jam, which is both lightly psychedelic and super fresh. The music flows smoothly, as the vocals meld into the ambient backing beat, almost creating a unified instrument. Delivery-wise, the timing is consistently solid. People can’t really go anywhere right now, but this track is perfect for vibing out to no matter where you may be stuck. The ambiance is chill and laid back, but there’s still enough of a pulse for this to make it as a casual club banger. Lyrically, the song is fun and keeps the action moving while sprinkling in surprising bits of sentimentality here and there. The result is that Wanna Roll is less superficial than it appears at first glance. It’s a melodic springtime/summer track for late night kickbacks and driving with the windows down. This is New Age hip hop for dancing and dreaming. Be sure and watch for an upcoming album from these artists, scheduled to drop this summer.

For more info:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/wanna-roll-feat-flyboy-troy-single/1503519393