Los Angeles based songwriter and guitar player Kal M is releasing his second EP, “Kalmworld.” It contains six songs, but the standout track to me is City Nights, for which a pretty solid video was produced. One thing that makes this song work so well is how it perfectly captures the ambiance as implied by the title(of both the track and the EP.) With it’s clean production and mellow pacing, “City Nights” has a calming effect. You get the feeling of driving around the city late in the evening, when the nightlife has died down and you’re just cruising and thinking. In that sense, it’s almost a futuristic R&B, like if you mixed rhythm and blues with something like vaporwave. Other songs like “I’m ready” and “Hands Out” are more peppy and energetic, but have a similar vibe. Kal M is a very talented songwriter and deserves some more recognition.

http://www.kalmworld.com/

The song “Shine On” delivers its message in a refreshingly upbeat manner. It’s performed by Darick DDS Spears, Natalie Jean, and Dennis Sy, an unlikely trio, with each coming from different musical backgrounds. They bring it together to create a positive sound which mixes light hip hop with elements of jazz and with a bit of Caribbean flavor. It reminds me somewhat of late 90’s pop classics like Vitamin C’s “Smile,” only with more substantive content. The song conveys its subject matter in a unifying and friendship seeking tone, which should allow listeners to be more receptive rather than feel instantly alienated the way they would with less tactfully presented material. The performers all balance each other very well, and nothing seems out of place. Musically, “Shine On” hooks you in right away with it’s funky and festive intro and is never boring. The only downside to this jam is that it’s just a single. It’s a good one though.

https://soundcloud.com/dsymusic/shine-on-with-dennis-sy-featuring-natalie-jean-and-darick-spears

Dennis Sy: http://www.dsymusic.com/
Natalie Jean: http://www.natalie-jean.com/
Darick DDS Spears: http://www.darickspears.com/

Herman Martinez, a self described singer/songwriter/multi-Instumentalist from N.J, has a new album out titled, “Solopsi Radio.” It was produced by Ahmed Mahmoud. The songs have an experimental quality to them that seem to mix different rock genres, while including obscure samples and defying traditional song structures. The very first song, “Phonic Chronicles” is a good example of this. It’s very hard to classify but still rocks just the same. A lot of the songs vaguely remind me of variations of 90’s indie experimental music. The track “Sculptor” has an alternative feel to it, reminiscent of old school Sebadoh. One element that seems to work really well is the way each song continuously builds momentum. Often they begin with very minimal guitars or quiet samples/noise, but slowly work their way up toward bellowing, blended chaos and a darker, fuller sound. With 11 songs total and nearly an hour of music, this album delivers a great variety of content. I’d recommend this album to anyone who is looking for music that isn’t boring. It leaves you with a great feeling of not knowing what to expect.

https://hermanmartinez.bandcamp.com/releases

Young rapper “Jazz” from Texas has a jam out called summer.  The backing has kind of an early 90’s feel to it, which matches the aesthetic of the cover.  The beats seem to transition back and forth from tribal to modern throughout the song.  Jazz has a very laid back style of spoken word delivery, that’s very easy to listen to.  I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys mellow summertime hip hop songs.

https://soundcloud.com/432jazz/summer-prod-by-heir-tak-1
http://www.twitter.com/432jazz

California group Africali’s “You Don’t Love Him Quite Like You Love Me” has a pleasant 1970’s folk aesthetic. The percussion elements and musical backing contribute to creating a really authentic ambiance. I would love to hear how this sounds on vinyl. It would make an excellent track to relax to on a summer afternoon. You can listen to it here on Soundcloud.

Follow Africali on Twitter https://twitter.com/africaligenre

Valley Joe, a rapper from Vallejo, CA has a new single out called, “If I Got Rich.”  Like the title suggests, the lyrics mostly about what he would do with the money in the event he accumulated a lot of it. The production is good, and the eerie backing is well chosen. Valley Joe has an assertive style and tone to his delivery, which gets the point across clearly and plainly to the listener.  I recommend you check out his music if you are into contemporary  West Coast hip hop / NorCal style.

https://soundcloud.com/valleyjoe/valley-joe-if-i-got-rich

Hailing from Greensboro, NC, Jerrel Moore has a new mixtape out, titled, “Dear Nas.”  It seems to be somewhat personal and autobiographical as the songs attempt to convey  various aspects of his personality, experiences and outlook to his son(the first sample is one of a baby crying) He has a mellow, echoey kind of delivery style. The production and sample integration seems to fit well.  The lyrics are more personal than you would expect from this kind of recording but often interesting and unpredictable.   You can check out Jerrel Moore’s mixtape here:

http://likethattrack.com/jerrel-moore-drops-fire-ass-mixtape-titled-dear-nas/

Jreasn, an artist from Buffalo, NY has a new single out titled, “That Way.” Jreasn seems like you’re average rapper at first,  but what’s especially  impressive about his music is how he manages to avoid falling back on hip hop stereotypes and cliches and is able to create something genuinely new.  “That Way” has an artistic musical quality to it which explores the feelings of a  woman hurt by the past.  The song flows smoothly and has character. It steers clear of the smug aggression and superficialities which are so common  in other indie hip hop.  Give Jreasn’s music a listen here.

A longtime musician hailing from Scotland, Dave Bremner is releasing a new single, “Gentle Healing” with Shine On Records. As one of the first to get a listen to the song, my immediate impression is that Bremner’s music is incredibly genuine and heartfelt. The craftsmanship in “Gentle Healing” is apparent from the beginning, and the production quality is excellent. The guitar playing and singing is flawless throughout. There’s nothing amateurish to be found in this recording. Dave Bremner is a total pro. What’s interesting to me is that though he hails from Scotland, the song has almost a country western feel to it, something I wasn’t really expecting but was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. I’d recommend “Gentle Healing” to anyone who enjoys adult contemporary rock. It delivers in this genre but with a sincerity and uniqueness that propel it beyond stereotypes.

You can purchase it here