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ANDERSON .PAAK – JEWELZ

Anderson .Paak is an extremely talented artist. He’s also unique in that he plays the drums and sings. The only notable drummer/singer I can think of off the top of my head is Phil Collins. That’s pretty good company. .Paak’s music is full of soul and funk, and he sprinkles a little bit of pop on top. This track shows off all of .Paak’s signature sounds. Funky drums, heavy soul bass lines, choppy guitar riffs, and pop-y vocals. .Paak’s backing band is the Free Nationals. They are world class musicians, so the production and quality of .Paak’s music is top notch. Very fun to listen to. 

THE GARDEN – CLAY 

The way I would describe The Garden is a punk-rock version of The Drums. I’m so glad I found The Garden. They are so unique in their sound, look, and act. The twin brothers are a drum and bass combo band out of California. Their performances are high energy and often strange and odd. “Clay” is off their 2017 Album You Want The Scoop. I highly suggest checking out some of their music videos and interviews. They are so entertaining to watch. They also both have side projects that are equally weird and entertaining. There is tons of content from The Garden. I need to see them in concert ASAP. 

SNOOP DOGG – LET’S GET BLOWN

Snoop Dog and Pharell. Do I need to say more? Snoop Dogg is arguably the coolest man of all time. Gangster rapper, cooking show host with Martha Stewart, professional blunt smoker, and youth football league Coach. He does whatever he wants. “Let’s Get Blown” is off my favorite Snoop album Rhythm and Gangsta. And Snoop and Pharrell may be my favorite Rapper/Producer combo of all time. Light one up to this one and “get blown”. 

D SMOKE – NO COMMAS

I just discovered D Smoke and I’m really feeling his sound. It reminds me a lot of early The Roots. Live instruments over D Smoke’s smooth flow, and clean production, make this track so easy to listen to. “No Commas” is off Smoke’s new album Black Habbits. Check out the album it features a banger featuring none other than Snoop D O double G. 

KAYTRANADA – VEX OH

Kaytranada is a hip hop production legend and he’s only been producing since 2010. His electronic influenced beats with live drums make his sound so different from the current state of hip hop. He’s produced tracks for tons of incredible artists such as Talib Kweli, Anderson .Paak, Chance the Rapper and Alicia Keys. His sound is immediately recognizable. I can’t wait for the future of Kaytranada. 

CALVIN HARRIS ft. KELIS – BOUNCE

I’m such a huge fan of Calvin Harris. His music gets me so pumped up. I’ve been obsessed since I heard his first album and learned that, you guessed it, he wrote/recorded/produced the entire album himself. Over the years his sound has evolved from lo-fi, silly, electronic-pop, dance party music, to stadium filled, full on rave-pop jams. “Bounce” features Kelis (“Milkshake”) on vocals and this song totally makes me want to bounce, and kind of go to a rave. 

STEVE LACY – THATS NO FUN

Steve Lacy is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter. His sound reminds me of a “lo-fi” Tyler The Creator, and Childish Gambino. Wobbly, slightly off tuned guitar riffs, and drums that sound like they were recorded with his cell phone (they might have been) make this grimy track a must listen for anyone who’s ever recorded in a basement studio. 

A CAR THAT SWIMS – PICKUP

Keeping the “lo-fi” theme here, “Pickup” from A Car That Swims (Chris Maier) is just one of those songs that grabbed my attention because of the good songwriting and intentional low production quality. There’s not much on the internet about A Car That Swims. I can only find a handful of songs from 2020, and one interview. The mystery intrigues me. I can’t wait to hear more from him. 

BADBADNOTGOOD – LAVENDER

BADBADNOTGOOD is a Canadian production team that mostly produces jazz, mixed with funk and hip hop instrumentals. They’ve collaborated with tons of big name hip hop artists, including Kaytranada on this track. This track has an eerie sense to it. It seems like it could be on a movie soundtrack when introducing a cartoon villain. Heavy MF Doom vibes here. 

MAC DEMARCO – CHAMBER OF REFLECTIONS

When I first heard this song I thought it was Toro Y Moi. That’s not a bad thing. “Chamber of Reflections” is a spacey, easy to groove to track. That’s kind of DeMarco’s style. You’re not going to get a ton of high energy tracks from him. Just good old fashioned “chill-out” to music. So if that blunt from Snoop’s track earlier has worn off, light up another one. LOL.