New Music

Baker Island – What Did Your Last Savant Die Of?

March 20, 2025

British fivesome Baker Island, based out of Newcastle, brings us this twee-filled single that begs the question, “What Did Your Last Savant Die Of?” While I don’t think this is ever answered, it does certainly roll of the tongue nicely, depending on which word you put the emphasis on; “What Did YOUR Last Savant Die Of?” “What DID Your Last Savant Die Of?” (etc.).   I’m absolutely here for the synth throughout the track and guitars that never ramble, but certainly come close to meandering. Everything blends together in what could have easily been a cacophony of noise but instead turns into a beautiful euphony that makes things feel just a bit sweeter.   You can hear the track below from the band’s Soundcloud or over on Spotify if you’re fancy like that. I started watching Six Feet Under the other day and this track proved to be a nice palate[...]

$later 281 – “RUNNIN UP”

March 17, 2025

Worldwide trapper $later 281 shows off tight street rhymes and an eye for aesthetic on his latest track “RUNNIN UP.” The single’s eerie piano sets the stage for $later’s gangster talk, reminding the listeners that he’s a part-time rapper who’s got “bosses in my corners, I put boxes on the porches.” It’s not all flexing though – $later shows off the other side of the trapping too, reflexively transitioning from complimenting his partner’s cooking to admitting to serving up his auntie. Trapping’s in his blood, but some of $later’s lines suggest there’s more of a story to explore there. “RUNNIN UP’s” video turns a junkyard into something a bit more artsy and sinister – check it out below. Listen to more from $later 281 on Spotify – and check out some more authentic new rappers on our Emerging Hip Hop playlist.

IMNOTARAPPER. – “Cash Flow”

March 14, 2025

The Bronx’s IMNOTARAPPER. has masterfully built her image, but on her latest single “Cash Flow” she takes us behind the scenes into the work she’s put in. Behind IMNOTARAPPER.’s gruff and confident delivery, there’s vulnerability. This track peels back the curtains, revealing a subtext to her rhymes. When she references her vices: “I might hit the plug when I get depressed When she talks about her grills: “That’s just a facade, I’m going through hell and back,” When her grind gets lost: “I work hard, I just make shit look fun.” “Cash Flow” is a title you might see on a thousand rappers’ projects, but in the hands of IMNOTARAPPER it’s an honest look into one rapper’s pursuit of greatness in the craft while balancing real world thoughts and feelings.  The beat has a bit of a Dr. Dre feel to it too, and it bangs. Listen to more from[...]

Housewife – “Matilda”

March 13, 2025

Brighid Fry (she/they) is the brains behind Canadian based indie pop (and buffaBLOG frequent – see here and here) act Housewife. “Matilda” is the latest track fresh off the Girl Of The Hour EP and it’s well worth a listen. Falling somewhere into the bedroom pop or alt-pop genre, you’ll have a good time here if you enjoy acts like Clairo or Men I Trust.   The song itself has an interesting backstory worth getting emotionally invested in – see below:   “Matilda was inspired by my bike getting stolen a couple years ago. I was an avid cyclist for years and really loved that bike (and had nicknamed it Matilda). I remember a while after it got stolen, I was out on a day that was perfect biking weather and just getting hit with how much I miss cycling. Obviously, the song isn’t just about a bike, but also[...]

Django Duyns – “Leather Skin”

March 13, 2025

“Leather Skin” is the latest track from Amsterdam artist Django Duyns. I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t know that this sound had a name of “pop noir,” but evidently “pop noir” is a sound I didn’t even know had a name *shrug emoji*. If you listened and thought this sounded vaguely reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys; you aren’t alone. Delightfully subdued guitars underpin the entirety of track along with Duyns’ sultry vocals. The rest of the three track single is also well worth you time, as you’ll certainly feel an evolution of the pop noir sound, and not just another rehash.   You can hear “Leather Skin” below from YouTube or over on Spotify. I didn’t see this on Soundcloud or Bandcamp, but could be found over on Deezer. Keep your ears out for Django Duyns’ debut album, as that is coming down the pipeline and will be available soon.  

Stimulus – “swiTCH”

March 12, 2025

Brooklyn-born, Berlin-based Stimulus blends house and hip hop on his buzzy new single “swiTCH.” The DJ/rapper’s been making waves throughout the city, first discovered by Mark Ronson and then featured on Sway in the Morning. Combining “Brookyln raps and Berlin beats,” “swiTCH” juxtaposes Stim’s laid back, spoken word delivery with an enchanting house beat and some fuzzy indie synths. You can throw this on your house mix as well as study beats – Stim’s got range. Lyrically, he challenges the technocrats; questioning the influence of algorithms and social media on our opinions and encouraging living in the physical world. “swiTCH” even features a delightful horn section down the home stretch – elevating an already-catchy track into something more dynamic. Listen to more from Stimulus on Spotify and check out more exciting new artists on our Underground Hip Hop playlist.

Sorce Manifesto – “strange waters”

March 10, 2025

Take a dive into the obscura underworld of Sorce Manifesto on his latest track “strange waters.” The up and coming rapper stays heavy on the lyricism, interplaying with the beat and “jumping off the meter” as he works between the song title, his origins, and more with line after line of headiness. Beat-wise, we’ve got an Adult Swim/DOOM/Madlib-influenced piece; heavy on a sampled guitar line with cartoonish voices popping in and out seemingly at their own devices. “strange waters” get a feature from TaeeFye, who juxtaposes the track’s buttery beat with gruffer vocals. Together, the rappers cover the bases of a tight underground hip hop track: Crate digger production, heady wordplay, and authentic grittiness. Go for a dip. Check out Sorce Manifesto on Spotify and more exciting hip hop artists on our Underground playlist.

Burnadine – “Tension”

March 9, 2025

Gotta love when we catch a band debuting with a song like “Tension,” and that’s exactly what we stumbled upon with this buzzing Texas trio. “Tension” feels spring-loaded – whether its the ultra-tight drumming, chock-full of fills; the ready-to-burst guitar angularity; or the superpowered vocal performance, there’s so much energy here from a band that seems so ready to hit the ground running. Be sure to stick around for the phaser-laden guitar solo tucked neatly into the bridge before the band’s final explosion of energy.   Check out “Tension” via YouTube (below), or, add it to your Apple Music or Spotify collections.  

Swansun – “Loving Vincent”

March 9, 2025

Swansun really, really love Vincent – and we think we do too because they inspired this great new song, aptly titled “Loving Vincent.” “Everything’s been so different since I’ve been loving Vincent” is as excellent of a rally cry as we’ve ever heard, bostered by ebullient, garage-y indie rock set off by a squiggling background synth. What’s more, while we’re usually more into doom-and-gloom, this outright expression of love seems ultra-sincere without ever heading into cheese territory – a rarity when penning a love song. You can sense the excitement of a fresh and healthy love simmering inside this South Jersey act’s music – fans of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! or if The Strokes and The Shins started a side project will be super stoked on this.   Check out “Loving Vincent” via YouTube below, or, add it to your most twee Spotify playlist.  

Snoozer – “That’s All I Know”

March 9, 2025

This isn’t our first run in with the Kelly bros (aka, PA-based Mike and Tom Kelly) and their project Snoozer. We’re delighted to share their next offering, the trippy lo-fi alt pop of “That’s All I Know.” With bonkers, warped vocals; interesting and captivating production choices; and the recurring motif of “that’s all I know” hammering into your ears, this one could have fit perfectly into that weird Fatboy Slim/Primitive Radio Gods era of ’90s eccentricity – but it also sounds fresh, fun, and ready to take over 2025. Plus – my day job is at General Mills here in Buffalo and they mentioned putting their milk in their Cheerios, so this was an auto-include in our blogosphere. Cereal-related jokes aside, this is a one-of-a-kind offering from a really interesting band, and we think you’re going to agree.   Follow the link below to peep this Snoozer song on YouTube,[...]

Adetola – “OHKAYE”

March 7, 2025

Rising Nigerian-American rapper Adetola drips coolness on her Phonk-infused new single “OHKAYE.” Adetola taps into the Indie Sleaze resurgence with “Bop It” samples, a big phonky bottom half and immediately quotable lyrics. On “OHKAYE” the LA-based artist is bored of her potential hookups, demonstrating her uninspired demeanor on the the “Okayyyyyyyy” hook. Her star’s been on the rise since 2022’s 227 EP, and “OHKAYE” follows some other buzzy singles “WWZ” and “FLASHING.” Her vibe will fit in well alongside Charli XCX tracks and the older Azalea Banks hits. Come for the hook, stay for the Bop It sample. Check out the latest from Adetola on Spotify and listen to more exciting new artists on our Emerging Hip Hop playlist.

Jorge. – “Dumpling”

March 7, 2025

U.K. rapper Jorge. blends a soulful rapping delivery with delicate R+B instrumentals and affections for his latest track “Dumpling.” Spinning the narrative of a young kid trying to feel out a more experienced woman, “Dumpling” shows off Jorge’s innate storytelling abilities. Jorge’s vocals are sometimes strained, at other times powerfully backed by more punctuated voices. It’s a great fusion of traditional hip hop storytelling and an R+B/rap fusion – ripe for additions to your more chill, lovey playlists alongside acts like Anderson.Paak, Miguel and Jhené Aiko. Check out more from Jorge. on Spotify and tune into him and other exciting new artists on our Emerging Hip Hop playlist. 

Kylie Rothfield – “Temporary”

March 6, 2025

Imagine receiving accolades from Faith Hill AND Alicia Keys. Unless your name is Kylie Rothfield and you’re reading this (if so, hi!), then… Our guess is you probably haven’t. “Temporary” is her latest track and it’s a well crafted pop song about a relationship that doesn’t seem to have much staying power (ouch). How did I come to this conclusion? Exhibit A: “You can’t afford to take me out/get high so we can mess around/you’ll probably still let me down” (double ouch).   Rothfield’s vocals do most of the heavy lifting but are accompanied by clean guitars that sound so pleasant and dreamy. The juxtaposition with the subject matter adds a lot, but I hope no one ever sings about me like that. Though I suppose I wouldn’t mind if it sounded as good as this track.   You can hear  “Temporary” below from Soundcloud or over on Spotify. Send[...]

Rasha Jay – “SAY”

March 6, 2025

Cards on the table, when I get these songs sent to me I would say that the majority of the time I’ve never heard of the artist. My “liked” list has grown exponentially and it seems as though that has happened again with Rasha Jay‘s track “SAY.” She comes out swinging (vocally) and never really lets up with her impressive pipes. With more vocal-forward offerings, sometimes the instrumentals can go by the wayside, but that is positively not the case here; there’s a nice guitar (or synth, difficult to tell) that repeats throughout alongside a bass that has the *perfect* tone.   A self described “wild child” haling from small town Maryland, her musical style is all over the place – from this rockier/bluesy track to something a little more soulful, as well as R&B (but always LOUD). Indie rock fans looking to branch out a bit but still stay[...]

Avery Friedman – “Photo Booth”

March 6, 2025

“Photo Booth” is the latest from New York, NY musician Avery Friedman. It has a phuzzy beginning that comes back around for a couple passes, while keeping a playful, upbeat tone. There’s a smidgen of keys that combine with Friedman’s vocals for a wholly satisfying track start to finish. It has an almost bedroom-pop vibe that I can get on board with, as would anyone who enjoys Phoebe Bridgers or Adrianne Lenker’s catalogues. Speaking to the track, Avery Friedman had this to say:   “I wrote this song after a vibrant night out with my friends last winter – a night memorialized by many chaotic photo booth strips… This night out in particular felt like an encapsulation of spin-the-bottle-type ‘second adolescence’ that many queer people experience when coming into themselves after their adolescent years pass.”   You can hear it below from SoundCloud, as well as Spotify if that’s more[...]