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Abitight ft. CasaGrown – “To and Fro”

Chicago rapper Abitight’s got an ear for the essential elements of timeless hip hop tracks. His latest single, “To and Fro,” gets to crossing them off right out the rip. Within the opening 30 seconds, we get a skit, scratches, a horn drop and some breakbeat drums. The vocals are delivered sing-song and lighthearted, as we hear about missed connections and keeping it moving. All together, we get some storytelling to compliment those quintessential hip hop sounds. Abitight’s an alumnus of Chicago hip hop band Abstract Giants, but now focused on his boom bap output with city conglomerate Greenlights Music. This track is one of several highlights from Abitight’s August project, Samples from the Menu.  If you’re feeling “To and Fro,” you should check out more from Abitight and his collaborators on Spotify. While you’re there, check out our Best Underground Hip Hop of 2026 Playlist and find other tracks[...]

rapper yung king colo promotes new "pop out" single

Yung.King.Cole – “Pop Out”

Rapper Terrel Tarantino – aka “Yung.King.Cole” knows the power of a strong hook. The NYC emcee boasts Upstate NY roots and leans hard into the highlight of his new track. On his latest single, “Pop Out,” Cole relentlessly blazes forward with his earworm hook across a whirlwind 2 minutes. His lines are a tour de force, as they power through the typical breaks and find a new endpoint within the production. And when you crave it, the hook hits again. His flow is an idiosyncratic style that sorta meshes with what we’ve heard over in Detroit recently. Production here is percussive-heavy and plays a complementary role to Cole’s frenetic style. If you’re interested in hearing more from Cole, make sure you check out his output on Spotify. While you’re there, give our Best Underground Hip Hop of 2026 playlist a spin – you’re sure to find some fresh artists for[...]

The Fourth Wall – “Future Memory”

The Fourth Wall reside in Portland, Oregon, and make a delightful blend of shoegaze, pop, and indie rock. “Future Memory” is a great place to start – sounding like a mix between Death Cab for Cutie, Local Natives, and your favorite late-90s one-hit-wonder, “Memory” is both epic and unassuming. Carried by stabs of piano and a bravely anthemic drum presence, this one sounds like what it must look like to watch the birth of a star… From a safe distance, of course.   Check out the video for “Future Memory” below.    

Jayson Andrew – “Deadman”

Jayson Andrew is an up and coming singer/songwriter from Orlando, Florida whose “Deadman” caught our ears. His particular brand of indie folk is upbeat and literate with an almost European mouthfeel. It’s low key and very, very listenable – Earthy and vulnerable, his delivery is both inviting and disarming, breaking down your barriers and inviting himself in.   Check out “Deadman” on Spotify or Apple Music.    

24k Jonni – “Nyjah Hu$ton”

Sometimes you see a song title and immediately want to press play. Nyjah Hu$ton, if you’ve been out of the game since Skate 2, is one of the top dawgs in the world of skating, street skating specifically. His influential style on and off the board makes him a welcome addition to the “got a hip hop song named after them” athlete ranks. Move over Mo Bamba. The artist behind the cut, 24k Jonni, is set to build off “Nyjah,” and his other single from this year, “Vices.” “Nyjah” boasts a jazzy hip-hop instrumental, skate-laced imagery, and a no-bullshit delivery. It’s only his second single, but it’s a tone-setter that should get you excited about 24k’s future output. Check out more from 24k Jonni on Spotify – and while you’re there, check out our Best Hip Hop of 2026 Playlist. 

Autumn Luz – “Tattered”

Autumn Luz hits us with the creepiest single we’ve heard in a long time… Creepy in a good way, of course. As we inch into fall, the topically-named Autumn offers us “Tattered,” a song that slinks through your speakers with its spindly baritone guitar work and breathy (literally) percussion. The unique vibes here speak for themselves, but sometimes it’s nice to hear from the artist too – here’s what Autumn has to say about “Tattered:”   “I wouldn’t wish anyone the conflicted desperation and frustration behind that song, but I’m glad it came out where it did… Everyone needs somewhere to be messy when they feel destroyed, manipulated, ignored, or angry.”   “Tattered” is available on YouTube (below), or, on Spotify.    

PLASTIC-P – “HE’S DEAD, JIM”

We’re suckers for references over here at buffaBLOG HQ. “HE’S DEAD, JIM,” the rising single from alternative rapper PLASTIC-P, interpolates the iconic catchphrase from StarTrek’s Dr. McCoy to propose some ideas that you might find interesting. Just asking questions, really.  P is relentless on his mic, continuously hammering line after line at a rapid pace with minimal lung breaks. Conspiracy-laced imagery is a pillar of PLASTIC-P’s output, both in lyricism and album artwork. It makes for an interesting experience no matter what, as a bar reveals itself to be a double entendre about who killed Kennedy, for example. My highly informed take? It was the driver. “JIM’s” production deserves a nod here – heavily focused on an old-school sample with an undercurrent of dynamic bass hits. If you’re feeling it, check out PLASTIC-P on Spotify. While you’re there, give our Best Underground Rappers of 2026 playlist a listen to discover[...]

Tough Old Bird – “Come Back, Come Back”

Tough Old Bird keeps on keeping on – the fourth song in a string of successive singles that has seen the band put out a new song every three (3) weeks. The process of releasing music is cathartic, especially at a pace like that, and “Come Back, Come Back” embodies that expression. It’s carried by a trembling tremolo guitar; beautiful folksy harmonies; and a slow crawl tempo that really highlights the band’s penchant for modern folk songcraft, especially their super-tight live vibe, which they took extra effort to capture (excellently) here.   “Come Back, Come Back” is available on bandcamp (below), Spotify, and Apple Music.   Come Back, Come Back by Tough Old Bird

Urge Surfer – Camp Club

Urge Surfer, a duo of multi-instrumentalists made up of Jordan Maelyn Smith and Chelsea O’Donnell (of Stress Dolls) recently packed up a bunch of modular synths, acoustic guitars, and other gear, and headed out to rural WNY for “Urge Surfer Summer Camp.” The result of their isolation, the new/unfamiliar locale, and a weekend of collaboration is their new EP, Camp Club.   Releasing music is hard… and stressful… and often a labor of love. So this time around, the duo focused on something novel – having fun. The songs were finished up and released quickly, because that’s what making music is about – doing art with your friends so you can eventually create more art. The duo’s work with modular synths is absolutely their calling card, but it stays rooted in organic pop songwriting with the backbone of acoustic guitar. The EP kicks off with “Night Owl,” a pulsating slice[...]

Ethereal Gone Kids – “She’s Way Too Cool”

The word “ethereal” and shoegaze seem to go hand in hand – so the tellingly-named Ethereal Gone Kids are on point with latest single, “She’s Way Too Cool.” This Melbourne quartet makes an incredible amount of noise – between the squalling guitars and thunderous drums, it’s tough to tell which is doing more damage to your eardrums. The instrumentals are set off by a cavernous vocal about the challenges of maintaining relationships in your twenties – an interesting juxtaposition, but ultimately, exactly what shoegaze is about in the first place.   “She’s Way Too Cool” can be found via the Spotify embed below.  

Wolfschmidt – “Svalbard”

Wolfschmidt are about to blow your face off with the soaring math rock of “Svalbard.” I didn’t know what a “Svalbard” was – turns out it’s a Norwegian archipelago, one of the Northernmost inhabited places in the world… And now listening to this song makes me want to visit. Wolfschmidt (who happen to be Swedish) make full use of guitar energy – setting it off with a soaring vocal that is shiver-inducing, pun-fully intended. Lyrically, “Svalbard” “explores the duality of dreading drastic changes, for better or worse.” Gnarly.   “Svalbard” can be found on YouTube (embedded below) or via Spotify.    

A Place To Bury Strangers – “Dead Inside”

A Place To Bury Strangers have a warped one for you here. “Dead Inside” is exactly what you’d expect from a experimental, genre-eschewing act – weird noises; circuit-bent stabs of guitar; and cold, glassy-eyed vocals. APTBS mastermind Oliver Ackermann explains it as “fear, obsession, heartbreak, and rage all wrapped together,” but for any indie rock fan (or guitar pedal aficionado), we would probably just call it “awesome.” Perhaps even “iconic.”   Check out “Dead Inside” through the YouTube embed below, or, on Spotify.  

Pintandwefall – “Mustang”

Pintandwefall has been around for 15 years – and 15 years in band years is like 80 years in human years. Their time together has resulted in some really great music, “Mustang” included. The song is written from the perspective of Kurt Cobain’s iconic axe – “You can throw me around…” etc… Although, we don’t recommend throwing Fender guitars around anymore, especially in this economy. The song is perfectly menacing and has a great, driving energy… In fact, we think Kurt would actually love this song, and unironically stan Pintandwefall.   “Mustang” is available via bandcamp (below) and also via Spotify.   “Mustang” b/w “Worse” by Pintandwefall

They Owe Us – “There Goes My Fairytale”

They Owe Us combine fuzz and folk on latest single, “There Goes My Fairytale.” Sounding a bit like a rambling indie rock band and a bit like Billy Corgan if he took some molly, “There Goes My Fairytale” is a literate and fun jangler that makes ideal use of the quiet/loud songwriting approach. Self-described as “if The Walkmen and The Band had a kid” – we agree, but think They Owe Us is marching a bit more to their own drum. Life doesn’t always have a fairytale ending, but at least it has really cool indie rock music.   “There Goes My Fairytale” will be on They Owe Us’ upcoming album, Katzengold, due out in September. Until then, preview the song via Soundcloud (below) or Spotify.   They Owe Us · A02. There Goes My Fairytale

rapper montae harris

Montae Harri$ – “70/30”

One thing haters can’t hate is a flipped soul sample. Broward County rapper Montae Harri$ knows this. His latest track, “70/30 (2Serious)” is an open letter to people in his (recent) past who weren’t ready to celebrate his success. The opening 20 seconds sit in the beauty of the sample, and once he has our attention, Harri$ gets to venting. Yeah, once the 70/30 ticket split started to hit, so did the jealousy. Harri$’s smooth, assured delivery complements the vibrant soul vocals that steady the track, as does the venom that accompanies the pleasantries. Eyeballs-wise, “70/30” gets the ‪MACH5VISUALS‬ treatment, which sees Harri$ vaulted through diferent filters and art styles, adding some stickiness to an already-catchy track. You can hear more from Harri$ on Spotify, where he’s also featured on our “Best Underground Rappers” playlist that we update every single week.