Music for 7/13/18!!! twenty one pilots, Childish Gambino, Alessia Cara, Mary J. Blige

@@@ twenty one pilots: Jumpsuit (Fueled by Ramen, 2018)  This track occupies the #1 slot on the hot tracks section of Apple Music.  My first impression is that this is a bite job on the Imagine Dragon’s tune ‘Believer’ which I can barely stomach.  The singer here is a bit of a moper which is surprising for the position.  There is no moping in mainstream music.  It employs a classic quiet in the verse and the crush it in the chorus technique that took Kurt Cobain to the bank.  It’s an epic sound but to be honest I have no clue what this is about.  The last 90 seconds gets into a sensitive piano driven section which is unfortunate — it has comforting lyrics that amount to a nice side dish of word salad.  Jumpsuit, jumpsuit cover me.  I guess the jumpsuit is a metaphor for a desire for protection.  It’s a bag of ass, the tune that is, not the jumpsuit.

@@@ Childish Gambino: Summertime Magic (Sony Music, 2018)  This is the side of Childish Gambino which is closer to Lionel Ritchie than the activist, soulful Curtis Mayfield side shown is This is America.  I like a bunch of the sounds and I like the dancehall Caribbean slant to the beats.  I like Mr. Gambino, I have respect for him and his skills but this tune sounds more calculated than joyous to my ears.

@@@ Alessia Cara: A Little More (Def Jam, 2018)  A surprising dip into white people feelings music with guitars from the label Def Jam.  This track is also in the Apple Music hot tracks section.  Cara has a husky and pleasing voice, the lyrics aren’t particularly interesting, the guitar part is all right and the vocal hook centers around wanting a little more of you.  It’s a yearning 2 minutes, slow and a wee bit melancholy.

@@@ Mary J. Blige: Only Love (UMG, 2018)  Mary J. Blige goes for the big disco dancefloor empowerment anthem.  This is a fully realized arrangement with complex string arrangements, a load of background vocals, some clavinet (I think) and Ms. Blige doing her thing on the microphone.  This is the best of what I heard today because it sounds genuine in its performance.  It’s not particularly a summer song despite its updated disco beat action with lyrics about love building you up and breaking you down.  Not really grilling music unless you enjoy searing meat to the heartbreak of other humans.

YTD recordings listened to: 404
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 212
Not good music: 181

Best: 7
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts

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Music for 6/28/18!!! Demi Lovato, B. Davis and the Hi Fi Rockers, Western Medication, Tim Carr

@@@ Demi Lovato: Sober (Island, 2018)  A confessional song about her own sobriety.  It’s hard to shit on a song like this but the piano is more than a bit cheesy and the lyrics are kinda grade school.  It’s a bit of a wallower and the tune doesn’t really rise above a slow stumble but that’s as you would expect from a topic such as this.  I’m sorry she relapsed but I’m here for great songs and this doesn’t make the cut.  Try John Lennon’s Cold Turkey on for size.

@@@ B. Davis and the Hi Fi Rockers: Midnight Version (Hoboken Hi fi, 2018)  Meticulously executed old school roots reggae I got to via an email from the label operator.  You can only stream one track from the upcoming releases but it’s got all the hallmarks of roots reggae that I enjoy.  Steady rhythms and tight/loose vibes from the various players, well placed dub echoes and a rootsy singer.  Above all the production sounds right in evoking that golden age.  I will swing back and check out more when the whole record releases.

@@@ Western Medication: Taste (N/A, 2018)  I got to this very British sounding Nashville band’s record via a music publicist email.  It’s guitar driven rock with an ’80s pop sensibility.  Upbeat with mostly jangly guitars and a wee bit of crunch.  The singer is super friendly sounding.  Think a love child of The Cranberries and and the big fluffy white giant from the original Ghostbusters.

@@@ Tim Carr: Take Me (N/A, 2018)  A retro soft rock/folk single I got to via a music publicist.  Think Nick Drake with less depression and put a little Byrds and French pop up in there.  Lot of oooh, oooh sweet/sad, flavored coffee background vocals you wouldn’t find on a Nick Drake record.  I find the rhythms here to be interesting and unusual for this genre.  It doesn’t sound like a drum kit, it sounds like a few people playing large hand drums but that’s just the vibe — given the miracles of technology it could be generated in any number of ways.  Carr’s voice is smooth and intimate sounding.

YTD recordings listened to: 364
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 193
Not good music: 163

Best: 6
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton

Music for 6/15/18!!! Ruby Karinto, Heron, Pharis and Jason Romero

@@@ Ruby Karinto: Ruby Karinto (HoZac, 2018)  I got to this Canadian indie rock record via this week’s CFUV playlist email.  It opens uptempo with some steady rock drumming and I think they’re rocking lyrics in Japanese.  I better look that shit up, I don’t want to confuse my Asian nations.  Whew, I confirmed the singer is Japanese and the rest of the band appear to be boring white people.  This is what I thought indie rock is supposed to be — weird ass rock by freaks, not tight jeans posing hipster nonsense.  I think I prefer singers in foreign languages and this young Japanese lady has shit going on.  While she’s out front, the rest of the band is doing solid if not weird work behind her.  I’m feeling the drummer, the synth player shooting squiggles all over the place and the bass player, well there’s not a lot of reward for being the bass player.  I’m going to put this record on my list for future listening.

@@@ Heron – A Low Winter’s Sun (Sludgelord) Also off this week’s CFUV playlist email.  It is a doom metal record that opens up with the tune ‘Of Gods and Goats’ so a little Satanic reference right out of the gate.  It’s a wall of rolling guitar distortion in this first track, you can really get lost in it.  I like this singer, he’s not your typical doomer, he sounds really pissed off.  I’m feeling this second tune as it is a nice blend of darker emotions — sadness, frustration, melancholy, it’s not one dimensional.  These are all hefty slabs of noise most getting up into the 7 minute area.  Good stuff, thinking man’s heavy music, check it out.

@@@ Pharis & Jason Romero – Sweet Old Religion (Lula) A roots/folk/blues kinda record also the CFUV weekly playlist email.  It’s centered around the vocal harmonies of male and female voices singing on top of two acoustic guitars.  Super pretty first tune.  There’s a full band on the second tune, but it’s still a super sweet affair so I’m guessing it’s gonna go like that all the way through.  The sounds are great, the singing is super beautiful so if you’re into the uplifting roots music these two will hook you up big time.

YTD recordings listened to: 333
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 175
Not good music: 150

Best: 5
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, Lawaii, Los Texmaniacs, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto,

Music for 6/14/18!!! HTRK, Kids See Ghosts, Nicki Minaj, Tyler the Creator

@@@ HTRK: Mentions (Ghostly, 2018)  I saw this single get a shout on the Twatter so I threw a peep its way.  Depending on mood HTRK could be extrapolated as Hot Track or Hot Rock or maybe even Hat Rack.  It is a downtempo moody affair with some heavily delayed guitar, a female singer and an electronic beat with lots of bits of delay collaged to it.   It leans more Hat Rack than Hot Rock or Hot Track.  I find the singer a bit, well let’s just say she could use a coffee.  That’s not a criticism, just a suggestion.  The sounds are cool, it’s a slow groove flavor.

@@@ Kid Cudi & Kanye West:  4th Dimension (UMG, 2018)  I’m listening to this track because it says it features Louis Prima.  They put a sample at the front of the track but they only retain and chop up a vocal snippet embedded in the tune.  There are some ghoulish laughs in the middle of the tune which are kinda low IQ but it’s the beat and the vocal sample that drive it.  I don’t find the rhymes to be particularly compelling, they might be coded for white knuckleheads such as myself.

@@@ Nicki Minaj: Rich Sex (Cash Money Records, 2018)  Off the Apple Music hot tracks section.  I’m more than a bit fascinated by Nicki Minaj — she’s not a woman to be played with and has bigger balls than most male rappers.  That said, there are some ill sentiments up heah in this anthem to money and dick.  There’s not such thing as broke and handsome?  Oh my, that’s fucking offensive.  It’s a pretty driving rhythm and a gnarly ass bass but I can’t give much respect to her analysis of fucking broke dicks and the joy of rich sex.  No lectures, rhyme what you like but this kind of sentiment is exactly the same kind of shit El Trump-o traffics in — wealth over everything.

@@@ Tyler the Creator: 435 (Sony, 2018)  Well it has turned into a mainstream hip hop single listening day.  I’m a Tyler the Creator fan — he throws plenty of interesting weirdness into his mainstream hip hop.  Weird sounds as well.  It’s a 93 second track so there’s not too much to get worked up over.  On the site genius it says Tyler is frustrated he doesn’t get enough respect.  Snubbed is the word they use.  So that’s what the track is about.  It is more interesting to me how the hip hoppers have adopted a steady flow of singles going up on streaming services and have mostly abandoned whole records.  Even the righteously MAGA penis Kanye is shooting out all manner of EPs.  So it’s a case of a quick tidbit to feed the fans and keep the name out there rather than being the most interesting song.

YTD recordings listened to: 330
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 174
Not good music: 149

Best: 5
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, Lawaii, Los Texmaniacs, Etran De L’Air

Music for 5/16/18!!! Trevor James, Hansmole, OBUXUM, Stimulator Jones

@@@ Trevor James: Maxine (N/A, 2018) I chose to listen to this because I check out Afropunk folks as I find it an interesting mash of subcultures.  The tune opens up with a fairly punishing rock beat, some minor guitar slashing and Lenny Kravitz style vocals.  I don’t really like the delay on the singer’s voice but he’s got a solid rock star voice.  This is a pre-release single from an upcoming full length and while there’s not much punk about this Afropunker’s tune outside of it’s muscular drum sound and guitar shred it’s an all right tune.

 

 

 

@@@ Hansmole: Bitter Herb (Self-released, 2018) #1 out at CFUV in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The album opens up indie, and a little pastoral, a little electronic and a tad mopey.  Female singer, piano, full drums in places, and some electronic gurgles.  Let’s peep some more.  The second tune is an acoustic guitar strummer with heavily delayed vocals.  Some electronics come in but it’s still too mopey for me.  I can hang with some slackness but I can’t slack it this much.

@@@ OBUXUM: H.E.R. (Urbnet, 2018)  A black female producer with an EP of very brief tunes, a bunch between 1-2 minutes and a couple at 2:30.  The tunes are instrumental and the production centers around the synth arrangements over strong beats.  I’m really feeling the fourth track Betty Blue’s interlude.  This producer, whose name I do not know has some interesting sounds going on.  She’s swirling in a fair amount of glitchy shit which gives it a pleasant and subtle aggro taste.

@@@ Stimulator Jones: Exotic Worlds & Masterful Treasures (Stones Throw)  Our final listen of the day and it opens up with some early ’80 disco funk stylings.  Synth bass, smooth keys and now a velvety singer.  I like a bunch of the sounds here but I’m not really feeling the singer.  Too buttery for my taste.  I also don’t like how much reverb is on the singer’s voice and while I’m picking nits the drums could be more flavorful.  I got to this record via last week’s All Music notable release email.

 

YTD recordings listened to: 271
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 143
Not good music: 119

Best: 5
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris

Music for 5/11/18!!! Escape Argot, Jack Larson, Meghan Trainor, Yung Gravy

@@@ Escape Argot: Still Writing Letters (Traumton, 2018)  I got to this record via a twat from Bird is the Worm who is a jazz blogger very active on the Twatter.  The first tune is pleasantly disjointed though I’m not super into the sax player.  There’s a synchronized section where the sax player and the piano player play in unison and it’s a tad annoying.  Let me peep some more.  The second tune is the title track and it’s all right — I’m feeling like this record might not be for me.  It’s a low on fire and more arranged than what I prefer.  I like the piano player and the drummer but not the sax player.

@@@ Jack Larsen: Push Ups EP (Jack Larsen/Closed Sessions, 2018)  Another record from the Twatter, this time from a guy who promos for Fat Possum but also twats about other records that may or may not be associated with Fat Possum.  He’s an indie fella so I’m thinking there’s gonna be a lot of feelings on this record.  Mr. Larsen only has one pre-release tune up on the Apple Music but I want to mention that he’s shirtless on his record cover and he looks like he might be a male bimbo.  This is no Meghan Trainor but it’s indie cotton candy sweet thing.  He’s got some dance elements (drum machine and electronic garnish) and he’s got those annoying arpeggiated indie guitar sounds going and he’s talking about his life and I could really give a shit.  Most people don’t get this idea but the sounds and the vibes here are trying too hard to please, it’s indie baby food.  I ask myself what kind of self-involved douchebag needs this kind of music??  I think this is a really good question.

@@@ Meghan Trainor: Let You Be Right (Sony, 2018)  Off the Apple Music hot tracks section.  I’m a huge Meghan Trainor fan, huge!  Not really.  In this time of identity politics and music being closely intertwined Meghan has reinvigorated her career by shedding a lot of weight.  There used to more Meghan but now there’s 20 pounds less.  And she has a new boyfriend and shit is looking up for her fo shure!  The tune is a high end dancefloor banger designed to pad her bank account.  Four on the floor, some classic disco popping bass, and even cowbell.  You can’t fuck with Meghan Trainor and you can’t fuck with cowbell.  She don’t want to fight, she’s gonna let you be right.  I would call this fluffy ginger ale funk.  It’s got some wang to it but it’s got a cotton candy flow to it.

@@@ Yung Gravy: Snow Cougar (Republic/UMG, 2018)  How can you not check out a record called Snow Cougar by an MC called Yung Gravy????  I can’t pass that shit nor can I beat it with a stick.  Regular readers know how much I love all the extra garnish you get with music these days so I can feed the fire by proposing maybe Yung Gravy (somehow spelling it Yung really changes it for me) would want to get with Meghan Trainor.  She’s looking good, he’s into snow cougars, maybe he’s a chaser of former chubby pop singers.  I’m not denigrating here, I’m looking to make the world a better place.  Like Mark Zuckerberg, who is just special special special.  This first tune, Knockout, has poppy horns with standard hip hop beats without being too trap.  Mr. Gravy will take your bitch and/or fuck your sister every day.  For real, he raps that.  Nasty Gravy Boy.  BTW, Yung Gravy is a white boy, one that will fuck your sister every day.  I’m going to check this third tune as DRAM raps on this one then I’m going to tip cuz Yung Gravy has an annoying flow on the mic and his music is trash.  He vanilla ice creams the arrangements so I can understand how he has drawn non hip hop fans to him, but he’s trash.

YTD recordings listened to: 259
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 137
Not good music: 113

Best: 5
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris

Music for 5/9/18!!! Bokani Dyer Trio, Damien Jurado, Jon Hopkins

@@@ Bokani Dyer Trio: Neo Native (Self-released, 2018)  I got to this jazz record via the London Jazz blog.  I’m assuming, hopefully correctly, that with a name like Bokani the leader of this trio is either African or of African descent.  The instrumentation is piano, bass and drums and it’s pretty straightforward straight jazz.  Some nice contemplative beginnings that segue into more energetic solos.  I’m not a huge straight jazz fan, I was hoping for more African music influences in the record, he didn’t do that and there’s a lot of other stuff for me to listen to and folks who might be interested in checking him out.

@@@ Damien Jurado: The Horizon Just Laughed (Secretly Canadian, 2018)  There are three pre-release tracks up on Apple Music from this record that I saw listed on last week’s All Music notable release email.  I really loved Mariqopa which was a few years ago and I dig Jurado’s voice.  This first tune is like a Neil Young song with some Curtis Mayfield strings in the back, it’s a good track with a melancholy vibe.  Again I really like his voice so that puts it over for me.  He’s got a pretty ’70s sound going for the record and this second pre-release tune, Percy Faith, is more upbeat for the cubicle dwellers.  The three tunes I’ve checked have been solid, I’m not particularly jumping up and down but I don’t think that’s what this record is trying to do.

@@@ Jon Hopkins: Singularity (Domino, 2018)  Also off last week’s All Music notable release email and this first tune opens up electro epic with  a sheer wall of insect-y/staticky noise mixed with feedback-y synth sound with a bass synth that slowly fades up in volume.  It’s ambient and groovy at the same time, two things I like.  The two undergoes a fairly significant evolution over the course of its six minutes but it’s smooth and enjoyable.  The second tune starts out more ethereally with some higher register arpeggiated synths a little of a New Age/Lord of the Rings vibe.  Hopkins is clearly an experienced arranger.  Myself I prefer the darker pieces and I’m going to swing back and listen to this record all the way through when I have the time.  The opening track, my favorite of what I heard is clipped below.

YTD recordings listened to: 253
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 135
Not good music: 109

Best: 5
Honorable Mentions: 4

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Gouge Away, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, Forro in the Dark, RAM, Fiver, Dona Onete, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris