BOYO offers up a charged version of indie-rock music in his new track “Ghost Noise,” which starts with crisp electric guitar strums and finishes with a rich distortion worthy of the song’s name. Upbeat, with a drum pattern quite snappy, “Ghost Noise” displays BOYO’s ability to keep things fun but hardly uniform as the vocals on the track shift from passive verses suited for soft rock to vocalizing that is perky for pop. With piano key trickles to accent the changing rhythms, “Ghost Noise” is a pleasant song for winter just getting started; stream the new track below for some sonic heat. – René Cobar
Anna Lunoe debuts flavorful electronic single “Ice Cream”
Taking on various flavors of the electronic genre, Anna Lunoe debuts a sonic swirl titled “Ice Cream” that is as sweet as it is colorful. The new song bops to ‘80s video-game sounds à la Pac-Man and makes use of subtle drops into head-bouncing breakdowns and thumping stretches where Nakamura Minami, who is featured, shows off real influence in the track’s playful theme. The music video for the song is trippy enough to perfectly match the track’s mood and give listeners the complete spoonful that “Ice Cream” aims to deliver. Electronic music continues to uplift during trying times, and Anna Lunoe does it best; stream “Ice Cream” below for a fun flavor of electronic music. – René Cobar
Sapphire Hart opens up her heart in new single “Toxic Love Story”
Sapphire Hart has a new music video out for her single “Toxic Love Story,” where she displays the cool-smooth sound of her trap-soul style. The new song trots irregularly to Hart’s passionate-elegant vocals, with piano chord changes that sustain long enough to be felt beyond heard. The new song has an accompanying black and white music video that adds a seductive and profoundly emotional level to the story of love and expectations not met. Hart has a style that is direct and modern, fitting indeed for an age of intricate relationships and fast-track emotions. Stream the new music video for “Toxic Love Story” below for a glimpse at a rising Los Angeles artist. – René Cobar
Jordan Suaste ascends past heartbreak in new single “Patience”
Jordan Suaste is both the creator and spectator of the brilliant sonic rivers of romance that flow in his latest single, “Patience.” Where some would fear allowing their emotions to flow, Suaste does not as he flexes his vocal prowess to posh instrumentation comprised of cute piano leads and sway-inducing beats sprinkled with the sweetness of R&B. Suaste debuts in “Patience” a glossy heartbreak track that serves both as a winter warmer and a shinny treat you can’t help show your friends. As Suaste ascends vocally in the song’s bridge, you cannot help think he is a young man that knows where he is headed, and it is up there; take a moment to stream the new music video for “Patience” below. – René Cobar
Paper Jackets take another look at 2020 in new single “I’m Depressed”
Paper Jackets are honest about the state of things this year but do splash some pastels and creams on their sonic portrait aptly titled “I’m Depressed.” The new track, accompanied by a vivid visualizer, is charged up with sticky indie-pop hooks, tambourine jingles, dirty electric guitar sustains, and a thunderous beat that all help it reach anthemic territories. Limited human interactions may be the influence for “I’m Depressed,” but the sound of it is one of community, a loud and colorful one at that. The band is looking ahead to 2021 as it will release Souvnenirs Volume Two, the follow-up to the first volume released this past summer. Stream “I’m Depressed” below for another take on 2020, one honest with all its emotions. – René Cobar
Sleep Still highlights the details in new single “The Panoramic”
Dream-pop music is often judged by the vivid sonic worlds it can create, crystallized sounds that take shape as you listen, by that standard Sleep Still’s new song “The Panoramic” flows with elegance and swells into a wonderful soundscape. Using sharp synth sustains and liquid-like electric guitars buzzing, Sleep Still paints the track as it rides a mighty beat and follows the refined vocals of lead singer Mariam McCarthy towards the song’s whirlwind instrumental finale. The music video for the song is simple and powerful in its imagery: sonic patterns made human, vulnerable, and empowered at once. Rest and reflection exist in this new entry by Sleep Still; stream the new video below for a closer look at the movements that make us whole. – René Cobar
Spacette captures Los Angeles in new single “City Of Gold”
Spacette sincerely captures the spirit of Los Angeles via a single that is just as breezy-glitzy as the city: “City Of Gold” is a slow sonic ride laced with zipping electric guitar licks, a smog-thick bassline, and Bowie-esque vocals as cool as you desire them. There is a simplicity to “City Of Gold” that is endearing: the song is medicinal even because the track’s pace remains steady and groovy enough to keep one swaying past ill thoughts, soothing the mind with its subtle harmonies and synth underpinnings. Spacette’s new single comes as the quartet announces a self-titled debut EP set for release December 11th. Spacette is taking it all in and inviting others to do the same; stream “City Of Gold” for a familiar Los Angeles feeling enjoyed anew. – René Cobar
Sun Kin debuts refreshing house single “Blue Light (Keeps Me Up at Night)”
Los Angeles-based artist Sun Kin keeps his brand of house music refreshingly alternative: with his new single “Blue Light (Keeps Me Up at Night)” featuring syrupy electric guitar leads, Caribbean rhythms, and a sugary pop aesthetic, he is very much in vogue. In the breaks in rhythm, Sun Kin uses his sharp vocals to keep the dreamy, watery texture of the music going, rippling as the beat returns. “Blue Light (Keeps Me Up at Night)” is the lead single from Sun Kin’s upcoming record After the House, out on February 12th. For the type of house music that chills the mind while firing up the body’s movement, stream “Blue Light (Keeps Me Up at Night)” below. – René Cobar
Sara Noelle debuts serene cover of “Emerald River Dance”
L.A’s Sara Noelle offers us her atmospheric take on Judee Sill’s “Emerald River Dance” and does the popularly covered song justice. The track is a weaving of swelling tones and nature-oriented rhythms that create a serene soundscape that is soothing for troubled minds. Noelle’s vocals have an elegance to them and emotional precision that wholly create a version of the song that belongs to her. With piano-key trickles and pulsing synths, the cover has a heartbeat of its own, and it is worth listening to; stream Sara Noelle’s cover of “Emerald River Dance” below for an ambiance to enjoy. – René Cobar
Ananya explores found emotions in new single “Everybody’s Lost”
Pop-star Ananya keeps her music cool, relatable, and smooth enough for plenty of easy listens: in her new single “Everybody’s Lost,” the singer-songwriter deploys a heartbeat kick drum, a rippling synth atmosphere, and her soft vocals to soothe and deliver a tune to kick back to. Ananya, originally from Mumbai and now bouncing from Los Angeles to London, is connecting continents with pop music that is universally elegant and themes of love and freedom that are easy to identify with. Stream “Everybody’s Lost” below to find a song you can treasure, a mood you can recognize. – René Cobar
Jutty Taylor finds a refuge in routine with new single “Saint James”
It is not difficult to feel lost in times of uncertainty, maybe even feel forgotten, but there is a refuge in routine, and in music, so says Jutty Taylor in his new single “Saint James.” The new breezy single is driven by a bouncy bassline and a snappy drum pattern that gives pace to Taylor’s waxed-shinny falsettos. In the hooks, the atmosphere swells, and as an upbeat mood takes over, there is hope that all who wander are not lost. “Saint James” is the second single from Taylor’s debut album Little Seizures, set for release November 13th. For a moment, Jutty Taylor allows things to move along with no resistance and makes life a bit more simple; stream “Saint James” below, all will be well. – René Cobar, photo by Jessa Hills
Sam DeRosa highlights mental health in new single “Sad Faces”
Sam DeRosa calls for a wellness check in her new single “Sad Faces,” and she could not be more timely: the month of October has been a long one already. Laced in the slapping/bap-bap beat that rides across a pop atmosphere is DeRosa’s call for universal cheerfulness, perseverance, and hope for a better tomorrow. The conversational, on-beat verses that segway into beautiful choruses show off DeRosa’s vocals, polished and sweetened with honesty. “Sad Faces” layers each sound so neatly without feeling overproduced: it’s intricate pop in production, simple and approachable in sound—the way it ought to be. Stream the bright music video for “Sad Faces” below for a reason to be cheerful. – René Cobar