Washed Out “Don’t Give Up” Paracosm (out August 13 on SubPop) If Ernest Greene can outlive chillwave, anyone can. It’s hard to believe that its been nearly four years since the Georgia-native released his genre-defining, 17-minute debut, Life of Leisure, and chillwave’s ultimate masterpiece, the sumptuous “Feel It All Around.” In the last few years, Greene has continued to develop his woozy, summery sound, and the second single from his upcoming sophomore LP is a perfect example of where he’s been heading. Light and … →

Dent May “Born Too Late” Warm Blanket (out August 27 on Paw Tracks) A lot of what I love about the South is the same stuff that I love about Oxford, Mississippi-based singer-songwriter, Dent May (real name). Friendly, sheltered, antiquated, earnest, and just plain weird, May has been using his gorgeous, strikingly Brian Wilson-ish voice to craft gloriously cracked oddball pop songs for almost ten years. “Born Too Late” is the lead single from his forthcoming third LP, and its bouncy, … →

Drake, “The Motion” (f/ Sampha) PARTYNEXTDOOR, “Over Here” (f/ Drake) Last week, October’s Very Own unexpectedly dropped four new tracks and announced that his third LP, Nothing Was the Same, drops on September 17. His last album, Take Care, was one of the best, most reflective hip-hop albums in recent years. The 26 year-old is at his best when he’s ruminating over evocative, down-tempo beats, and the best of the four tracks are perfect examples of it. Featuring potent spots from a … →

Julianna Barwick “One Half” Nepenthe (out August 20 on Dead Oceans) Each day that brings a new Julianna Barwick song is a beautiful day. The vocalist is gifted with some of the most celestial pipes in the the game, and with the second single from her eagerly-anticipated second true, solo LP, Barwick could light up even the gloomiest of June days (it gets foggy in the summer in San Francisco). The Brooklyn resident traveled to Iceland to craft Nepenthe and looks … →

Dornik “Something About You” Digital Single (PMR) On his debut single, it takes young London-based troubadour Dornik Leigh approximately 4.71 seconds to take your breath away. “Something About You” opens with a little over four seconds of ambient noise, which sounds like someone opening a vault. Once the vault opens, Leigh’s sumptuous falsetto comes pouring out, unfolding into an impossibly sexy, Jacko-ish slow burner. Leigh used to play drums with TP-favorite Jessie Ware, and if there is any justice in the world, the … →

Chvrches “Gun” Gun (7″ Single) (out 7/15 on Virgin) Another day, another bubbly earworm of a single from the Glasgow synth-poppsters. While we are still waiting for a full-length LP, the young trio has proven that they can write the shit out of a pop song. Driven by a delicious, sacharine synthwork and a New Order-style bass-line, “Gun” is an anthemic sing-along, that is along the same lines of their undeniable previous singles “The Mother We Share” and “Recover.” Vocalist Lauren Mayberry’s … →