JWords featuring Nappy Nina - "Clarity"

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Photo by Isaac Campbell

Brooklyn's JWords (aka producer Jennifer Hernandez) has a new single out that showcases what she does best. "Clarity" features a verse from Nappy Nina, and has this killer hip hop meets electronic music sound. It also lands in this interesting grey area between high energy and laid back with a fast but quiet beat over chilled out music. At just slightly over two and a half minutes, our only complaint is that "Clarity" leaves us wanting more. The song presents such a dichotomy that would make you want to examine it more closely if it didn't make you want to dance even more.

You can listen to "Clarity" below. Sound Therapy is due out May 8, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on JWords, check out the artist on Instagram.

On Repeat...

Rocket - "Wide Awake"

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Photo by Tanner Deutsch Rocket have been making 90's inspired alt-rock, but their latest single ups the ante on that sound. "Wide Awake" is a mixture of shoegaze fuzz and the more jagged style of guitars that made me love Sonic Youth. Singer/bassist Alithea Tuttle's vocals have a dreamlike quality suited to dream pop or shoegaze, which contrasts delightfully with the more aggressive parts of the song. Despite not truly sounding like a song made in the 90's, "Wide Awake" has so many elements of that decade to give you little bursts of nostalgia. Plus, the video for the song is like a cross between Blur's "Charmless Man" and Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)," in case you need a little more nostalgia thrown in. Rocket say of their new single: “R is for Rocket is about relationships, the most important part of life; relationships with your friends, your parents, your girlfriend or boyfriend, and most impo...
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Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

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Photo by Alexa Viscius This may be Liam Kazar's debut single, but the Chicago based musician already has an impressive resume, having worked with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, and others. "Shoes Too Tight" features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy on drums, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Ohmme on vocals. It's an absurdly fun and groovy little song that is a party waiting to happen. What he gives us here is a timeless song that could truly have been released any time since the 1960's (ok... maybe not the 80's...) There are elements of classic rock, 60's crooners and R&B, indie rock, modern Americana... it's really just packed with everything in a cohesive song that maintains the vibe the entire way through. You can watch the video for "Shoes Too Tight" below. For more on Liam Kazar, check him out on Instagram and Twitter . He's also raising money on his Bandcamp for Constellation and The Hungry Brain. ...
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Mei Semones - "I can do what I want"

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Photo by Alex Hirata Brooklyn's Mei Semones has one of the most unique sounds in modern music, and her latest single showcases that strongly. "I can do what I want" starts off as an acoustic singer-songwriter track, and then slowly evolves into multiple genres, with multiple genres happening at the same time. There are elements of indie rock, jazz, and rock throughout, all with a theatrical flair. The styles of the song seem to meander it at will, crafted into this mind-blowing song that edges strongly into the world of pop. But if "I can do what I want" is primarily a pop song, this is one of the most fascinating versions of pop we've heard in years. Mei Semones is the type of artist that seems to be daring you to not become enamored with her music. Mei Semones says of her latest single: “‘I can do what I want’ is one of the most high-energy songs on the album, as well as one of the most challenging songs to play. Lyrically the song is centered around doing...
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