If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Sesse Lind We've been loving the jazz meets hip hop and soul sound of Dave Guy's solo singles so far. The member of The Roots and The Dap-Kings has had this great laid back sound, and his latest single steps things up a bit. Particularly at its beginning, "Still Standing" is the most Roots-esque single we've heard from Ruby so far. It's still laid back, but Guy's playing has a certain intensity to it. And then it just takes off into this world of jazz that's perfect for music fans who don't consider themselves to be fans of the genre. Guy's playing and the composition of "Still Standing" is mesmerizing. Despite the song being just over two minutes long, it brings you on a full sonic journey you'll want to take again and again. You can listen to "Still Standing" below. Ruby is due out September 20 on Big Crown Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Dave Guy, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Sesse Lind Trumpeter Dave Guy of The Roots, The Dap-Kings, and Menahan Street Band has a new single out, and it's everything you'd expect an artist with that cred to sound like. Like his previous solo singles, "Pinky Ring" is predominantly jazz, but is layered with soul and hip hop. The drums in the new single are especially hip hop-esque, and although "Pinky Ring" has a smooth jazz vibe, it also has an unexpected edge to it. This is the perfect jumping on point if you've been trying to get more into jazz but have been unable to. Dave Guy takes the coolness of classic jazz and updates it for the modern listener. You can listen to "Pinky Ring" below. Ruby is due out September 20 on Big Crown Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Dave Guy, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Sesse Lind Trumpet player Dave Guy is a member of The Dap-Kings and Menahan Street Band, as well playing with The Roots on The Tonight Show. He's released a new single from his upcoming debut solo album, and even if you're not normally a jazz person, you need to check this out. "I'll Follow You" is a jazz song, but with drums that sound like they were taken from a hip hop track. (And yes, I know that a large percentage of hip hop beats are sampled from jazz, but this sounds like sampled drums. Listen, you'll see.) It's a smooth track that simply sounds cool and fresh. Hip hop and soul have been borrowing from jazz for decades, so it's great to hear jazz returning the favor. You can listen to "I'll Follow You" below. Ruby is due out September 20 on Big Crown Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Dave Guy, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Sesse Lind Dave Guy is best known as a member of The Roots, The Dap-Kings, and Menahan Street Band. Now the trumpet player is stepping out on his own with his debut solo album. The first single off that album, "7th Heaven," is a New York Jazz track with elements of hip hop and soul. It's a mostly instrumental track, and even though we don't cover much jazz here, we'll happily make an exception for a track as good as "7th Heaven." If you like hip hop artists that incorporate jazz into their music such as Guru, the collaboration between Damu the Fudgemunk, Raw Poetic, and Archie Shepp, or The Roots, you're going to be into Dave Guy. Dave Guy says about his new single: “It has a groove and is more in line with what the guys and I are known for with Menahan Street Band, but it is also in-your-face and catchy. It’s a bit of an ode to Tijuana Brass too, a Herb Alpert-esque track with a tight horn line and has that energy that pops.” You can listen...

Photo by Carlos Garcia "XFaded," the latest single from Los Angeles trio Brainstory, doesn't sound like what you'd expect a song called "XFaded" to sound like. Brainstory have released a psychedelic soul single flavored with jazz. Of course, those genres can all be trippy on their own, but in this case, they've combined to make one of the most trippy songs of all time. It even ends with a guitar freak out that would make Parliament/Funkadelic proud. In 2024, jazz and soul aren't necessarily equated with party jams, but Brainstory just might change that. You can listen to "XFaded" below. Sounds Good is due out April 19 on Big Crown Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Brainstory, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. Apr 18 Lodge Room - Los Angeles, CA  **SOLD OUT Apl 19 The Independent- San Francisco, CA Apr 20 Moe’s Alley - Santa Cruz, CA Apr 21 Pappy & Harriets - Pioneertown...

Photo by Carlos Garcia Brainstory is a Los Angeles based band consisting of brothers Kevin and Tony Martin along with Eric Hagstrom. The trio's latest single, "Peach Optimo," is named after a favorite cigar wrap they used for blunts as teenagers, and is about the nostalgia of growing up in a suburban life, both the boredom and fun. It's a psychedelic soul-infused song that also leans heavily into jazz. "Peach Optimo" is just ridiculously laid back, and just feels like summers of not having a ton to do, but still having fun anyway, even if you're complaining about not having anything to do. There's a strong 1970's vibe to the song, but that could just be the soul and psychedelia coming through. Or, if you're of a certain age, you're going to hear the strong influence of mid-90's G-funk era hip hop. You can listen to "Peach Optimo" below. Sounds Good is due out April 19 on Big Crown Records, and is available for pre-order here...

Photo by Carlos Garcia As much as we love vintage sounding soul in the current neo-soul movement, sometimes it's refreshing to hear a band put a new spin on the classic sound. Enter Brainstory with their psych-soul sound. The Los Angeles trio have released a new single, "Hanging On." It has that laid back and smooth sound that all the best soul does, but Brainstory adds this odd little psychedelic element along with just a little grit to the song to make it sound truly unique. There is also an interesting level of distortion in "Hanging On," which I don't think I've ever heard in soul before. This is still classic sounding soul, just with an interesting twist. You can watch the video for "Hanging On" below. Sounds Good is due out April 19 on Big Crown Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Brainstory, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Apr18 -  Lodge Room- Highland Park, CA Apr 22 - V...