Alvin M. Keeling 
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Alvvays – “Pharmacist”
Letting your indiepop prescription run out? Dr. Alvvays has your back. This loud and proud single – the first of their latest, “Blue Rev”, which will be released in October – features the Canadian band’s signature blend of fuzz-tastic alternative rock caressing lead singer Molly Rankin’s pristine vocals. Here, here, my darling… take your pills!
South Carolina troubadour KaiL Baxley may sound polished, but his music hides a rich and storied past, laden with secrets and misfortunes, like the velvet lining of an old jewelry box. It’s all the more appropriate for the American goth style infused into this single. Featuring seductive strings and stinging percussion topped with Baxley’s raspy whispers, this track is serious yet elusive. You’ll find Baxley’s voice hovering just out of range for the entire duration. Press play, lean in and you just might catch it.
foam boy – “Not a go”
Funky, precise and layered with icy summer vibes, this disco-tinged track is your jam for extended daylight fun. Foamboy is the Portland duo that keeps their dance-pop offerings tight and defined. With “Not A Go,” producer Wil Bakula and singer Katy Ohsiek display the kind of creative alignment of wavelengths that leads to effortless success. They say it’s gone!
We were first hooked on Immortal Nightbody by a KCRW music boss last summer. Over the ensuing year, the deeply LA, former punk/goth artist-turned-rapper continued to hone his lo-fi, DIY aesthetic — particularly in the form of videos spiced up with locals-only commentary, a webspeak with a hip-hop flavor, and incisive bars. What we have now is a highly distilled single that lands with sneering confidence, underlined by spectral, metronomic production that will writhe in your ears and sound right at home.
Paul Cauthen – “Country like F***”
For his latest album “Country Coming Down”, East Texas crooner Paul Cauthen – aka Big Velvet – pledged to “achieve a good sonic balance between Merle Haggard and Funkadelic”. Achievement unlocked. Don’t let the video’s wink and outrageous vibe fool you – there’s no doubt this track is as country as the tall hats and satin jackets that Cauthen himself sports with the aplomb of a cowboy. And it gets better – behind the baritone bravado, Cauthen has a whole herd of country and gospel releases under his big-buckle belt. Get ready for a playful yet overly serious take on music, identity, and the important reminder that “real cowboys don’t make Kenny Chesney dance”…they make their own definition.
