Get ready for another episode of top new artist releases in our New Music Friday [College Edition] in partnership with Quadio—the college/post-grad creative network and app fostering an incredible community of young creatives from various colleges and cities around the world. Each week, the editorial team at EARMILK carefully reviews fresh new tracks submitted through the Quadio network and picks out a handful of music from students and young independent artists that are defining the sounds of tomorrow.
With the cool jazz ensemble of John Legend mixed with the irresistible seductiveness of Kylie Minogue, we kick things off this week with Asheville artist Rocky Collin's retro R&B cut "Running Into You." The full orchestral sounds that burst through the speakers and Collin's impassioned vocal performance help create a pop anthemic tone that's equally catchy as it is powerful. Dasha's "Love Me Till August" is a heartbreaking profession of youthful love told through tender pop vocals and a light indie-folk guitar melody. Each lyric is delivered with pure sincerity making this release a beautifully raw listening experience.
Henry Park delivers a mesmerizing psychedelic alt-R&B performance in his latest track "Wasted Time." A seemingly Willy Wonka melody is mixed in with a deep space atmospheric "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" tone but performed with modern Free Nationals R&B instrumentation and hip-hop beats.
We switch things right up with an exciting new alt-rock artist coming out of St. Louis called 44blonde. His latest track "At least I Know Your Name!" is an angsty alt-pop punk release filled with a relentless onslaught of chunky electric guitar riffs, a snappy chorus, playful background cheers, and plenty of yowls. It's a boisterous alt-rock jam that keeps the high-octane energy flowing from start to finish. Coming out of Florida, The Forum brings a gleaming, alt-pop rock sound to this week's playlist with their latest single "Dancers." Bright chimes of indie-pop instrumentation swirl around the fierce stadium rock vocal delivery.
In one benevolent swoop from a light acoustic guitar, tender vocals, and soft piano keys, we are hypnotized by Olivia Henry's latest indie-pop ballad "Victoria." With an attitude-filled performance, Madison Deaver doesn't shy away from the mic, and neither does her vocal range. Over a hard-hitting blend of alt-rock and blues rock, Deaver fearlessly cries out with fervent lyricism. Our hearts are full as Latin artist Karina Magallon adds some colorful R&B to our playlist this week. A full range of warm vocals and soaring falsettos take center stage over a minimal R&B instrumentation.
That's it for today's roundup but make sure to check out the Spotify link above for some more incredible new music from emerging new artists like Joey Burbs, Watson Maack, and more that were also included in this week's playlist. As a special bonus, check out my personal top pick from this week's new releases below:
Editor's top pick of the week:
Pareto – "Fight the Feeling"
I am a sucker for downtempo, pseudo- lo-fi, hip-hop beats and Pareto hits all the right notes in this latest track "Fight the Feeling." Pareto taps into that classic Nas storytelling hip-hop delivery style accompanied by a signature Damon Albarn melodic vocals—similar to earlier Gorillaz. This track, as it pains for me to say, is a vibe, pure and simple. The repetitive light guitar strums and gentle taps from the percussions lull listeners into a daze of pure ecstasy as the vivid lyricism captures the imagination. The production is light and airy yet still hits with a deep jazzy soul.
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