With ears wide open

Never underestimate the power of new music — or, at least, songs you’ve never heard before — to give you a quick energy boost and make you see the world in a newer, more interesting light.

I have to admit that over the last few years, I’ve cultivated an almost maniacal devotion to unearthing obscure aural delights. From trawling blogs to trawling cool people’s playlists, I’ve done it. (You know which store plays really interesting, iPod-worthy music? Topman!)

I guess it has a lot to do with what I was into during my formative years. In my late teens, I started hanging out with club DJs who ushered me into the world of white label remixes; as a freshman in college, I started tuning in to Morning Becomes Eclectic, an influential program then hosted and edited by Nic Harcourt on Santa Monica, California’s KCRW. Then came DJ/tastemaker Gilles Peterson, whom I first heard on a British Airways flight, and Mark Ronson’s Authentic Shit on East Village Radio. The kid who used to get his music from Top of the Pops has certainly come a long way.

As everything is fair game, I also listen to mainstream pop — Drake, Nicki Minaj, name it — but mainly as a palate cleanser. There is, however, something more life-affirming about stumbling onto a great, off-the-radar track on your own. In the same spirit of serendipity, I’d like to share what I’ve been listening to lately, an A-Z of bands and acts you might have never heard of but are totally worth your time.

Intelligent Hiphop To ‘70s-Tinged Pop

Aloe Blacc

Origin: Orange County, CA

For fans of: intelligent hip-hop; How To Make It In America

Download: I Need A Dollar; I’m Beautiful            

Bad Rabbits

Origin: Boston, MA

For fans of: Prince; joyful punk/funk you can pogo-dance to

Download: Can’t Back Down; Stick Up Kids  

Chapel Club

Origin: London, England

For fans of: brooding lyrics, expansive sounds

Download: O Maybe I; All The Eastern Girls

The Drums

Origin: Brooklyn, NY

For fans of: buoyant harmonies; The Cure, had they been poppier

Download: Forever and Ever Amen; Don’t Be A Jerk, Johnny; Book of Stories

Egyptian Hip Hop

Origin: Manchester, England

For fans of: post-post-dance-punk; Late of the Pier; The Rapture

Download: Rad Pitt; Wild Human Child; Hazel Groove (Modernaire Remix)

Fenech-Soler

Origin: Kings Cliffe, England

For fans of: Party-boy electro-synth with a N.E.R.D./Neptunes feel

Download: Lies; Stop and Stare; The Cult of Romance

Gold Teeth

Origin: South Wimbledon, England

For fans of: dark, quirky Afrobeat

Download: Everybody; Tasty

Hey Champ

Origin: Chicago, IL

For fans of: synthesizers set on stun; Chester French

Download: Cold Dust Girl; Neverest

I Am Arrows

Origin: England

For fans of: earthy, ‘70s-tinged pop — the band was founded by ex-Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows

Download: Green Grass; “Sun Comes Up Again” — the whole thing is sick

Folk-Pop To Rat-A-Tat Rhymes

James Vincent McMorrow

Origin: Dublin, Ireland

For fans of: Pink Moon-era Nick Drake; Bon Iver-style confessional folk-pop

Download: If I Had A Boat; This Old Dark Machine; “Early In The Morning,” his debut album 

Kele Okereke

Origin: Liverpool, England

For fans of: electro, falsetto, Bloc Party

Download: Tenderoni; Everything You Wanted (RAC Remix); “The Boxer”

Locnville

Origin: Cape Town, South Africa

For fans of: twins; electro-hop

Download: Sun In My Pocket; There

Miami Horror

Origin: Melbourne, Australia

For fans of: electro-pop with a ‘00s disco-house throwback vibe

Download: Moon Theory; Sometimes

Neon Indian

Origin: Denton, TX

For fans of: chillwave; spacey, summery melodies

Download: Deadbeat Summer; Should Have Taken Acid With You; “Psychic Chasms”

One Night Only

Origin: Helmsley, England

For fans of: Emma Watson; George Craig, Emma Watson’s boyfriend

Download: Say You Don’t Want It

Penguin Prison

Origin: New York, NY

For fans of: remix-friendly pop music by someone who cares; Talking Heads

Download: Something I’m Not (Krispin Korg Remix); The Worse It Gets (RAC Remix)

Quack Quack

Origin: Yorkshire, England

For fans of: clever jazz/noise instrumentals

Download: Jack of None

Rye Rye

Origin: Baltimore, MD

For fans of: rat-a-tat rhymes; M.I.A.; Blaqstarr; Crookers

Download: Bang (Decibel Gang Bang Remix)  

Psych-Pop To Sultry Siren Songs

Shugo Tokumaru

Origin: Tokyo, Japan

For fans of: feel-good psych-pop

Download: Rum Hee

Tinie Tempah

Origin: London, England

For fans of: grime; Tinchy Snyder; Dizzee Rascal

Download: Pass Out; Frisky

Uh Huh Her

Origin: Los Angeles, CA

For fans of: really pretty electro-pop-rock

Download: “Common Reaction”

Violens

Origin: Brooklyn, NY

For fans of: savant-rock; The Psychedelic Furs: Prefab Sprout; MGMT circa “Oracular Spectacular”

Download: Already Oslo (Lilys Vs Rod Coles Remix); Acid Reign

Women

Origin: Calgary, AB, Canada

For fans of: moody but catchy indie-rock

Download: Eyesore

The xx

Origin: London, England

For fans of:

Download: Crystalised; Infinity; Shelter (Them Jeans Drum Edit)

Your Twenties

Origin: London, England

For fans of: euphoric alt-pop, romantic West Coast rock

Download: Billionaires; Caught Wheel

Zola Jesus

Origin: Los Angeles, CA

For fans of: siren songs sent up from murky depths

Download: Sea Talk

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