6. Little Raine Band - Dreamwalker
Genre: Art Rock
Put On A Playlist With: Level 42, Toy Matinee, Umphrey's McGee, The Reign Of Kindo, The War On Drugs
One of the best live acts in Alabama, these guys combine a variety of approaches to rock, jazz, blues and more obtuse influences into Dreamwalker, crafting a curious stew that strikes me as a jazzier, proggier take on the whole jam band / Midwestern rock sound. They simultaneously have a lot of polish (just listen to that ridiculous groove throughout the title track or the swinging, fusion led 'Artificial Love') yet somehow come across as a band full of untapped, raw potential. They're unknown on the world stage right now, but I think that will change by their next outing.
5. Kalax - III
Genre: Synthwave, Electro-Pop, Vocal EDM
Put On A Playlist With: The Midnight, Mitch Murder, Gunship
Kalax is a producer and songwriter from Liverpool who has a better grasp on the contemporary, pop-oriented side of synthwave than the vast majority of his competitors (with a few exceptions). His songs have a strong, appreciative nostalgia for the decade of The Neverending Story and Blade Runner, but his guest vocalists and arrangements are closer to what artists like The Weeknd or Carly Rae Jepsen are indulging themselves in. Every song is a neon-soaked banger (especially 'Let Go', 'Out Of Control' and the surprisingly moving and romantic 'Out Of Time') but some of the instrumentals pad out the experience beautifully. 'Lili' and closing cut 'Stronger' in particular wouldn't be out of place on the Stranger Things soundtrack, but somehow they have more personality than most of what casual audiences know as OutRun, Synthwave, etc. etc.
4. 猫 シ Corp. & t e l e p a t h - Building A Better World
Genre: Ambient
Put On A Playlist With: Brian Eno, Robert Rich, Stars Of The Lid, Jonn Serrie
Two living producer-gods from the worlds of Mallsoft and Vaporwave joined forces this year to bring you an ambient experience that's in a class all it's own. It's a beautiful dream doomed to die, but boy does it sound great while it's happening. You could live in this thing forever and never want to leave.
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