New music for June couldn’t come sooner! We’re loving these new releases, which include brand new, full-length albums from Charley Crockett and Marcus King (who are touring right now), songs featured in TV shows, and incredible guest spots.
Get it spinning, it’s the New Music Alert.
Charley Crockett | $10 Cowboy
The Texan crooner returns with his latest full-length album, $10 Cowboy, to rave reviews. The new album leans more into country than its predecessor, 2022’s The Man from Waco, as is evident on the titular track and first single, “$10 Cowboy”. The sound is immediately heavier, the tone more lonesome, and it’s all against the backdrop of guitar twang and Crockett’s deep baritone.
Catch Crockett on the road through September, where you can pick up a VIP package that includes an exclusive pre-show acoustic set and a signed poster.
Pokey LaFarge | Rhumba Country
If Crockett embodied cowboy country, then Pokey LaFarge embodies rhumba country. On his latest album, Rhumba Country, LaFarge combines genres from all over the world – mambo, tropicália, rocksteady, mid-century American rock-and-roll, and of course, rhumba (a.k.a. Afro-Cuban big band ballroom music) – into one dynamic record. Fun fact: LaFarge wrote the songs while working 12-hour days on a farm, which changed his songwriting process drastically. “I used to think of my music in dark blue, but now I see it in technicolor,” he says of the new music.
More fun facts: LaFarge is on tour throughout the US in June and July, and then heads to Europe for dates in August. He has a couple of VIP packages available, which include access to a pre-show soundcheck with an exclusive performance.
Marcus King | Mood Swings
Marcus King’s new album, Mood Swings, is one of his best. The South Carolinian dropped 2020’s El Dorado to critical acclaim (even picking up a Grammy nod), and the successor Mood Swings feels cut from the same cloth.
Just listen to the soulful track “Save Me” for a taste of the album’s catchy notes and happy harmonies, pitted against darker subject matter.
King is also on the road through September in the US, before embarking for Europe in October. Don’t miss VIP packages that include an exclusive pre-show acoustic set and early entry to the venue.
Sækyi | One Night Only: Live From The Sunroom
Hailing from Woodbridge, VA, and born to Ghanaian parents, Sækyi is quickly making a name for himself in the hip hop world. With his most recent release, the live album One Night Only, Sækyi shows off his unique style that blends rock, jazz, funk, and rap all together.
Just check out this performance of “Angels Don’t Call Me” for an indication of what the full live album entails.
the della kit | Beginnings EP
Want some jazz beats to brighten up your day? The latest from British Columbia’s the della kit is an EP of soulful jazz instrumentals. The Beginnings EP, uhm, begins with “Beginnings”: a four-minute groove, complete with walking bass lines, claps, and synths.
Olivia Dean | “The Harder They Come”
The latest single from the UK’s Olivia Dean breathes new life into the Jimmy Cliff classic. It’s just one track featured in the BBC show This Town, about a band forming in the volatile music scenes of Birmingham in the early 1980s. Fun fact: the original song came from Jimmy Cliff’s movie The Harder They Come (1972), a landmark of Caribbean cinema, about Cliff’s character who leaves his small town to try and make it big in the music scene of Kingston, Jamaica.
Julieta Rod & Thyra Hilden | “POLYAMORY”
While just a minute long, the new song from Julieta Rod and Thyra Hilden packs a punch. An Argentinian singer-songwriter, now based in Copenhagen, Rod’s wispy voice perfectly compliments Hilden’s in this indie pop power ballad.
The whole record, SENTIMENTAL, is worth a listen too. It’s a groovy jam, perfect for a summer’s day.
Remy Reilly | “Yes Man”
We’re loving the new single from Dallas’s Remy Reilly. “Yes Man” is a stirring indie pop act of catharsis. Reilly conjures up feelings of good riddance for an ex, who enables them into thinking they’re “the one”.
Reilly is backed by blues guitar, heavy drum fills, and a horn section. Give it a listen!
Tamzene & Bad Sounds | “Extra Beat”
Scotland’s Tamzene features on a track from Bad Sounds’ new album Escaping from a Violent Time, singing the chorus to a catchy new tune. It’s a song about finding that special someone that makes your heartbeat a little bit harder. The whole album offers fun and goofy psych pop numbers; but this song is a slowed down meditation.
Criibaby & santpoort’s | “life moves fast”
San Francisco’s Criibaby is known for her genre-bending blend of lo-fi jazz and neo soul, using “found sounds” to create unique textures. On her latest single, she collaborated with Dutch-French producer santpoort on “life moves fast”, a whirring mix of electronic instrumentation and silky harmonies. Play it on a loop and slow down for a sec.
Catch artists like these (and way more) at a Sofar show near you!
