Welcome to the domain where underground art rises from the ashes for a brief moment like a phoenix only to land in that pretty little device of yours to get played on repeat. Each month it shall be my pleasure to fulfill your soul with new music that deserves mass appreciation.
There is something for everybody on this list, so if you have not found your one true pair yet keep scrolling and they should appear. The overall theme , as monthly stereotypes would suggest, for July is summertime madness. Therefore, let’s get started with a nice beach sunset over the water which is the physical embodiment of the first track.
Out Like a Light – Ricky Montgomery & The Honeysticks
Ricky and the gang stand as one of the best upcoming alternative soft rock artists of early 2017. The harmonies at the beginning of this song that touch over the silky smooth grooves are only a small fraction of what makes this song easy to listen to.
My favorite feature about this song that differs from Montgomery’s other great soft rock vibes is how soft it is. If you are a listener that appreciates glassy alternative music then this is the track for you.
One word to define this song would be ‘escalation’ because of how steady and elegantly Montgomery brings the listener on this trippy rollercoaster ride to paradise.
Walls Could Talk – Halsey
Halsey is obviously not the most underground of all artists, but this song unfortunately is. Walls Could Talk is one minute and forty two seconds shy of becoming a hit single, and the only issue is that it was too short for the radio waves.
This song is subjectively the best track on the album due to its chord progression, back track melody on the synths that intertwine with Halsey’s killer vocals, and the fact that the choir backing her are my best guess of what walls would actually sound like if they “could talk”.
Halsey’s album, “hopeless fountain kingdom”, as a unit graced the new Americana with it’s alternative sound. There is something on there for everyone who cares about pop music on a large scale.
Complicated – MIKExAngel
This new song summed up in three words: classic R&B vibes. This artist has worked closely with Trey Songz in the past and it shows. The random “Oh, no no’s” in between melodic runs plays into the classic good ‘ol R&B schtick.
This made the list because everybody needs a small dose of R&B in their lives every now and then, and this gentleman respects the genre. He does it’s justice while adding new age flavor.
We Find Love – Daniel Caesar
Caesar takes his fans to church with this soulful tune. Just like Out Like a Light, this song is very soft with a choir to back the R&B singer. However, this song has no ties to religion whatsoever, solely love.
We Find Love is a step onto the beach, and it’s physical embodiment would be walking on the water or that warm tingly feeling when the sun absorbs into your skin.
Caesar is well known for his alternative R&B piano based sound. With this song in particular there is a melancholy universal message behind it. The mantra that repeats throughout goes, “We find love, We get up. Then we fall down. We give up.”
For any fans of good ol’ R&B or soul or gospel, then this song is for you. A new age classic that touches a sad reality of finding love in relationships.
Death Wish – Terror Jr
This semi-party track is composed by a pop-electro group whose debut albums are fittingly titled “Bop City” and “Bop City 2: TerroRising”. Most of their music sounds like a robot consumed an angel and made art in the midst.
Death Wish shines out amongst the rest of “Bop City” due to the catchiness of its groove. Usually when DJ’s layer obscure off beats over each other from different tastes it goes one of two ways. In Terror Jr’s favor, it went insanely well.
Their lead singer’s sensual whisper of a melody contrasts nicely with the shocking lyrics and definitive message, “You can be my Juliet, but baby I can be your death wish.”
When I first heard this song I forced myself to give it a second chance, and I am glad I did. Upon first glance of the title I was expecting an empowering feminist song to bless my ears, and instead I was pleasantly surprised at the complete opposite angle Hill took.
Hill started off as a background dancer on the Yeezus tour with Kanye West. Through a mutual friend her music got into the hands of Kanye West himself who became her close musical mentor. She then became one of two females two sign with the predominately male hip hop label in 2016.
Like a Woman is a soft alt-pop song about femininity that is gained after these sexual entities cause Hill to “feel like a woman”. It’s edgy.
Once Hill added snaps, a piano, and only a touch of synth I was hooked. Its a pure track with powerhouse vocals. The simplicity of it is what makes it great.
My Musical Muckracker 