Here it is: the first my of monthly new music. Nine tracks for your listening pleasure!

Listen to the entire playlist HERE or below:

To start things out this month, a tune from Japanese Breakfast‘s newest album: Driving Woman. The title fits nicely as the driving rhythm guitar makes a great palette for the soothing and wide-ranging vocals that make me wish I was riding shotgun on this drive.

Another beautiful voice following it up with Bedoine, featuring One of These Days, a stripped down, mellow track which to me brings out feelings of very classic 60s/70s country/folk music.

The next track also features a vintage sound but in quite a different direction. Them Vibes‘ Electric Fever has a bit of disco, a bit of funk, a bit of soul and flat out rocks.

Sinkane is a Sudanese-American, and after bouncing around with various groups, he now showcases his true inspiration with his own band. His music pays tribute not only to his worldly heritage, and also growing up in middle-America. Favorite Song is easily my favorite song on his latest album.

The mood slows down with this next tune from Irish folk singer Glen Hansard. His songwriting is really top notch and always has been. Why Woman is a powerful song that really does make you wonder… why?

Sticking with folk vibes for this next track, Life Is Confusing is certainly a truth to which many of us can relate. Langhorne Slim pulls together the quiet melody, a thoughtful string arrangement and gentle backing vocals that somehow make me feel less confused.

Impressively, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard managed to release 5 full albums in 2017. They each went in slightly different directions, but almost all resonated with me. I could listen to each of them straight through and after that, I’m Sleepin’ In feels like an appropriate activity!

The mood gets a little Darker with this track from Typhoon. The eleven-piece group offers up a complex, almost operatic sound on their newest album. In concept, it follows the journey of a person “losing it” and this tune felt to me like the climax of realizing he has gone crazy. Fortunately the album is crazy good.

Khruangbin was one of my top musical discoveries from 2015 (pre-KaneTrax) so I was thrilled when they announced their sophomore album. Many bands might try to mix it up after a successful debut, but the Texas based, Thai influenced trio kept it right in their wheelhouse, and I’m so glad they did. Any of their new tunes would find a place here but August 10 stood out to me as it spotlights each of the member’s abilities so well: robotic but soothing percussion; funky and upbeat, syncopated bass rhythms; and echoing, almost hypnotic guitar. This one is going to be on repeat for a while.

See ya next month!