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2. If you like The xx, listen to Vök
For the first half of "Before," Icelandic duo Vök display restraint with the type reverb-heavy minimalist pop that is immediately reminiscent of The xx. Then, towards the end, something brighter and more playful kicks in—a big, catchy chorus that will leave the listener wanting more.
3. If you like Future, listen to Johnny Cinco
Booming beats, catchy hooks sprinkled throughout songs, unorthodox flows, and that sweet spot between a hit and something that sounds like a hit that's been doused in mercury and shot off in a rocket. Yeah, if you like Future, check out Atlanta's Johnny Cinco.
Grab Johnny Cinco's Cinco mixtape here.
4. If you like Bon Iver, listen to James Vincent McMorrow
James Vincent McMorrow has moved on from the simple folk sounds of his debut album, and has embraced electronic-based production which, when paired with his airy, delicate falsetto, gives his music a distinctly Bon Iver-esque sound.
5. If you like The Go! Team, listen to The Derevolutions
I have ADD so sometimes I just need music that is colorful and spastic and noisy and fun and full of chants and... whoa, that treehouse show is on Animal Planet. What does this show have to do with animals?
6. If you like The Unicorns, listen to MVSCLES
Remember The Unicorns? Sonically, MVSCLES doesn't align perfectly with the lo-fi slacker rock vibes of The Unicorns, but that was never the most important thing about The Unicorns. There was a playful, whimsical feel to the music, and that's a rare quality—it's even more rare that it actually works without being corny. MVSCLES pulls it off like few we've ever heard.
7. If you like Grizzly Bear, listen to Francis Lung
Ex-WU LYF bassist Francis McLung formed a new band called Los Porcos with former bandmates drummer Joe Manning, guitarist Evans Kati, but now he's stepping out solo, starting with "A Selfish Man" and "Tsunami Blues (Cause of Me)." While "A Selfish Man" is most clearly rooted in the kind of jaunty guitar-pop that British bands often do so well, any fan of Grizzly Bear's bright melodies and sometimes close to theatrical vocals should enjoy Francis Lung's debut release.
8. If you like Disclosure's songs with female vocalists, listen to Tanika
Disclosure have brought elements of that wonderful UK garage sound back into the mainstream after ten or so years out in the cold, and if you enjoyed the songs on their debut album Settle which featured female vocalists (especially "You & Me" and "Voices"), you'll love Tanika's classic UKG sounding "Finally Found It." Get your dancing shoes.
9. If you like Hot Chip, listen to Lincoln Jesser
Los Angeles producer Lincoln Jesser makes electro pop without sacrificing the "electro" or the "pop" aspect. Like Hot Chip, the production is clean and full, but that chorus sits as the centerpiece and pushes this far into danceable pop territory.
10. If you like Dum Dum Girls, listen to Tweens
Take the retro stylings of Dum Dum Girls older material like "Bedroom Eyes" and turn it up to FIDLAR levels and you might get something like Tweens’ "Be Mean." It's energetic with a vintage garage rock style, and the band considers themselves "trash pop." Sounds about right. Their self-titled LP comes out on Frenchkiss Records on April 8.
11. If you like Rustie, listen to AWE
L.A.-based producer AWE's huge new song "Crystals," which is out now on Plastician's label Terrorhythm, is like the second coming of Rustie. A turbulent waterfall of multicolored synths cascades by, as bright, triumphal, and just generally massive sounding as anything else you'll hear today.
12. If you like James Blake, listen to Lapsley
The refined, spacious production is there, the softly glitchy electronics and vocal manipulations are there. Sure, 17-year-old Lapsley is not yet to the consistently awesome level of James Blake, but anyone who enjoys Blake's music, especially his more accessible sophomore album Overgrown should feel immediately at home listening to "Station."
13. If you like Jai Paul, listen to Dessert
One of the most exciting things about the mysterious Jai Paul was the masterful way he brought together seemingly disparate elements in his songs. Delicate falsetto would suddenly be joined by much rawer elements, and L.A./NY duo Dessert manage similar feats of genre and style mixing on their brilliant first two tracks "Lovelink" and "You're Welcome."
14. If you like Sleigh Bells, listen to Lowell
Do you like noisy music but also have a thing for cheerleaders? Check out Lowell. Like Sleigh Bells, her music has a cheerleader pop playfulness to it, but it's also rooted in punk ethos—dirty, and rude. Her latest single, "Cloud 69" is about “sex addiction and post-intercourse guilt,” and her debut EP comes out February 25.
15. If you like Flying Lotus, listen to NorvisJr
Calling Flying Lotus "experimental" doesn't do him justice. Too often, "experimental" music feels like a self-indulgent pursuit of non-conformity instead of entertainment. Somewhere in another world, there is soul. It's more than just pushing boundaries and making provocative art—it's about finding new ways to make listeners feel something. Flying Lotus does it, and so does NorvisJr.
Listen to more from NorvisJr here.
16. If you like Joel Compass, listen to Kyan
To be honest, both of these British R&B singers are relatively unknown, with Kyan demonstrating the sort of talent and songwriting ability that might be able to propel him to even greater heights than his compatriot Joel Compass, who has already had Pusha T jump on a remix of his song "Run." At various points on "Rosetta," the influences of both The Weeknd and Frank Ocean can be heard, not a bad duo for a young singer to draw inspiration from.
17. If you like Death Grips, listen to Cities Aviv
If you like your hip-hop abrasive, aggressive, experimental, but not quite Yeezus, then you should be familiar with Cities Aviv. The Memphis rapper makes hip-hop with a punk edge, and he does it as well as any other artist in the emerging scene of rap-gone-rogue.
