Best New Artists of the Month (October 2014)

Sometimes, you hear a song playing in the background and then move on, but the song sits in the back of your head like one of those dreams you can only half-remember. That's Boogie’s "Bitter Raps" for me. I first heard it thanks to Jon Tanners' Daily Discovery in February, and then today the video for "Bitter Rap" dropped and it came rushing back in. Sometimes, those songs that take a minute to sink in are the best. There's nothing in-your-face about Boogie. He's got an effortless, hypnotic flow and an intelligent tone, an ear for melody and a confident way worth words. Plus, with a feature on SBTRKT's album, Boogie shows that his talent isn't one-dimensional.

Download Boogie's Thirst 48 album for free here.

London O'Connor's "Oatmeal" is one of the most intriguing songs we've heard this year. It starts with a spare, bassy beat and wordy, rapping reminiscent of someone like Earl, then London breaks out some grungy, pared-back singing before the chorus breaks out in a flourish of bright synths. It's feels loose, natural, and effortless, but it's still incredibly catchy. No mean feat for a debut song, especially one that blends different styles in this way.

The first impression is everything these days. With short attention spans breaking down as the never-ending flow of content rushes in, if you make a bad first impression, it's over. For Los Angeles artist Spelles, things are just getting started. "Bird In A Cage" is her debut, and it's an excellent one. A lively, rootsy blend of acoustic guitar and handclaps make up the backdrop, but it's her voice that carries the song. It's a powerful voice that dominates throughout, even with the boisterous surroundings. Spelles has us hooked with this one, and we can't wait to hear this voice again.

Australian rapper Tkay Maidza is making major moves, and her debut mixtape, out now, shows how wide her interests range. There are party rap joints, radio-ready pop songs, slower R&B-influenced moments, and some really interesting production choices. It's early days, but Tkay looks to have a lot of the necessary ingredients to be a star.

Download the Switch Tape here and listen below.

Very few debut tracks are as bold as Appleby's "Spit On Me." The 23-year-old singer from Illinois airs his grievances and dreams elegantly, as if his thoughts had come alive in sound. Building up a small but impressive roster of collaborators, the lo-fi crooner has already worked with Spooky Black producer Kid HNRK. There's an impressive cohesion to his sound, and he's only been creating music for just under two months. He's got a while to go yet, but his trajectory is undeniably exciting from these humble beginnings.

Lots of producers are making colorful, synth-filled electronic music, but few demonstrate the range that Sweater Beats does on his debut EP Cloud City. There is a club smashing banger ("Cloud City"), an excellent collaboration with vocalist a l l i e ("Dark Matter"), and the restrained closer ("Golden Sun'), plus the producer has a strong track record with his remixes. If he carries on at this rate, Sweater Beats will be on the level of Flume in no time.

Being a rapper from the UK with ambitions overseas comes with the twin hazards of being seen as a sellout at home and being quickly dismissed by U.S. audiences. Danny Seth has avoided these pitfalls, it seems, by mixing his distinctly and proudly British accent and drops ("The British are coming") with the kind of hard-hitting beats we're used to hearing Future or Young Thug over.

Collaborations with Key!, G. Eazy, A$AP Ferg, and Eric Dingus are already out, and Seth's Perception project is dropping soon, so it looks like he will be finishing the year strong.

It's not easy going from being in a popular band to starting a solo career, especially when you're not the frontman, but Olivver has done it. The ex-member of The Neighbourhood just dropped his debut EP Freak, and he proves that he's got a style and sound of his own, and one worth listening to. His music is modern and equal parts rock and pop, and raw emotion is the common thread that runs through it all.

While we wait for more new music from Savoir, an Australian trio whose official debut release is coming out via the label Plastic World on November 27, we'll just have to listen to "Malala" over and over again. And that's no bad thing. The song has a lush, tropical feel, fueled by afrobeat influences and topped off by the delightfully catchy chanted hook. Savoir masterfully synthesize a wide range of influences into a cohesive and impressive package on "Malala" (inspired by Malala Yousafzai) and we can't wait to hear more.