Best New Artists of the Month

Born in Chicago and raised between Ethiopa and New York, Mizan makes moving music that centers on her warm, inviting vocals and plainspoken, honest lyrics. The singer draws you into her world with her intimacy, but then asks the kind of questions that we all have to answer at one point or another.

you want somebody

to give all your love to

to give all your love

did you realize what you have

isn’t really what you want

Mizan's Dark Blue EP is out November 6 via Terrible Records.

A lot of new rappers show promise and potential, but there are usually some missing pieces. Not with Smino. Raised in St. Louis and based in Chicago for the past year, Smino already sounds ready for the big leagues. He's working in Classick Studios, where Chance The Rapper recorded Acid Rap, and he shares some of Chance's strengths—a nimble flow, a knack for melody, and a charismatic presence on the mic. His S!CK S!CK S!CK EP is just the warm-up, but get familiar now, because if he keeps this quality up, a breakthrough moment could be around the corner.

John Keek is not like most of the artists we cover on Pigeons & Planes. Actually, he's not like any artists I've heard lately. Actually, I can't think of another artist quite like John Keek. He's an interesting combination of things—a DIY producer, a proficient saxophone player, a fan of modern hip-hop, and still a teenager in Las Vegas. His music is a unique blend of traditional and modern elements, and when they all come together on "Come Give it Up," it's the perfect storm. He's a truly unique and intriguing new presence, and for him, it comes naturally—"I’m being myself and I hope people like it."

Read our interview with John Keek here.

North England-based four-piece band Viola Beach are building quite a buzz for themselves. With two solid releases, one of which we recently premiered in our Daily Discovery series, as well as studio sessions with super producer Ian Grimble in the stash, it’s safe to say that the band will be a force to be reckoned with in the months to come. Blending elements of both indie and pop, Viola Beach are definitely worth checking out if you want a rush of pop choruses and spiky guitars.

Read our interview with Viola Beach here.

Merlyn Wood dropped the raucous "Fye" back in June, and this month's "Lazy Wood" proved that it wasn't a fluke. He's a member of the self-proclaimed boy band Brockhampton, and he's explosive on his own. Merlyn is still young and new to the scene, but he's already displaying rockstar qualities. His music is a little jarring and not the most accessible stuff in the world, but acts like Travi$ Scott and Danny Brown have already carved out a lane for modern hip-hop with an abrasive edge.

Related: 20 Under 20: Teenage Rappers You Should Know

She may have started as one of Rudimental's singers, but Anne-Marie came into her own this month. Two tracks in particular ("Boy" and "Do It Right") snapped our heads to attention for their out-front melodies and restless, aggressive pop sensibilities.

"Boy" in particular has the potential to get stuck in your regular rotation, thanks to its sultry combination of a clarinet-ish synth and sexually confused lyrics. Anne-Marie is finding her stride, and it's making for some beautiful music.

Brooklyn's Lindsey French—Negative Gemini—recently got a fresh start with the incredible "You Never Knew," a glimmering pop single capable of catapulting her towards the recognition she so clearly deserves. After producing a considerably different EP earlier this year titled Real Virtual Unison, Lindsey refocused the project with an unapologetic step towards the type of pop music that caught the attention of thousands of Grimes fans.

It might recall some of the glossier moments on Visions, but "You Never Knew" is a song entirely Lindsey's own. Inspired by the prospect of defining another person's life with her art, "You Never Knew" sees Lindsey moving closer and closer to the alt-pop stardom she deserves. Lindsey's debut album, Body Work, is due for release next year.

With parents who spend their days as a symphony conductor and professional cellist, it was only a matter of time before LÉON shared her own musical talents with the world.

The Swedish singer released her Treasure EP this month, and its title track is a stunner. It's a confident blend of big piano, modern production flourishes, and pitched vocals—LÉON obviously knows what she's doing, and it's paying off. If you've got the bug after this first listen, you can stream the rest of her EP on Spotify.

If PC Music had decided to swap out the sugary synths of their future-pop for something saltier and smeared with blood, they might sound more like I'M THIRSTY & leelo. They didn't, and the space left open has been shredded to bits by these two producers. It's like EDM without the crowd-pandering, trap music without the lyrics and hooks, music without the melodies.

These are compliments. They may only be writing two-minute snippets of insanity, but I'M THIRSTY & leelo deserve the praise. Just be ready to commit yourself to the sound—this is not a passive listening experience.

We know very little about GAIKA so far, but with one song out he has our full attention. The British artist introduced himself with "Blasphemer," a powerful and direct song that protests against the many injustices of modern society. Mixing pounding electronic production with GAIKA's impassioned vocals and dub and dancehall influences, "Blasphemer" is a truly unique song.

Now we wait for what's next.

What happens when you pair tender acoustic guitar with the kind of apocalyptic horns heard on "Blood On The Leaves?" BISHOP has an answer for you on "Wild Horses," the titular track off her debut EP.

In short, it works. BISHOP's voice draws you in from the jump, and what feels like a tender ballad makes sudden gains in grit when the chorus hits. "Wild Horses" does a fantastic job of incorporating some seriously disparate influences into a cohesive whole, though don't be surprised if you hear it splintered in the near future—the hook is ripe for sampling and sounds ready for bars to be added to the mix.

If you judged by name alone, you might think Sandra & Julia are another drowsy R&B duo or a twee pop band. No dice.

This is dance music with a decidedly melodic bent—Sandra & Julia are not stingy with the Auto-Tune, and the result is a beautiful atmospheric hook that is soon obliterated by a Neptunes-era hook that demands you "get on the floor."

This is the first SoundCloud posting from the Scandanavian collective, and they're wisely following in the sonic footsteps of their countrymen jj.—minimalism tinged with just enough darkness to keep things interesting. With "Time After Time" just breaking 1,000 plays, now's the time to get familiar with the still-anonymous Sandra & Julia.

We'd be remiss to include Gina Kushka in this list without mentioning Jay Weathers, her producer/partner-in-crime. The two have turned in a couple of sharp, smart tracks in 2015, the most recent coming just a few weeks back.

"Bring It Down" is the more radio-ready of their collaborations, boasting a massive chorus and a darker edge that coincides perfectly with Weathers' drum-heavy drops. But don't sleep on "Mid Air," which dropped two months ago. Kushka's vocal versatility is on full display, and after these two recent tracks, we're ready to hear a lot more from these two.