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2. If you like Purity Ring, listen to Kill J.
Kill J's music comes at you with a barrage of synths and upbeat rhythms that tickle your eardrums with an infectious insistence. But the Danish singer's voice is the real star of the show—Kill J has serious range, and she'll often jump an octave (or two) when you least expect it.
"You're Good But I'm Better" is her most recent release, and it represents a level up for the singer. She's more playful on this cut, sampling that unique voice into the beat itself and delivering a gorgeous earworm of a chorus. It's this kind of booming production and catchy hooks that took Purity Ring from Canada's wintry tundra to world tours.
4. If you like old M.I.A., listen to Georgia.
Georgia's music is tough. You wouldn't know it by her voice, which is quite friendly and warm on songs like "Kombine." But that's not all Georgia can do.
She's a collage artist first, piecing together disparate sounds and samples to create an electronic aesthetic that is as melodic as it is gritty and cutting. Her self-titled debut album is one of the best electronic releases of the year—songs like "Move Systems" and "Nothing Solutions" display the awesome breadth of sounds and ideas at Georgia's disposal.
Don't sleep on the lyrics either—she may be young, but Georgia is displaying an emotional depth and barefaced intimacy that is striking, and her DIY aesthetic and raw intensity recalls M.I.A. circa Arular.
6. If you like Allan Kingdom, listen to Finding Novyon.
On the surface, there are a lot of similarities between Minneapolis artists Finding Novyon and Allan Kingdom. They are from the same city, roll with emerging crews (Novyon's is The Rotation, Kingdom's The Stand4rd), and they even collaborated on Novyon's memorable “Lots.”
That being said, a deep listen to Finding Novyon and his #TheFoodNetwork mixtape reveals a myriad of influences that extend far beyond the Twin Cities. You can hear strains of Kid Cudi and Mick Jenkins breaking through on tracks like "Don't Worry" and "Looking For Me." The tape has everything from Jay Z samples to Star Wars references, but it's all held together by the glue of Novyon's absolute mastery of his flow and jazzy beat selections. Novyon is still finding himself (as his artist name indicates), but he's well on his way.
8. If you like Halsey, listen to Transviolet.
Halsey is a star, with legions of devoted fans who have bought into her image, her attitude, and, most importantly, her music. "New Americana" is a youthful, rebellious anthem with a huge hook, and Transviolet's own song "New Bohemia" has a similar feel. Beyond the similarities in name, "New Bohemia" is just a really well written pop song, maybe the band's first steps on a path that will end up being similar to Halsey's.
9. If you like Gucci Mane, listen to Section Boyz.
Due to the content of his music, and maybe his appearance and reputation, many people dismiss or totally overlook Gucci Mane's actual talent as a rapper. He tells tales about his life on the ATL streets with a mixture of grim realism and a unique eye for strange little details ("So much stacks up in my closet I can’t even see my clothes/And my belly gettin’ so big, I can hardly see my toes"), and buzzing UK rap crew Section Boyz have similar attributes.
Yes, they're spitting about selling drugs and getting girls over hard-hitting beats, but each MC has their own style and there's a sense that they're having fun rapping even as they deliver dark subject matter. Whether you like Gucci Mane or not, you've got to check out Section Boyz and their latest project Don't Panic, which is brilliant top to bottom.
11. If you like Mikky Ekko, listen to Tor Miller.
Mikky Ekko is a fantastic songwriter. With Rihanna's "Stay," he proved that he could turn that skill into mainstream appeal, but his solo music is a little more indie-leaning. The songs are still hook-centric, catchy, and instantly likable, but they're not dumbed down and obvious like a lot of radio-pandering pop. 20-year-old Tor Miller from New York has the potential to master this balance as well, and he's on Glassnote Records (CHVRCHES, Phoenix), the perfect place for accessible music with an indie twist.
Related: Best New Aritsts (September 2015)
12. If you like Chance the Rapper, listen to Smino.
St. Louis artist Smino has been at it for a while, first popping up last year with down-tempo grooves like “Smellin Like A Re-Up.” Smino's ability to swing between singing and rapping has drawn some well-deserved comparisons to Chance.
But the comparisons aren't just musical—Smino's last release was produced in Chicago, using the same booths that recorded Acid Rap (Classick Studios). The resulting EP is called S!CK S!CK S!CK, a tornado of rapid-fire rhymes over glitchy, shimmering beats provided by Monte Booker.
Smino has the ability to evoke potent feelings of nostalgia, but they're not always the warm fuzzies that Chance prefers. Smino's music has an edge that sometimes makes Vic Mensa a more apt comparison, and you can hear it clearly on tracks like "Ballet."
13. If you like The Strokes, listen to sjowgren.
Three months after its release, sjowgren's "seventeen" is still in heavy rotation. Calling it a song hardly does the track justice—"seventeen" is a feeling, the promise of warmth, nostalgia, and apprehensive hope that comes at the beginning of every summer.
It may be the only song on their SoundCloud that's not a demo (though those demos are definitely worth checking out), but sjowgren has us ready for more. This kind of straight ahead rhythm-rock hasn't been done so well since The Strokes were screaming about New York City cops.
14. If you like Cozz, listen to Ta'East.
Get used to the name Ta’East. Already a presence on Benji B’s BBC 1 Radio show and cosigned by big names like Virgil Abloh to Travis Scott, the Kentucky-bred rapper has started to deliver a sound that will turn a lot of heads.
His hot single “WithTheShit” is building more buzz by the day, and if you’re a fan of the technical skills and charisma of Dreamville’s Cozz, Ta’East will be a great addition to your daily rotation.
15. If you like Ryan Hemsworth, listen to Lund.
Lund is here for his fans. The producer has a fast-growing presence on SoundCloud, where new tracks are frequently accompanied by his "luv u all" sendoff. His piano-driven songs are composed with a soft touch, pairing modern percussion with tender-hearted chords that provide the perfect backdrop for the lovelorn sentiments felt on "Alone" and "Chemistry."
It's very much in the style of what fellow internet lord Ryan Hemsworth has been doing with his Secret Songs releases and his upcoming Taking Flight EP with Lucas. For both artists, it feels like the compassion is real, and the sounds are at a perfect level of synthetic stimulation.
17. If you like Young Thug, listen to Justin Rose.
The landscape of popular rap is changing. While you don't want to alienate listeners by being completely unintelligible, artists like Young Thug have proved that melody can be as important as lyrics.
Justin Rose found the sweet spot on his latest single, “She Movin’.” The Queens rapper grumbles mean, gritty raps over some piano that sounds straight out of a horror movie, and weaves in some hypnotic melodies too. This is just the first of song we've heard off Rose’s upcoming Water White mixtape—we'll be here with the rest as soon as it drops.
18. If you like Animal Collective, listen to altopalo.
"I've been down all today since you told me that my dog was dead. Too bad." So starts "chagrinning," the closest thing Brooklyn rhythm-breakers altopalo have to a single. The lyric encompasses a lot about the band—they have a sense of humor that makes their weighty musical ambitions easy to digest, even when the skittering, crashing production verges on apocalyptic.
But it's not all polyrhythms and noise—any of altopalo's songs is liable to break into a catchy hook at any given moment (see: "hahsnheads"). In between those moments they can sound like everything from Arca to Animal Collective, but it's the latter that really shines through as a positive influence. This is math rock for the 21st century, and altopalo is providing real moments of beauty between time signatures.
20. If you like The Kooks, listen to Viola Beach.
For modern music, upbeat Brit rock has always been in a class by itself. There's something about those jangly guitars and the tight instrumentation that hits you right in the feels. The way singers like Luke Pritchard (The Kooks) and Jay Jay Pistolet (The Vaccines) spit out their lyrics is contagious, and it's hard to keep your heartbeat down when they come through the speakers.
You can almost hear the fun they're having, and that's certainly the case with Viola Beach. They may only have one song out at the moment, but "Swings and Waterslides" is as giddy, raucous, and rollicking as the title suggests.
