Best New Artists of the Month

Finding new artists is easier than ever, but this creates a problem: it's harder than ever to filter through it all and keep tabs on what's really good. With so many artists popping up every day, it's impossible not to miss out on some fresh faces and new sounds.

With that in mind, we'll be highlighting our favorite new acts each month. Here are the best new artists of August.

At the beginning of this month, Gus Dapperton released his Yellow and Such EP. The four-song release is led by "I'm Just Snacking," a reedy, heartsick ballad that has earned the young singer the affections of blogs worldwide. The rest of Yellow and Such is certainly worth a listen, but "Snacking" is a hit, displaying both Dapperton's emotive vocals and—in the video—his sartorial intuition. This is a man with an instantly recognizable style—best to familiarize yourself now. 

Zalma Bour is on a bit of a hot streak, having released three songs in as many months. The latest is "Cleanslate," a heady, angry combination of gloomy synths and Bour's impeccable falsetto. The L.A.-based singer has a debut album coming later this summer.

"I’ve never written a song like 'Cleanslate' before but I’ve also never been put in a position to," Zalma told us. "This song was an important step for me because it helped get me out of the funk I was in. I finally gave myself space to just say what I felt unfiltered. For me, it's an ode to the people that are 'too nice' to have a moment to be not-so-nice. Thank God I don't feel like this anymore and I hope that whoever connects to this feels empowered to move on from whatever situation that is bringing them down."

"On My Way" is a hit. It's the standout track from Reo Cragun's impressive debut mixtape Growing Pains and introduces us to an artist with something special. Washington-bred and now L.A.-based, Cragun's style varies from melodic rap to the soaring singing that grabbed our attention on "On My Way." And that video? It is, in a word, epic. 

"In my opinion, the brightest lights come from dark places, and the music is sometimes a reflection of that," Reo told us. "I document those personal life events in the music not only because it's therapy for me, but in the hopes that it'll help other people get through things that they're facing. Acts like Linkin Park and Kid Cudi did that for me as a kid, and I feel that it's my calling to do the same."

Read our interview with Reo Cragun here.

"YOU" is pure pop perfection. Morgan Saint's vocals glitter over muted electronic production, caroming off the cheery synths and swelling bass with a nonchalance that oozes cool—and to top it all off, "YOU" is her debut track. The New York singer is an artist in the broadest sense, having attended Parsons School of Design to study fashion and design. The striking, magnetic video for "YOU" showcases her range of talent. "When I think of myself as an artist, or a maker," Saint told us, "I sort think of myself as a storyteller. I would feel totally limited if I could only tell my stories through sound."

Her upcoming EP is called 17 HERO—but for now, get familiar with "YOU."

Myke Bogan's been around the block—he's multiple albums deep at this point—but we first became familiar through his work with The Last Artful, Dodgr. Theirs is a bottled, intense energy full of murky beats and sly punchlines. It works beautifully on Dodgr's album Bone Music, released earlier this year. Now it's Bogan's turn—his new album Pool Party is out now, and the Portland local has only gotten better with time. 

There's an inviting bounce to songs like "Take the Nite Off" and the Michael Christmas collab "Gravy," but he's really hitting on "Top Gun," another Dodgr collab that drones and pulses like a didgeridoo while Bogan's slurry raps paint pictures. 

"I always set out to write songs like The Beach Boys or Gram Parsons but they end up sounding like Daniel Johnston if he was a cyborg. A lot of the time my friends call it lo-fi, but I hate when people say that because it's almost become directly proportional with laziness and poor song writing. I took a lot of acid when I was 18."

This was Arthur's answer when we asked him how he'd describe his sound, and it really is the most apt explanation out there. His Challenger EP is out now on Vegyn's PLZ Make It Ruins label, and it's an experimental, psychedelic take on pop music.

With the internet and branding becoming such a big deal nowadays, new rap submissions often seem to fall somewhere between some kid with a somewhat creative brand and borderline unbearable music, or someone with no brand at all who can rap well.

Just Mills doesn't fit either of those molds. He has a solid ear for production and manages to balance poise and aggression over every track he raps on. After releasing his debut album earlier this year it's hard to deny that he has the tools to thrive in this industry. "Pressure" is absolutely insane and would be a great starting point for anyone who hasn't caught wind of Just Mills yet. 

Writing a song is a surefire way to exorcize some demons or sing out some stress. Usually that involves a (human) significant other, but Omar Apollo was dealing with anxiety from a different place on "brakelights."

"I didn't even plan on making a song about my car, I just sort of freestyled it when I was listening to the beat. It came out of me naturally so I guess I subconsciously wanted to talk about it," he told us. Mellow vibes abound—"brakelights" really sounds like an old car sputtering on a highway, but in the most endearing way possible. What's immediately evident is Apollo's skills as a songwriter and musician, and he's been keeping consistent with regular releases of new music, too.

Learn more about Omar Apollo here.

There's no denying that R&B has been excellent lately, and New York native Mac Ayres is one of the latest reasons why. The singer, producer, and musician showcases his range of talent and influence on his debut EP Drive Slow. At only 20 years old, Ayres delivers a soulful sound beyond his years while still managing to make it all sound modern.

Drive Slow offers a blend of R&B, soul, jazz, and hip-hop that complements Ayres' soothing vocals perfectly. He has the ability to win over any new listener with just one quick listen, and shows the potential to do bigger things in the near future. Mac Ayres is offering a soulful sound that feels refreshing and much needed at the moment.

Learn more about Mac Ayres here.