The first lady of TDE, SZA puts in a sultry smooth vocal on that deep molasses XXYYXX “About You” sample with new one “Child’s Play”. SZA is GREAT on the track but Chance‘s easy/breezy ride-the-offbeats flow hits the instrumental in a most incredible way. Don’t miss this one. The “Z” EP from SZA is coming April 8.
SZA (Facebook)
Rating 8.0
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The R&B-flavored indie pop of Dutch-born Young & Sick finds its latest iteration in the rhythmically swaggering and neatly-layered “Heartache Fetish”. Y&S’ s/t debut for Harvest Records is due on April the 8th.
Young & Sick 
(Tumblr)
Rating 8.0
Sivu dropped yesterday the excellent new single “Can’t Stop”; as an addendum to the release is this very good brooding but intimate and emotionally bare version of Nirvana’s Nevermind entry “Dumb”.
Sivu 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Their World of Joy album drops here in the US on Tuesday. Lead Howler Jordan Gatesmith likes to describe their punk and 60’s/70’s influenced music as “bratty”, and this sophomore collection is somewhat brattier than their America Give Up debut. While he wrote the songs for the first album, this follow-up is more of a collaborative group effort. “Al’s Corral” provides a hot, hard, and hooky album opener. If you recognize traces of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”, you’re spot on as Jordan admits to borrowing from that classic. These guys are a major entity in the UK. They will tour the UK and Europe for the next few weeks. After only playing a few US dates last time around, they look to hit a US harder this time around. See them at a venue near you sometime soon. Reviewed by Bruce Rave
Howler – Al’s Corral* Links and playlists from Rave’s weekly new music show can be found on his blog and be sure follow Bruce on Twitter too!
Aussie ex-pat Plastic Plates debuts the sultry sweet new house tones of “Nothing Like You”; the title track from Mr. Plates upcoming two track EP for Club Sweat.
Plastic Plates 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.8
London UK’s Cloud Boat follow up their impressive break-out track “Youthern” with the equally strong “Carmine”. On the new track, melancholy-dipped melodies buoyed up by some stunning both vocal and instrumental harmonic voicings build cinematically to a heart-wringing and quite effective stable of chorus hooks. The arrow for Cloud Boat is firmly pointed upward.
Cloud Boat (Facebook)
Rating 8.4
So I heard you like Radiohead? Outside of his lordship Thom Yorke, the Earl of Oxford, we’re maybe the most pumped bros on planet Earth right now for The Acid. “featuring dark hand-to-chest pulsating electronics and the sort of muscular rhythmic fits and starts that could sit comfortably on a later days Portishead track. As well as being very good, “Creeper” adeptly hits that critic-baiting nexus of darkness, mysteriousness, and UK beats band-ness. “Creeper” is excerpted here from The Acid’s just announced debut Liminial, out June 2 on Infectious.
The Acid (Soundcloud)
Rating: 8.3
DC’s Lightwaves fix-up The X-Ambassadors featuring single from The Knocks “Comfortable” with a spotless new yacht disco sheen perfect for cruising. Get your sophisticated deckside sample below.
Lightwaves 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.4
London Grammar producer bro Dominic “Dot” Major marks a rare tally in the remix column on this UK beats remix of Josh Record‘s excellent “For Your Love”. For the mix, Dot selects for a blend of very current new wave-y R&B percussion (half one) morphing it mid-song into dark neo-D&B.
Josh Record (Facebook)
Rating: 8.3
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