Buffalo, NY DJ Dstar’s profile has certainly been rising in the electronic scene over the last year. Here, with an assist from Ann Arbor, MI DJ Benzi (rust belt connect!) Dstar takes that next step with a strong remix of The Cataracs’ Kaskade-sampling “All You” from earlier this year.
Dstar 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
We love The Soft Pack. The San Diego band much anticipated 2nd LP Strapped is only about five weeks out now (due Sept. 25). Second single “Tallboy” finds the band exploring a maybe more soulful side of their sound (organ, horns, syncopated melodies and rhythms) which we are totally loving. We’d rather listen to The Soft Pack than just about any other American rock band right now.
The Soft Pack 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
Kandle sends out a playful-anti-social s.o.s. on “Play With Fire”. The young songstress from Montreal graces her melodic and folky psych-rock with all the attitude of its architects. Get familiar with Kandle below.
Kandle 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
Inspired by a trip to the artic ghost town of Piramida, just a 1000km from the North Pole, Efterklang have a produced this rather grand first cut from their forthcoming album going by the same name. The results from sounds created with impressive findings like this, plus contributions from a number of other artists including a 60-piece girls’ choir, are somewhat impressive. The accompanying video for “Hollow Mountain” is directed by Oodls and is equally so… enjoy.
Piramida will be out on 4AD & Rumraket on September 24th and can be pre-ordered here. By Nathan Hetherington
Efterklang 
(Bandcamp)
Rating 8.3
The famed Italian DJ gets Curiosity Rover type-galactic with Spector’s “Never Fade Away”. Martians get down, we get down.
Spector – Never Fade Away (Benny Benassi Remix)Benny Benassi 
(Official) (Facebook)
Rating 8
Talented UK producer and Ellie Goulding-collaborator (he co-wrote 5 of the tracks on her Lights LP) Starsmith offers up latest track “Zeros”. “Zeros” is an approx. six minute barrage of cascading arpeggio walls and chunky big time beats that marks another sharp entry on the resume of this burgeoning producer.
Starsmith – ZerosStarsmith 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
London duo (and couple…ooh la la) Young Romance (I can’t believe there wasn’t a new wave band or something in the 80’s that had this name!) sound at least instrumentally ripped straight from 1980’s Manchester; melodic bass, glassy sounding guitars – all the touchstones are there. Melodically, YR sound more modern with frontwoman Claire sort moving in out of a dynamic cast of voices that remind at times of La Roux and at others of maybe Lykke Li. Check out the duo’s latest offering “Break My Heart By Morning” below.
Young Romance (Facebook)
Rating 8.2
Japan-born SoCal-raised GRMLN a/k/a/ Yoodoo Park’s breezy new “Coral” is excerpted here from his forthcoming debut EP “Explore”, due on Carpark 23rd Oct. Park has captured on “Coral” a perfect distillation of that special seaside Southern California shine. Happy summer.
GRMLN – CoralGRMLN (Facebook)
Rating 8.2
DJ Khaled dropped three not one, not two (crazy Khaled), but THREE new tracks from his upcoming Kiss The Ring LP on Funkmaster Flex’s show tonight. The J. Cole-produced Kendrick and K.R.I.T.-featuring “They Ready” is the easy standout of the trio. Get a sample below. p.s. Khaled you misspelled K.Dot’s first name on the single artwork. K-E-N-D-R-I-C-K.
DJ Khaled – They Ready (Feat. J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Kendrick Lamar)DJ Khaled 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
Grammy-nominated songwriter (John Legend’s “Save Room” “PDA” & “Heaven”, Fantasia, Ledisi) Jessy Wilson fires an emphatic sortee of her own with new single “Heartbreaker”. The classic soul-driven driven song gets the requisite updating in the rhythm track and arrangement to make it palatable to R&B radio but the melodies, hook & feel are all deep in the pocket of the best minor-keyed lovelorn soul.
Jessy Wilson – HeartbreakerJessy Wilson (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
The Raider Klan general dropped off a little something new today in the form of the spooky a.f. “Black Swamp”. The b3sci crew have been doing the “Creepy Walk” (which looks something like praying mantis hands combined with the way Dick Dastardly sort of hobbles about like he’s got a serious lower back problem) all day to this joint.
SPACEGHOSTPURRP – Black SwampSPACEGHOSTPURRP (Facebook)
Rating 8.1
The French Express winning streak continues with the soulful sounds of “If U Got It” of New York artist Chris Malinchak. “If U Got It” comes nicely equipped with all the right upgrades and accouchements to ride out deep into the late summer.
Chris Malinchak (Facebook)
Rating 8.0
