New Music Friday – Essential New Artists for the True Music Connoisseur

It's New Music Friday again, and there's a plethora of essential new artists for all you music connoisseurs out there. Below we'll outline our curated recommendations.

Most of these picks are included on our Independent Music Worldwide playlist.

Hope - Red Man

Find something more powerful than this for me. Don't worry. I'll wait....it's just not going to happen, is it? Hope comes storming out of the gates like a one-man Rage Against the Machine, or perhaps a more appropriate comparison from across the pond, slowthai. Truth is served up with a side of venom in Hope's hip hop vision, and he's doing a ton along with the folks at Rudegang Entertainment to put Canadian West Coast hip hop and indigenous hip hop on the map.

Watch the "Red Man" music video below:

Stream the full "Red Man" album on Spotify.

Nehedar - Pendulum

Nehedar is a prolific New York indie rock/experimental artist who ventures into dark & insightful territory on the regular. Delve into her albums and you'll find no shortage of immersive songwriting, fearless experimentation, potent lyricism and a riot girl/punk ethos.

Her latest release is "Pendulum", supported by a new lyric video. Watch:

Sluka - Ready to Connect

San Diego progressive alternative rock group Sluka have just dropped a bomb with their new full-length album "Ready to Connect", highly recommended for fans of everyone from David Bowie's 90's and 00's output to the Talking Heads, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, even The Beatles and Coldplay. Sluka's lyrics and music take the listener on an existential, uplifting ride seeking none other than connection with oneself and wonder at what's happening NOW.

Catch the band at their CD Release party as they headline the Soda Bar in San Diego Nov 6th.

Listen to "Ready to Connect" on Spotify.

Watch the music video for "Hey Oh".

RuudAwakening - CATHARSIS

RuudAwakening is a rare sort of artist who I'd put in the high art hip hop category with people like Denzel Curry, who inject vicious intelligence and even spirituality into their music, while at the same time keeping the beats heavy as anvils and run the trap like kingpins. His debut album "CATHARSIS" drops Nov 13. While we can't show you anything from the album yet, treat yourself to one of his prior singles "Nirvana Like Cobain (Prod by Justin Blaze)". Clothing/merchandise for "CATHARSIS" can be purchased in RuudAwakening's online store. I've already got my black tee in the mail.

While we're at it, listen to Denzel Curry's excellent cut "Clout Cobain" from his "TABOO" full-length.

Happy Freuds - Echo of Sounds

Javea, Spain-based quartet Happy Freuds have a busy live schedule in support of their full-length release "Echo of Sounds", an album that finds the band effortlessly incorporating 70's hard rock with 90's alternative, folk, jam band instrumental and even a touch of Radiohead for good measure. Bottom line: they know how to write songs.

Listen to "Echo of Sounds" below.

Bryan Away - Give In

Bryan Away is a truly special find. He's a young artist who creates music with such an intensity that it can stop you in your tracks on first listen. Dissonant, ambient music and a voice that has a McCartney purity to it coalesce into an absorbing listen.

For his new EP, Give In, Bryan Away reached out to James McAlister (known for work with Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Desner) who, impressed by his demos, agreed to produce and perform drums and percussion. The five track project explores personal themes of loss, longing, and isolation over a foundation of intricate guitar work and creative percussion, drawing on influences ranging from Nick Drake to Deerhoof.

Listen to "Give In" below.

Galapaghost - A Planet Without An Atmosphere

Galapaghost is quite an anomaly and a restless musical searcher for the benefit of us all. Each of his albums seem to take us further into space...ambient, atmospheric, isolating at times and so, so beautiful. "A Planet Without An Atmosphere" finds him hitting his stride once again as he turns darkness into grist for the mill, with heady synths and downtempo electronic beats backing his Thom Yorke-esque vocal croon.

Listen below.

Lightning Hunter - Beyond Beyond

Lightning Hunter is essential listening for anyone into Porcupine Tree, Opeth, A Perfect Circle, Interpol, even Soundgarden. Lightning Hunter is a side project of Charles Scandura from the NewYork based band Negativehate. Lightning Hunter's debut release 'Beyond Beyond' is a musical expression forged in the heat of sheer musical passion. The only driving force behind its creation is a love for music and respect for fellow musicians on their concurrent paths.

Listen to "Beyond Beyond" below.

Sarah Schonert - Songs About Sounds

Art Pop artist Sarah Schonert experiments freely on the visionary full-length "Songs About Sounds", highly recommended for fans of artists like Kate Bush and bjork. A strong, original female voice.

Sarah is also an engineer, designer, and painter, often infusing pieces of her career and hobbies into her music and how she presents it to the world. Listen to "Songs About Sounds" below.

Chotto Ghetto - WILDFIRE

Coming to us from Jeff Rossenstock's label Quote Unquote Records, Chotto Ghetto are a unique and completely original entry into the heavy rock canon. The result is something that should appeal to fans of the Mars Volta, Torche and Mastodon to name a few. To quote the label, "Our Los Angeles buddies Chotto Ghetto have been making psychedelic prog-punk-metal for something like fifteen years now! What?! Their latest record is another unique shredder, a loud, anthemic, ambitious, apocalyptic political sci-fi thriller. It's an epic and urgent trip, maaaaan, check it out!!!"

Resurrection Fern - Siren

Resurrection Fern returns with the 3rd single release taken from her upcoming album, and it's her best yet. She brings the stripped down emotional intensity, showing what can be done with an acoustic guitar and some perfectly reverbed vocal harmonies. Listen to "Siren" below.

May Devun - Say the Words

May Devun is a singular talent with a voice that truly compels and a mature songwriting style that delves deep into the universal human psyche. Los Angeles alternative pop/R&B songstress May Devun is a literal powerhouse on upcoming single "Say the Words, due for release Nov 8th. In the meantime, listen to her melismatic vocals on prior single "We Walk Alone".

Jane in Space - "Gorerunner" Visual EP

Presenting Jane in Space's "GORERUNNER (VISUAL EP)" by Permian Strata: a truncated version of all of his music videos for the recent EP Gorerunner, culminating in one bizarre and psychedelic linear story which stupifies the senses. A perfect companion piece to the EP.

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