We’re keeping an eye on British-Nigerian rapper/singer Little Simz, whose empowering track “Woman” landed on our Best Songs of 2021 (So Far) and features another rising star we’re excited about, Cleo Sol.

Little Simz: ‘Woman’ (Feat. Cleo Sol)

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Music

This June we’ll celebrate the 5oth anniversary of the seminal recording by Little Feat with a new deluxe edition of Feats Don’t Fail Me Now, featuring rare and unreleased versions plus outtakes from album sessions as well as a 1975 concert in Paris. Formed in Los Angeles in 1969, this outfit made a tasty stew of blues, country, R&B, and good ole’ rock n’ roll. We’ll share a song you may recognize, which has been sampled and covered by many — it’s an alternate version of the funky classic “Spanish Moon.”

Little Feat: ‘Spanish Moon’ (Alternate Version)

Now that Beyonce released her country album to rave reviews, we’re seeing the buoying effect of her limelight, allowing other women artists to rise with the genre. Canadian artist Kaia Kater shines her love of the banjo with a love letter to her instrument. “In Montreal” is replete with head-spinning experimental rhythms and lyrics about a poet who feels lost and aimless, plus the added bonus of Grenadian-Canadian and Montreal native Allison Russell on vocals.

Kaia Kater: ‘In Montreal’

KCRW host Chris Douridas was heard declaring some fighting words about Suave Bruta, the debut album by French-Colombian double-bassist and singer Ëda Diaz : “I expect to go several tracks deep with airplay on this. My favorite album of 2024 so far. No skips.” That’s a big deal for a DJ who listens to A LOT of music on a daily basis. And we couldn’t agree more. Driven by an expansive cultural spectrum that incorporates a mix of woozy Latin American rhythms and romanticism akin to the writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the album makes it hard to choose just one song, but we’ve settled on “Dulce de Mar.”

Ëda Diaz: ‘Dulce de Mar’

Composer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist are among the descriptors for the artist known as Sly5thAve , who declared that his new album, Liberation, “exploded out of me. I couldn’t write it fast enough.” The result is layered with lush orchestral arrangements, innovative improvisation, and blessed with hip-hop production. Let’s turn to the title track, through which you can hear the meaning of the word.

Sly5thAve: ‘Liberation’

Brooklyn-based indie-popping Yot Club , the creation of Ryan Kaiser, has a new album, Rufus, filled with inner thoughts turned into melodies like “Human Nature,” a toe-tapping earworm fixated on the acceptance of someone you once knew who has now turned into a stranger.

Little Simz: ‘Woman’ (Feat. Cleo Sol)

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