Davis Evanoff – “Swelling”: The experimental electronic artist returns with a standalone single that lives up to its name, with melodies and production that, well, swell. There are some interesting moments of vocal distortion and manipulation that at first come across as abrupt, but make sense in retrospect. With the release of this song, Davis is preparing to translate his immersive style into live performance… I am intrigued. Artwork by National Medal of the Arts recipient Ann Hamilton, courtesy of Ann Hamilton Studio.

Lui – “Silence”: Within seconds, I get a distinct impression that this would be good song to have playing on an evening walk, preferably afterdark near a body of water. Eerie, sparse piano contrasted with unassuming acoustic guitar provides a compelling backdrop for the third release by the blues-inspired alt pop artist. The way the vocals are brought to the front of the mix in the penultimate chorus is quite effective and conveys a demand to pay attention to what she’s saying.

ZAMPKAMP – “California Freakin”: Man, what an unexpected thrill this single is! Grungy guitars punch you in the face right out of the gate, in a manner reminiscent of Royal Blood or The Blue Stones. The SoCal transplant from Columbus, OH, Zack Kramp, is venturing out on his own musically for the first time, and the result is pretty dang satisfying. I’m still salty I missed running into him at Desert Daze last fall. Perhaps he should just play. Too soon to make a recommendation?

HOLOMVMT – “Kintsugi”: Proggy metalcore with gnarly breakdowns and tapping galore? Sign me the heck up. This is only the second single from the Ohio outfit. The vocals are pretty darn smooth and lend a striking contrast to the instrumentals. Another standout element is just how crisp the track sounds. If a hearing impaired guy (me) says a song is crisp… that’s a good thing.

Silent Planet – “:Signal:”: Surprise! Silent Planet, the metalcore band known for footnotes galore in their lyrics, has a new single for us. The atmospheric track pummels at opportune moments, making the aggression feel multiplied when executed. The time signatures here are enough to make any music theory connoisseur’s head spin. This is a brutal listen in a most cathartic way.

Find all of the above and more on our New and Nifty Playlist: