Miami-based rapper, Brenton Brown took Coldplay‘s “Paradise” and rapped over it. Sound cool? It is. I like that he juxtaposes the sunniness of the track’s chorus with gritty lyrics about a very non-utopian existent. It works well.
MP3: Brenton Brown “Paradise”

Washington DC-based rapper, Tef Wesley just sent me his new track, “Illuminated Skarfaces.” The Grussle-produced beat sounds like something Talib Kweli would have rapped over in the mid-2000s.
MP3: Tef Wesley “Illuminated Skarfaces”

I have really been enjoying Nemysis‘ remix a week project. This week’s remix is of Kanye West and Jay-Z‘s “Gotta Have It.” I do not think an actual acapella is available for this song so he mixes sporadic samples from the track into a heavy dance mix. Check it out.

Nick Gray is this white rapper out of Boston. It might sound mean but he sounds like a white rapper. But what he lacks in swagger, he makes up for in wordplay. He and fellow rapper, Jordan Milano both put forth simile-laden flows over this Sabzi beat.

In April, The 1930′s will release their EP, Flesh and Bones. The latest track leaked from the EP is “Sisters and Brothers.” What it really reminds me of is this band called Ill Lit that I like a bunch but since no one has really heard of Ill Lit, it is probably more productive to compare them to Mumford and Sons.

Icelandic six-piece Of Monsters and Men are preparing to release their their debut album, My Head is an Animal on April 3rd. The album’s first single is “Little Talks.” It reminds me of large indie pop ensembles like I’m From Barcelona.

Once you have blogged about dance music for a while, all the tracks start to sound the same. It takes something special to break out of the pack. I feel like Lancelot‘s new single, “Spoken Word” stands out from the rest. It reminds me of dance music from the turn of the millennium, specifically something off of Rinôçérôse‘ Installation Sonore.

It has been a few months since I heard from South Carolina’s finest but Eddy B & Tim Gunter are back. Their new track is called “Young Superstars.” It is in the same vein as artists likeLupe Fiasco and B.o.B.

Nigerian-born soul singer Nneka is preparing to release her new single “My Home” on March 5th. The track is available now to stream and it is pretty great. It sounds like Macy Gray fronting the Dap Kings. Check it out.

Hampshire, England-based quartet, Cities Of Glass are preparing to release their debut EP on February 13th. The EP’s standout track is “Expect Less.” It sounds like a combination of We Are Scientists! and Minus the Bear.