Hamilton Leithauser, an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist,  has done 4 residencies at the famed Carlyle Hotel in New York City.  From 2000 to 2014, Hamilton was the lead vocalist of The Walkmen, with whom he recorded seven studio albums. He said this song, 2020’s “Here they Come,” was about a roommate who ran from his problems by buying a movie ticket in the morning and staying at the theatre all day. We dig it. 

Allison Ponthier is an American indie folk singer and songwriter. Her single “Cowboy”, was named one of the “25 Best Songs by LGBTQ Artists of 2021 (So Far)” by Billboard. We love everything about this song, “Late Bloomer,” it was one of our faves of the week.

“Ponthier invokes Chris Isaak invoking Roy Orbison, Cat Power invoking Peggy Lee, Lana Del Rey invoking every singer David Lynch ever ushered onto the stage of Twin Peaks‘s Bang Bang Bar.”

Los Angeles’ self-proclaimed  premier deathrock acid punks, VR Sex is the latest by Drab Majesty’s Andrew Clinco. His acid punk alias refers to the warped, wicked underworld his songs both chronicle and condemn. This is “Victim or Vixen.”

“So Long” blew our minds. Danielle Ponder is a former public defender-turned-recording artist – yep an actual lawyer – but wait, what a VOICE!! The Rochester, NY native performed for a decade in soul band Black August before deciding she was to go full-force with music. We’re so lucky she has!

“Shock Horror you’re stuck, do you feel like you suck?”

Shelf Lives is singer Sabrina and guitarist/producer Jonny, based in South London but hailing from Toronto and Northampton. “The song ‘Shock Horror’ is a homage to our worst nightmare of a human. An amalgamation of specific traits that are so transparent yet irresistible, in a way. Everyone has met one or has even been one at some point in their lives.”

“Rose Tinted” is the fourth single from indie band Garden Party. They recorded the song at the Motor Museum in Liverpool, and it was mastered at Abbey Road Studios.  Garden Party are a quartet that met at university in Manchester. There’s something about this track that grabs you right away – that melody!

Artist Ada covers CHICAGO’s “24 or 5 to 6.”   Michaela Dippel, a/k/a Ada,  dropped an ultra-limited EP that has already sold out and this track is on it.

Ada is a pop producer, a techno/electropop artist and producer. She has been making music since 1994. As for the origin of her ‘stage name,’  she explains, “I once had an audio-book containing a horror story about a house full of blind zombies. I found the audio-book’s dark, organ-based music really inspiring and it eventually led to the “Blindhouse” 12-inch. In the story, the warden of the blindhouse who had to feed and take care of the zombies was named Ada.”

You’ll find “Invincible” from Omar Apollo and Daniel Caesar in the HOT SPOT this week…

 Omar Apolonio Velasco is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter who records under the name Omar Apollo. He sings in both English and Spanish, and his 16 track debut album, IVORY, is coming out in April on WBR.  If Daniel’s name sounds familiar it’s because he was on the Justin Bieber track PEACHES.

This week we have Miynt in the HOT SPOT with the song “Station station”

Miynt is from Sweden – her real name is Fredrika Ribbing – and she says this particular track is a precursor to her new album, which is n expected in early 2022 e. There was something about this song that reminded us of Chris Isaak’s WICKED GAME

“Duran Duran is celebrating their long-overdue nomination for the Rock Hall with “LAUGHING BOY,” the first in a hattrick of new releases.

“LAUGHING BOY”  is one of three previously-unheard tracks that’ll appear on the digital deluxe edition of Future Past, due out Feb. 11.” – BILLBOARD

Aby Coulibaly‘s “Chamomile Tea” is in the HOT SPOT!

“All I do is chase sleep.” This was my song of the week 

Aby is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Dublin. By performing on online music platforms such as frosted.ie and Boiler Room she crafted followers not on a festival stage but through social media. Smart! She was recently named to the NME 100: essential emerging artists for 2022. She’s definitely one to watch…

“Plastic 100°C” finds Sampha expressing the dread of managing his relationships and his own health, all while balancing the pressures of his growing popularity as a musician.

He may not have felt he accomplished that successfully since he hasn’t released an album since 2017; that album, PROCESS, won the Mercury prize.

This beauty is a journey! Citing inspiration from Detroit-style techno, “Shadows” pairs Jordan Rakei’s voice with Bonobo’s hypnotic production. Bonobo, born Simon Green, is a British musician, producer, and DJ based in Los Angeles. His DJ name is a reference to the Bonobo chimpanzee species AND is nominated this year for a GRAMMY in “Best dance and electronic recording.”

Vocalist Jordan Rakei is a New Zealand-Australian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer currently based in London.

Hot Spot! We loved Bilk‘’s “Billy Big Bollocks,” played on WHOOOSH! 37, and we I love this one too. They’re UK garage band trio and our second artist from Essex on this episode (Blab is the other). We got “Brand New Day” in the Hot Spot and we’re happier for it!

This may be the first time we’ve repeated someone in the Hot Spot! Pa is a Gambian-British rapper. He was born in Slough but his mother sent him back to live in Gambia with his elders until he was 10. Slowthai is Tyron Kaymone Frampton, better known by his stage name Slowthai, is a British rapper. Raised in Northampton, he rose to popularity in 2019 for his gritty and rough instrumentals and raw, politically charged lyrics

We love the African influences in this beat, it kind of felt like being in a club at 3am…

This is a song! This week’s HOT SPOT features the band audiobooks and their track “LaLaLa It’s the Good Life.”  audiobooks is a duo made up of vocalist/visual artist Evangeline Ling and David Wrench This song is off their album ASTRO TOUGH, which came out in October. And do yourself a favour, watch the video!

“Style & Fashion” from Pa Salieu featuring Obongjayer is in this week’s HOT SPOT!

Pa is a Gambian-British rapper who was born in the UK but sent back to live in Gambia by his mother so he could learn with his elders until he was 10. This stretch of his life was vital, as he learned his tribe’s history from his older family members, through song and other mediums. In January 2020 he released his debut single “Frontline”, which was the most played track of 2020 on BBC Radio 1XTRA. His new album is Afrikan Rebel.

 Sinead O’Brien is back in the HOT SPOT once more. Sinead’s an Irish poet, originally from Limerick, now living in London, her work captures mundane everyday observations.  If you read the lyrics, you will see it’s really a poem set to music.

Sinead posted a poem in way of talking about this track:

These verses are glimpses into experience. Girlkind and Humanhood
Persevering eternity.
Balancing, evaluating.
Going back and forth.
Keep forging a way through.

 “Life’s Been Good to Me” is from Ric Wilson and Yellow Days.

Ric is from Chicago, and makes ‘party-ready hip-hop with an intelligent twist,’ Yellow Days is the performance alias of George van den Broek from Surrey and he makes ‘indie-soul-pop tunes.’ Together, they’ve collaborated on collaborative a new EP, Disco Ric In London Town.