The Mighty Mocambos, "In The Dark"
Funk group out of Hamburg, German, the Mighty Mocambos have excellent taste in guest artists, and consistently delightful percussion. Hell, they have a side line as a steel drum band. This song comes from Showdown, which is an excellent collection of tunes.
Zeal and Ardor, "Waste"
We just had a post-black metal band, and here's another. As you can hear, Zeal and Ardor certainly make use of plenty of the markers of black metal, but marry it to African American spirituals, to create something new from the genre. This kind of blending is super interesting, and I'd like to see it more often.
Young Fresh Fellows, "Love Is A Beautiful Thing"
It's Low Beat Time was the last album that the band made before a hiatus, and it shows all the signs of a band that needed a break. There are plenty of fun songs on it, and it's certainly enjoyable overall, but it's also clearly a step back from the last several albums and is also kind of a mess. McCaughey would start making records with the Minus 5, and would triumphantly return to making records with the Young Fresh Fellows with the excellent Because We Hate You (half of a double record with the Minus 5).
Duett, "Physical"
At some point last year, I decided that I should probably check out some synthwave. I mean, I like electro-funk, I grew up in the 80s, seems like I might like it! I found a roundup, bought some records, and the verdict: it's fine! Perfectly pleasant! I mostly can't remember it when I'm done listening to it!
Wu-Tang Clan, "The City"
This track has that classic high/low thing the RZA does, with that accordion-sounding synth line and rattling bass, an approach that always gets me jazzed.