Jonah Yano + BADBADNOTGOOD: Nervous

Japan-born, Toronto-based Jonah Yano connects with BADBADNOTGOOD on a track that’s a delightful and seamless combination of their styles. Yano’s raw and relatable lyrics float comfortably atop BBNG’s rainy instrumental—one that employs acid jazz and blues. “Cigarettes make me nervous,” Yano proclaims. And it all burns smoothly until the track slips into a psychedelic spiral around the two-minute mark. Afterward, it picks up right where …

Kassav’: Love and Ka Dance

Best known for popularizing zouk, Kassav’ gets their first album, Love and Ka Dance, reissued with both the original and the rare US version inside the set. This version (out 10 May, on Heavenly Sweetness) also dons new album art—a photograph taken by the late Rudy Jabbour. The title track is a lively summation of the group’s sound which blends cadence rampa, calypso, funk, merengue …

Jae Stephens: Got It Like That

Singer/songwriter/producer Jae Stephens’ “Got It Like That” is a catchy track about self-empowerment (and shrugging off unworthy, would-be suitors) from her forthcoming EP. The track is a dark, electronic-meets-R&B jam—accented with samples of bells, crowds chattering and ticking clocks—and Stephens’ honeyed vocals fit perfectly across its highs and lows.