Kero Kero Bonito: Picture This

London-based based trio Kero Kero Bonito know how to get listeners dancing regardless of what country they’re from, with vocalist Sarah half-rapping in English and Japanese over colorful beats peppered with video game-like samples. Her catchy lyrics are blunt, sometimes bizarre and often hilarious. For instance the Kero Kero Bonito frontwoman gives her account as a girl gamer in “Sick Beat.” “It’s often said I …

Young Fathers: Shame

Edinburgh-based Young Fathers caught the attention of the world in the fall of 2014 when they were given the prestigious Mercury Prize (awarded for the best album of the year from the UK and Ireland) for their debut record Dead. Though categorized as alternative hip-hop, the trio’s eclectic sound spans garage rock, grime and dance music. Danceable yet layered and complex, their latest single “Shame” …

James Place: Sadie’s Tears

In his debut album Living On Superstition, NYC native Phil Tortoroli (under the alter ego James Place) reflects upon his self-ambiguity and anxious demons after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend and quitting his full-time corporate gig. The track “Sadie’s Tears” in particular was finished after one memorable fight where his girlfriend’s cat Sadie kept shrilly meowing for food in the background. “At the time, …