Zumo Kollie's slick wordplay is the stuff of dreams. Hailing from Providence, RI, he goes deep with a seamless flow and a deft ability to effortlessly discharge his consciousness. On 'It Was On My Mind', backed by slap'n'pop bass, jazzy keys and funky-as-hell horns (production courtesy of D-Man), he already sounds like a superstar: 'everything black and white / so on the average night / catch me wearing ray-bans / avoiding the camera lights', and so he should — he's the best rapper I've heard in a loooooong time. 'It Was On My Mind' is taken from Last Showing, his new LP released on July 11.
Kauf (alter-ego of LA-based DJ Robert Kaufman) is another one of these shady electronic figures. His musical endeavours are so far encapsulated in only two 5-min-ish tracks: 'Relocate', a bareskinned bassy soul-pop number, and 'When You're Out', another soulful one which kinda brings Miike Snow to mind. They both exude a nostalgic awesomeness, and haven't really been off my stereo today. Listen below and expect big things.
Completing an all-American trio this week we have Country Mice, a band from Brooklyn who create a retro fusion of Crazy Horse-via-White Stripes country rock. Tunes like 'Festival' are just so damn cool I can't get over it. Riffage coming out their ears, this band certainly know how to rock out (see band member playing guitar with cymbal here). A debut LP entitled Twister was released on Monday via Wao Wao Records. You can hear the whole thing over at Spinner right now. It's fab.
