As per ushe (we’re assuming that’s how you spell an abbreviation of ‘usual’ but we could see it going a number of ways—uzsh? Yoosh? Something with an umlaut?)—anyway, as per üzsch, this month’s mixtape is pretty evenly split between new-to-us artists we’re excited to share for the first time and favorites who are back with notable new music.
In the former category, we’re starting with someone who’s new to us, but maybe not other listeners—Shungudzo, AKA Alexandra Govere, the Zimbabwe-born philanthropist, singer, songwriter, record producer, gymnast (1999 All-Africa Games), journalist, and reality television (Real World: San Diego, 2011), who, in addition to co-founding a non-profit that supports orphans living with AIDS, wrote a pretty excellent single, “Paper”, which both starts our mix out and can be heard in her pretty stellar video for the track below (directed by Carlo Corbellini). She’s pretty much the female version of that most interesting man in the world guy. Like the lion’s share of creatives in the US now, she currently lives in Los Angeles; that isn’t bragging on our parts, just cold science and astute observation, man.
Other, likely less accomplished new artists we’re featuring this mix include Sydney electronic artists Clypso; Liza Anne out of Georgia/Nashville, who gives us a catchy, rocking track with a sentiment with which I think most of us can identify; South Australia’s Heaps Good Friends, with a song about hugging; Leeds electronic pop duo Litany and then two more groups from across the pond, London electronic duo APRE and the sweeping, dramatic four piece Dahlia Sleeps, also out of London. Then closing things out, we’ve got a beautifully stripped down song by Graham Van Pelt (FKA Miracle Fortress) out of Toronto.
Returning favorites include Norwegian Angeleno Mr Little Jeans, who we interviewed a few years back; Art School Girlfriend (AKA Polly Mackey) out of the seaside town of Margate in southeast England; Melbourne duo Oh Pep! with some peppy pop; NYC via Columbia band Salt Cathedral; the always amazing Lorely Rodriguez, known more widely by the moniker Empress Of, who just moved from NYC to her native Los Angeles (told you); Stockholm trio Peter Bjorn and John, who are back with their eighth studio full-length; and badass English rapper Simbiatu “Simbi” Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, better known by her stage name Little Simz (“I’m Jay-Z on a bad day”).
Enjoy, and happy fall, y’all (currently mid-80s in LA, by the way).
