Black Pumas — “I’m Ready”

This band emerged from the Texas music scene in 2017 after a chance meeting of guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada and singer Eric Burton (a friend of Quesada’s discovered Burton performing on the streets of Austin). Since then, the duo has rapidly blazed a successful trail by developing a style rooted in the eight-track era of ’70s psychedelic funk and cultivating it for the streaming generation. On the Black Pumas new single, “I’m Ready,” Quesada’s dynamic arrangement gives the song vitality. But it’s Burton’s soulful vocals, courtesy of a youth spent performing in church and musical theater, that complete the sound and make the song irresistible.

Cardioid — “False Starts”

Cardioid is the creation of multi-faceted LA by way of Portland artist Lizzy Ellison (formerly of Radiation City). “False Starts” comes from the group’s forthcoming EP, due out later this summer. The song starts out as an exploration of dream pop, but expands way beyond that as it grows. Ellison allows the delicate power of her vocals to carry the song with soaring elegance until transitioning the track into a bonafide indie pop hit.

Dylan Cartlidge — “Yellow Brick Road”

Young musician Dylan Cartlidge was featured in a 2018 BBC documentary series about the people of North Yorkshire, England. In the “The Mighty Redcar” British viewers got an intimate look at the birth of the artist’s career right before he signed his first recording contract. Three years later, we all get the privilege of hearing the finished product. On his new single, “Yellow Brick Road,” there are seemingly no boundaries of genre to limit his talent. Cartlidge delivers a unique, slightly screeching vocal with a hip-hop flow that showcases his carefree spirit. The music joins in on the fun with a carnival of instrumentation nearly as engaging as the vocals.