Illustration by Alice Leach and Elliot Burr

Hello y’all and welcome back to Speakeasy Sounds where I will hopefully introduce you to some new artists and flavors of music! I’m truly excited to be back here with y’all. Boy howdy has it been a long year!

A lot has changed since we last saw each other, but let’s keep our heads up and our masks on! I say we cross our fingers, close our eyes and wait for 2020 to be part of the history books. I guess while we’re closing our eyes, why not bump some new to you tunes to get us through?

With that said, let’s get into it!

Fela Kuti (afrobeat)

Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician who was considered to be a pioneer of the Afrobeat genre. He was also known as an activist for his rebellious lyrics against the Nigerian government. He was arrested approximately 200 times before dying in 1997. A very interesting man, with more interesting music.

I would recommend this listen while doing some homework, dishes or a personal dance party!

For this listen, I’ll have you try his song, “Gentleman.” I love this song because it gives me flavors of jazz while delivering the strong taste of afrobeat. For this artist, you can really drop the needle anywhere you want and still get the funk as well as a refreshing non-western sound.

The Murlocs (blues/surf)

Formed in 2011, this band gives us the newer reverb-drenched sound that we all love. This is a perfect listen for fans of Mac Demarco or Beach Fossils. Definitely a perfect fit for a long drive, The Murlocs keep it simple and interesting, soadd it to your next roadtrip playlist!

While you’re adding to your playlist be sure to add The Murlocs’ “Lonely Clown,” my personal favorite song of theirs. You’ll find this song on their solid album, “Loopholes.” Like I said, perfect driving music. Start the car, turn on this album and get lost!

Steve Lacy (neo soul/alt r&b)

Steve Lacy gives us a liquid sounding guitar that runs through the soul while his singing delivers soft, flowy vocals. He also mixes a majority of his music on his phone! He is a great listen all around. I would recommend listening to Lacy while making dinner at home or the like.

For Steve Lacy, I am going to suggest one of my favorite songs in general that always gets stuck in my head! “Dark Red” is a hit, and when you listen to it once, you might be urged to just start it from the beginning again.

Interestingly, Steve Lacy has worked with Kendrick Lamar in the past and co-produced Lamar’s song “PRIDE.” Give “PRIDE.” another listen and see if you can spot Lacy’s flow!

Well that will about do it for this Speakeasy Sounds. I hope you enjoy your new music, and I will be working on finding your next favorite artist!

I will also be talking about movies in my new blog “In The Queue.”I will have a theme for each movie blog as well as recommendations! Be sure to keep an eye (and an ear) out for both blogs!

Alrighty– thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you next time!