Desolation Horse - “Everyone Was Incredible”

Cooper Trail, the artist behind the Desolation Horse project, also works as a session drummer and spent much of the last two years touring with fellow Pacific Northwest acts An American Forrest, Bart Budwig and MAITA. He describes his music as “genre soup”, an apt description of this song “Everyone Was Incredible” which is featured on his debut self-titled album that was recorded in both Astoria and the OK Theatre in Enterprise, Oregon. While instrumentally this song delivers a wonderful rhythmic vibe, it’s the depth of Trail’s lyrics and their sincere delivery that stand out and truly resonate.

Sevdaliza - “Rhode”

Sevdaliza is the Iranian-born artist Sevda Alizadeh. She crafts a fuzzy, gothic, trip-hop sound that makes the song “Rhode” a dazzling atmospheric triumph (it’s from her sophomore album “Shabrang”). Alizadeh’s hauntingly beautiful voice soars through this track with such an emotional impact few words are needed.

The Avalanches - “Interstellar Love feat. Leon Bridges”

The electronic duo out of Melbourne, Australia, (Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi) have delivered a truly transcendent love song in “Interstellar Love” with help from the tender vocal style of R&B singer Leon Bridges. “When we were in the studio, I told him (Bridges) the story about Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan and how her love-struck brain waves were sent out into space on the Voyager’s Golden Record. And this song came out of that,” Chater explains. Bridges’ contribution, along with the sample of “Eye In The Sky” by London prog-rock band The Alan Parsons Project, fuses brilliantly with The Avalanches’ signature groove to create something uniquely beautiful.