MTV IGGY

Elli Ingram took the blogosphere by storm when she dropped her sultry cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Poetic Justice” earlier this year. With said track accumulating over 400,000 hits online, it would seem Miss Ingram has a lot to live up to with her new track, “Mad Love.” But after hearing the first thirty seconds of the soul-laden, sax-led number, it’s safe to say she’s got it on lock.

Drums Of Death has been killing dancefloors for a while now. Having remixed tracks for acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Tricky, and Peaches, the Scottish producer is now gearing up to release his first official single, “True,” via the hottest dance label around, Black Butter Records, on July 14. DOD’s groovy, garage-infused house beat finds comfort in Yasmin’s alluring vocals, making “True” the latest bubbler for the upcoming summer days.

The moment is upon us! The hailstorm of clicking is nigh! Behold: Five formidable musical acts from around the world, arrayed before you in the form of an online poll. You must vote for one to become artist of the week. One will be victorious! Four … will not be.  You have until next Friday morning at 11 a.m. EST when the winner will at last be declared! And now … we begin!

DJ Smurphy

Jessica Smurphy aka DJ Smurphy first four-track EP #SMURPHWAVE is acid house that’s full of sex and craving, like Shirley Manson on E. But because her voice isn’t as strong as Manson’s, her bedroom wails come off as love letters from an e-stalker. This is definitely an intentional vibe as a frequent tag added to Smurphy’s tracks is “troll house.” The theme of trolling comes up both figuratively as internet trolling but also in her frequent fashion accessory, troll dolls. What’s refreshing about DJ Smurphy isn’t just sexual liberation and yearning trance music, but also eye-winking camp that’s earnest, but doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Ulises Hadjis

Ulises Hadjis already has a list of accomplishments in his back pocket even though he’s far from a household name. He’s been nominated for four Latin Grammys: one for his work as a sound engineer in 2007 and three for his sophomore album, Cosas Perdidas, released in 2012. That album perfectly encapsulates the Venezuelan singer-songwriter’s niche: wooly soft-rock melodies, poetic lyricism, and thoughtful poptimism. Hadjis’ debut album from 2010, Presente, was more acoustic and flirted with bluesy folk. It’s lovely in its own right, but Cosas Perdidas only enhances his sound with a dose of springtime.

Lion Sitte

Born in Madrid of Equatoguinean parents, Spanish-language dancehall artist Lion Sitté is the product of that history, and it’s something he channels into his signature flavor of rootsy dancehall. Over one-drop beats, Lion Sitté flows expertly in a throaty baritone reminiscent of Damian Marley, occasionally deviating into the R&B/hip-hop territory. There’s a real lack of artists in the Spanish-speaking world doing what Lion Sitté is doing: that tasty, old-school dancehall. Expect to see this guy appear on your reggae radars in short order.

Lower

Copenhagen’s Lower have forsaken the frivolity of youth for a far gloomier outlook. The world is derelict and damned on Walk on Heads, the band’s debut EP. But their apathy comes from disgust, not passive ignorance. In every brooding beat there is an audible distaste for the state of things, whether personal or universal. They’re a lot like Lydia Lunch, however, in that they’re contrarians, and dissent is more than a fashionable pose.

Tawiah

British-Ghanaian singer Beverly Tawiah (who sings as Tawiah) doesn’t emulate the soul of the past, but rather keeps true to herself in today’s moment. She sings of self-examination, companionship, and enjoying life in her buttery voice. Songs from FREEdom DROPreference everything from ethereal electronica, to acoustic hip-hop, to the New Wave ska of “SWEET me.”

Who is Dornik? Well, all I can tell you is that he’s from London, he was Jessie Ware’s drummer, and he’s a bloody good singer! Like most of today’s alternative acts upon arrival, PMR-signed Dornik wanted his introduction to be solely about the music, which is why there are no press pictures, no biography – nothing. But what his debut single, “Something About You,” tells us is that his melodic R&B swag is worthy of a seat next to The Weeknd and Frank Ocean. What more do you need to know?

Congratulations to Wolf Alice! The London rockers are our Artist of the Week and are accorded bragging rights in perpetuity. You voted the quartet artist of the week after we named bandleader Ellie Roswell one of the top five women saving British rock. (We feel the dudes have been slacking a bit recently.)

Listen to their rad jam “Bros” and see why, with only a few tracks to their name, they are filling hearts with noise.

Newly signed to Kaya Kaya Records, Rejjie Snow will release his 5-track EP, Rejovich – which was initially meant to be his debut album – through the XL Recordings imprint on June 24. The first single from it is “Loveleen,” a downbeat, piano-led number in which the Irish rapper tells the story of a young man who gets his life cut short due to his worldly ways. Check out the heartstring-puller below.

Manchester’s Murkage Cartel are known for throwing cool parties, and making dope bootlegs to play at their parties. Recently, though, they received the official nod from The D.O.T., aka The Streets’ Mike Skinner and The Music’s Rob Harvey, for their dreamy, house-meets-garage reworking of the indie-pop outfit’s new “Blood, Sweat & Tears” single. And, boy, what a corking remix it is. Shufflers, gather ’round, gather ’round…

Proving, yet again, that they’re one step ahead of the game, Black Butter Records now have grime’s leading quick-fire spitter, Scrufizzer, on their roster. The versatile rhymer is the independent label’s first MC signing, so he put out a track to show potential fans exactly what he’s working with. On “Illusion,” Scrufizzer lets off his fizzy flow and witty wordplay on a gully grime beat, before the tempo drops midway through and his laid-back, swaggerific delivery comes out to play. Listen to him go…