Each week, Audio Taste Test serves up an obscure and independent playlist for your evening, tantalizing your musical palate with flavors from all different soundscapes. Listen on demand here and on 88Nine from 10-11 p.m. every Thursday.
Here’s to a new episode and a fresh tasty playlist that reflects the fact I’ve been on a bit of a funk kick lately. There are so many artists out there modernizing the sound, including Atlanta-based acid-jazz duo Arkose. Their track “Attached Eyes” cuts like a diamond with a signature melody that can mellow out even the most neurotic coworkers. Seriously, pop this one on when you need a 3-minute escape.
Baroque pop princess Mikayla Geier takes the funky reins and kicks up the energy in her single “HOTLINE” that will make you feel like you’ve time-traveled to Studio 54 right in the middle of Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell.” Then we take a trip to the soulful coast with Aussie artist Don West, whose smoky voice and vintage chords shine on the track “Send it Back.” It’s a neat pour of bourbon on a cold night to your ears.
For dessert, I feature Dutch artist Michel Van Dyke’s 2023 release Disko Fox, an album that has a great mix of danceable tracks and beautiful orchestral arrangements. Finally, we’ve been treated to the release of a whole slew of demos from the late sunshine pop icon Margo Guryan, whose melancholic tone and sweet vocal delivery feature on one of my favorites, “Something’s Wrong with the Morning.”
Happy tasting!
Episode playlist
- Arkose, “Attached Eyes”
- The Moving Stills, “Rock Band”
- Rare DM, “Compliment”
- Sophie May, “Touch Me”
- Mikayla Geier, “HOTLINE”
- DON WEST, “Send it Back”
- Chrissy, “Nothing Hurts”
- Joki & MaWhoo, “Somandla”
- Josaleigh Pollett & Crowd Shy, “The Witness”
- Hypnotic Tonic, “In My Dreams”
- Michel van Dyke, “Niemand liebt dich”
- Dean Blunt, “August Echo”
- Mac Demarco, “20190724”
- Ankara Echoes, “Eyvah Meyvah”
- Brand, “Födweg”
- Margo Guryan, “Something’s Wrong with the Morning”
