HOT HALF DOZEN May 10, 2022

206 submissions this week

Special announcement: Those of you who have been following this column for some time will recognize the name Maggie Szabo, the Canadian singer/songwriter living in LA whose rise I have been following since I first encountered her at the Hotel Café in LA in 2014. Well, this year the song “SloMo” which she co-wrote, will be sung on Eurovision, the world’s largest music broadcast, by the Cuban-Spanish singer, dancer, and actress Chanel, who is representing Spain. Chanel will perform SloMo Saturday with Maggie in the audience.

Now, this week’s HHD

Sunsets, single by Ozomatli. They keep putting out great hits and I love to recommend them. A little gentler and less rock-y, a little more tropical, it swings and sways romantically and the hooks work their way into your head while your foot taps. Stream/buy on all major platforms.

Vibrate, a single by Dru Cutler. Indie-pop singer-songwriter Dru Cutler gently and melodically reflects on human connections, how they were mitigated during Covid, and how music can create the positive vibes we all need. Beautiful. Release date May 19. Check him out on Spotify and at https://www.facebook.com/DruCutlerMusic.

Bad for Me, a single by Ally Ahern. Hypnotic. She takes you through adventures that chronicle her life which has been something of between a soap opera and surreal comedy. The lyrics will make you smile knowingly and the melodies will sneak childlike into your ears and never leave your mind. Stream on Spotify.

We, an album by Arcade Fire. We is the Canadian indie group’s sixth studio album, their first in five years and it was worth the wait. The album is divided into an “I side” about loneliness and isolation” and a “WE side” about the joy and life energy of relationships and rebuilding. As always the men and woman of Arcade Fire make music that soars and swirls and captures you in its wake. Stream on Spotify or check out the full range of We at https://store-us.arcadefire.com/

Slow Burn, a single by Kristy Rock. Her debut album after years with The Easy Star All Stars. She brings romance and heartache to a danceable tropical beat with a voice that curls around you like joint smoke. Every song is a gem. Buy/stream on all major platforms. Video on YouTube.

Let It Go, single/video by Selina Moon. From her new album 22 years, Moon strokes the harp and sings like an angel while her band moves between classical and R&B. Stunning and beautiful. There is nothing like her. YouTube video at https://bit.ly/3Pcyzkd Stream on Spotify.