Starting the mixtape with a new troubadour by the name of Alfie Templeton. He’s giving me some vibes of a more pop oriented Mac Demarco. His track “Stop Thinking (About Me)” show his pop chops while “Tragic Love” has that total Mac Demarco chilled out vibe.

ALPINE. These guys & gals are VERY underrated. A Is For Alpine is a really great debut album (from 2013) and no one sounds like them. They just released a new track that is as catchy as their best stuff and a hint of what’s to come on their new album. Check them out, go deep!

Speaking of underrated, Spoon is one of those somewhat unsung heroes of rock n’ roll. They’ve kept the torch alive for all the new bands to take rock forward, and they’re one of the most consistent bands in all of music.

Whitney’s debut album was really good. I can see how they’re divisive since the lead singer’s voice, is, um, a bit high, a bit weird, a bit whiny, and maybe VERY annoying to some, but it works for me, and they’ve developed a pretty big following. I compare them a bit - at least via the relaxed vibe - to Real Estate, though I’ll take Real Estate over them any day of the week.

Omar Apollo sounds like a mix between Gary Clark Jr. and Leon Bridges. Need I say more?

Faye Webster. If you didn’t read my earlier stuff, her album this year is easily one of my favorites, it might still be sitting at #1 today. SO LISTEN.

AND HAVE A GOOD WEEK.