Keith London - Over the Rainbow (Todrick Hall Cover)

I do not understand why this man isn't a superstar. I don't watch American Idol. I never have. So I didn't get to watch his journey. All I know is that this man has more heart and soul in his heart than the majority of those contenders put together. He sings with passion and he sings with thoughtfulness and integrity. You can look at his face and see that he knows every word that he sings is true and good.

This cover is from Todrick Hall's hour long special, "Straight Outta Oz" and every single time I've listened to Keith sing it, I get chills. It takes something special about a song that touches every single person that hears it. Whether it be Todrick's words or Keith's interpretation, the song is one of the most important that I think I've heard in a long time. It's something that we, young misfits that don't know exactly where we fit in, have wanted to hear for our entire lives. It's a representation of everything we've been told and it resonates so profoundly. I had a hard time watching Keith sing it because you could see how every syllable touched him and he didn't hide an ounce of it.

Thank you Keith for this cover and your voice and your heart and soul. Thank you Todrick for everything that you put out in the universe because you are easily one of the voices of this generation.

High Dive Heart - Wild Ride

Sometimes songs are written to just make you feel great. This is one of those. It's also going to get picked up and used in every commercial and television station promo from here to the moon. There's nothing at all wrong with that, it's just what it is. High Dive Heart has the ability to make songs that connect to everyone. Whether it's 'Vintage' or 'Misfit' or 'Wild Ride' - this band is going to make you feel something. And I am grateful. They are going to be huge and I can't wait for that to happen because it couldn't happen to a greater bunch of people.

Graingerboy - Saturnine (Radio Mix)

I've talked about Graingerboy before and I'll continue talking about Graingerboy. The decisions he makes and the risks he takes are absolutely brilliantly engineered. His voice is fluid and has the most amazing quality that just wraps you up like you're sharing an afternoon with an old friend. The fact that he's not signed to a contract with a label blows my mind. This song is no different than what he's put out before. It's still the amazing production. It's still got the stellar quality to his voice. The lyrics are exceptionally well thought out. It's all just twinged with a bit of melancholy or what some may call saturnine.

This is taken from his upcoming album, 'Enemyforward' and it's good.  It's melodic and just washes over you. It makes no demands of you and just gives you exactly what you need from it. It's very new romantic there's a yearning to the song. There's a longing that makes you think of a better time and place.  These are the songs that we need but we don't know we need them and that's a damn good thing because there are artists out there like Simon Grainger that know how to express moments of human condition better than we know how to. He touches the places we are sometimes unwilling to and he writes them for us so that we can have better access to our own thoughts and feelings. This makes us part of something bigger and I am grateful for that.

Donatachi - Bubblegum (ft. Rosebud Leach)

Wow. Just Wow. The quality of this song is massive. The song is massive and I think this is quite easily one of my favorite things to date. I quite like every thing about this song and I'm not going to babble on about it. Listen to it and see what you think.

Tashka - Upside

Another new artist I've just been introduced to is Tashka, a Sydney native that is killing it with this slow burn of a jam with a chorus that will give you everything. Her voice is incredibly expressive and there is so much character to it that it floats all over this track. 'Upside' is the debut track off of her new EP and it's just got this Retro New Jill Swing vibe to it. It's like she was watching Set it Off and listening to SWV while she was writing the song. It makes your head bob and you get into this low groove where everything just goes slack and you're just swept away by the song. It's got a lot of body to it. There's something you can certainly sink your teeth into. I am going to start digging into her catalog because this is too good of a track to pass up and if the rest of her stuff is this good, it's only a matter of time before she becomes huge. I think that's fair to say especially when the quality of her work is this good.

Bright Light Bright Light - Little Bit

If you don't know who Bright Light Bright Light is by now, I don't think I can help you. This is a new single from his album, 'Choreography', due out July 15, 2016 and I honestly think he is one of THE voices of our generation. He's an amazing lyricist and his arrangements are ridiculously great. Who would have thought to add that saxophone at the beginning of the track but it added an amazing bit of coolness that just rolls into the track. And then again at the end of the track. It's just the coolest thing I think I've heard in a while. I've been a fan of Rod's for a very long time. I think what he does is genius and it's a shame that he's not a household name by now. This song is just beautiful. The arrangement is, hands down, one of the coolest things that I think I've heard in a while. I cannot wait for this new album to come out because it's just going to be more of the fantastic music he's been releasing for years. There seems to be a bit more hope and joy in this song and I hope that's a reflection of where he's at in his life right now. We all deserve the chance to cultivate any ounce of happiness we can.  The way his voice just swells in the chorus makes me swoon. He's brilliant. And I could go on and on gushing about him but I will let the song do it for me.