May 2014: Best New Artists (So Far)

Memorial Day hs come and gone, and for most people the summer is well underway. It’s time to unpack the flip flops, and replace that expired sunscreen. But with the final blow of those winter winds sunshine isn’t the only thing to look forward to. These energetic artists represent a promising future of music. Trying to make great music is no easy task and we’ve collected a few artists that are already coming close at the start of their careers. There’s no shortness of greatness in the group below and we hope you find a new favorite act.

Now that 2014 is half over, let’s look at some of the hottest young talent we’ve seen in the past 6 months.

 Tove Lo

This Stockholm native recently released her first EP Truth Serum. The six tracks are full of references to drugs, sex, and even rock & roll. Tove Lo real name Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, has been generating a lot of internet buzz since the March release of her video for “Habits.” While she may be a youngen, she’s been working at this music thing as a solo artist since 2011. She’s lent her impressive songwriting talents to songs performed by Sweedish DJ Icona Pop as well as Glee’s Leah Michele. While Sweedish pop music has failed to make much of an impact in the mainstream of American music, we hope that Tove can help to change that. Check out “Habits” Below.

August Alsina

Can you name a single rapper with a soulful voice that raps about his emotions? Sure you can. But with August Alsina you’ll be able to name two. What we’re saying is that Drake has finally met his match. This 23 year-old’s first album was released on April 15 and is woefully understated so far. Yes, it did peak at number 2 on US charts and made it to number one on the Hip-Hop charts. But the fact that he’s not selling out an arena in your town tonight is an outrage. Don’t believe us? Have a listen, the video for “Make It Home” is below.

Iggy Azalea

Azalea did have a mixtape come out in 2012, so she’s not technically new to everyone. But,  The New Classic is her first studio effort and it’s generating a hell of a lot of buzz for only being a month old. The girl has an immense amount of talent. Her sound owes a lot to Missy Eliot and Lil’ Kim. The rapperette’s flow is even a bit reminiscent of Tupac. The 23 year old is a credit to white, Australian, female rappers everywhere and we hope there’s plenty more in the future.  “Work” is available for your pleasure below.

Sam Smith

Love songs are a lost art. Sam Smith is a 22 year old brit trying to revive this ancient tradition. This guy is like a young Boy George meets a white Frank Ocean with bit of Babyface for good measure. However, It’s entirely possible that Smith has a better voice than any of those other men. His first studio album In The Lonely Hour was released on Tuesday and is already sitting on the top 20 of the iTunes chart. Our best guess is that this kid is a new classic. We don’t think it’s too soon to say that this kid will go down as one of the greats from our time. Check out the painfully touching “Leave Your Lover” below.

Lee Baines III And The Glory Fires

Just yesterday these southern rock revivalists released Dereconstruction with Sub Pop Records. These guys sound like Lynyrd Skynyrd if they spent too much time discussing Proust at a Starbucks. They are equal parts intelligent, and redneck and we mean that in the best way possible. In the coming years this new band is likely to gain a lot of traction following the release of this first studio album. Below is “The Weeds Downton” track five from the freshman effort of these Alabama natives.