• Chappel Roan, The Subway (Pop)- “Chaperones” have something to celebrate with the August release of “The Subway”.  Based on her real life “near breakdown” from spotting an ex on a NY train, “The Subway” crescendos with a sweeping mega-hook with Ms. Roan’s voice in peak form.

• Tom Grennan, Diamond (Pop)- “Diamond” is the latest single from Grennan’s August LP, which is currently #1 in the UK; his 3^rd consecutive UK #1 LP.  “Diamond” is an uplifting Britpop banger- and while Grennan is seemingly referring to his girl as “my diamond”, I choose to interpret it as a new male fashion trend- Diamondmaxxing!

• Rita Ora, Joy (Disco)- Veteran UK popstar, former childhood actress and sometime Masked Singer Judge, Ms. Ora returns from recent pop wilderness by channeling the Sledge Sisters with “Joy”.  The OG Albanian/British disco diva shows she can still bring it with her trill “Whenever I need it…..Whenever I want it” counterpoint.

  
  

Trivia- Before fellow Albanian pop divas Dua Lipa, Ava Max and Bebe Rexha were on the scene, Rita Ora had 8 UK top 10 singles from 2013 to 2018.  Ora’s grandfather was Albania’s counsel to the USSR.

• George Riley, More (Pop/Dance/Jungle)- Female artists having male-ish first names is definitely a thing; think John Glacier, Tommy Genesis, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX- even Stevie Nicks 🙄 and now George Riley.  Georgie-girl is from the UK DIY/club scene and in “More” she packs a sitar opening, a pop vocal, a drum & bass beat and a chaotic jungle ending into a mere 2 minutes 38 seconds.

  
  

• Karan Aujla & Ikky, MF Gabhru! (Indian/Rap)- Presently, #2 in both the Indian and Canadian streaming charts, “MF Gabhru!” is the latest from Indian native and current Canadian resident, Aujla.  Bragging that he is a “Gabhru”, Punjabi for “brave virile young man (think “stud”), it is no surprise that Aujla’s live shows are subject to constant complaints and actions from the socially conservative Indian authorities.

• The Armed, I Steal What I Want (Rock/Hardcore)- Anonymous Detroit metal collective “The Armed”, released its August LP “The Future Is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed” to rave critical reviews, carrying on the fine Motor City’s fine metal tradition.  “I Steal What I Want” is clearly the most commercially accessible song from an LP that was described by critics as “thrillingly unsubtle”, and “a spasmodic response to dehumanization and disaster”.

  
  

• Wolf Alice, White Horses (Alternative/Rock)- “White Horses” is the most streamed song from the UK’s Wolf Alice’s August 22nd LP “The Clearing”.  No surprise, given “White Horses' ” pulsing guitar and rhythm track and Ellie Roswell’s Cranberries-like vocal.

  
  

See if you can guess what the lyrics are about.  Frankly, I was initially confused whether the song’s protagonist was a person or a tree……..

• Sam Fender & Olivia Dean, Rein Me In (Rock/Pop)- “Rein Me In” is one of 3 songs in the UK Top 25 streaming charts by UK “It Girl” Olivia Dean.  Like so many current singers, Ms. Dean is a recent alum of London’s acclaimed BRIT School.  Earnest Geordie Sam Fender and the soulful Dean make for a compelling duet.

  
  

• sombr, i wish i knew how to quit you (Alternative)- 20 year-old New Yorker, sombr (Shane Boose) released his 2^nd LP, “I Barely Know Her” on August 22 to great anticipation, given that two of the LP’s pre-released songs are in the Top 20 of the global streaming charts. Rolling Stone’s headline of their rave review of the LP was “Everything Pop Has Been Missing”!

With its stadium-sounding production, “I wish i knew how to quit you” is the odds-on favorite to be his next hit.  

• Amber Mark, Sweet Serotonin (R&B)- Suggested for the August playlist by both Neuphorian Nancy and Paul Fish, “Sweet Serotonin” comes with impeccable credentials. I’ve been a fan of the sultry Ms. Mark for some time- and clever and sexy “Sweet Serotonin” does not disappoint. Plus, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in my digestive health since listening to this song🫠

  
  

Trivia- Amber is besties with Sabrina Carpenter and will be opening for Sabrina on her tour.

• Tommy Genesis, Eve Ate the Apple (Rap)- Canadian rapper and model, Tommy Genesis’ (Genesis Yasmin Mohanraj) July 25 LP “Genesis” is a deliberate contradiction.  While the cover art features her in traditional Indian head and neck jewelry, lyrics such as “Eve ate the apple”, reference Christianity, but with the alternative interpretation that Eve/Genesis’ act was one of empowerment and nonconformity.  “Eve ate the apple” also gives “Tom’s Diner” vibes with a monotone rap and the non-lexical “bom-bom-diddum”.

  
  

• Dijon, Another Baby! (R&B)- A suggestion from JoeMo, “Another Baby!” is from Dijon Duenas’ “Baby” LP, which received a perfect 10 review from Paste and effectively a perfect (9.0) from Pitchfork, plus many other rave reviews.  

  
  

  Dijon and friend mk.gee were major contributors (instruments and production) to Justin Bieber’s critically acclaimed July LP, “Swag”, but “Baby” sounds like “SWAG” if it was mashed up with Prince, deconstructed and you were listening to it from inside the speaker itself.  Paste said that “Baby’s sound will command the (R&B) genre’s next destiny” with Pitchfork adding that it “presents a vision of R&B that is a collage …of jagged configurations…. but on which one can often only briefly gain purchase”.

  
  

  Trivia- Baltimore is going through a music renaissance with innovative artists such as Dijon, Turnstile, Nourished by Time, JPEGMAFIA, Beach House and Brent Faiyaz hailing from the area.   

  
  

• Justin Bieber, YUKON (Pop/R&B)- Speaking of the Biebs, I’m still listening to “SWAG” and “YUKON” is now giving “DAISIES” a run for its money in popularity.  The quirky “YUKON” features an auto-tuned falsetto that is syncopated to act as a counterpoint to mk.gee’s simple, but resonant guitar and Dijon Duenas’ crystal production- and VOILA- you have an EARWORM!

  
  

• Fireboy DML, Dopamine (AfroBeats)- Continuing with the neurotransmitter theme, Nigerian Fireboy’s “Dopamine”, uses the hormone as a metaphor for intimacy with his “Americanah Baby”. By the way, Serotonin and Dopamine walk into a bar................... and suddenly everything seems fine🤭 

Fireboy DML is one of my favorite Afrobeats artists, with fellow collaborators being amazed by his natural ability to effortlessly create catchy melodies. For the SF Neuphorians, Fireboy is opening for Shaboozey at the free Civic Center concert on September 13.  We’ll be there- and then we'll head over to see Kruder & Dorfmeister in Oakland that night.

• Miimii KDS (feat Dj Skycee), Sé Miimii (Bouyon)- Bouyon music hails from the Eastern Caribbean (namely Dominica and Guadeloupe) and combines local folk music and electronic instrumentation and beats.  The unique “Sé Miimii” features a frantic percussion track which mixes traditional steelpan and rapid electronic beats, an otherworldly cyberkinetic keyboard and a patois rap- Wowee!!

  
  

• Silvana Estrada, Dime (Latin)- After winning the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist (and a Grammy nomination) with her last LP, “Dime” is a preview from the Veracruzana Ms. Estrada’s much anticipated October 2025 LP.  “Dime’s” orchestral swells present an elegant canvass for Estrada’s delicate and expressive rubato vocal.

  
  

• Mac DeMarco, Sweeter (Indie/LoFi)- The “Millenial Spokesbro” as coined by Pitchfork released his first noninstrumental LP in 5 years, “Guitar” on August 22- and it’s his best since 2014’s seminal “Salad Days”.  In “Sweeter”, DeMarco’s forlorn slacker protagonist promises his ex “this time will be sweeter, I’ll be so much sweeter”, only to admit “Some things never change”- ultimately directing her “Now, back inside your cage”😬