Multi-instrumentalist Chris Aschman impresses with a dynamic, trumpet-led appeal across new track “Triangles,” exploring a lusher, more introspective side of his songwriting. The third single from his debut album Volcanic, “Triangles” blends modern jazz fusion with a funky, calypso-inspired 3/4 groove. Aschman’s trumpet leads a seasoned ensemble through unique rhythmic signatures, drawing on his deep Caribbean influences and jazz roots to create a soulful, sophisticated Bay Area debut.

The track’s production maintains a lovely line between blissfully hypnotic and infectious grooves. Warren Wolf’s vibraphone work is immediately consuming, trickling with dreamy allure, while Kai Lyons’ smooth guitar tones meld seamlessly with the vibraphone and jazzy rhythms. Aschman’s expressively melodic trumpet presence emerges shortly thereafter, coexisting wonderfully with the more subdued range of keys and guitar.

Magnetic vibraphone tones and a warming, laid-back bass line play off other each as the two-minute turn passes, with Lyons’ guitar tones injecting an occasional soulful flair. The trumpet reappears around midpoint, here echoing a more nocturnal tone than before, still vibrant and expressive though with a single-layered precision, rather than the initial push’s colorful progressions. The trumpet work then assumes a free-flowing entrancement across the final couple minutes, culminating in a satiating finale with punchy brass pulses. Full of both impressive musicianship and melodically gripping energy, “Triangles” presents an excellent listening experience from Chris Aschman.

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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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A fantastic fusion of nu-jazz and prog-jazz unveils across “Earthling,” a newly released single from Kinisi, the project of Atlanta native Speros Kokenes. Guitar was his first love, and that features dynamically within his productions, amidst an eclectic array of other influences and sounds — ranging from electronic atmospherics to jazzy invigoration, here especially memorable in its use of horns and dexterous live drums.

The project first caught our ears back in 2018 with the stellar single “Weird Mannerisms Pt. 1,” enthralling in its atmospheric balancing of synths and guitars. Eight years later, Kinisi continues to captivate with a sound abundant in both memorably melodic charm and strongly intriguing soundscapes.

Also featuring Atlanta-based bi-musical collective Unk N’Nem, “Earthling” delights across a myriad of catching moments — from its initial jazzy late-night spell of percussive pitter-patter and glimmering keys, to a midpoint fervency of interchanging guitars and horns — then converging for a delectably replay-inducing passion. The conclusion is masterful as well, combining various aforementioned elements into a sound that’s impressively technical yet also structurally cohesive. “Earthling” is a thrilling success from Kinisi.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Kinisi – “Earthling” (feat. Unk N’Nem) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Fragmentation is a captivating full-length statement from Southern California-based bassist and composer Daren Burns, representing his eighth album as project leader. The music navigates between a variety of realms — from funky rock vigor to late-night jazz spells, resulting in a project that revels in satiating structural and stylistic expanses. The production effectively bridges an artful gap between experimental improvisation and dark, filmic soundscapes.

“Tips for Musicians When Performing in Bars” sets the album into motion with a strong dose of creative spontaneity. Stop-start percussion and an array of instrumentation resemble a tune-up of sorts, steadily accelerating into a brisk pitter-pattering and enthused glimmering. The production shifts between familiar jazz flourishes and spacey, otherworldly charm. Whirring keys and frantic woodwinds delight in their invigorating interplay. Arriving next, “Bald with a Beard” struts a funky rock spiritedness, where debonair guitar licks and warming brass coexist beautifully, while “Phone Zombies” continues the album’s electric start with a delectably ominous drive — avant-garde jazz meets horror movie soundtrack.

Another standout track shows in “Slipshod Demigod,” a 10-minute epic with a masterful rhythmic presence and rock-ready passion — its vibrant bass lines and tribal-like percussion stirring into blares of psych-ready guitars, while a brief yet impactful flute-tabla duet also entices. The similarly-epic title track aptly comes next, maneuvering between crunching guitar ardor and midpoint late-night jazz chilliness; its stretches between boisterous and subdued are enthralling. A moody, hypnotic take on Nine Inch Nails’ classic “Hurt” concludes the album, stunning in its haunting, Lynchian slow burn and culminating expanse of instrumentation. Fragmentation is a beautifully expansive, memorable listening experience from Daren Burns.

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“Tips for Musicians When Performing in Bars” other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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The Charles Owens Trio celebrates the five-year anniversary of their excellent album 10 Years. Featuring the Virginia-born saxophonist alongside bassist Andrew Randazzo and drummer Devonne Harris, the project captures the energy of a single, six-hour marathon session. This anniversary release highlights a spontaneous blend of Afrobeat, jazz-funk, and psychedelic rock, offering high-energy reinterpretations of John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, and other legends.

The album is full of performances that enamor with climactic, rich structural unveilings, and that begins with opening track “Cameron The Wise.” Bass and drums enamor with an intoxicating, hypnotic pull, then giving way to the vibrancy of saxophone, which finds a lovely middle ground between effervescence and caressing intrigue. Its Afrobeat sound compels with sophisticated allure, its concluding rhythmic pitter-patter arriving into the bouncy, charismatic flair of “Caught Up In The Rapture,” providing a delectably jazzy take on the 1986 ballad by R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. An especially memorable bass emphasis takes hold past the five-minute turn, interplaying wonderfully with whispers of saxophone.

An enthralling take on Coltrane’s “Central Park West” is another blissful standout, maneuvering across smoky saxophones and gentle washes of rhythms, while a funk-ready blaring invigorates on “If 6 was 9,” breathing new creative life into the Jimi Hendrix track. Jumpy bass and expressive saxophone also dazzle on “Tell Me A Bedtime Story,” the Herbie Hancock classic; its soulful jazz-funk sound fits perfectly within Charles Owens Trio’s talents, showcasing an abundance of strong musicianship and reverence for the classics — while still retaining a unique creativity — throughout 10 Years.

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“If 6 was 9” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Charles Owens Trio – ’10 Years (Anniversary Edition)’ appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Based in Frankfurt, the Lars Pagelsen Trio proudly utilizes an attitude they refer to as “mindful jazz” — focusing on silence and presence, rather than particular stylistic classifications. Their compelling new single “Don’t You Cry” embodies this well, embracing a spacious, “vocal-like” melody that resembles a welcoming embrace — rather than focusing on the sometimes daunting, overly technical nature of some jazz. The work of pianist Lars Pagelsen, bassist Alisa Pou Montz, and drummer Felix Lothwesen captivates throughout the track, resulting in a wholly memorable soundscape and evolving structural whimsy.

The track’s book-ends convey an elegant mystique, its introduction dazzling as trickles of piano and hints of percussion maneuver with atmospheric spaciousness across the first minute. Serene, jazzy percussion is fully incorporated thereafter, as soothing bass and gentle drums assemble seamlessly alongside the tasteful piano work. The percussion struts a pulsing quality approaching the three-minute mark, while the piano and bass flourish with magnetic, melodic interplay.

An invitingly spacious midpoint stirs in its bass-fronted allure, with sporadic uses of piano and percussion bolstering the artful sense of momentum. The beautiful, hazy bass and intermittent piano develop throughout an intoxicating final couple of minutes, culminating in the lulling finality of solemn piano and crashing percussion. “Don’t You Cry” is an enveloping, atmospheric success from Lars Pagelsen Trio.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Lars Pagelsen Trio – “Don’t You Cry” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

A dynamic, colorful jazz immersion shows throughout Questioni Di Pensiero, the compelling new album from Threegonos. The Rome, Italy-based project — led by bassist Toni Armetta — embraces a melodic and atmospheric charm within, infusing elements of tango, flamenco, and global rhythms alongside flourishing arrangements. The Italian jazz collective was formed nearly 20 years ago, drawing ample praise for their performances at many renowned festivals. The excellent Questioni di Pensiero follows up their 2023 debut, Return to 80th Street.

The title track commences with a vibrant allure, as jumpy rhythms and smooth interplay between guitars, saxophone, and keys meld with enjoyable sophistication. Soaring guitar lines and caressing saxophone lead into an outpouring of vocal emotion, then traversing past the one-minute turn into various instrumentation taking charge — first charismatic guitar work, and then orchestral fury. The ensuing “Como si fuera una buleria” emits a more tranquil intrigue initially, with magnetic piano work invoking a late-night feeling. Ardent pushes of guitar then appear alongside, channeling a rock-friendly invigoration throughout the first half, and then a saxophone and accordion-propelled satiation into the conclusion.

Another standout track, “The Day Passage” enamors in its more daytime-set aptness, bringing forth bright saxophone and bustling rhythms for a sound that would fit nicely within depictions of a busy cityscape. “Sonhos diferentes” is another gem, seamlessly infusing dreamy vocals amidst twinkling keys and active bass lines. The scorching guitar work past the two-minute turn stirs, as does the gorgeous saxophone infusion a couple minutes later. Questioni Di Pensiero is an enveloping overall success from Threegonos.

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“Sonhos diferentes” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Threegonos – ‘Questioni Di Pensiero’ appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

A vibrant jazz and sophisti-pop glow shines on “Breaking the Ice,” a track from pianist and composer Jon Gold, based in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania. The opening track to his new album Chasing Echos, “Breaking the Ice” does precisely as its title implies — immersing listeners right away with an approachable and brightly melodic stylishness, enamoring in its array of expressive brass, flourishing woodwind, and harmonious vocal elements. In addition to Gold, a variety of notably talented players feature on the track — including bassist Mark Egan, background vocalist Marina Marchi, and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli.

Gold’s consuming piano work aligns beautifully with colorful percussion right away, then gearing into Marchi’s lovely vocal additions, which play like a bursting rhythmic element. Saxophone, flute, and horns weave in gracefully throughout, and a trickling piano lead proves especially compelling around the three-minute turn. A jazzy rhythmic backbone persists enjoyably throughout, while the illuminated vocals and amiable orchestral breeziness exude a free-flowing entrancement. “Breaking the Ice” is amongst the many highlights on Chasing Echos, which is streaming in full below:

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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Jon Gold – “Breaking the Ice” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

An enthralling sound flows throughout Paper Can’t Wrap Fire, an album from Don Glori that intoxicates in its atmospheric, grooving blend of soul, funk, and jazz. The third full-length from the Melbourne/Naarm multi-instrumentalist, whose real name is Gordon Li, Paper Can’t Wrap Fire bases its title on an old Chinese proverb, which translates roughly to “you can’t deny the truth.” Aptly, relevant themes flow artfully through the album. “A lot of them are in some way about truth-seeking, observations and the masks you put on to deal with life (hence the cover art),” the artist says of the tracks.

Commencing the album, “Disaster” crafts a rainy-day moodiness in its understated piano and debonair bass crawl — building seamlessly into soulful multi-vocal harmoniousness. Free-flowing brass slithers alongside the hypnotic vocal layers, which proclaim “we make the sun set / we make the clouds rise,” into the conclusion’s riveting, gospel-like power. Lyrical conveyances of art’s power are on display, along with satirical takes on the machine that runs on artists — but rarely runs for them.

ML Hall’s vocals enamor on multiple tracks, including the gorgeous “Flicker.” “I’ll be waiting,” a smooth entrancement exudes, as glistening keys and emerging brass move seamlessly from lush introspection into rousing emotion. Aforementioned themes of truth compel lyrically into a synth-touched enthrallment, infusing lovely backing vocals and crafting a sound enjoyably reminiscent of The Style Council — amidst urgings to “face the day,” and its observation-induced truths. From the festive-feeling vibrancy of “Power” to the jazzy intrigue of finale “Saturn’s Return,” Paper Can’t Wrap Fire is a consuming success from Don Glori.

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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Indie Soul.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Don Glori – ‘Paper Can’t Wrap Fire’ appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

American/Nigerian singer-songwriter duo Steve and Dolapo craft a beautiful vocal jazz aesthetic on new single “Early Morning Glow.” Expressive vocal radiance combines with a smooth-flowing assortment of saxophone, keys, and rhythms — resulting in moments of both lush introspection and effervescent outpouring.

The duo’s members — Steve Petrinko and Dolapo Oladejo — met in 2021, and became best friends quickly thereafter. They formed a production company last year, and also released a full-length album, Companion. Petrinko’s multi-instrumental abilities have a notable role on the project’s strong sound, as does the duo’s combined 60 years of choir experience. The mission statement on their website reads as to “create audio / visual beauty that emphasizes the power of friendship, positivity, love, empathy, and inclusion.”

Gentle rhythmic pit-pattering and piano flourishes complement a declarative, title-touting vocal immersion to start. Smooth saxophone interweaves seamlessly as the percussion assumes a steadier presence. The tonal development feels reflective of that early morning glow, like sunshine pouring into a dark room and providing a warming presence in darkness’ place. The light-referencing lyrics meld with twinkling piano and lengthened brass bolstering at mid-point, as the illumination is palpable. The soaring vocal delivery, warming brass infusions, and melodic piano work combine for a radiant overall success from Steve and Dolapo.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Steve and Dolapo – “Early Morning Glow” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

New York-based artist Noam Shapira consumes with a smoothly absorbing jazz sound on new single “Taltalit’s White Stripes.” Shapira and his talented band recorded the track at Kicha Studios in Tel Aviv, and the result is ravishing in its seamless blend of enveloping saxophone, steady rhythms, and artful piano reflections. Some of the players on the track include pianist Guy Moscovich, bassist Oren Hardy, and drummer Alon Benjamini. They channel a spirited structural momentum throughout, impressing across both emphasized solos and layered interplay.

The track’s title and overall inspiration comes from Shapira’s friend Uria, whose curly haired dubbed him the nickname “Taltalit” — and ignited the creative spark for this effort. Bouncy piano and hypnotic rhythms ease in, as gorgeously warm saxophone tones enter cohesively thereafter. Piano and saxophone continue to meld with sophisticated, melodic immersion as the track’s mid-point passes. The four-minute turn exudes an introspective envelopment as the saxophones fade momentarily, then re-emerging as the percussion gains a brisker chill. “Taltalit’s White Stripes” is a riveting jazz success from Noam Shapira and his band.

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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.

The post Noam Shapira – “Taltalit’s White Stripes” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.