Back in November, Spotify and Remezcla launched Nuevo Noise as a vehicle to discover fresh new talent, and showcase the Latinx music movements unfolding across the globe. Today, it returns for its fourth edition, packed with a crew of on-the-rise artists to keep on your radar.
The latest edition of Nuevo Noise explores everything from La Favi’s sad girl reggaeton to Whitest Taino Alive’s trapchata concoctions. Listen to the latest Nuevo Noise below, and be sure to follow the playlist on Spotify.
Scroll down for a primer on five of the artists you should know from this month’s edition.
1
Tei Shi
Maybe you guessed from the live tarantula accentuating her cheekbone on the cover of her debut album Crawl Space, but Argentina-born producer, singer, and songwriter Valerie Teicher (aka Tei Shi) is big on the confrontation of life’s creepy-crawlies. This extends past arachnids to painful breakups, like the one she experienced with the album’s co-producer Luca Buccellati while recording the project. The decision to stick out the process in the studio yielded a sweet R&B mutation that reveals bravery. “Keep Running” is a track written in a moment of Tei Shi’s hope that the couple’s emotional cardio would eventually pay off — in hindsight, a deeply tragic moment that could only be revisited by the strong of artistic heart. It’s an urgent pop moment; Tei Shi layers her own breathy, progressively stronger vocals to bleed out into an anthem you’ll want to belt out next time you feel love slipping away. –Caitlin Donohue
2
Cuco
Cuco pulls from the local milieu of his hometown of Hawthorne, California to create slow-moving R&B and surf-tinged ballads that track love and heartbreak. Cuco got local cred from 2016’s Wannabewithu and its sticky single “Lover Is A Day,” and sold out his first show two years ago at the age of 18. That song’s lyrics stray far from playboy territory: “Processing the information transferred from your mind to me at light speed like the Falcon from the original Star Wars trilogy,” he talk-sings in a not overly emotive vocal train. The Nuevo Noise playlist is blessed with “One And Only,” the lead-in track to Cuco’s 2017 release Songs4u. The track lays back against swaths of kick-back synth, but it’s an assertive, reverberating missive to a potential sweetie. Judging from his fans’ social media reactions, the Chicano singer’s ardors are most likely getting an affirmative response these days. –Caitlin Donohue
3
Mahmundi
One area of Brazil’s special wisdom is the shimmery pleasures of Marcela Vale (aka Mahmundi), a Rio de Janeiro musician and singer who has been laying out classic R&B-pop hits since 2012. Her self-titled 2016 release was her first full-length album after 2012’s Efeito das Cores and 2013’s Setembro EPs. Mahmundi turns from Billy Joel territory with keyboard-strung “Eterno Verão” to Sade-like vocal washes over 80s R&B chords. In interviews, Mahmundi has admitted to a soft spot for Phil Collins, and it’s hard to think of another artist that is toeing these exact lines, which trace the possibility of crossover potential for the singer. On the Nuevo Noise playlist, we selected “Azul,” a gloriously soft bed for Mahmundi’s soothing lyric work. Press play for moments of synth triumph and chillwave shivers. –Caitlin Donohue
4
Mueveloreina
Barcelona singer-producer duo Karma Cereza and Joaco J Fox have a talent for surprising fans. Karma’s swagger and the languid beats of debut single “Cheapqueen” located the pair squarely in the territory of neo-trap. But in their ensuing year of work together, they’ve proven more difficult to categorize. How do we locate “Défense,” an anti-consumer French language club track, in this trap narrative? It seems clear that Mueveloreina is more focused on message than genre loyalty.
The rhythm of latest song “Vivas” deviates in yet another direction; it’s a sunny and determined dembow riddim that skewers sex phobic double morality, yet returns again and again to a chorus demanding survival. It’s a loaded line of reasoning that requires a rowdy response, accentuated by a video filmed on a trip through the good old USA. Shots of street preachers from San Francisco’s Mission District remind one of the perilous balance of good and evil that U.S. residents must navigate in 2017’s ominous reality. Karma cavorting with a nation of offbeat characters serves as proof that even here, the good must endure. –Caitlin Donohue
5
Los Mesoneros
This quintet from Caracas hit airwaves in 2009 with “No Puedes Ver,” a driving rock moment that set the scene for a glorious run at stardom. To date, the journey has pulled them a total of four Latin Grammy nominations, and an international move to Mexico City, where Los Mesoneros see themselves as better equipped to build their international profile. This year marks the appearance of Caiga La Noche, an 11-track project the band recorded in Madrid and Caracas whose content matter ranges from love to the socioeconomic strife plaguing their home country. On “Solo,” which we’ve tapped for Nuevo Noise, singer Luis Jiménez tries to remind himself of who he was before his affair went sour. Fans of the independence vibes and expressive guitar solos may wish to check the song’s accompanying visuals — the video borders on just this side of NSFW, with a slightly more physical interpretation of the song’s message of self-love. –Caitlin Donohue