Every week, we highlight some of our favorite releases in a handy list. Although we try to cover as much new music as possible, there are so many stellar releases to talk about. Consider this our genre-diverse guide to songs we have on repeat.
Follow our playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
Loyal Lobos - “Alfonsina y el Mar”
The latest version of Latin American folk staple “Alfonsina y el Mar,” popularized by Mercedes Sosa, comes courtesy of Loyal Lobos, and it’s a haunting one. The LA-based Colombian singer/songwriter wrapped her delicate voice and opaque fingerpicking in eerie ambiance, overflowing this affecting suicide poem with teary-eyed emotion. -Cheky
Chicano Batman - “Scab”
Black Lipstick, Chicano Batman’s Record Store Day-exclusive EP released back in April, has finally hit the streaming services, which means those of us who couldn’t score a copy can finally hear its previously unreleased tracks, like “Scab.” Singer Eduardo Arenas bleeds out his loneliness on this soulful tempo-shifting track so we can find solace in this heartwarming track. -Cheky
Boson de Higgs – “Primera Fila”
Newcomers Boson de Higgs are a new force in the Mexican synthpop landscape, colliding delightful melancholy and a touch of new wave attitude that will undoubtedly lead you to the nearest dance floor. The latest single off their forthcoming debut album Años Luz, “Primera Fila” is a love letter to their loyal and rapidly growing following, exploring the platonic exchanges between artists and wide-eyed fans. -Richard Villegas
Ms Nina – “Te Doy" (feat. El Licenciado)
It’s not even the holidays yet and Ms Nina is already in the giving mood. Her gift of choice? Culo! The latest teaser from the neoperreo assassin’s forthcoming mixtape Perreando x Fuera, Llorando x Dentro is an ode to romantic freedom, reminding the listener that no matter how many sexual partners you enjoy, nobody owns your body or heart but you. -Richard Villegas
Dengue Dengue Dengue – “Agni”
No matter how futuristic Dengue Dengue Dengue’s productions get, there are always inherently organic signatures tying the mysterious duo back to their Peruvian roots. Their latest single “Agni” is an exquisite example of this constantly evolving duality, melding elements of deep house, cumbia and indigenous percussion techniques that will take you from Lima’s crowded nightclubs to the serenity of the Andes and the Amazon in a 5-minute run. -Richard Villegas
b1n0 - "b1"
Crying in the club is something many of us have done to a variety of different soundtracks. In the case of “b1,” we are greeted with rumbling basslines and tinkering synths to build a disturbing crawl that strangely is perfect for melodic singing; vocally, the Barcelona duo goes for melancholic melodies that grab you gently. There’s a nocturne quality to b1n0 that goes beyond a party atmosphere. -Marcos Hassan
Chico Unicornio - "Puerto Nanay"
Perú’s Chico Unicornio dives deeply into layered cumbia rhythms, mechanical electronics and narcotic melodies on “Puerto Nanay,” an instrumental that is both melodically lazy and rhythmically adventurous. The track is perfect to drop at the apex of your nu-cumbia DJ set or to blast in the beach from Bluetooth speaker on a Sunday afternoon. It helps that it’s pretty catchy, with a delightful melody coming out of a stringed instrument, like if someone was jamming to the song. -Marcos Hassan
Xatarra - "Naif" (Imaabs remix)
NAAFI’s Imaabs lines this electroacoustic troupe’s lullaby with stainless steel studs, adding bite to its meditative rumination. -Caitlin Donohue
Ojosbiencerraos - "Patagonia Researching"
“Patagonia Researching” suggests a very scientific approach to ambient music, a neutral sprawl of deep synthesizers and slight melodic changes. But once you get caught in the web of Santiago de Chile’s Ojosbiencerraos, you sense melancholy creeping up on you, giving way to a feeling of elation from an evocative piece of abstract music that ebbs and flows inside your heart. In space, no one can hear you sulk. -Marcos Hassan
Defensa - “Mañana" (Debit Ambient Remix)
Fresh from releasing her SYSTEM EP, Debit now dropped a new remix she made of Defensa’s “Mañana,” included in the Argentine trio’s new Vs (Remixed). Originally a reggaeton-lite track, “Mañana” sounds more like “morning” that “tomorrow” on Debit’s ambient remix, as it’s the sonic equivalent of waking up with tender rays of light caressing our face. -Cheky
Dzyan - “Komorebi”
Are you familiar with the word “komorebi”? It’s Japanese and it means “the sunshine filtering through the leaves of trees.” If it sounds beautiful to you, wait until you hear Mexican producer Dzyan’s track of the same name, which basically captures that image and translates it into gorgeously evocative ambient music using guitars and electronics. -Cheky
Las Densas - "Último"
“Último” is part of N ♡ T – a release the solo act made in seven days just to see if she could do it – and we can corroborate she did it in spectacular fashion. This cut from the record finds the Neuquen, Argentina act go for a mid-tempo alterna-punk pace to soundtrack stream-of-consciousness lyrics that are catchy and sunny as much as it is noisy and urgent. It’s as much a cry of celebration as it is an expression of sadness when you don’t know why are you feeling that way. -Marcos Hassan