We are living through an era where more music is available to us than ever – whether it be via social media, streaming or apps. But despite this wealth of options, it can be difficult to cut through the industry hype, the homogenizing algorithms, and find something new and exciting.
In our weekly Nuevo Noise playlist, you’ll find some of our favorite releases of the week – from the most exciting new names in urbano to the burgeoning SoCal neo-Chicano soul wave and everything in between.
Consider this your genre-diverse guide to the most exciting releases from rising Latinx artists each week. Follow our Nuevo Noise playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
1
Kali Uchis - "Dead to Me" (Omulu Remix)
Omulu, a rasteirinha master, turns his attention to Kali Uchis’ least-yearning track off the 2018 album Isolation. In his hands, the singer’s disdain becomes all the more glancing, a sped-through party track that will serve best to those looking to break free of residual romantic entanglement. -Caitlin Donohue
2
Nathy Peluso - "Business Woman"
Ferocious Argentine MC Nathy Peluso is back with a vengeance, conjuring all the sizzling rawness of 90s hip-hop bombshells like Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown for her brand new banger, “Business Woman.” Along with the track’s overt sexiness, Peluso boasts a combative flow to remind fans and suitors that no matter who steps to her, she will always be in charge and ready to throw down. -Richard Villegas
3
Álvaro Díaz - “Reina Pepiada”
Álvaro Díaz must really be bonding with Venezuelan tour mates Lara Project, as he borrowed the name of a popular arepa filling for one of the songs included in the latest installment of his Diaz Antes series. “Reina Pepiada” is Díaz at his mellowest and most melodic, as he declares his love to his boo over a 6/8 beat. This song is now available for Valentine’s Day dedications. -Cheky
4
AQUIHAYAQUIHAY - “Tiempo Perfecto”
Mexico City band of boys AQUIHAYAQUIHAY are already impressing girls with their romantic R&B-influenced music, so why not make a song about it? “Tiempo Perfecto” finds them trying to convince their love interests to attend one of their shows and see if the night takes them somewhere else. And they sound so smooth on that Phynx beat, they’re making their invitation very hard to reject. -Cheky
5
Melenas - "3 segundos"
With these Spanish indie rockers well due for a second album, “3 Segundos” is quite the happy fan tiding. The first single off their upcoming Días Raros LP bleeds into psychedelic territory, with its trippy strings and strident vocals. It’s an upbeat hint that these ladies will have your ear in 2020. Meanwhile, the video couldn’t be a goofier pastiche, as it sees band members skewering classic TV tropes. -Caitlin Donohue
6
Fax - Land III (Vocal Mix) ft. Carmen Ruiz
Sometimes you need a touch of humanity to transcend a piece of music that needed an extra push. Tijuana electronic producer Ruben Tamayo took part of his last release, The Changing Landscape and invited along vocalist Carmen Ruiz to give his song “Land III” a new dimension, as her wordless vocals take center stage among layers of synths that go from enveloping to caustic. Fax has long been a shining light in the Mexican ambient and electronic music but it’s particularly exciting to see him try new things and deliver top-tier material. -Marcos Hassan
7
Triángulo de Amor Bizarro - “Ruptura”
Galician quartet Triángulo de Amor Bizarro are finally releasing the long-awaited follow-up to their fantastic 2016 album, Salve Discordia, and by the sound of this first single “Ruptura,” there will be nowhere to hide once they unleash the beast. “Ruptura” is Triángulo in take-no-prisoners mode; it’s fast and violent, amplified by electronic production and a bold mixing. They run us over with sound and don’t regret a thing. -Cheky
8
Dannyy - "No Recuerdas"
Mexico City via Yucatan crew Montehood are not much for sleeping, seemingly dropping a glossy new single every few weeks. Their latest gem of sadboy R&B comes from Dannyy on “No Recuerdas,” a prayer of heartbroken whisper-singing wrapped in atmospheric, bass-heavy production from fellow Montehood prophets Pedro Honda and Javier Cali. -Richard Villegas
9
.Stendal - HIJACK
It’s still pretty early to tell if we’re ready for another round of turn-of-the-millennium post punk revival; but all signs point to it happening sooner than later. So it’s refreshing to hear a band like Mexico City’s .Stendal deliver a take on return-of-rock sophistipop that relishes in the now-vintage sound while finding new avenues. Yes, the driving basslines and semi-danceable drums are there in “HIJACK,” and the vocals have an operatic, León from Zoé quality fans will appreciate; but it’s everything else that happens in the song –from guitars to electronics– that makes it a contender for what may push the sound forward. -Marcos Hassan
10
Moodkillah - "El Efekto Miguelito"
Mexico has taken the lead on the cumbiaton movement, and this CDMX producer shows you how and why the fusion is done. “El Efekto Miguelito” gives you a spot-on, dancefloor-filling audio collage. -Caitlin Donohue
11
Dromedarios Mágicos - "Real" (feat. Pedro LaDroga)
Diego Puerta, the helium-tinged voice behind Dromedarios Mágicos, has long itched to stray from the weepy folk-pop sound that has come to define his career, providing the occasional vocal assist to singles by rapper LNG/SHT and cumbia-EDM alchemist Nurrydog. However, his new collaboration with Spanish trap star Pedro LaDroga on a track called “Real” might be his most successful experiment to date, reframing the syrupy crooning that made him a star with a droning, almost psychedelic hip-hop beat to deliriously delightful effect. -Richard Villegas
12
Riccie Oriach - “Pa’ Que Suba”
Mixing sarandunga and merengue with a potent brass section, minimal electronic production, and traditional Dominican chants, Riccie Oriach’s “Pa’ Que Suba” is the sound of a joyous revolution. The first preview of his upcoming Eduardo Cabra-produced six-track album, Mi Derriengue, is a wake-up call to his fellow Dominicans to do whatever they can to make their voices heard. -Cheky
13
DJ Chedraui - "Baile Del Duro I"
Mexico’s DJ Chedraui has been known to deliver some challenging future club music even for the genre’s standards. For his latest, the electronic producer has managed to rely mostly on distorted drums, harsh vocals and noisy soundscapes to let his music shine late into the rave when things begin to turn into a bad trip. The beat shuffles between footwork, four on the floor techno and back again, but hanging “Baile del Duro I” together is a synth playing a melodic tribal guarachero-inspired melody that represents the only light in such murky and aggressive territory, which makes it some of the most fun this side of the distortion plug-in. -Marcos Hassan