[Saturday Spotlight] John Stamps, Xali, & Restless Modern

I’m always looking for artists who stand out with their music and their email when curating this post. This week I’ve found three interesting tracks that I feel are some of the best I’ve heard this week. The style and authenticity that each artist on this week’s post shows in their craft proves they’ve been practicing at this for a long time, polishing their sound until it was something that set them apart from everyone else. Think you have music that stands out? Submit here.

John Stamps

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing John Stamps perform live while living in Augusta, GA. He’s a Hoosier, like myself, residing in Indianapolis, IN. The Midwest has become eclectic with the music it has generated now more than ever and Stamps is proof. ‘1999’ sees him in the desert pondering life, the result of him and his girlfriend eating too many mushrooms. It fits the sound of the record, produced by KNags, and the overall theme of his House Plants album that was released this summer.

Xali

On the outskirts of Miami you’ll find Broward County, a place where the likes of Ace Hood and Kodak Black have opened the doors for many other artists to gain exposure. Xali is one of those artists. Boasting a trap style, his ‘Real Hot Boy’ record is an off-kilter journey with bass and xylophone’s that echo his gruff voice speaking about his life in the county. Elm Vision provides the strategic production, as the song fits more in the trap genre based on vocal delivery and style rather than the beat.

Restless Modern

I’ll always have a special place in my Hip-Hop loving heart for artists from the Midwest. Like Stamps above, Restless Modern comes to us from the middle of the map. The Chicago, IL producer and song writer released his catchy ‘No Expectations’ with an electronic/Hip-Hop feel featuring artist OnCue. What stood out to me was the night time feel of the song which they followed up with a lyric video to capture that emotion.