Musicto Community Artist Picks

Every day, musicto receives track submissions from artists all over the world. With so much new music coming our way, we created a space where our community can listen together, discover new artists, and connect over the music that stands out to them. 

Through these submissions, we’ve found incredible artists and music we may never have discovered otherwise. From hidden gems to emerging talent, this playlist is filled with fresh sounds from artists across the globe, and you might just find your new favorite.

If you’re an artist and would like to share your music with the community, you can submit a track using the link below.

Submit your track by clicking here.

Jenna Writes:

I started this playlist with a handful of songs that never quite found a home in any of our listening parties earlier this year, whether that was Hope, Love, Fear, Anger, or Sadness.

Every time I listen through our track submissions, I’m blown away by just how much talent is out there. I’ve discovered incredible music from artists I probably never would have found otherwise. I’m really drawn to the emotional submissions like Maria’s “Don’t Break my Heart” and Lee’s “Chasing Sunset”.

When I first heard “Me” by Della Chase, I was immediately intrigued by those amazing vocals and the powerful message behind the song. Sometimes it’s the name of the track itself that catches my attention, sometimes it’s the artist’s write-up, and sometimes it’s simply something about the sound that makes me stop what I’m doing and listen. Everyone I added to my list stood out to me for a different reason, and I love that you can discover something completely unexpected when you start digging through these submissions.

I mean, “Lonely Ball” by Racoon The Last already has such a cool name, but then you press play and you’re hit with this infectious indie sound and so much energy. They described it simply as “a catchy indie song about loneliness,” but I think there’s so much more to it than that. It has this raw, lively quality that immediately made me picture them playing it on a stage in front of a crowd. This is a band I would absolutely love to see live because that energy feels like it would be unreal in person. There’s something so exciting about finding a band through a track submission and realizing, wow, I might have never found these guys if they hadn’t sent this song our way. I genuinely feel grateful that I get to hear music like this.

Another pick from the submissions that stopped me in my tracks was “I’m So Pretty” by Tafari. I was instantly hooked by the melody and playful energy of the song, but once I read the story behind it, I appreciated it even more. Here’s what Tafari had to say about the track:

“A guy catcalled me in Vegas after seeing my long hair from behind, then got furious when he realized I wasn’t a woman. The fragility of it was hilarious to me.”

The song was written on day two of a five-day writing trip with Matt Parad in LA in 2024, turning that strange and funny encounter into something much bigger. Tafari uses the moment to explore what it means to be a man today, and how quickly ego can turn into anger when masculinity feels threatened, even by something as simple as a stranger’s hair.

And you can hear that playful attitude in the music itself. It has this California-breeze energy mixed with early 2000s pop and hints of ’90s R&B. It’s upbeat, sassy, and incredibly fun, while still having something meaningful to say underneath it all. I love that Tafari takes a moment that could have easily become an angry song and instead turns it into something funny, empowering, and disarming without ever feeling preachy.

For me, that’s what makes a submission like this so memorable. It’s a song that made me want to get up and move, but then made me stop and think once I learned the story behind it.

Andie Writes:

Why I chose these tracks

I wanted this lineup to move through a few different genres but still feel like it belongs together, mostly because of the mood each track carries!

Josie G’s “Tell” kicks things off with summery Afrobeats meets R&B. It’s smoooooth and full of joy, giving me those Snoh Aalegra and Cleo Sol feelings. Just an easy, feel-good listen.

Ackoom’s “Find Myself in You” takes the energy up a notch. It’s electronic pop/EDM with big choir-style hooks, so for me it really hits like something ODESZA would make. Euphoric, hopeful, and honestly just fun to sing along to.

Hellagreeno’s “GO WIT THE FLOW” brings it back down with a mellow, confident rap track that blends kinda West Coast flavor with Midwest grit. I felt it had that Dom Kennedy laid back energy but still carries real substance in those bars!

Jon Writes:

The jaunty and retrophile ‘Rotary Phone’ by Tea Drunk (Detroit’s Cindee Lish and Christopher Plansker) has a suitably kitsch indie pop arrangement that calls to mind The Darling Buds or St Etienne or, from the contemporary scene, Lottery Winners. More sophisticated than you might expect – or arguably than it needs to be – it’s a sweet ditty about waiting by the phone for a very special call.

‘Innere Mitte’ (Inner Centre) is a four-minute piano piece that starts off with pensive bass notes and a contrasting hint of synth, working its way towards the treble end of the keyboard in the second half with a cheerful and delicate melody. The artist describes his music as “pianopoesie” (piano poetry) and “pianofolkpop”. Check out nilzhuebenbecker.de for more info and live dates.

Eurovision style cabaret pop from Franklin & Bell with unknown guest vocalist Charley Gray, ‘Bom de Bom’ has a swaggering and sultry vocal that surprisingly hides a bit of socio-political commentary (“to keep on working all those hours while they’re the ones who gain more power”) under a euphemistic refrain of bom-de-boms. More info at franklinandbell.com.

Describing themselves as “a tribute to the punk explosion of 1977 that changed and saved rock music”, there’s a hint of The Cramps to ‘Loaded Lens’, a sleazy new wave grind out of San Francisco. In their own words, ‘Loaded lens’ “tells the story of seeing things from a different, sometimes distorted perspective, and a reminder that life moves pretty fast, so we have to make the good times last.” Find out more at facebook.com/Classof77Band.

Playlist Image by Reynier Carl on Unsplash

Support These Artists on Instagram!

Maria Krauss — @mariaakrausss
Ackoom — @resistant_ackoom
Josie G — @theejosieg
Proton Packs — @protonpacks
Lee Brown — @lee_.brown
Dj Kivilan — @dj_kivalan
Della Chase — @dellachase
PEAKK — @peakkmusic
Raccoon The Last — @raccoon_the_last
Stephanie Milostic — @sungbysteph
Tafari Anthony — @tafarianthony
FENNE — @fennescholte
Franklin & Bell — @callybellmusic
Antfood — @antfood.music

---

There are plenty more great submissions where these came from, so we’ll be back with another round soon. In the meantime, you can check out Musicto Monday.

Track Listing:

• Don’t Break My Heart – Maria Krauss
• The Backrooms – Proton Packs
• Chasing the sunset – Lëe Brœwn
• Verano De Fuego – dj kivalan
• Me – Della Chase
• half alive – PEAKK
• Lonely Ball – Raccoon The Last
• ashamed to say – Stephanie Milostic
• I’m So Pretty – Tafari Anthony
• Boy & Girl – FENNE
• From The Bottom Of My Heart – Evan Love
• My Rotary Phone – Tea Drunk
• Innere Mitte – Nilz Hubenbecker
• BOM DE BOM – Franklin & Bell
• The Ragged Edge – Class of ’77
• GO WIT THE FLOW – Hellagreeno
• Find Myself In You – Ackoom
• Gelato – Josie G