Slater, Floats, Deadtramps

A member of the Vada Vada collective (the Garden, Enjoy, Puzzle), Southern California’s Slater might look like a long-lost Shears brother, but the alt-pop purveyor draws a sonic line. Inspiration from early Aughts’ pop and R&B asserts itself through Slater’s modern drum and bass beats, crafting a glossy Frutiger Aero soundscape. His bubbly blend of rap and warped whines carry the 3OH!3 torch, but he holds a definitive flair for genre experimentation. (See: reggae-flittered “Liminal Space Within a Puka Shell Necklace.”) San Antonio-born Floats open with whirring garage pop. – Laiken Neumann