Philip Lassiter is a master band leader with a resume to die for, and he's taking the fabulous funk and soul scene in DC to a new level. For the last few years, Philip Lassiter has been the section leader and horn arranger for The New Power Generation. Yes, you read that correctly. Prince's horn man is in DC, and he's set to go crazy and tear the roof off the sucker. These horns are the product of Philip's talent, and his very own band of locals is bringing that talent to the streets and clubs of DC.  

He's already written and produced two full lengths this year. In February Phil dropped Philthy, followed quickly in June by DreamZzz.  Both albums are chock full of top-of-the-line funk. Relentless rhythms drive the walls of sound to boogie. Horns, keys, guitars, choruses, blips and bloops, beat-boxing and scratching; anything and everything combines into a non-stop party. Listening to tracks like this, you can't imagine anyone else being Prince's horn man. 

Despite being a horn man to the stars, and a rising star himself, Philip is totally down to earth. He just released a totally adorable video for the track STRUT off DreamZzz. Check it out below, and keep your eyes peeeled for news of upcoming shows. --Natan Press

I first became aware of Virginia based artist Dannie in August of this year with her first single, Girls Time. Dannie is a strong vocalist, one of the few singers that are still breathing life into what I'll label pure R&B. Her second single, Wait 4 It was released on October 14th and has been doing well since that date with over 80,000 plays on Soundcloud. This sexy track highlights strong harmonies interlaced with smooth melodies that are sure to be caught in your head after first the listen. Wait 4 It tells the story of a playful seductress keeping her potential lover on his toes to the point of full desire. The track used properly accompanies the concept of this song and reminds me of what a slow jam is supposed to sound like. Emotion is clearly felt within the vocals of this track as Dannie flirtatiously explores her full range and leaves the listener yearning for more by the time they realize that the song has ended. --Opal Rose

Snippets of red ballons, party-goers, and a cosmic sky splice the images of a sullen girl singing “… she just wanna party” in Noleac Yasin’s latest music video for “Par.T.” DJ and producer, Devyn Symone, says Noleac Yahsin is a joint effort between her and singer/songwriter Caelon Reed. “When I’m creating beats, whatever flows out of [Reed’s] mouth, goes on the track. Whatever we both like.” That’s why the pair choose not categorize themselves into any particular genre. Influenced by Timbaland, James Blake, and Amy Winehouse, the duo create neyo-soul rhythms, interposed by driving trap lines, all under alluring, relaxed vocals in the latest single. “Par.T” tells the story of Reed in the aftermath of a break-up, looking to find peace in others, and finally finding it in herself. “Par.T” can be heard on Noleac Yahsin’s forthcoming mixtape, Maktub, to be released November 11th. For now, get hooked on the indie-esque music video for “Par.T” below. –Sade A. Spence

The soulful vocals of Ally Khoury bring a fullness to the already layered sound of guitar riffs, creating a modern indie rock sound to The Northerners' new EP Virginia. The five-song EP is reminiscent of a modern adaptation of the traditional folk, blues, and swing eras. Their album is available on iTunes. You can see The Northerners live on their October Tour through Virginia. --Hannah Brady

The track sounds “a lot like electronic and indie pop, but not” describes Tigers Are Bad For Horses pianist, Lyell Evans Roeder. When his rock and classical roots paired up with Mellen (Mary-Ellen) Funke’s folk-vocals, the duo created a sound all their own. Influenced by Bonobo, Alt-J, and Daft Punk, “Recovery” is a beautiful blend of Funke’s sultry voice and Roeder’s relaxing electro-jazz melodies.

Tigers Are Bad For Horses, a name created by Roeder’s "crazy-but-brilliant" Russian college roomie, have only been working together since April 2014, but already have a lot in the works. They are currently producing a second single, which they plan to release before the drop of their EP; both are expected this fall. The pair say they are dreaming big, but for now, they are looking forward to performing in the D.C. area in the next few months. If you haven’t already heard “Recovery” on Sirius XM Chill, take a listen below. --Sade A. Spence