Detroit Proud Playlist: Week of 10/5

This week's playlist is all sorts of funkalicious with a little bit of rock sprinkled in for good measure. Pick your favorite place to chill and get acquainted with some of the grooviest bands in the city.

1. Taxon Clade – "Come Clean"

Taxon Clade gives off a surfy and dreamy vibe, while keeping the listening experience jazzy and uplifting by incorporating gentle ukulele with acoustic and electric guitar jams and bouncing bass rhythms. The three-piece provides sultry and sophisticated tracks on their freshman EP release, We Could Do That, where vocals reverberate softly in the backsplash of instrumentation, and everything jives harmoniously to provide you with that "last days of summer" vibe. Check out Taxon Clade at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on October 22nd.

2. The Old Adage – "Silly Sam"

Complex electro-pop with butter smooth harmonies and uniquely layered sound is what you'll get from The Old Adage's release, Matches. It's a do-it-yourself style album that incorporates high-power synth, bluesy electric guitar fills and well executed drums. This duo covers all the bases with their multiple talents, and it's obvious this release was a product of meticulous musical consideration. There's a little something for all kinds of listeners, not just those that enjoy electronic, rock numbers. It's hearty and diverse with twists and turns that you may not expect.

3. Phosphor Elephants – "Cosmic Dance"

Imagine yourself floating on a cloud through a night sky of twinkling stars. Phosphor Elephants has that glow pop, electronic thing happening that's the perfect combination of modern and traditional. The vocals are funky and sultry which tones down the whole demeanor of their EP, Moonphase, and gives it the relaxing, adult-pop personality that we love. The synth is calming and the beats are subtle, but manage to carry the tracks along and keep the listener engaged. We advise that you listen to this EP in a dark room with a projecting night light if you have one...just saying.

4. White Bee – "DSL"

Psychedelic, neo-soul group White Bee will help you groove along no matter the time or place with their debut release, 5 'til the Time. The vocals are weighty and sizzling, locking down that passionate and soulful aura that radiates from this group. The bluesy bass and quick-paced drums bring out the danceability in these tracks, but the changes in rhythm make this fun to groove to without forcing any over-the-top body movements. Just let the music take you on a wild and rad journey through fuzzy guitar and swooping synth, and let it ride.

5. Honeybabe – "Boom Boom Starfish"

Honeybabe's experimental nature coupled with their on-point psychedelic sound makes their album, Creatures of Circumstance, a must-listen. The guitar licks are perfectly executed and bring out the groovy, surf-pop mood that resonates throughout the release. Each track has a delicate and thoughtful sound with heady lyrics and resonating vocals. It's refreshing to experience music that is as emotional and thoughtful as it is entertaining and upbeat. Take a dip with these guys, they might just inspire you to rethink the universe.

6. King Eddie – "Dolls"

Jazzy and funky with that air of garage grunge, King Eddie brings a mature sound to the table that borders on alternative rock, but falls predominately in the indie, psychedelic category. The quick and jazzed drums give their sound a unique twist, while the fuzzy and reverberating guitar coats each track in a rock n' roll, technicolor sheen. The vocals echo out into an abyss and that makes their 2015 self-titled release feel even more airy and open. The sound is big, but also modest and articulate.

7. The Erers – "Riding The Waves"

Falling nowhere near the pattern we've been following throughout this playlist is The ERERs, a riff-rock band of talented musicians, melting your face off with their ride-filled drum beats and fuzzed-out guitar jams, all wrapped up with a pretty little bow made of droning bass runs. Their bluesy take on classic rock n' roll makes them stand out and tickles our listening taste buds. Riding the Waves, The ERERs sophomore release, is a perfect example of what we consider desert rock (a new genre you never heard of, because we made it up). It's gritty and ever-changing with a mysterious, yet confident quality. These guys sure know how to rock and we enjoy it.

8. Junk Food Junkies – "Drunk Food Drunkies"

Strictly food-based and slightly adorable, Junk Food Junkies take their band personas quite literally. A group of hungry ladies just trying to make sense of all this lovely food in the world. Their lyrics are quirky and honest, while the guitar, drums, and bass roll on slowly to enhance the feeling of utter starvation. Their self-titled album, released in 2013, is a mirage of simplistic garage-style rock with crumbs of folk (see what we did there?). These tracks will most definitely put a smile on your face, and we definitely admire their love for pizza, chips, beer, and tacos, because who doesn't love junk food? Seriously.

9. Gold Crayon – "Things We Could Have Had"

Gold Crayon brings you an alternative rock single with a surprising variation that cloaks the traditional in innovative creativity. The guitar riffs jive through this track while a myriad of drums, bass, and the occasional piano flow along harmoniously beneath them. The vocals are hearty and earthy leading into a sudden jazz movement that will have you dancing away through the rest of the track. We're looking forward to hearing what's next from Gold Crayon. Stay tuned!

10. Phantom Cats – "Jagged Minnows"

It's no doubt that Phantom Cats will bring you a psychedelic and other-worldly experience with their 2013 release, Ray of The Moon, and it's also no doubt that what they bring to the Detroit music table is a funk-filled and highly-composed array of tracks. The lead singer is powerful and tenacious with her voice booming and cooing over top a stratified mix of instruments ranging from keyboards and synths to drums, electric guitars, bass, and other percussion sounds. The lyrics are poetic and exploding with beautiful imagery that is only amplified by the music that compliments it. If you're looking for a vibrant and sophisticated sound, don't miss their sophomore release coming to life very shortly with the help of a GoFundMe page. Music isn't cheap and we're sure you wouldn't want the quality to be either, so in order to get that perfectly produced local music you can help the Phantom Cats with their final release by donating here.

Stick around for next week as we will have a special guest DJ bringing you some of their favorite local artists here in Detroit and as always, let us know what you think in the comments below!