Chicago Soul Jazz Collective- No Wind No Rain
The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective returns with No Wind & No Rain, a powerful testament to the grit and resilience of the Windy City. Featuring the legendary vocals of Dee Alexander, this 10-track collection masterfully bridges the gap between classic soul-jazz and modern blues. From the high-energy funk of "The Laughing Heart" to the soulful tribute "A Groove for Ramsey," the ensemble delivers a rich, gospel-tinged sound that is as sophisticated as it is grooving.
Jill Jack- Soulshine
We are thrilled to welcome a fresh addition to the WHFR music library: a stunning new rendition of Warren Haynes’ "Soulshine" by the incredibly talented local artist Jill Jack. A long-standing staple of the Detroit music scene, Jill brings her signature folk-rock warmth and soulful delivery to this classic anthem. It’s a beautiful tribute that honors the original’s roots while showcasing the powerful, local artistry that defines our community’s sound.
Beyond her undeniable talent on the stage, Jill Jack has always been a cherished friend of the station. She is someone we’ve come to know not just as a performer, but as what we proudly call a "loyal listener"—tuning in and supporting community radio with the same passion she puts into her music. We are honored to add this latest track to our rotation and to continue celebrating an artist who has been such an integral part of the WHFR family for so many years.
Joe Syrian and The Motor City Jazz Octet- A Blue Time
Tinkering with classic songs can be a risky disposition. But for drummer Joe Syrian and his versatile Motor City Jazz Octet it’s just another day in the office. With a band made up of veteran musicians who thrive by incorporating rock, pop, blues, and Latin music into their signature brand of Jazz, Syrian and his gifted octet are back for a new round of musical mischief with their second Circle 9 recording A Blue Time. Covering an imaginative spectrum of legendary Jazz classics, renown Latin gems and several treasured pop tunes, Syrian transforms every composition into sonic experiments that will have you experiencing familiar music with an entirely different attitude. Featuring his brilliant octet, along with musical guests, vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan and percussionist Luisito Quintero, A Blue Time aims to resonate with old and new listeners alike.
Uncle Ritmo and 5HOURS- Show Me Love
Released on the rising Afro House imprint 12GODS, the collaborative single "Show Me Love" by Uncle Ritmo and 5HOURS (featuring the powerful vocals of Idra Kayne) is a masterclass in modern rhythmic reimagining. Dropping in April 2026, this track transforms the iconic house anthem into a deep, organic journey characterized by polyrhythmic percussion and lush, atmospheric textures. 5HOURS brings his signature "edit" expertise to the table, while Uncle Ritmo grounds the production with a heavy, club-ready pulse that honors the original’s soulful roots while pushing it into the contemporary global house scene. With Idra Kayne’s commanding performance breathing new life into those familiar melodies, this release is already becoming a staple for sunset sets and late-night dancefloors alike.
youbet- youbet
On their new self-titled album for Hardly Art, Brooklyn-based duo youbet (comprised of Nick Llobet and Micah Prussack) deliver a stunning evolution of their "wizardly art-pop" sound. Due out May 1, 2026, the record marks a transformative chapter, shifting from Llobet’s solo bedroom-pop origins into an expansive, collaborative force. Co-produced by Katie Von Schleicher and Julian Fader, the album is a collection of what the band calls "three-dimensional musical sculptures"—songs that oscillate between the delicate, "Big Thief-esque" intimacy of lead single "Ground Kiss" and the heavy, concussive alt-rock energy of "See Thru." Lyrically, the record navigates the debris of long-term relationships and the rebuilding of self with a sense of "ecstatic possibility and grit." By weaving together influences ranging from Debussy to Japanese hard rock, youbet stands as a masterful display of meticulous craft and raw, emotional honesty.
Mikaela Davis- Graceland Way
With her latest release on Kill Rock Stars, acclaimed harpist and songwriter Mikaela Davis invites listeners into the kaleidoscopic world of Graceland Way (due April 24, 2026). Described as a "canyon country" epic, the album masterfully bridges the psychedelic folk legacy of Laurel Canyon with a sharp, neo-western edge. Co-produced by Dan Horne and marking a new songwriting partnership with guitarist John Lee Shannon, the record explores the delicate balance of light and dark through Davis’s signature ethereal harp glissandos and crystalline vocals. Featuring standout collaborations with artists like Madison Cunningham and Tim Heidecker, Graceland Way is less a physical destination and more a transformative state of mind—a lush, cosmic journey that cements Davis as one of the most inventive voices in modern indie-folk.
Ghost Funk Orchestra- Live in Europe
Fresh from the stages of Europe, Ghost Funk Orchestra delivers a powerhouse performance with their new live LP, Live in Europe. Out via Karma Chief Records, this collection strips away the studio polish to reveal the raw, psychedelic soul energy that has made them a live staple. It’s a high-octane celebration of their first international tour, featuring fan favorites and brand-new arrangements that keep the spirit of independent funk alive.
Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr. - Hush
Drawing on their deep roots within the Allman Brothers Band orbit, Oteil Burbridge and Lamar Williams Jr. deliver a powerful message of emotional clarity on "Hush." The single showcases Burbridge’s melodic bass work and Williams’ expressive vocals, anchored by a "deep pocket" groove produced by Alan Evans (Soulive). Built on years of friendship and creative synergy, this unhurried anthem is the emotional centerpiece of their forthcoming LP, The Offering, bridging the gap between improvisational rock and timeless Southern soul.
Temples- Vendetta
Temples venture into bold new territory with "Vendetta," a high-octane single out now on V2 Records. Blending their signature psychedelic-rock DNA with the pulse of late-'90s French House, the track finds the band self-producing a sound that is both gritty and club-ready. It serves as a shimmering centerpiece for their upcoming fifth album, BLISS, which the band describes as a study in "melancholic euphoria."
Meg Washington - GEM
GEM is the fifth studio album from Meg Washington. Typical of Meg's genre-defying work and her ever-expanding palette, GEM is a country-tinged record of psychedelic folk songs, and marks a turning point for the platinum-selling artist
Meg on GEM: “GEM is a concept album, set on a treasure island. It’s been a creative oasis, a beautiful and isolated dreamscape crafted with my friend and collaborator, Ben Edgar. These songs formed as notes that I wrote to myself, a journal I kept while considering the question of music in these times. The answer, when it came, was simple. I sing because it’s in my nature. In every sense, this record is about nature. Human nature, animal nature, and my own nature as an artist, parent and person. We took a simple approach to production. We used very few machines.”
The Beths - Straight Line Was A Lie
The path from The Beths’ critically celebrated and year-end-list-topping 2022 album Expert In A Dying Field to Straight Line Was A Lie was anything but straightforward. For the first time, Stokes was struggling to write new songs beyond fragments she’d recorded on her phone. She’d recently started taking an SSRI, which on one hand made her feel like she could “fix” everything broken in her life, from her mental and physical health to fraught family dynamics. At the same time, writing wasn’t coming as easily as it had before.
With Straight Line Was A Lie, Stokes and Pearce broke down the typical Beths writing process, opening themselves up to a wave of creative input, with Stokes’ free-flowing writing routine proving to be therapeutic. Already a celebrated lyricist, Stokes has long impressed fans and critics with catchy, instant-classic turns of phrase that capture the personal and ladder up to the universal. But Stokes’ intentional deconstruction and rebuilding of her relationship to writing, however, has resulted in a complete renewal. Her songwriting has achieved startling new depths of insight and vulnerability, making Straight Line Was A Lie the most sharply observant, truthful, and poetic Beths project to date.
Harold Lopez - Nussa Nueva Timba
On NUEVA TIMBA, the new Blue Note album from Cuban-born pianist Harold López-Nussa, the jazz vanguard meets multiple eras of Cuba’s musical history with results that are at once accessible, life-affirming, and strikingly accomplished. The album, which will be released Sept. 5, features a core of unmatched talent—Harold’s brother, Ruy Adrian López-Nussa, on drums; Luques Curtis on bass; and the harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret—and presents a definitive vision for the future of Latin jazz. López-Nussa has also shared the album’s lead single “Bonito y Sabroso,” a vibrant modernization of a Benny Moré classic that adds psychedelic hues with electronics and the beat-making of José Angel Blanco, a.k.a. El Negro WADPRO.
Hog Meets Frog - The Urbanizer
Lyrically dystopian and musically unhinged, “The Urbanizer (You Know Where The Flowers Have Gone)" is a darkly groovy critique of ecological collapse and unchecked urban sprawl—told from the perspective of the “urbanizer” himself, a concrete deity paving over the planet.
Emma Louis & Flume - Dumb
Emma Louise & Flume team up for a 10-track collaborative album, DUMB. Emma Louise finds new edges with this album, wrapping her intimate songwriting in Flume’s glitchy, wide-screen production.