Moonchild is a trio from Los Angeles consisting of Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, and Max Bryk. Navran handles the vocals, but then all three pitch in playing multiple instruments and producing beats. They’ve been together a little over ten years, steadily working, touring, and releasing albums, gradually improving each time through. Their last album, Little Ghost, came out in 2019. Now they are back with their fifth full-length album, Starfruit.

Crystal Murray is a 20-year-old artist from Paris, born to an African American jazz musician and a Franco-Spanish mother who worked in the world music industry. Despite her age, she’s been in the public eye in Paris for a while, both as a deejay and as part of the fashion collective Gucci Gang. In 2020, she released her first EP, I Was Wrong. Now she’s back with her first full-length album, Twisted Bases.

Backburner is the massive hip hop crew from Toronto/Halifax/Ottawa whose membership has ebbed and flowed over the years, but usually rolls about twenty or so deep. Over the years, there have been tons of solo releases, along with subgroups like Swamp Thing, Teenburger, and The Library Steps. They released their first crew album, Heatwave, in 2011, and then followed that up with Eclipse in 2015. Since that time, there have been no shortage of releases from all of the artists involved, but as you can imagine, it’s tough to get everyone on the same page without a major effort from all involved to record a full crew album.

Chrome Canyon is the alias of Brooklyn composer Morgan Whirledge, one who has worked on everything from scoring the animated series Infinity Train to playing with Apes & Androids. He debuted the alias Chrome Canyon ten years ago, when he made his debut on Stones Throw with the full-length album, Elemental Themes. Now, after a decade of working on other projects, he returns to Chrome Canyon to drop another album, Director.

Bay Area producer Brycon knows how to stay busy. After a 2021 in which he released Music For Indoor Cats with iLL Sugi, Jeweler’s Loop with Lightbulb (as Diamond Lung), and There’s No More Room in Hell 7 with G-PEK, he already started off 2022 with a full-length album with Equipto, Can’t Stay Perched All the Time. Never one to rest on his laurels, he’s already back with another project, this time teaming with Profess Gabel to give us Corner Booth.

Bloodmoney Perez is an artist currently based in Juneau, although he has previously made his home in other parts of the Pacific Northwest. Most recently, he dropped a beat tape called Ralphie Vol. 1 this past December. Now he has teamed up with Baltimore producer Messiah Muzik to make the full-length album, Second Hand Accounts. You don’t have to look much further for an example of what Messiah Muzik is capable of as a producer than last year’s collaboration with Uncommon Nasa, Only Child.

Queens artist/illustrator/writer KDFoxx had an idea for a manga called Animal Arithmetic, an end-times story. For most people, it would have been enough to simply write and illustrate this story and then put it out into the world. KDFoxx had a more ambitious plan for this particular project, though, one that included a soundtrack to the manga. To complete this task, she reached out to Maryland artist Substantial. He then set about the project that is Animal Arithmetic, Vol.

IVY SOLE. is an artist from Philadelphia who started releasing music in 2016. Her last album, Southpaw, came out in November 2020. Since that time, she’s teased us with a few singles, but now it’s finally time for her new full-length, candid. One of the most exciting parts of being a music fan is when you come across an artist that clearly has talent and potential, and you get to go along for the ride and watch them figure things out and take that next big step.

Myles Bullen is an artist from Portland, Maine, who has been making some noise over the past couple of years. They made a big statement at the end of 2020 when they released the album Healing Hurts, then followed that up with a couple of EPs in 2021 before going on tour with Ceschi as they played small outdoor venues across New England. Now it’s time for Bullen to not only drop another full-length album, but to also make their debut on Fake Four with Mourning Travels.

In April of 2017, Baltimore emcee/producer/engineer Cubbiebear passed away after a battle with brain cancer. However, back in 2010, after being friends for a few years, DC emcee Seez Mics and Cubbiebear began working on an album together off and on over the next few years. Unfortunately, they never got on the same page to set aside a month or two to really focus and work on the album in earnest.