Playlist: What's the Suffers listening to?
Now, that's one tricky band practice to wrangle. The Houston soul outfit the Suffers is ten members strong, and their effusively funk make them sound like twice that. With their new self-titled album out Friday, the band chooses 10 favorites for USA TODAY.
Outro, Vulfpeck
This amazing band can do no wrong and their YouTube channel is fantastic. Music nerds, this is your new favorite. — Nick Zamora
Unstoppable, Lianne La Havas
Her voice is incredible. When I hear one of her songs, I want to hear five more. I don't know the last time an artist made me feel that way, and that alone makes me even more so drawn to her music. — Kam Franklin
Playa Marinas, Chico Trujillo
This Chile-based band touches my soul like no other with their feel good Latin rhythms. This song in particular never fails to make my heart smile when I'm missing home the most. — Jose 'Chapy' Luna
Sharon, The Frightnrs
A NYC reggae revival-sort-of group.. This track from their Inna Lovers Quarrel EP was welcoming and refreshing to hear this past year. Along with the solid mixing of Ticklah, Dan "Brukkly" Kleins hauntingly high and clear vocals sit on one the most bangin' reggae tracks to come out of the states in many years. — Pat Kelly
Animal (Mark Ronson Remix), Miike Snow
Another band member played this song in the van and I was hooked! The original is already a great catchy tune but the remix by Mark Ronson adds some sweet horns and gives it a funky reggae groove. — Michael Razo
Nightingale, Hospitality
I was on tour with The Suffers and I saw a post from an awesome musician friend, Andrew Lienhard from Houston, on his Instagram about this band. I immediately checked them out and the song Nightingale really stuck out to me. It has seductive vocals, all around amazing music writing, and different movements that transition flawlessly. By the end, the waves crash against the rocks, so to speak, and it really makes me feel something special. — Jon Durbin
Maphuthi, The Mgababa Sisters
I came across this song on a particularly cold and grey day in western Pennsylvania. When that first chorus came around the clouds cleared and for the first time that day we saw some sunlight. — Adam Castaneda
Young Trouble, Sinkane
I first heard about Sinkane on NPR's All Things Considered and immediately became intrigued by songwriter Ahmed Gallab's uncanny ability to create beautiful songs from an unusual palate of musical influences. On this track, you can clearly hear Jamaican reggae, African music, and a hearty slathering of American country pedal steel, all perfectly coexisting like brothers from from another mother! — Kevin Bernier
Us (Roomix), Raymond A x DJ Baby Roo
It's time to zoom in on Houston's diversity. Taste some of the other Gumbos, you feel me? — Alex Zamora
Emotional Hard Drive, Ishi
This song makes me groove. I need a bit more that the average person before I start moving my body and this song works each and every time. I will also point out that it has also worked for everyone I have ever seen listen to it. When we are on the road it is always a surefire way to pump the energy level back up where it should be (which is maximum). — Cory Wilson