Jacuzzi Fuzz photo.
Audio By Carbonatix
It’s the shortest month of the year, but the list of local acts putting out diverse, incredible music just keeps getting longer and longer — so you’d better get started. The most satisfying, affirming, enlivening homework you’ve probably ever had is in the form of the playlist below. Get after it now — March really is just around the corner.
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Carlos Escanilla — “Driving”
Local therapist and Tremora/Sunset Dreams frontman Carlos Escanilla recently wrote this song about “abandonment, vulnerability, and the things we think we’ve healed — until life brings them back” — and wisely put out a live version of it quickly enough to capture the full raw, soulful power and disarming vulnerability as close to its source as possible. “If you’ve ever struggled with abandonment, thought you had ‘moved on’ but something resurfaced, [or] used music to process emotions,” Escanilla writes, “you’re not alone.” And by the end of “Driving,” you’ll likely believe him, too.
Century Park West — “Pop Off (In NYC)”
Somewhere between that deliciously fuzzed-out early nineties lo-fi indie, hep-pep garage rock, dreamy dream pop, and driving post-punk you will find Roxie and Felix of Century Park West chasing a very lithe and darting muse wherever the hell it leads. The duo’s self-titled EP is an infectious little charmer that rewards multiple listens.
Jacuzzi Fuzz (Featuring Natasha De Renzis of Condors and Chaos) — “Misinformation”
Good. Lord. Check the insanely deft way much-beloved merchants of 305 aural eclecticism Jacuzzi Fuzz meld reggae, horn-driven soul, and razor-sharp AOR rock on this 100 percent undeniable track. Natasha De Renzis of the excellent grunge-y power trio Condors and Chaos not only settles right into the JacuFu groove here but shows a different, equally alluring side to her voice as well. (Here’s a behind the scenes video of her laying down her tracks.)
Jeff Stones — “Can’t Calm Me Down”
North Miami rapper Jeff Stones made our Best Miami Albums of 2025 list with his stunning full-length Rather Be Distant 3 — and already seems determined to make waves again in 2026 with the vibrant and urgent follow-up Anti Sober. This is the sound of a man whose flow is in the flow state and whose eye is on the prize.
Krissy Celess & Fat Jesu$ — “Manic”
Krissy Celess brings the absolute fire on this collaboration with the seemingly omnipresent Fat Jesu$ that easily lives up to its title — and then some. There is enough attitude, swagger, and talent channeled into this acrobatic trap-meets-hip-hop minute-and-a-half collection of incendiary rhymes and beats to rival full-lengths by other rappers.
Louis Mikán — “Yo Sabía”
Cuban singer-songwriter Louis Mikán captures sunshine in a melody with this lovely, lilting track. “More than a song, it’s a confession that we can all relate to,” he says. “It came at a time in my life when I needed to pause and reconsider the path I was on. And this video marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life, as a renewed person, full of light, love, and music to share with the whole world.”
MC Jumanji (Featuring Westside Boogie and C4) — “Energy”
Miami’s own MC Jumanji teams up with Compton’s Westside Boogie (his NPR Tiny Desk set is wild!) and Birmingham, UK’s C4 for this invigorating and inspiring joint that feels as monumental and expansive as its global cast of talent. “This one is major,” Jumanji warned on Instagram before the full track dropped. “Trust me.” Truer words…
Off Orbit — “Survivor”
“Survivor” may be a song about “people who somehow keep the thing going long after the wheels come off,” but it’s no dirge — this is a darkest-before-the-dawn, fist-pumping anthem that bridges the sneering, spiky power pop of the Replacements and sliding-tectonic-alt-rock-riffs vibe that would not have been out of place on a TAD album circa 8-Way Santa. Translation: It’s awesome, so maybe stick around the planet a little while longer. The soundtrack is getting better.
Pocket of Lollipops — “Be Your Own Detective”
I always think of the old Husker Du line, “Expectations only mean you really think you know what’s coming next — and you don’t” when a new Pocket of Lollipops track arrives in my inbox. I mean, you know it’s going to be an interesting, quality, reality-refracting piece of art embedded in the medium we call a quote-unquote song but beyond that all bets are off. And weirdly, the creative restlessness/fearlessness that defines the band — Maitejosune Urrechaga (bass, multidisciplinary artist) and Tony Kapel (drums, writer, filmmaker) — is what establishes the throughline for their long discography. Anyway, all that is to say I’m not going to describe the song above. Instead…“be your own detective.”
SymSimma — “Money Affirmations”
Model. Rapper. Entrepreneur. SymSimma’s creative life seems less about building a career than about weaving a multicolored philosophical tapestry based on what she describes as the “three interconnected pillars” of her identity: “elegance, grounding, and joy.” Maybe that’s why her slinky, kinetic new EP Test Shoot Ep1 feels so authentic, original, and affirming. It’s very much worth checking out in full — along with the new single “Fancy” — but considering the state of our country, city, and economy, “Money Affirmations” definitely feels like the right move in this space.
