At Refinery29, our ethos of discovery means we are always keeping our ears to the ground, hoping to unearth the very best new artist or an exciting collaboration from a musician we already know and love. That is to say, we take our music very seriously. We don't put our stamp of approval on anything that we wouldn't load directly into our own audio devices first. So, you can believe our excitement over this remix of Sally Seltmann's "Billy" from her new album, Hey Daydreamer (out now). Here's what you gotta know:
Who? Sally Seltmann, but you might know her as New Buffalo.
How long has she been around? Seltmann has been writing and singing pretty melodies since the '90s, but started to really shake things up in 2000 when she released "16 Beats" as New Buffalo.
What does she sound like? Seltmann's sound is a mix of Feist (she did cowrite "1234"), The Postal Service, and Sufjan Stevens.
When should you listen to her? She's got the whole blissful "Sunday morning, sitting by the window with your coffee" vibe down pat.
If this song was an ice cream flavor, it would be: A mix of toffee, coffee, and caramel.
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You know a remix is good when the heart of the original is felt pumping through the track. The O.G. "Billy" is a bouncing mix of tambourines, strings, and other unique sounds with Seltmann's delicate falsetto tying it all together. The Mary Cassidy and Jon Lawless take adds a layer of atmospheric synths, picks up the pace a notch, and shows off the horns. It's a lush track, albeit a little noir in sound, but one that recalls Seltmann's blissful electo days as New Buffalo. Nostalgia has never felt so fresh as it does here.
Come June, Seltmann will bring her world to New York and L.A.:
June 17, New York, NY, at the Rockwood Music Hall
June 19, Los Angeles, CA, at Largo
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