Indian Summer isn't just a goofy-ass Beat Happening song, DIY dorkuses, it's also the first installment in a seriously gorgeous new project from LA-based producer KMTK and NYC-based singer Alana Belle. Both, of course, are cold enough to hail from the Emerald City. KMTK (aka multitalented Laced Up alum Jaycee Coleman) is part of the team that's crafted Porter Ray's distinctive, scratchy basement-soul sound that so well recalls classic Seattle sounds and is all over BLK, RSE, and WHT GLD.

If this project, Loops for Lovers, and its too-short five-track debut was a person, it would be the kind of person whose attributes would make you space out mid-conversation, before you excused yourself to introduce yourself to them. Sexy, smoky, and, again, too damn short—it is self-labeled "A Suite of Interludes," making it a hellafied tease—this is beat-head soul that blends the distinct comforts of late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, a crucial, classic combo in black music if there ever was. Porter naturally stops through to briefly bless the ol' sweet sorrow tale on "Farewell," and you can't help but love the rap-restraint this project has. You'd rightly suspect that I'm naturally inclined to auto-like closing track "Gone," which flips the Bobbi Humphrey/Mizell Bros gem "Baby's Gone" in a perfectly floaty fashion. Find this music and slap it back to front like five times before you notice, and you won't be sad you did.

While we're speaking upon some homegrown soul, let's shout out one Otieno Terry, 2014 Sound Off! winner. It's his distinctive vocals that caught me one night as I tuned in to KEXP. I immediately had to check who it was, and was low-key shocked to hear it was a local release, already in rotation—that release being Humanoid Void from Hightek Lowlives, the group comprising Terry, Kjell Nelson, and Andrew Wentz. Equal parts Frank Ocean and Bruce Sterling, it's a dually-truck-strong set of neon electro-soul spiced with a couple features from Terry's Afrofuturistical/real-life cuz Gabriel Teodros among others. It's soon to be out on new Seattle label Cabin Games, founded by Block Burners/KEXP Street Sounds alum Redskin and Sub Pop/Up Records alum Rich Jensen.

Oh, but the shows! A'ight, let's go: First, don't miss T-Pain at Neumos on Wednesday, March 12, because he's awesome and ditched the top hats. Thursday, March 13, is heavy with jams, notably Avatar Darko headlining the Croc with Thaddeus David, Donte Peace, Feezable the Germ, and Peta Tosh. And over at Nectar is the Wrath of the Math himself, Jeru the Damaja—with Zoolay, Kung Foo Grip, Nu Era, Porter Ray, and Romero Franceswa. On Tuesday, March 18, you'll find a very #rare Shabazz Palaces show at the Tractor with Erik Blood and Ricky and Mark (aka Art Vandelay's Ricky Pharoe and Champagne Champagner/Blood Brother Mark Gajadhar)—all brought to you by Red Bull Sound Select. That'll do for now, till next time—beware the St. Ides of March.