10 songs from Miami to listen to this month

It may be Thanksgiving month, but there aren’t any turkeys in our latest diverse, vivifying batch of songs from Miami artists. Whether you prefer R&B, hip-hop, noisy post-punk, alt-emo, reggae, folk-rock, crooners, or beyond, our thriving local music scene has got you covered.

So, enjoy, and if you’ve got a bead on something new we should be listening to, hit this button right here.

Alex Ponce — “Que Seas Tú”

Alex Ponce — the first Ecuadorian artist named to Rolling Stone en Español’s Future of Music 25 list — has been on a journey of self-discovery and reinvention since his debut album Ser Humano dropped in 2023. And “Que Seas Tú” proves more than worth the wait, showcasing an even greater vocal versatility and heightened sense of drama playing out across a lush, multilayered sonic backdrop. “The song grows from a simple idea: if someone is going to break your heart, let it be the person you chose,” the accompanying press materials note. “It treats love as a conscious decision to let yourself be exposed.” If that’s what this is, Ponce can choose our music aficionado hearts anytime. 

Andrew Durham — “Agua de Violetas”

So, we rated Andrew Durham’s single “Seattle Freeze” highly in this space a few months back, and his new EP “Taurus Rising” not only proves this was no fluke but also that the singer-songwriter is a restless creative spirit, capable of deftly melding indie, power pop, metal, and emo elements. Though you don’t really know where these songs are going, the journey each time is as gratifying as it is rousing. Choosing “Agua de Violetas” just because it’s a lovely, wall o’ sound killer of a track, but there isn’t a dud in this sonic bouquet.  

Cesar Santalo — “Visit Me”

However smooth you expect Cesar Santalo to be going into “Visit Me,” multiply it by ten because this Miami-based Cuban American R&B crooner who has worked with Yung Gravy, Jahkoy, and Audrey Mika is all set-you-floating-on-cloud-nine soul. The song itself is, Santalo tells New Times, “centered around longing, distance, and wanting someone to come back into your world.” If this sweet, intimate symphony doesn’t entice them back, what will?

Chili Guys — “Ride the Storm”

This soul-stirring, booty-shaking eight-piece Miami-based reggae fusion band returns with its fourth (!) single of 2026 — and not a moment too soon. “Ride The Storm” is a song about “resilience, perseverance, and finding strength through life’s uncertainties” and is intended to “remind listeners that storms are part of the journey, and that brighter days lie ahead.” Sounds apropos, no? And, of course, a spoonful of heavenly harmonies and layered, laidback grooves helps the optimism go down. 

Crudanlu — “Limerence”

Heartbreak has a breakbeat, thanks to this kinetic, passionate electronic dance track from Miami-based producer Crudanlu. (From the slightly off-kilter, unpredictable verses, you can really feel his early experience playing in jazz and metal bands sneaking in.) “I went digging in Splice and found a vocal sample from Renee Holiday, that contained vocal phrases that stood out to me, so I wrote a few versions around it, until I landed this final one,” he tells New Times. “There’s also a hidden gem: I purposely ended the song at 3:05 to pay homage to Miami.” The end result is an epic song that twists and turns, rises and falls, zigs and zags — just like the emotional subject matter its title and hook explore. 

Grafittiplaza — “Cyberpunk”

That Grafittplaza is able to so powerfully summon a paradoxical sound both dissonant and catchy, existing somewhere near the nexus of garage rock, post-punk, and noise, makes a whole lot more sense when one reads the origin story on the band’s Instagram page: “When a Colombian and a Brazilian can’t stand each other at work and after months of spite, in an improbable way, they find out they both love music, and that friendship nurtures a crazy project fueled by the lively underground South Florida music and art scene. As life pulls us in different directions and as allies and enemies join the process…In the struggle, somehow, recorded a few tracks.” And thank the noise pop heavens they did, because this material is a sublime sonic slap in the face.  

Jeff Stones — “NMB District”

When New Times named “Rather Be Distant 3” one of the best local albums of 2025, we wrote that Jeff Stones’ use of “his remarkable voice not only to explore and navigate his own life and experiences, but also to comfort, elevate, and inspire those who encounter his music” felt like a “transcendent culmination” of his mic work since 2013. His new EP, “Dear NMB,” however, suggests the emcee, who so easily bridges diverse influences ranging from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Notorious B.I.G. to Travis Scott and Future, is just getting started. Exploring his hometown of North Miami Beach — “I can say the city has taught me everything,” Stones tells New Times, “from friendship to relationships, hustle and sadly death” — Dear NMB is a textured, mature release that finds Stones in near-flawless form, his signature soul-infused dexterous flows given added emotional resonance by a lyrical vulnerability and realness. “NMB District,” featuring Flokid, is a great place to start but buy the ticket, take the full ride. 

Leah Simmons — “Evergreen”

Singer-songwriter Leah Simmons wrote this song about “the energy that floats around the Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale” — the burial place of, among other luminaries, the late, great comedic actor Leslie Nielsen — and her ethereal, angelic vocals and slow-burn song structures could not be a better fit for the subject matter. By the time the enlivening chorus sneaks its way into your soul, you’ll believe in something greater beyond the veil, too. 

Meyr — “Singularity”

While there is no shortage of angst over what the Kurzweilian singularity — i.e., the melding of AI technology and biology that effectively creates a new species — might portend, Miami-based electronic musician Meyr here gives us a glimpse of how the concept might be redirected into something more uplifting: His driving, elegant “Singularity” features a melodic house track built around organic runs played on the oud, a traditional Middle Eastern fretless stringed instrument. It is modern but also decidedly human — an important distinction in our current timeline. 

RasPunk — “Mad Dog”

As one of Miami’s premier record stores, Crazy Vinyl Record isn’t content to merely curate culture for its shelves — the Doral destination for musical maniacs is creating it as well with the release of a special limited-edition release of the 7-inch Mad Dog/Desconéctate from multicultural reggae-dub fusion band RasPunk in collaboration with BigUp Records Club. “‘Mad Dog’ explores the rawer reggae-dub side, while ‘Desconéctate’ introduces a new lyrical and cultural dimension to the project,” the press release notes. “Together, the two tracks reflect the band’s ongoing mission to combine the energy of traditional reggae with a contemporary and alternative attitude.” Check out Side A above and then head out to Crazy Vinyl Records to get your copy of the entire beautifully designed physical media package.