Jordan Raf

Dallas-bred, New York-based singer and songwriter Jordan Raf has the unique ability to diagnose the ills that plague himself and the world, and to recite the diagnoses with a blend of biting wit and unvarnished honesty. He’s a seer for our radically broken home, a court jester warning his patrons that the food is not only poisoned but has been expired for weeks. It’s a cruel, pointless endeavor, but since we’re all doomed anyways, might as well make the most of it. The Iranian-American’s latest self-produced EP, The Last Deer in Laurel Canyon is a raucously brilliant blend of downtempo indie pop, soul-baring R&B, avant-garde folk, and deeply felt electronica. Originally getting his start in Los Angeles, the genre-bending artist hung around the famed incubator, Low End Theory; at one point or another sharing the stage with other beat-driven artists such as Shlohmo, Flying Lotus, and DāM-FunK . Though most recently, the singer-songwriter has begun to make somewhat of a name for himself in New York City's ever-burgeoning indie rock scene. In the last couple years, Jordan has played around town with Skullcrusher, Pleasure Systems, June McDoom, and Evan Wright. However, throughout his career, journalists and critics alike have continued to note that his voice is often reminiscent of other contemporary crooners, like Sean Nicholas Savage, King Krule, and even the late, great Jeff Buckley. - Will Schube