Welcome to Our D.C. Playlist, where we’re rounding up the new local releases we’re listening to. Got a D.C.-area music recommendation? Let us know who we should be listening to here.

In heavy rotation this month are offerings from dreamcastmoe, Rock Creek Kings, Ari Voxx, and more.

dreamcastmoe, “Replaceable”

This lifelong Washingtonian and laid-back singer once offered Washington Post pop critic Chris Richards a handful of Blueberry Tiny Toast cereal while spinning records at a Petworth nightclub — remember the good old days when you could share food with strangers in a club? But dreamcastmoe — formerly Dreamcast, real name Davon Bryant — is more than just a sharer of cereal; he’s also a sharer of good vibes who’s getting nods from national publications for his new EP Lamont, which sounds like a Marvin Gaye record infused with hip-hop and house. “These tracks are meant to hit you in your spine,” he says in a press release. His latest single “Replaceable,” produced by Belgian beatmaker Shungu, will get stuck in your head and help you forget that one ex who’s, well … replaceable.

Rock Creek Kings, “More of You”

It’s easy to love a band with a message. This group of transplants who live across the region formed in 2016 when lead singer Evan Moses met drummer Jonah Belser through Craigslist. Known to fans as “RCK,” the band has been playing #SaveOurStages shows in front of masked crowds at Rose Park since August. The Saturday night sets were organized to call on the federal and D.C. government to assist the struggling arts community during the pandemic. The Rock Creek Kings streamed their performances on Instagram and are preparing to release a live album on December 12. The new single, “More of You” is marked with Jack Johnson’s sleepy vibes, enough to relax any listener during these dark times.

Ari Voxx, “Moons (Acoustic)”

Ariana Harbin, an up-and-coming singer raised in Alexandria and Southeast D.C., draws her inspiration from the great jazz and soul titans of decades past: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ray Charles, to name a few. She’s the front woman for jazz group Sweet Something, but her new pop track “Moons.” and its acoustic follow up are standouts, released solo under the name Ari Voxx. “It’s a rare happy song coming from me, not about heartbreak, sadness, or disappointment,” she tells DCist over email. In the stripped-back version, she sings with a warm, delicate voice over guitar, while harmonizing over upbeat drums and keyboard in the pop version — you choose which is your favorite.

Foreign Air, Good Morning Stranger

This indie-rock duo just released its debut studio album, with sprawling vocals, pitched-up samples, and electronic beats. Jesse Clasen and Jacob Michael left their former rock bands (and D.C. bartending gigs) to fully commit to Foreign Air, and it paid off — their music has been featured in shows like Animal Kingdom, How to Get Away With Murder, and a handful of global ad campaigns. For the new record, the two used whatever was around them to create an energetic soundscape. On lead single “I Believe,” for example, Clasen uses an old suitcase as a kick drum.

Yxsterday, “U-Haul (Freestyle) feat. 4k Tommy”

Silver Spring-native Yannick Alexis got his start writing poems and doing spoken word interludes on his friends’ mixtapes. Three years ago, he started recording his own raps under the name Yxsterday. He penned his latest release as a poem “around this time last year when I was taking a year off of school and work to kind of figure out my direction in life,” he says. He read the poem to a close friend and producer who told him, “Yo, this is a banger. Let’s make it a banger.” With distorted vocals, Alexis hardly exhales while rapping about all the baggage he’s hauling: “Got my demons in the truck/ my depression in the front.” The haunting track twists and turns between an aggressive trap beat and a calmer lo-fi version, creating a monster of a track — appropriately released on Halloween.

Jay Diggs, “Dreams (Funk)”

Move over Bruno Mars — this D.C.-based producer/singer/songwriter is making a name for himself by capturing viral moments and remixing them with a retro feel. Just check out his New Jack Swing-inspired video for “Come On Man,” a play on President-elect Joe Biden’s infamous catch phrase, or his ’80s-style dig at Mike Pence, “Fly On You.” But nothing tops his funky remix of “Dreams” the Fleetwood Mac song that provided a soundtrack for this year’s hottest TikTok challenge. Warning: You might crave cranberry juice after listening to this track.

Lauren Calve, “Christmas Is Where The Heart Is”

Yes, it’s a bit early to be jamming to Christmas music, but Northern Virginia-native Lauren Calve makes it hard to resist. Her bluesy, country-laden track is more than a festive jingle — it’s a balm for all the heartbreak we’ve experienced this year. “Christmas, like home, is nothing without the bonds of family and friends. But oftentimes these bonds are strained or broken when there’s a death in the family or a close friend moves away,” Calve says in a release. “Christmas is a time to expand the heart to feel all of the light and dark that comes with being human.” In the song, she sings: “It’s a season of pain, a deepest well of love / So we light the fire and keep it burning all night long.” By the end of the four minutes and 21 seconds, you’ll want to break out the eggnog and play it again.

For more local music, click here.

This story has been updated with the correct title of Lauren Calve’s song.