One of my favorite music artifacts is John Lennon’s 1965 portable jukebox, packed with the R&B, rockabilly, early American rock ‘n’ roll and soul that clearly shaped his entire artistic life. Lennon took it on the road until the band quit touring in 1966.

I’ve always been curious about what artists are listening to. But what about the artists in my hometown? Which local artists are they fans of?

So, I’m asking some of Miami’s most eclectic, original artists who’s on their radar. I had to start with Delusion Bay. I can’t count the times that I have gone to see shows and he is there: fronting his band, playing organic or electronic instruments in someone else’s, or in the crowd as a fan.

Delusion Bay is the brainchild of Venezuelan artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer César Rodríguez. It’s a project that fuses ambient, Latin, Indie and elements of Caribbean folklore under an intimate, cinematic aesthetic. He moved to the United States about eleven years ago and has released music as Delusion Bay since 2019.

In 2025 he put out two singles that top of my Miami playlist: the psychedelic tropicália-and-jazz infusion of “CONSUELO” and the hypnotic, catchy “MAYAMI,” which has an equally entertaining and tastefully created music video. Both belong to an album he’s putting together “very, very slowly,” and both sound “clean but a little dirty,” in all the right ways. His live shows range from full-blown electronic dance sets to intimate, transcendental roots music gatherings.

Here’s who is on Delusion Bay’s playlist:

Swamp Lily (Diego Melgar) — swamp lily (2025)

“He is just my favorite from this scene, with no doubt,” César says of Miami guitarist and composer Diego Melgar, whose project Swamp Lily (Diego Melgar) put years of live material onto the album swamp lily in August 2025. His favorite part of the album? “I would say all of it.”

Swamp Lily is more collective than band. Diego writes the compositions, then reshapes them with a rotating cast: clarinet one night, two synthesizers the next. “It’s experimental jazz, & it has a lot of soul,” César says. “It’s a bunch of very talented musicians, and you can tell they are all just exploring.”

Watching them live for two years has changed how Cesar he plays his own shows, moving between trio, duo and full band instead of one version. “Every time I go to a Diego Melgar show and it finishes, I just want to go home and make music.”

Floating Woman — TBA

César’s next pick isn’t even out yet: the debut album from Lucia Nuñez under the name Floating Woman. César is also producing the album. He calls it “Freak-Folk, in similar paths as Joanna Newsom & Devendra Banhart, with a lot of Angel Olsen in its DNA”.  They are songs written on voice and guitar, with minimal production. “I almost cry every time I hear some of those songs.”

Ana Paz — surrender (2025)

César stopped me before I could ask him about his next pick. “I have to mention Ana.” He meant Ana Paz, the Argentine-born, Miami-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who was named Miami New Times’ Artist of the Year in 2026.

His pick is her three-song EP surrender, thirteen minutes of looped vocal harmonies, keys and polyrhythmic percussion meditating on grief. None of her songs come at you full force, he says, but the songwriting and textures pull you in. “So, so, so beautiful.” He recommends listeners to start with the song “what’s left to say.”

Their history runs both ways. When Ana was first unsure what to perform, César suggested she try looping. The next time he saw her, she was layering harmonies and piano live. “And I was like, what?!” She later became his vocal coach. She found the right key for his song “MAYAMI,” produced his vocal sessions, sang its backing harmonies, and played bass on “CONSUELO.”

Rick Moon — “Faulty Design” (2021)

The band that first knocked César out in Miami was Rick Moon at Oak Garden in 2021, with Corey Perez, Alejandro Elizondo, Brian Tate and Brian Lange. “It really blew everyone’s mind.”

The Puerto Rico–born singer-songwriter is “one of my favorite producers from Miami.” For Rick Moon 101, César picks the 2021 single “Faulty Design”: “That specific song kind of separates his production approach & his style.” From there, Cesar suggests listeners dig into Electric Lunch (2019), which César calls “more rock, psychedelic, and aggressive”, and finally “Overtown” from 2015’s Cottage Scenes: “super folky, super cozy and sad and beautiful.”

Musiana — Son del Mar (2024)

Musiana (Viviana Baptista) was one of César’s first friends in the Miami scene. The Venezuelan-born songwriter, who has written for Juanes and Leslie Grace, released her debut album Son del Mar in March 2024, a mix of folk-pop, indie rock and progressive soul. César produced much of it and calls it “an artist statement” and the place to start.

Now she’s making new music with Rick Moon producing. “The combination of her songwriting and Rick’s production is something very powerful.” Her new single, “Magia,” came out the day we talked.

Kyra — Amor & Autotune (2026)

César’s most surprising pick is Kyra, a young Miami-based artist who has put out three lo-fi EPs while teaching herself to produce and mix. “She’s been releasing music as she learns, which is something I wish I did. I have so much music I haven’t released because I’ve been waiting for it to be perfect.”

He keeps returning to this year’s four-song Amor & Autotune, especially “love en el club” and the closer, “Amor”: intimate, Auto-Tune heavy, homemade. “I don’t think it’s trying to impress you. It’s just there to exist… You don’t have to take yourself so seriously all the time. Release what you feel is special in the moment, and see what happens.”

Learn more about Delusion Bay at linktr.ee/delusionbay and on Instagram at Delusion Bay on IG .