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    Laveda – Strawberry

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Laveda has today released their new video and single titled ‘Strawberry’, from their upcoming album ‘Love, Darla’, dropping September 12th via Bar/None Records. This is music in all of its glory. Experimental is the comfort zone for Laveda, and ‘Strawberry’ is the perfect gateway for what to expect when ‘Love, Darla’ drops next month. Expect nothing and everything, because you will get one depending on how ‘Strawberry’ sways you.

    An aural assault on the senses, like a suckerpunch to the cajones of inspiration, this is a track that takes that guitar out of the closet and makes you want to join a band. Never letting you up but always letting you in, this is what I now expect ‘Love, Darla’ to be. Everything all at once.

    And, while the video may feel like it was co-directed by David Lynch and Tim Burton, who ended up getting into a fist fight on set, the chaos blends into beautifully crafted yins and yangs coming together into an anthemic anarchy blessed by the original creativity of four musicians destined to be together.

    About ‘Strawberry’

    “Strawberry” follows the band’s gripping singles “Heaven” and “Cellphone,” each revealing a new shade of the band’s ever-evolving palette. Where “Heaven” summoned the neon-streaked chaos of late-night wanderings and East Village nostalgia, and “Cellphone” dissected digital burnout with jagged guitar lines and punk smirks. “Strawberry” bridges the two – a woozy meditation brimming with atmosphere, honesty, and sonic abandon.

    Set against the jagged concrete of their current home just outside of Manhattan in Queens, NY, and the soft glow of its city’s late-night subway platforms, Laveda’s third LP Love, Darla presents their most experimental and emotionally resonant work yet. Co-written and performed by founding duo Ali Genevich and Jake Brooks, with contributions from bassist Dan Carr and drummer Joe Taurone, the album trades the pastoral tones of their Upstate NY roots for the frayed edges and fractured beauty of New York City.

    Laveda - Strawberry
    Laveda - Strawberry
    Laveda - Strawberry
    Laveda - Strawberry
    Laveda - Strawberry
    Laveda - Strawberry
    Laveda - Strawberry

    “’ Strawberry’ was an integral part of discovering the landscape that the other songs on the album would eventually live within,” says Jake Brooks, guitarist of NYC-based noise rock/shoegaze outfit Laveda, on the band’s newest single/video from their anticipated third album, Love, Darla. Evolving organically from a spontaneous session, “Strawberry” captures Laveda at a formative point in their creative evolution – where raw ideas, tested live on tour, gave way to a fully realized sonic identity.

    “Strawberry started as a jam between Ali [Genevich, lead vocalist] on bass and me on guitar,” Jake adds. “We sent it to Joe [Taurone, drummer] and he completely expanded it into this sick drum part.” Performing the song at live shows and essentially workshopping it on stage, the band worked this and ‘Heaven’ during live sets and evolved it into full songs. “Playing unfinished music live helped us discover what made the songs tick. We made tweaks over time and eventually ended up with something much more refined. It was an integral part of shaping the entire record.”

    For Ali, writing “Strawberry” meant diving deep and mining her psyche for inspiration. “It’s about trying to escape from your inner demons. It’s incredibly inspiring to create art in NYC, but the noise – literal and figurative – makes it overwhelming,” she explains. “Social media doesn’t help. People say messed-up things in comments. It bums me out. I guess I consider myself to be whatever the opposite of a parasocial is.”

    In addition, Laveda is also announcing a tour across the States that will see them perform in major markets such as Chicago, IL; St Louis, MO; Nashville, TN; Austin, TX; Los Angeles, CA, and San Francisco, CA, with more shows to be announced in the coming weeks.

    ‘Love, Darla’ Tracklist

    'Love, Darla' cover.
    ‘Love, Darla’ cover.
    1. Care
    2. Cellphone
    3. I Wish
    4. Dig Me Out
    5. Strawberry
    6. Heaven
    7. Highway Meditation
    8. Bonehead
    9. Tim Burton’s Tower
    10. Lullaby

    LINK:
    https://linktr.ee/lavedamusic

    Sarah Meth – Bromance is Dead

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Sarah Meth has today released her new video for the track titled ‘Bromance Is Dead’ via Slow Dance Recordings. A slow-burning type of track, the song as well as the video takes a candid look at modern love amidst that ’15 minutes’ of fame and social media ‘everybody is an influencer’ type of quasi-narcissistic world we now live and may never escape.

    So, Sarah brings this question to me: Is love dead? Can it survive in this new age of the ‘me generation’? The fact that ‘Bromance Is Dead’ exists is a ray of sunshine in a room of darkness. This song gives me the impression that, yes, it can survive, but we need to become reacquainted with what feelings for each other are and to not always put ourselves ahead of the pack.

    Veiled in dry humor yet drenched in truth, ‘Bromance Is Dead’ is a beautifully crafted homage to reality as well as a reality check in a world losing touch with each other as it gains that sense of self. What better way to show us that than to put it in the guise of an amazing song?

    About ‘Bromance Is Dead’

    Furthering a repertoire that’s equally at home in the realms of pop, indie, folk, and jazz, Sarah’s ability to unite diverse influences under the wing of vocal frankness, bedroom intimacy, and a flair for playful and relatable portraits of modern life and romance finds further fruit in ‘Bromance Is Dead’.

    Grounded in a bed of glistening, Beach House-esque synthesizers, the single finds Sarah in her dreamiest of dream-pop modes, defined as ever by a heart-on-sleeve honesty and a typically wry sense of humor.

    Accompanied by a music video directed by Sarah herself alongside Jack Shep, speaking more about the track, she: “Bromance is dead is an ode to the end of a transatlantic situation – the moment where the (American) dream dies, and you wake up to the harsh reality that maybe a person cannot always be the friend you thought them to be”

    About Sarah Meth

    With a spate of singles, EPs, and mixtapes in recent years, Sarah has already chalked off her fair share of milestones. With 2023 single ‘Sister You Said’ personally selected by Lena Dunham to soundcheck her recent Netflix series Too Much, she can also boast a Guardian feature just last month, backing from The Line of Best Fit, CRACK, So Young, HASTE, DORK, Clash, Rolling Stone, Far Out and Hard of Hearing, in addition to radio airplay from Matt Wilkinson (Apple Music), and Loyle Carner via Radio 1’s Future Artists.

    A finalist of Green Man Rising 2025 – who also performs at the festival this coming weekend – Sarah continues to build an impressive live CV which includes slots at End of The Road, All Points East, Latitude and Into The Great Wide Open (NL), a UK/Dublin tour with King Krule (including two nights at the Hammersmith Apollo), plus shows with Olivia Dean, Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Sorry and Horsegirl.

    Making the importance of community at the heart of her creative practice since studying at the Brit School, prior collaborations with her peers (Sorry’s Louis O’Bryen and Katy J Pearson) had led her to start her live night, Wishbone, where she invites artists not only to support her, but to join her in a collaborative performance. The first 3 editions have featured Cameron Picton (Black Midi), Mary In The Junkyard, and Wing!.

    Featured image by Lilly Cope.

    LINK:
    https://www.instagram.com/sarahmeth

    Prism Waves – Running

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Prism Waves has today released their new video and single titled ‘Running’ via PopRiot Music Group. It’s been a long time coming, and about time, Prism Waves are back. With an updated sound and the weather and grime of added years of life and inspiration, Prism Waves return with a solid feel and immersive track that surrounds the self and takes the listener for a ride.

    Mixed and mastered with its own original fluence, the track takes the sound (waves) to that next evolution of revolution by giving an almost 3-dimensional sound to a story-filled musical piece that could be on the soundtrack to a good movie.

    The best songs are those that let you in as much as they never let go.

    Video Credits:

    • Band: Athena Hiotis, Shareef Taher, Nicholas Kosmas, Scott Griffith
    • Director: Edgar David Nazario
    • Starring: Athena Hiotis as Aranis & Caitlin Grace Rose as Sinara
    • Key Grip: Tony Savero
    • Gaffer: Karl Riemer
    • Hair: Samantha Keeter
    • Make Up: Shanice Testerman
    • AC- Julia Forsyth
    • Costume – Olivia LaManna
    • Lighting Technician – Karl Riemer

    About Prism Waves

    Prism Waves (formally RÊVE) is the crisp air of a midnight drive, like you are riding the waves of a dream. This four-piece group has distinctively fused their take on indie rock with an intense and ethereal performance of stunning visuals and visceral emotions. Their lush arrangements, dynamic rhythms, and infectious melodies bring you to a dreamscape you’d swear you’ve never been to before but somehow faintly remember.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://www.prism-waves.com
    https://www.facebook.com/prismwavesband
    https://twitter.com/PrismWaves
    https://www.instagram.com/prism.waves
    https://www.popriotmusic.com

    Carmen Toth – Pretty Dresses

    By
    Editorial Team
    -

    Singer-songwriter Carmen Toth kicks off the release cycle for her new album Fix the World with “Pretty Dresses,” a shimmering power-pop anthem that explores the tension between external validation and self-acceptance. The single is accompanied by her first-ever official music video – a playful and unconventional animated short created by Peter Guidon of Hotsy Totsy Productions.

    Written during a period of deep self-reflection, “Pretty Dresses” grapples with Carmen’s complicated relationship to beauty and belonging. On one hand, the song leans into the desire to be seen – to wear the dress, walk the red carpet, and feel like you’re at the front of the line. But beneath the catchy hooks and retro shimmer lies a deeper question: Who gets to be visible and why?

    The animated video leans into that theme with tongue-in-cheek humor. It tells the story of a slick young band lip-syncing to the song as if it were their own, while the real band – Carmen and her collaborators Joel Wasson, Drew Atkins, and Michael McKenzie – play hidden behind the scenes. When a teenage fan is snubbed by the “fake” frontman, she stumbles upon the real musicians backstage and walks away inspired to make music herself. In a fun twist, the concept was born during a snowy pandemic-era “sanity walk,” when drummer/producer Joel Wasson phoned Carmen with the idea of creating a fully animated video to avoid Covid-era filming restrictions.

    “Pretty Dresses” is the lead single from Carmen’s new album Fix the World, out October 7, which was co-produced with Joel Wasson and John Critchley (13 Engines), and recorded with a band of seasoned Toronto indie musicians. Carmen began working on the project in 2020, after reconnecting with Wasson through their collaboration on The Getgoes, an animated film soundtrack. Despite initial hesitation, the creative partnership flourished, culminating in an album that Carmen describes as one of the most transformative experiences of her life.

    The new material reflects Carmen’s evolution as both a writer and musician. After years of performing solo or with acoustic instruments, Fix the World saw her learning electric guitar for the first time and stepping into a full band setting. The result is an 11-track album that blends power pop, indie rock, and feminist themes with vulnerability and bite, drawing comparisons to artists like Cyndi Lauper, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, and Aimee Mann.

    With two more singles – “Time Bomb Heart” (Sept 9) and the title track “Fix the World” (Oct 7) – on the way, Carmen is ready to step into a new chapter: one defined by courage, craft, and a renewed sense of artistic purpose.

    About Carmen Toth

    Carmen Toth is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter known for her hook-driven power pop, heartfelt storytelling, and retro-influenced sound. Drawing inspiration from artists like Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper, and Sheryl Crow, her music blends vulnerability with classic pop-rock grit.

    Over the past two decades, Toth has evolved from solo acoustic sets and her early duo Social Potion into a fully realized indie artist, performing in both band and solo formats and building a loyal following through regular livestreaming. Her 2018 EP Safety Net, produced by Derek Downham, marked a shift toward a modern pop sensibility.

    In 2020, Toth began work on her most ambitious project to date – Fix the World, an 11-song album co-produced with Joel Wasson and John Critchley (13 Engines). Featuring performances from members of The Discarded, Lowest of the Low, and Ace of Wands, the album captures Carmen’s growth as a guitarist and vocalist. It cements her identity as a powerful voice in Canada’s indie rock and pop landscape.

    Featured image by David McDonald.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://www.facebook.com/CarmenToth111/
    https://www.instagram.com/carmentoth111/
    https://www.tiktok.com/@carmentoth111
    https://x.com/carmentoth111
    https://www.youtube.com/carmentoth
    http://carmentoth.com
    https://carmentoth.bandcamp.com

    Prolapse – The Fall Of Cashline + Tour Dates

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Prolapse has today released their new video titled ‘The Fall Of Cashline’, from their upcoming album ‘I Wonder When They’re Going to Destroy Your Face’, dropping soon via Tapete Records.

    Prolapse gives a refreshing jolt of noise for the inner air guitarist and music purist in all of us that demands the best and never settles for less. This is a call to arms. This is what music should go back to. Back when the unemployment rate was high and the youth were starting to get restless and letting you know about it. And now, well, shit. Nevermind.

    A wall of sound to crash into, ‘The Fall Of Cashline’ is meant for the speakers, and not those little pussy earbuds those in control want you to listen through. They do that so they don’t have to hear your truth. Spread the word.

    About Prolapse

    Prolapse formed in Leicester in the early 90s and is now spread across the UK and Scandinavia. Still pursuing their path of repetition and twisted melodies, they merge influences from post punk to krautrock and even folk. Their previous releases have included numerous singles and four albums on various labels, including Cherry Red and Radar. They feature vocalists Mick Derrick and Linda Steelyard, whose intense duelling vocals combine with ferocious triple guitar assault and pummelling rhythms.

    The fifth Prolapse album, “I Wonder When They’re Going to Destroy Your Face,” will be released on Tapete Records and marks the band’s first new recordings since their last album, “Ghosts of Dead Aeroplanes”, released 26 years ago, but in some ways it feels like there hasn’t been a break at all. From the opening incessant riff of ”The Fall of Cashline”, Prolapse set their stall out, hammering the message that they’re back, over and over (and over and over) again.

    LINK:
    https://orcd.co/prolapse

    Miss FD – Euphoria

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    Miss FD
    Miss FD

    Euphoria is an uplifting electro-industrial, synth-driven EP. An independent female music producer in the dark electro/gothic scene since 2009, the energetic EP was written, performed, recorded, and produced by goth pop song enchantress Miss FD.

    Euphoria blends electro-industrial, dark electro, vibrant future pop energy, and Miss FD’s signature dark electronic music production style. An inspiring, mood-lifting, club-friendly electronic music EP, Euphoria aims to fill the hearts of fans of edgy electronic sounds with magic and light!

    When discussing the inspiration behind her new EP Euphoria, Miss FD shares, “Whenever I release music that I’m particularly proud of, it’s always followed by a bit of fear and uncertainty. Will I ever be able to create new music again that’s at least as good as the last work I poured my everything into?”

    “After releasing my EP As Above, So Below in 2022, I meditated on what direction to move forward with for my next project. The vision I received in my meditation was of walking into a secret garden, where a cup filled with liquid light was waiting for me at its center. I reached for the cup and drank from it until all the energy I had poured into my last release was restored within me. The trees and plants around me shimmered with glowing light, and I felt the energy within me shift from fear to love and gratitude.

    Upon awakening from my meditation, seeking one more sign of guidance, I pulled a card from my tarot deck, and the card I drew was the Ace of Cups.

    I immediately started working on a new piece, which felt like it was flowing through me. The creation turned out to be “Moments of Love”, the first song from my new EP Euphoria. This completely set the tone for the rest of the EP.

    I created Euphoria to share with you the same euphoric feeling I experienced during my meditation, while savoring the moment in the secret garden. I hope your hearts are filled with magic and light when you listen to my new EP Euphoria.”

    About MISS FD

    MISS FD is a Ft. Lauderdale-based underground dark electronic music artist, singer, songwriter, producer, and performer. Her distinctive musical style blends darkwave, cyberpunk, industrial, and dark synthpop influences, complemented by her signature dynamic vocals, which range from ethereal to empowering and edgy.

    Throughout her career, MISS FD has shared stages with luminaries of the dark electronic underground, including Ultra Sunn, Lords of Acid, Covenant, Diary of Dreams, Velvet Acid Christ, Bestial Mouths, Praga Khan, De/Vision, 16 Volt, Chemlab, iVardensphere, Electronic Substance Abuse (ESA), and many more.

    With a discography spanning multiple albums and collaborations, Miss FD’s most recent releases underscore her commitment to the dark electronic music scene. Her 2021 three-song EP Adore, followed by her single “Your Core”, showcases futuristic and cyberpunk elements. 2022 witnessed the release of her exploration of Gobekli Tepe in her three-song dark pop EP, As Above, So Below, followed by her cyberpunk single “Menticide” released the same year. Miss FD released her cyber-industrial single and cinematic music video for “Distractions” in 2023, followed by her 2024 single releases “Syndicated” and “Curse Breaker”.

    Miss FD has also released several collaboration tracks with Vulture Culture: Ashes of Stars in 2018, Spitfire in 2019, Faster Than Light in 2020, and their latest dark EDM collaboration, Enough, released in 2024.

    Featured image by Azalea Jeanette.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://www.missfd.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/MissFDMusic
    https://facebook.com/missfdmusic
    https://missfd.bandcamp.com/
    https://www.youtube.com/MissFDMusic
    https://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1825811288
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH2TY24F
    https://open.spotify.com/album/4Cu5vBlRQpF4JwETEkTYKb

    Evil Scarecrow – The Future Machine

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -
    Evil Scarecrow
    Evil Scarecrow

    Evil Scarecrow has today released their new single titled ‘The Future Machine’, from their upcoming album ‘Silicon Tea’, dropping this October. As if announcing the return of air guitar as an art form, Evil Scarecrow makes a niche out of the kitsch in such a triumphant form that full submission is hard to ignore.

    Anthemic and anarchic, ‘The Future Machine’ is a looking glass to a simpler time in music when headbangers had a ball and summer stadiums were filled with the willing in glorious moshpits of decadence and desire.

    About Evil Scarecrow & ‘The Future Machine’

    Evil Scarecrow returns with their new single “The Future Machine” to be released on Monday, 11th August 2025. This is the latest single from the forthcoming album “Silicon Tea” due for release in October 2025. The band will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for the physical release shortly.

    “The Future Machine” is a love letter to the 80s, taking us back to simpler times, dripping with dystopian nostalgia and sprinkled with Evil Scarecrow’s staple humour and style. When asked to explain this track, Dr. Hell said:

    “In today’s crazy world, it’s important to consider an age-old debate: With the impending threat of WW3, Trump being a big old shite and I dunno, global warming, it’s time we tackle the toughest question of them all, which was the best decade?

    Well, it was the 80s. We also had the impending threat of WW3, Trump was undoubtedly doing shite things, and global warming was here to stay. We had hairspray that destroyed the ozone layer. Cool times. So cool, we thought we should jump on the “Stranger Things” bandwagon and crank out some 80s Nostalgia. For a change, we threw some robots in.

    So, if you love 80s rock and metal, lame movie references, and robots (again), then this song will make you horny like an 80s teenager watching Weird Science. But hopefully less inappropriate. What were they even thinking? Man, the 80s were so wrong. Glad we didn’t write a song about it…”

    We all take a moment to reflect, and Kraven Morrdeth adds, “I f**kin’ love movies”.

    LINKS:
    https://www.facebook.com/Evil.Scarecrow
    https://twitter.com/EvilScarecrowUK
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt3JwDvzqjL6cb_-DVI-zfw
    https://www.instagram.com/evilscarecrowuk
    https://open.spotify.com/artist/1SxULWBMeC87rRdPznDSYm
    https://evilscarecrow.bandcamp.com/

    Danny Kuttner – Growing Apart

    By
    Editorial Team
    -

    Singer-songwriter and producer Danny Kuttner is set to make waves again with Lilly, her deeply personal album arriving October 24th. To mark the announcement, she shares her new single ‘Growing Apart’, a soulful and emotionally complex track that reflects the evolution of relationships and the painful distance that can grow between people over time.

    Born in Amsterdam, Danny Kuttner weaves her multicultural background into a rich musical tapestry defined by lush soundscapes, soulful vocals, and genre-blending production. Her new track ‘Growing Apart’ continues her exploration of emotional storytelling through a fusion of 90s neo-soul, ECM-inspired contemporary jazz, and left-field electronic production.

    ‘Growing Apart’ captures the bittersweet nostalgia of growing distant from someone once close. Kuttner’s lyrics explore feelings of guilt, sadness, and unresolved tension, supported by a lush and layered production. The song took many forms before arriving at its final version, with a breakthrough moment coming when producer Matam Egozi suggested a faster tempo and added a drum loop from his archive, shifting the emotional tone and unlocking the track’s full potential.

    Kuttner explains that writing the song helped her understand how close relationships can sometimes reflect parts of ourselves we’re not ready to face. That self-awareness and emotional honesty are central themes throughout Lilly.

    Produced by Gal Oved, the album itself was born from a period of deep introspection following the passing of her grandmother, Lilly, who the album is named after. A formative influence in her life, Lilly instilled in her the value of creating from love and authenticity. The songs on the record are a reflection of that legacy- exploring identity, grief, desire, and the emotional landscapes that shape us.

    “This album is the most personal and meaningful thing I’ve ever made,” Kuttner shares. “After she left, I found myself pouring everything I was feeling into music.”

    Her earlier EP, Purple, earned attention for its raw honesty and textured production, gaining support from Wonderland, Live Nation’s Ones to Watch, Jazz FM, and Soho Radio. With Lilly, Kuttner builds on that foundation, carving out a space that draws influence from artists like Norah Jones, Hiatus Kaiyote, James Blake, and Billie Holiday, while continuing to push her sound forward.

    As a producer, arranger, and vocalist, Kuttner approaches music-making as a transformative, healing process, one that invites listeners into her world with both vulnerability and strength.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://linktr.ee/dannykuttnrt
    https://www.instagram.com/dannykuttner/

    Rakim ft. Hus Kingpin – Now Is The Time

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Rakim and Hus Kingpin have just collabed on their new video for the track titled ‘Now Is The Time’, from Rakim’s upcoming album titled ‘The Re-Up’, dropping on August 29th.

    A gritty look at reality with a soundscape to match, the suave meets the smooth amid turmoil and truth like a bomb about to go off at any moment. The new world order is in disarray, with social commentary and brutal truth meant to motivate and designed to inspire.

    Set to the backdrop of a slow beat, ‘Now Is The Time’ fascinates the mind and soothes the musical soul. This is the essence of hip hop.

    About ‘Now Is The Time’

    This is the 2nd video and single from the August 29th release of Rakim “The Re-Up”. All tracks produced by Big Ghost and Dem Jointz (AFTERMATH). The 2 Strong Island, NY natives, Rakim and Hus Kingpin, team up on “Now is the Time” to give fans that winning feeling when real Hip-Hop steps in the building. Big Ghost (Griselda / 38 Spesh / Ghostface Killah) gives the listener a grimy soundscape unlike they’ve ever heard Rakim rhyme over, and certainly does not disappoint.

    LINKS:
    https://x.com/rakimgodmc
    https://www.instagram.com/thegodrakim/
    https://x.com/HusKingpin
    https://www.instagram.com/huskingpin/
    https://x.com/BigGhostLtd
    https://www.instagram.com/bigghostltd/

    Rex & The Rhythm – Without You

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    Rex & The Rhythm
    Rex & The Rhythm

    Rex and the Rhythm (Rex) is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and producer who spent his formative years hanging around the music studios of international superstar, Eddy Grant, on his historic plantation in Barbados.

    Rex started playing the drums at nine. He later picked up the guitar and bass. At 15, his mother put him in the band she co-founded, named Cover Drive, a Carib-pop band, which inked a deal with Polydor Records in the UK in 2010. The band, with Rex on drums and co-vocals, scored a number one hit, “Twilight,” on the UK Official Chart in 2012. That same year, Cover Drive went on to score a total of three UK top tens, multi-platinum and silver singles, and opened for Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and Lauryn Hill.

    After graduating from Full Sail University in 2020, Rex released his debut EP, #127 Solace, in 2021. His solo sound had all the feel-good elements of his previous band’s sonic with a bit less Caribbean and more alternative R&B vibes. In December 2022, Rex opened for Ashanti in Barbados at The Hennessy Artistry festival. Then, in February of 2023, Rex released his sophomore project, Secrets Behind Our Smiles. On the project, you can hear Rex’s artistry elements with a more urban contemporary sonic.

    In 2024, Rex released “Highs & Grows”, a track inspired by 90s hip-hop legends including Outkast and A Tribe Called Quest. The song strikes a distinctive mark between psychedelic soul, alt-pop, and hip-hop for a cosmic journey of inner-evolution, honoring both the pitfalls and peaks of being human. “Highs & Grows” explores an array of live percussion, sun-drenched electric guitar, and transcendental lyricism that is complemented by reverberating euphoric harmonies, resulting in a kaleidoscopic and uplifting sound. “Umbrella” is a track written about an unexpected end to a relationship, where Rex captures the duality of our fluctuating emotions, while “Play My Guitar” is about “giving your everything, but being still taken for granted in a relationship.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://www.instagram.com/callhimrex/
    https://www.tiktok.com/@callemrex
    https://www.imreallyatrex.com/

    Papillon de Nuit – Frozen Charlotte

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Papillon de Nuit has dropped their new video for the track titled ‘Frozen Charlotte’. As much a feeling, or a subtle yet deep emotion, as much as it is music, the muse is the artist is the muse in regards to Papillon de Nuit.

    Add a bit of stylistic nostalgia, with a dark originality that fuses the mind with the music, and you have the essence of what Papillon de Nuit is at its core. A melancholic journey into that part of the psyche that contains our wants, needs, and what we need and want to be.

    About Papillon de Nuit

    Papillon de Nuit is a project centered around songwriter, arranger, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Kennedy, with a fluid line-up of additional musicians and singers. Fusing elements of gothic, classical, ambient, opera, spoken word, and vocal, the resulting soundscapes always lean towards the dramatic. There are no rules and no limits within this sensual, symphonic landscape, just a sense of the boundless possibilities within compositions.

    LINKS:
    https://papillondenuit.bandcamp.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568657061892
    https://www.instagram.com/papillondenuitband

    38 Coffin – King County Blues

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    38 Coffin
    38 Coffin

    “King County Blues” reflects on the city’s rapid population growth and its impact on artists, homelessness, crime rates, and drug abuse. Recorded at Sound House Studios by renowned producer Jack Endino, these singles showcase the band’s unique blend of surf guitar, punk vocals, and rockabilly influences.

    38 Coffin will celebrate the release of these new tracks with a high-energy show at Slim’s Last Chance in Seattle on August 30, 2025, featuring special guests Tom Price, Desert Classic, and The Hot Rollers. A new EP will be available at the show in a limited physical edition, along with a remastered version of their 2022 record “Hell Ride.”

    Founded in 2020 by guitar-wielding vocalist Lauren Goffin, 38 Coffin has established itself as a cornerstone of the Seattle underground punk rock scene. Featuring Andre Maguire on lead guitar, Todd C on drums, and Ana Biez on bass, the band pushes the boundaries of surf-punk rock with darkly themed scenarios on their latest releases. The upcoming EP release show at Slim’s Last Chance promises to be an unforgettable affair, offering fans a chance to experience the new music live and purchase limited edition physical copies!

    About 38 Coffin

    38 Coffin takes inspiration from early punk pioneers and 60’s surf legends to bring you their unique brand of “Sell yer soul rock n’roll”, straight out of Seattle, Washington, USA!!!

    The band has toured all over the Pacific Northwest supporting renowned acts such as D.O.A., The Dead Boys, The Queers, The Briefs, and The Avengers. The band joined forces with The Stinky Pinkys to tour through Belgium and Germany in 2024, gaining fans along the way.

    Featured image by Orlin Nedkov.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://www.38coffin.com
    https://www.facebook.com/38COFFIN/
    https://www.instagram.com/38coffin/
    https://38coffin.bandcamp.com/
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRT8JlZHimD7KJmqxSo7a2w
    https://music.apple.com/us/artist/38-coffin/1588858631
    https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fAoqh1DukBiP6GzDDScGM

    Animals In Exile – Animals In Exile

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -
    Animals In Exile
    Animals In Exile

    Animals In Exile has today released their eponymous album via Needlepoint Records. Many fellow GenXrs will remember what MTV actually was before it is what it is now, and, if you read this far, you may also remember that show ‘120 Minutes’. The show for the cool kids that everyone else admired, well, after adulthood kicked in. The music that defined the later decades before it was acceptable to listen to in public, while everyone else was following Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe.

    Animals In Exile is the band that should’ve been back then and will forever be in the now. That slacker rock juggernaut that defines your next favorite music while effortlessly counting you as a new fan.

    The new album is everything you expect, in a good way. Nine tracks of anthems outside of the box, looking in and wondering why you’re in that conformative box. Letting them in and letting it all go is what this album is, to me. Finding the corrosion in the edges around that conformity that tells you what to like and makes you afraid to show your originality lest the ‘others’ find out and mock you. This is your freedom papers. Your emancipation from the mainstream that tells you that you can dress, look, and even smell how you want. This is what you secretly want. You want to be one of those animals in exile.

    And, if you didn’t buy a copy of this album, then, fuck you. Independent artists need money to make shit at this level.

    About Animals In Exile

    Animals In Exile isn’t just a name—it’s a mantra for reinvention, resilience, and sonic exploration. It’s fitting that the band is based in Denver, Colorado, a city enshrined amongst primal nature, carved into the wild of the encroaching mountains, just as the band itself cuts a passageway through neo-psychedelic rock, garage grit, indie edge, stoner fuzz, and dreamy shoegaze to reach a destination unmistakably its own. With poetic lyrics that delve into the absurd, the existential, the surreal, and the everyday, Animals In Exile craft music that is both intellectually rich and emotionally resonant.

    The band officially solidified in 2025, but its roots stretch back to 2015 when songwriter Redding Bacon began shaping his vision in the solitude of his basement. Inspired by everything from 00s DJ culture and Indian sitar drones, to Velvet Underground textures, and 70s African psych rock mutations, Redding’s solo project slowly evolved into something bigger. In 2025, the stars aligned: Redding joined forces with longtime friend and bassist Colby Rogers, guitarist Jim McTurnan, and drummer Eric Marshall. Each member brings not only musical definition, but rich stories of personal survival and artistic redemption—Jim continues to defy the odds while living with both Multiple Sclerosis and Stiff Person Syndrome; Colby retains his musical prowess after a life-threatening injury left his right hand with no feeling; and Eric, once on the verge of abandoning music entirely, has a rejuvenated lust and vitality behind the kit.

    Individually, the band’s members have dabbled around the deep end of the indie rock pool, and can tout, collectively: shared billing with the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Phoenix, Flaming Lips, Black Angels, Blonde Redhead, and others; multiple tours; Top 200 releases at radio; a KEXP song of the day; on-air radio and TV performances; film placements; and press exposure in Under The Radar, Magnet, NME, etc. However, the past is the past, and the future is now.

    The band’s self-titled debut album, Animals In Exile, arrives August 8, 2025, via Needlepoint Records, preceded by the punchy single “Let’s Go!” dropping June 27. This new release leans deeper into overdriven tube amp growl, creating a fiery, tactile sound that sets it apart from Redding’s previous recordings. It’s a record that doesn’t revisit psych rock—it repurposes it.

    Described by 303 Magazine as a “…soundtrack for the soul – dark, inspirational, and beautifully cinematic.” The band has also earned praise from Queen City Sounds and Art, Janglepophub, Tonic Grain, and Austin Town Hall, and has been featured on a broad swath of playlists and webcasts. Animals In Exile has become a road trip essential, a thinking person’s psych band, and a spiritual successor to acts like Brian Jonestown Massacre, Velvet Underground, Dead Meadow, Flaming Lips, and Thee Oh Sees.

    Settle in for a voyage that’s at once cerebral, cathartic, and emphatically alive.

    LINKS:
    https://www.animalsinexile.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/animalsinexile
    https://animalsinexile.bandcamp.com/
    https://instagram.com/animalsinexile
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFXp_8-jEuHlxrXH7SmDxbw

    Tamar Berk – Stay Close By

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Tamar Berk has today released her new video and single titled ‘Stay Close By’ from her upcoming album ‘ocd’, dropping September 5th. Feeling like a severe and earnest update to the alt-rock and indie genres, ‘Stay Close By’ feels like an infusion of subtle imagination to a summer of monotony.

    Tamar is one of those artists who has long ago found their sound. She is a true artist and explorer of originality. ‘Stay Close By’ shows that the next evolution of her revolution is with a slacker-guitar rock anthem/opus that delivers all of the feels and none of the filler. This is independent music at its core.

    Check out our other features with Tamar Berk HERE.

    About ‘Stay Close By’ & ‘ocd’

    Acclaimed indie power-pop artist Tamar Berk shares “Stay Close By,” the shimmering and emotionally charged lead single from her upcoming album ocd, out on September 5th on all music platforms. Although it opens the album, “Stay Close By” was the final song Tamar wrote. It was an impulsive, late-night effort to create the perfect introduction that would pull listeners in while hinting at the emotional spirals that lie ahead.

    The result is a lush, unexpected mix of distortion, loopy rhythms, and aching vocals that reflect the tension of longing for connection while trying to protect your heart. Berk blends gauzy guitars with a retro, low-end Big Muff fuzz and layered synth textures, creating a sound that feels both melancholy and warm. Lyrically, the song captures that in-between space of dreaming and doing. It lingers in those tender, half-serious plans we make with someone close, like the refrain: “We always say we should get high… and go for a ride.”

    “I wanted the first track and single to feel a little mysterious, a little off-center,” Tamar says. “Something that sounds familiar but also surprises you and makes you curious about what’s coming next.”

    With ocd, Tamar explores themes of anxiety, repetition, and the constant struggle to stay in control of our emotions. It’s an album shaped by spirals of thought, fear, and memory. “Stay Close By” acts as both an invitation and a mission statement, setting the tone for everything that follows.

    The official video for “Stay Close By,” directed by longtime collaborator Brandon Mosquera, is out now. Intimate and vulnerable, it mirrors the song’s quiet emotional pull and offers a visual window into Tamar’s inner world.

    ocd, Tamar Berk’s fifth solo album, captures her at her most emotionally raw and musically ambitious, exploring the intricacies of identity, anxiety, and self-inventory with fearless honesty.

    From her roots in Cleveland to her rise in Chicago’s vibrant alternative scene of the 1980s and 1990s, Tamar Berk’s musical journey has been shaped by bold reinvention. She emerged as a founding member of bands like Starball and Sweet Heat, releasing music on indie labels such as Thick Records, Minty Fresh, and Kill Rock Stars.

    Later, she formed the electro-punk duo The Countdown with her husband, and after relocating to Portland, performed in garage and prog-influenced projects including The Pynnacles and Paradise. Now based in San Diego, Tamar has spent the past five years carving out a celebrated solo career. Each of her previous four albums received a nomination for Best Pop Album at the San Diego Music Awards, and her music has continued to evolve with depth and clarity.

    ocd is the culmination of this evolution. It is not just an album but a full-body map of overthinking, emotional spirals, and obsessive introspection. With fuzzed-out guitars, dreamy synths, rich piano lines, and confessional lyrics, Berk has created her most vulnerable and self-aware work to date. The album builds on themes explored in earlier releases: grief, hope, identity, motherhood, and resilience, but ocd dives further inward, unearthing the chaos and beauty of the mind at its most unfiltered.

    “There’s a linear order and a bigger picture to the way my brain works,” says Berk. “It’s the same way I build songs. Every track is like a single word in a much larger sentence.”

    The opening track and first single, “Stay Close By,” sets the tone with its dreamy atmosphere and emotional inertia. It feels like a long, deep exhale, a gentle plea for connection amid uncertainty. “This song is about a hopeful optimism that hasn’t quite panned out yet,” Tamar explains.

    ‘ocd’ Tracklist

    'ocd' cover.
    ‘ocd’ cover.
    1. stay close by
    2. ocd
    3. you ruined this city for me
    4. there are benefits to mixed emotions
    5. time zone
    6. any given weeknight
    7. i had a dream i was lost in an auditorium
    8. indiesleaze 2005
    9. my turn will come
    10. i’m in the day after
    11. tell me why
    12. ghost stories

    ocd was recorded in Tamar’s home studio and co-produced with drummer Matt Walker (Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Filter, Morrissey). Berk played a wide array of instruments, including guitar, bass, piano, Wurlitzer, Prophet, and Farfisa organs, synth, harmonica, and percussion. The album features performances by longtime collaborators Matt Thomson (Maita), Allen Hunter (Eels), Chris Marsteller, Jonathan Gordon (Suzanne Vega), and Steve Denekas, with additional contributions from Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless), Charlee Berlin, Justin Thorpe, trumpet player Everett Kelly, and cellist Erdis Maxhelaku.

    Tamar will mark the release of ocd with a special hometown performance opening for Material Issue at Schubas Tavern in Chicago on September 27th. It is a fitting return to the city where she first found her voice and began a lifelong pursuit of honest, emotionally resonant songwriting.

    With ocd, Tamar Berk offers her most deeply personal and sonically ambitious record yet. It is an album about unraveling, understanding, and reclaiming oneself. In every track, she makes sense of the mess and turns it into something unforgettable.

    About Tamar Berk

    Tamar Berk crafts emotionally raw indie rock and alt-pop that blends fuzzed-out guitars, dreamy textures, and lyrics that linger like a thought you can’t shake. Her songs channel the quiet chaos of overthinking: melancholic, melodic, and wired with an unfiltered honesty. It’s music for when your thoughts are spiraling, the lights are too bright, and you’re searching for meaning in the mess.

    Raised on classical piano and early Disney soundtracks, she later found creative kinship in The Beatles, David Bowie, Liz Phair, and Elliott Smith. These artists shaped her instinct for melody and emotional truth. Fiercely independent, Berk writes, records, and produces her own music, turning personal unraveling into sonic catharsis.

    After years immersed in the scenes of Chicago, Portland, and San Diego, she launched a solo career rooted in a DIY ethos. Her first four albums — The Restless Dreams of Youth, Start at the End, Tiny Injuries, and Good Times for a Change — earned praise from KCRW, CREEM Magazine, Bandcamp, The FADER, SHINDIG, and more, along with nominations from the San Diego Music Awards. She’s collaborated with notable producers and musicians, including Matt Walker (Morrissey, Garbage) and Sean O’Keefe (Beach Bunny, Motion City Soundtrack).

    ocd, the upcoming fifth solo album from Tamar Berk, will be available across music platforms on September 5th, 2025. It is Tamar Berk’s boldest and most immersive yet. It’s a reverb-soaked deep dive into looping thoughts, emotional undoing, and the strange beauty of obsession.

    LINKS:
    https://tamarberk.bandcamp.com
    https://www.facebook.com/TamarBerkMusic
    https://soundcloud.com/tamar-berk
    https://www.instagram.com/tamarberkmusic
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcWZ8eEq0W5bxexMyWRi6Kw
    https://open.spotify.com/artist/2A3VeCpyVPOSRW4woZXt8q

    GLVES – Honesty

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    GLVES
    GLVES

    GLVES is a First Nations alt-pop artist known for her textured electronic sound infused with storytelling. Before she releases her debut EP ‘Belonging’ on Friday, October 10, she is taking her songs and electric performance to the stage at BIGSOUND 2025, and offering a fresh taste of what’s in store with her new single, ‘Honesty’.

    With her previous live performances at festivals like Dark Mofo, Splendour in the Grass, Ministry of Sound Classical, Yabun, and most recently Blak Day Out 2025, channelling her mastery of multi-sensory art, her upcoming show at BIGSOUND 2025 is sure to be a knockout.

    GLVES’ debut EP ‘Belonging’, produced by ARIA-winning producer Rob Amoruso (Baker Boy), will feature four original tracks, including ‘Echo’, ‘Time’, and ‘Honesty’, all of which delve into themes of identity, belonging, and the “third space” of self-reclamation. Each track is crafted to be both personal and universally relatable, reflecting GLVES’ commitment to creating music that is emotive, introspective, self-compassionate, and empowering.

    Her latest taste in the form of ‘Honesty’ is that from-the-heart storytelling that GLVES is known for, with a dance-ready drum and bass twist. With a slower, more stripped-back start, the song takes on a beat that keeps blood pumping and bodies moving. The drum and bass dominate this song, with GLVES’ electronically filtered vocals adding an emotional core to the track that makes it into something almost dreamlike and hard to grasp, making the themes of the song that much more real.

    Like every GLVES release, this song is a story in itself: the high-speed drums play into frantic energy that comes with trying to break out of being strung along, confronting someone to tell them you want more or nothing at all. GLVES shares the turmoil that inspired the song:

    “It’s about being stuck in a relationship you can’t disconnect from, yet can’t move forward in either. At some point, you just have to be honest with them, no more holding back, no more pretending. It’s a raw, vulnerable moment where truth-telling is the only way forward.”

    Let the truth speak for itself with GLVES’ ‘Honesty’ and for those lucky enough to be making it to Meanjin/ Brisbane for BIGSOUND 2025.

    Featured image by Jason Star.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://glvesmusic.com.au/
    https://www.facebook.com/GLVESMUSIC/
    https://www.instagram.com/glvesmusic/
    https://www.youtube.com/@GLVESMUSIC
    https://glves.bandcamp.com/
    https://open.spotify.com/artist/7wRaOhk0CnmQUzewX36M2u

    Ark Identity – Can’t Stop Loving You

    By
    Editorial Team
    -

    Toronto indie pop singer-songwriter and producer Ark Identity returns with “Can’t Stop Loving You,” a soul-baring, atmospheric single that captures the ache of a love that lingers long after it has ended. The track is the latest offering from the artist’s upcoming EP, Deluxe Nightmare, out October 24th.

    Drifting between dreamy textures and vulnerable lyricism, “Can’t Stop Loving You” leans into the still-burning embers of a past connection. For Noah Mroueh, the artist behind Ark Identity, this song cuts deep.

    “This song captures the bittersweet ache of a love that just won’t fade,” Noah shares. “It’s a raw, honest look at the lingering feelings after a breakup, the kind where you’re trying to move on but your heart keeps pulling you back.”

    Noah handled everything on the track himself—drums, guitar, bass, and keyboards—showcasing the full scope of his vision for Ark Identity.

    As with much of Ark Identity’s work, the soundscape is immersive and hazy, drawing from dream pop’s ethereal textures and indie pop’s emotional immediacy, with a musical nod to the past. Lush synths wrap around sparse percussion and Noah’s soft, aching vocals, evoking the solitude of late-night drives or quiet moments of reflection.

    The music video brings that atmosphere to life, opening with a vintage TV host from the early 1980s introducing Noah, also known as Ark Identity, and his live band. From there, we’re pulled into a swirling world of soft-focus visuals with sprinkles of psychedelia, drawing the listener into Ark Identity’s rich, dreamy universe of faded love.

    “This song is incredibly personal for me. It’s about that universal feeling of trying to move on from someone you deeply cared about, but realizing a part of you just can’t let go,” Noah explains. “That ‘crack in the pavement’ moment, where something small triggers a flood of memories—I think everyone can relate to that.”

    Lyrically, the track sits in that unresolved emotional space where memory meets longing. Lines like “Can’t stop thinking of things I’d do / I’ll run away inside my mind / Going nowhere” speak directly to that internal tug-of-war between logic and feeling.

    “I wanted to capture the internal struggle of knowing you should probably forget someone, but your heart just isn’t on the same page,” Noah adds.

    Written as a form of catharsis, “Can’t Stop Loving You” is a moment of emotional clarity wrapped in ambient beauty. “Writing this track was a way for me to process those lingering emotions—the hope for a conversation that never happened, and the eventual acceptance that some connections, even if they’re not meant to be, leave an indelible mark,” Noah says. “It’s a raw confession that sometimes, you just can’t stop loving someone.”

    About Ark Identity

    Ark Identity is the dream pop project of Toronto indie musician Noah Mroueh. EARMILK hailed him as “one of the most exciting new artists to enter our attention in 2024.” Mroueh’s talent for crafting anthemic dream-pop that blends “shimmering melodies with introspective lyrics” got the attention of the online blog.

    His first EP, ANNDALE—named after the street Mroueh grew up on—was released in November 2024. The five songs on the EP were written in his childhood home. ANNDALE introduced us to Ark Identity with the first single, “Eyes,” being added to Apple Music’s New in Alternative playlist.

    It was a sign of things to come, and a recognition of Mroueh’s talent. Within a few months of the EP release, he was signed to a distribution deal with ADA, the distribution arm of Warner Music Canada.

    A sequel to ANNDALE and continuation of its themes, Deluxe Nightmare, out October 24th, comprises a six-track excursion into (and broadening of the borders of) Mroueh’s all-analog dream-pop world. The EP weaves between sunny indie rock, vintage psychedelic pop, silky R&B, and brooding electronic alternative with an almost uncanny ease and timelessness.

    Featured image by Maggie Kane.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://arkidentity.ca/
    https://www.facebook.com/arkidentitymusic/
    https://www.instagram.com/arkidentitymusic
    https://www.tiktok.com/@arkidentity
    https://www.youtube.com/@arkidentity

    Lexie – Plane Jane

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -
    Lexie
    Lexie

    Lexi has today dropped her new single titled ‘Plane Jane’. Lexi is one of those artists who broke from the mainstream, in this case, her supporting the UK legendary girl group, The Saturdays, and formerly being signed to Warner Music and Island Records, respectively.

    But, as what most true artists should do, but many do not, is what Lexie did, take her original style and grace and give it the spotlight it needed to shine. And that is what ‘Plane Jane’ is. The latest culmination of that original style and showcase for that soulful voice. The song is a little bit of a throwback to the glory days of Motown with a modern twist and turn that makes it an homage to the genre while a beacon for the indie scene to follow.

    While the goal is the soul, the heart is the hook, and the music is the muse. This is a brilliant addition for the summer sun.

    About ‘Plane Jane’

    “Plane Jane” is part of Lexie’s “Sassy Soft Girl Era” for the dream chasers, adventurers, and the people reaching for something new. Inspired by The Staple Sisters’ song, “I’ll Take You There”, the track was created after an exhaustive run of traveling and a broken heart. Lexie shares, “Home is a feeling, not a place, if you are always on the move. It got to the point where I was just living out of a suitcase and had to find peace where I was at; that’s what inspired me to write the song.

    It’s a collection of moments, memories, and feelings during my travels, combined to make the perfect cocktail of pop, soul & storytelling.” The track opens with an emotive guitar riff that quickly ushers in Lexie’s soul-drenched, honeyed vocals over breezy rhythms and a funk-fueled bassline. She doesn’t just sing the notes; she lives inside them. Stacked horns by Joss Stone’s saxophone player, Jovan Quallo, are dripping with retro-soul swagger and further amplify the allure of this undeniable feel-good bop.

    Inspired by the soul of Motown and the poetic storytelling of country, Lexie brings a unique style that is both timeless and refreshingly new. She has received success with her music being featured on Spotify’s acclaimed New Music Friday and has performed at major festivals including Primavera Sound (Barcelona and Madrid), Fuji Rock (Japan), and Melt Festival (Germany), bringing her dynamic vocal presence to some of the world’s most iconic stages.

    About Lexie

    Lexie is a UK-born pop-soul artist with a hint of country, known for her honest storytelling, raspy tone, and charismatic energy both on and off stage. Blending the raw soulfulness of Joss Stone with the lyrical wit of early Taylor Swift, Lexie creates music that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable—like your favourite journal entry.

    Lexie is quickly becoming a global force. In the past year alone, she supported Tim Gallagher on his European tour and opened for Take That at the Etihad Park outdoor stadium in Abu Dhabi, playing to over 30,000 people. She also fronted the live show for acclaimed electronic artist TSHA on her world tour, performing at major international festivals including Primavera Sound (Barcelona and Madrid), Fuji Rock (Japan), London Field Day, and Melt Festival (Germany), bringing her dynamic vocal presence to some of the world’s most iconic stages.

    Lexie’s music has been featured on major Spotify playlists, including New Music Friday and New Country, further proving her ability to connect across genres and geographies.

    Formerly signed to Warner Music and Island Records, Lexie first broke onto the music scene supporting chart-topping girl group The Saturdays on a UK arena tour. Since then, she’s stepped fully into her spotlight, evolving into a headline performer with an unmistakable voice and magnetic stage presence. Now based in Dubai, she has become a mainstay on the city’s premier stages—from the Coca-Cola Arena to Dubai Opera and Expo City—where her dynamic live performances have earned her a reputation as one of the region’s most exciting breakout talents.

    In 2024, Lexie released her confessional debut album Diaries of a Disastrous Dating Life, a raw and relatable chronicle of romantic misadventures that resonated with audiences for its vulnerability and sharp humor. The project introduced a fearless songwriter unafraid to say the quiet parts out loud, earning her a loyal fan base drawn to both her honesty and artistry.

    Her latest single, ‘Plane Jane’, ushers in a fresh era of confidence, gratitude, and emotional freedom. Written during a whirlwind period of international travel, the track captures the spirit of constant motion, where “home” becomes a feeling, not a destination. Uplifting and wanderlust-fueled, Plane Jane is a feel-good anthem for the dreamers, the movers, and anyone chasing purpose across borders.

    LINKS:
    https://lexieofficial.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/LexieOfficial/
    https://www.instagram.com/lexieofficial
    https://www.tiktok.com/@lexieofficialsings
    https://open.spotify.com/artist/4rxkYdxnD8OLxuwqKiwmw9
    https://www.youtube.com/c/LexieOfficial

    It’s Karma It’s Cool – 21st Century Meds

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    It’s Karma It’s Cool has today released their new video for the track titled ’21st Century Meds’, from their upcoming album ‘One Million Suburban Sunsets’, dropping soon.

    Music with a message for the modern era, It’s Karma It’s Cool, gives us a track with the message that self-medicating can be a fine line between self-help and self-harm. Humans can be addicted to anything: drugs, tobacco, alcohol, even food. Does that make us bad, weak, or dependent? It can, but overall, it makes us human. While the song takes a realistic approach to the subject, it also takes a non-judgmental approach, making this accessible and listenable in a non-preaching way.

    Survival is an instinct, and with the price and persistence of the perceived prejudice about who deserves the right medication and treatment based on insurance and assurance of wealth, we need this message from It’s Karma It’s Cool now more than ever.

    Beautifully crafted and amazingly executed, this is a song and video from a set of artists who ‘get it’ and won’t let you get over it until that message is listened to and not merely heard.

    ” The song is about living in this modern world, doing what it takes to get by and basically survive. We all need something to get us through these troubled times, so we all self-medicate. Be that with drugs (legal or otherwise), alcohol, or any addictive behavior, whatever it may be, we’re all looking for that magic ‘something’. But the song’s not judgmental, I’m just saying ‘look, this is how society has got us all, we’re all hooked on one thing or another, numbing ourselves behind a wall of 21st-century medication. Perhaps it’s time to take a step back and look at ourselves.“
    Jim Styring

    Check out our other features with It’s Karma It’s Cool HERE.

    About It’s Karma It’s Cool

    They flit between melodic power punk-pop and indie rock rarely seen this side of the Atlantic as they create their mesmerizing brand of music which seems to melt a heavenly pot of genre-defining acts like Weezer, Green Day, REM, Pearl Jam, They Might Be Giants and even hints of The Allman Brothers into a cauldron of something unique which results in the band It’s Karma It’s Cool.

    It could, of course, be one big hot mess. Still, these guys are seasoned pros delivering something incredibly triumphant, leaving the listener keen to stamp them with the time-honoured reward of ‘new favourite band’ at a time when lyrical music heroes are needed more than ever before.

    LINKS:
    https://linktr.ee/itskarmaitscool
    https://www.facebook.com/itskarmaitscool/

    Superstar Crush – Way Too Much

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    Superstar Crush
    Superstar Crush

    Superstar Crush is a four-piece pop group that packs a punch and a backbeat. Taking influence from the likes of Blondie, Arcade Fire, and Pulp, their stage show is packed with fiery hooks, explosive stage presence and their tender – oh, so very tender–pocket–poetry pedestrian lunchbucket lyrics. They first got together in Hamilton, Ontario, as the house band for a series of coffeehouse-social-justice-conversational-arts-punk-global-consciousness-high-school-casual-fashion-social-electric-9-volt-action-oriented events organized by Marzieh Darling.

    The nights consisted of globally-focused conversation followed by live music from a rotating roster of vocalists and friends from local high schools. Chloe Butler-Stubbs, Sam Hansell, and Truaxe Fox sat in on bass, guitar, and drums, respectively, and Marzieh frequently filled in on vocals. Between decade-spanning punk/indie-rock covers, the gang snuck in originals that quickly became crowd favourites. The 4 piece was happily roped into high school basement parties and the Hamilton club and bar scene circa 2022, where their audacious good looks and uniquely pop-oriented songwriting made them local faves. As they graduated from high school and learned how to drive and act normal, they infiltrated Toronto, Montreal, Boston, and other cities across Ontario, soon naming themselves Superstar Crush after a local celebrity.

    The group dropped a self-recorded tringle (triple-single) titled “Crushed to Meet You” in May 2024. The EP included three crowd favorite songs from their live set, tracked on laptops in their former grade school, where they’re tight with the headmaster Tony Evans of Growl fame. That summer, the band played monthly shows at their fave Hamilton venue, the Casbah, where Dwayne Gretzky frontman Tyler Kyte eventually saw them perform. After seeing them play at the club a few times, Kyte, standing by the bar, produced a small hand-held noir-style detective’s tape machine from his overcoat and covertly recorded “Note to self: They’re ready.” He started producing the band soon after, recording their debut album in his Toronto studio. The record’s slated to release summer 2025, kicking off a Canada/US summer tour.

    Over the past three years of shows around central Canada, the Crush have amassed a loyal local following of wide-eyed teenyboppers and fairly well-dressed 20-somethings. They’ve won Hamilton Battle of the Bands at Bridgeworks, played North Stage at the premier Hamilton festival, Supercrawl, and sold out the Casbah right before it was shut down. Marzieh, Sam, and Truaxe each take turns leading the singing, Chloe has the best hair, and the group watches hockey and works odd, unskilled labor jobs together in their free time. With hilarious stage antics, baroque-pop recording techniques, and a danceable fury, they’re sure to keep your head spinning and your shoes moving. Fire.

    Featured image by Finn Olmsted.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://linktr.ee/superstarcrush
    https://www.superstarcrush.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/p/Superstar-Crush-61558490274034/
    https://www.youtube.com/@SuperstarCrush

    Video Days – Split + Q&A

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    Video Days
    Video Days

    Boston-based alternative rock band Video Days return with their latest single, ‘Split’, an immersive slowcore anthem that melds delicate spoken-word vocals with an eruptive wall of noise and chaos. The track marks an evolution in the band’s already dynamic sound, fusing shoegaze, noise rock, and post-rock influences into an emotionally charged sonic journey.

    Following the breakout success of their debut EP, sungazing — which saw singles Bleached and When You Loved Me propel them to nearly 1 million monthly Spotify listeners — Video Days have been meticulously crafting their highly anticipated debut record. ‘Split’ serves as a thrilling first glimpse into this new era, switching from the band’s low fidelity roots to hifi music, showcasing the band’s ability to navigate between minimalism and intensity with precision and raw emotion.

    Opening with a sparse yet mesmerizing guitar melody and front-centered drums, the track is anchored by Emma’s hushed, spoken-word vocals, evoking the understated power of artists like Wednesday and Low. As the song unfolds, the atmosphere shifts dramatically, exploding into a ferocious noise-rock climax—an all-encompassing wave of distortion, energy, and catharsis that firmly places Video Days among the most compelling alternative rock acts today.

    “Split was the band’s first true collaborative work,” shares Video Days. “Tim started with the main riff, and then Sam and Jacob layered in contrasting lead guitar parts while Emma crafted the lyrics and vocal melody.”

    The song has then evolved through a year of live performances, refining itself into a piece that fully defines the band’s new sonic identity. Lyrically, ‘Split’ delves into themes of inner turmoil, self-reflection, and the struggle of confronting one’s dual nature. The song’s shifting dynamics mirror the emotional weight of these themes, making for an evocative and thought-provoking listening experience.

    With ‘Split’, Video Days set the stage for what promises to be a massive year for the band, who are seeking a new direction with their debut album. Their fearless approach to sound and storytelling solidifies them as one of the most exciting rising acts in the U.S. alternative scene and beyond.

    Q&A

    You mentioned ‘Split’ being the first truly collaborative work of the Video Days. Have your past releases felt more like a back-and-forth exchange of songwriting?

    T: The process for a while was that one of us would bring in a complete or near-complete song, and we would refine and brainstorm. When we first started working on this album, my aspiration was that this new system of equal collaboration would reveal a new path for us sonically and stylistically.

    E: Before Split, all past VD releases were written by Tim. This album was the first time the four of us collaborated on something and Split represents the first time we really came together as a band, combining all of our strengths.

    J: Yeah, usually someone would just have a complete idea and bring it to practice and just work it out with the band. This was one of the first times that everyone had a hand in making the song from start to finish, pretty much.

    Emma- What kind of headspace were you in when you wrote the lyrics to ‘Split’? Did it feel like writing music, poetry, or a little bit of both?

    E: Split moved through a lot of different stages for me. It started as poetry, then was a song that was supposed to only be for myself, then poetry again, and then a video days song. Maybe it was always meant to be both.

    You guys are known for having a lush, shoegazey sound. What FX/pedals do you like to use most often?

    T: I personally prefer to keep my pedals to a minimum for the sake of my sanity, with a rotation of maybe 3-4 pedals at a time. I use Oceans 11 for my reverb/delay and either a Blues Driver or DS-1 for fuzz/distortion.

    J: Tim and I both use Ocean Eleven reverb pedals, and for distortion, I like Pro Co’s The Rat 2. The goal is to keep it pretty simple.

    ‘Split’ details a sort of double-sided feeling. What two contrasting things is this person or character expressing and experiencing?

    E: The person in Split is reckoning with what happens in between the version of yourself you present to be and the true version of yourself that lies deep beneath — the one you might have trouble reaching. It’s about frustration and alienation from the self. It tries to dive down into the crevice between a mythical ‘true’ being that’s obscured from others and even the self, and the person you see in the mirror that still feels like a stranger.

    ‘Split’ has a lot of sonic contrast as well. There are these quiet self-reflective moments, which then (so easily) swell into this gargantuan, distorted peak. How did you approach crafting such a wide dynamic range? Was it crafted structurally, or on instinct?

    T: I always had the desire to explore more extreme contrasts and dynamic ranges, something I thought was lacking in my previous projects. So while deliberate, I did trust my intuition heavily to guide me towards this new sound.

    E: The song itself is about the two faces of things, so that’s reflected in the sound. It wasn’t totally intentional at first, but I think the song kind of found itself based on instinct. We followed where it felt it was naturally going. The song especially kind of forms itself after playing it over and over again until it morphs into what it’s meant to be.

    S: tried out different configurations at shows, arrived at this.

    J: I would say instinct more than structure, personally. I just tried to make sure every note was intentional, and I wasn’t just playing to play.

    The song feels both romantic and dirge-like, raw but ethereal. What was the original intention for the finished product?

    T: Looking back, I believe there was no original intention but rather intuition. As soon as the song was written, we spent the course of a year performing it live before anything was recorded. We wanted the song to evolve naturally through time and deliberate performance.

    E: We didn’t have a specific intention or vision for the final product but the song is a process of a lot of workshopping and playing together, really feeling out what makes sense.

    S: to be dramatic

    J: Honestly, I don’t remember the original intention of Split specifically, I’m sorry. One key idea for writing was wanting the songs to connect to commitment and the sacrifices that come with it, so we tried to show that through our writing/lyrics.

    Finally…Where was the city where the photo for this single was taken, and who processed it to give it that washed-out, dreamy, exposed look? Why was this visual piece chosen to accompany this cathartic song in particular?

    T: The photo was taken in Boston, where we are currently based. The photographer Deniz Bagci (@denizenbagci) is a good friend of ours who has been a big part of this band, helping us out with visual content, photography, and any other creative mediums. I was initially drawn to this photo due to its overall simplicity and restraint, something I believed would be an interesting stylistic contrast to the track itself.

    On Seán’s Turntable: Sabres of Paradise – Haunted Dancehall

    By
    Seán Crossey
    -
    Sabres of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall
    Sabres of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall

    Since the untimely death of the one and only Andrew Weatherall AKA ‘The Chairman’ 5 years ago, the price of his back catalogue has gone through the roof when it comes to vinyl. Unfortunately for me, I had all of my Weatherall records stolen a couple of years before the great man passed away. I’ve since been picking up what I can where I can, so I was over the moon to see ‘Haunted Dancehall’ (and debut Sabresonic) by Andrew’s much-celebrated group Sabres of Paradise getting a reissue this week.

    It was 30 years last November since ‘Haunted Dancehall’ was originally released, so surviving members Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns have been playing sold-out shows to celebrate it, and it is most certainly worth celebrating. There wasn’t a genre that you could possibly pigeonhole these boys with. It’s Dub Techno filtered through dusty Hip Hop beats with a smattering of Ambient House and a ton of Breakbeats stirred in for good measure.

    Jagz and Gary were, of course, members of The Aloof before and after SOP’s short-lived existence, so with their more hands-on experience in making music and Andrew’s chops at producing and remixing, they were never going to fail. ‘Haunted Dancehall’ is ‘sort of’ half Chemical Brothers, half Portishead, but ALL Sabres of Paradise.

    Some of the best electronic dance music ever produced was recorded in this period of the 90s, and although The Chemical Brothers quite clearly went on to sell more records than SOP ever did, I’ve often wondered what would’ve happened if they had stuck together.

    ‘Haunted Dancehall’ remains to be not only one of the greatest electronic dance music albums but one of the greatest albums ever made, full stop.

    Dive in, it’s a fucking journey and a half.

    About Seán Crossey

    Seán Crossey
    Seán Crossey

    Seán Crossey has been part of the Manchester music scene for over a quarter of a century, whether that be deejaying, hosting events, artist management, journalism, presenting radio shows, or running his own successful PR business.

    It’s quite clear that music runs through his veins. This is Seán’s chance to chat about records he’s recently bought, some may be new, some not, but they’re all on his turntable.

    Nuclear Dudes – Pelvis Presley

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    Nuclear Dudes
    Nuclear Dudes

    Nuclear Dudes will unleash their delightfully unhinged Truth Paste full-length on September 5th.

    “Do I know where I am?” That question will likely flash through listeners’ minds during the opening track on Truth Paste, the fifth full-length from West Coast duo Nuclear Dudes. “Napalm Life” begins with something reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome To The Jungle,” but quickly shifts to the blistering industrial dance-grind that consumes you for the next twenty minutes.

    Forged in 2022 by Jon Weisnewski, known best for his screams and string punishment in both Akimbo and Sandrider, Nuclear Dudes is a manic mix of extreme metal, synth-prog, powerviolence, and industrial noise, and initially a prolific bedroom project that sated Weisnewski’s desire to write complex, bone-pureeing riffs and drum machine blasts. After a brief synthwave digression with Compression Crimes 1, the project returned with an altered version of what the band could do. And step one was recruiting a vocalist.

    While the third full-length Boss Blades had guest vocals from Dave Verellen of Botch and Irene Barber of Dust Moth, Truth Paste is the first record to feature vocalist Brandon Nakamura (Doomsday 1999, Cat Toy, Teen Cthulhu), who played with Weisnewski in the short-lived 2010s grind act White Jazz. Originally brought on for live performances, Nakamura was recruited to perform most of the vocal duties for Truth Paste, with his scathing delivery and abstractly humorous lyrics punctuating the synthetic chaos and adding density to the massive riffs behind him.

    Weisnewski admits that the new album was written to create an easier transition from record to live, but this move inadvertently created the band’s most impressive and memorable work yet. The mixture of noise, percussive beats, extreme metal, and movie samples makes this experience like a ‘90s rave where the candy necklaces have been replaced with bath salts.

    Songs like “Juggalos For Congress,” “Death At Burning Man,” and “Concussion Protocol” take so many wild swings and left turns that they demand multiple listens to catch your breath and figure out exactly what the band pulled off. And each of those listens reveals a new breakdown or killer melody or just some weird idea out of nowhere that will then drill its way into your temporal lobe.

    Elaborates Weisnewski, “Truth Paste is the chunk of songs Nuclear Dudes has been playing live as a two-piece. The amount of gear, wires, and headaches it takes to play this stuff to small, confused audiences is sure to pay off down the road. Collaborating on this album with my longtime friend Brandon Nakamura has been incredibly rewarding. We share a disdain for self-seriousness and are only trying to make each other laugh. That being said, we are emotionally prepared to accept a Grammy should the institution see fit.”

    Adds Nakamura, “We’re here for the laughs and access to the Epstein client list. It’s an honor and privilege to have been called into service by my long-standing homeboy Jon Weisnewski on this mission. Godspeed to us both.”

    In advance of the record’s release, the band offers up the first single, “Pelvis Presley,” for public consumption.

    “I have no idea what this song is about,” admits Weisnewski, “Even when recording Brandon’s vocals, I had no idea what he was saying because of all the FX we were pumping on the raw track. The guitar playing is intentionally stupid. It’s stupid. I’m proud of it.”

    “This is a song about jazz hands motion cannibals,” offers Nakamura. “It’s inspired by the hit dramedy The Bear streaming now on Hulu.”

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://nucleardudes.bandcamp.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/nucleardudes/

    Jesika von Rabbit – Hooray For Hollywood

    By
    Ryan Martin
    -

    Jesika von Rabbit has dropped her new video for the single titled ‘Hooray For Hollywood’, from her latest album, ‘Hooray For Hollywood’, out now via Dionysus Records.

    A retro-classic sound with perfect period mixing and mastering, Hooray For Hollywood is kitsch within a niche, which is what I love. This song is simply there. Unassuming yet brooding. Unabashed yet free of the confines of conformity. This is the type of song that becomes a cult classic in the ways that cult classics are cool. Watch out for that chorus; the vocals are amazing.

    About ‘Hooray For Hollywood’

    The eerie high desert enclave of Joshua Tree is famous for its spiky trees, their twisted arms praying towards the heavens. Just below lies Palm Springs, an area defined by retro-futuristic architecture and golden age glamour. If there is an artist whose music personifies this unique region, it’s Jesika von Rabbit. Her brand of Electronica Americana is indeed a head-spinning mezcal cocktail of the high-lonesome sound meets Hollywood razzle-dazzle.

    Like a steampunk spaceship, Jesika von Rabbit’s latest release, Bunnywood Babylon, transcends musical space and time. Her ability to create déjà entendu brings with it an uncanny resonance, an instant familiarity where one swears they’ve heard her retrofuturistic music in a past life.

    Quirky and poppy, “Pretty Dum”, “Wacko”, and “Aberdeen Martin” are instant earworms. Windswept and poignant, “Desert Rain” and “Hooray for Hollywood” touch upon her penchant for classic Americana. “Go Back to L.A.” and “Gotta Keep My Buzz Going” are raucous fuzz rockers. “What is Your Ism”, “Surf Music”, and “I Can’t Find Me” are celestial journeys for the desolate space cowboy. And finally, “Year of the Tiger” is as sublime a ballad as you’ve ever heard. Closer “Desert Rain” rings with authentic melancholy and longing.

    Lyrically bold, provocatively thoughtful, cheeky, not preachy, this is pop music for the sapient. In an era where most artists just write the same song in perpetuity, Bunnywood Babylon stands as a work that is as original and remarkable as it is incredibly varied.

    About Jesika von Rabbit

    Formerly the frontwoman and chief songwriter of the trailblazing and iconic Joshua Tree act Gram Rabbit, Jesika von Rabbit has released two critically lauded solo albums, Journey Mitchell and Desert Rock.

    Jesika von Rabbit recently won “Best Female Vocalist” and “Best Song” at the Joshua Tree Voice Music Award Show. This is in addition to “Best Female Performer” multiple years in a row at the Coachella Valley Weekly Awards.

    Jesika von Rabbit has toured with the Eagles of Death Metal, and has performed at the Desert Daze festival, Camper van Beethoven’s Campout festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Stoned and Dusted festival, Tiki Oasis, The Casbah stage at the Adams Ave Street Fair in San Diego, as well as San Francisco, Portland, and Palm Springs Pride. She has shared stages with acts as diverse as Wanda Jackson, Cat Power, The Melvins, The Crystal Method, and Sister Sledge.

    Jesika von Rabbit’s original compositions have been licensed to Fox’s The Masked Singer for a commercial spot, CSI, NBC’s Life, FX’s Better Things, The Real World, Sons of Anarchy, Crash, Hit & Miss, Crazy Stupid Love and War Inc., Grace and Frankie, a commercial spot for Fruit of the Loom which aired during the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Morgan Freeman’s film 57 Seconds.

    LINKS:
    https://www.jesikavonrabbit.com
    https://www.facebook.com/jesikavonrabbitmusic/
    https://www.instagram.com/jesikavonrabbit/
    https://www.tiktok.com/@jesikavonrabbit
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9poN3qsqCJThTxWdEyio_A
    https://open.spotify.com/artist/228m37gn65MbaI86rMIEfM

    James Booth & The Return – Daywalker

    By
    Editorial Team
    -

    James Booth & The Return are following up the release of their epic concept album An American Warlock in Hollywood with the fresh single “Daywalker”. A drippy, psychedelic departure into a darker tone and grittier attitude for this project. Searing guitar work and powerful vocals weave their way through an intricate and timeless tale of an elusive, dark figure roaming the Sunset Strip, slowly torturing the storyteller to madness. The song was the result of frontman and founder James Booth trying to blend together the sensibilities of two different, similar artists: The Three O’Clock and Siouxsie & The Banshees, fusing the deliberate bubblegum psychedelica of the former with the goth and atmosphere of the latter. The strings you hear on the track are played from a Mellotron, inspired by various progressive rock bands such as Yes, Hawkwind, and The Moody Blues.

    This single marks their inaugural release with Golden Poppy Music, which is known for its eclectic and experimental releases across their genre-diverse roster. A fitting new home for James Booth & The Return as they continue to bend and transmogrify the meaning of the rock genre.

    The project of James Booth & The Return is an exciting, dynamic, and wholly original rock and roll outfit. The self-described “Prog-Rock Prophets of the Paisley Underground” are led by James Booth on vocals and guitar, with Taylor Kropp on lead guitar, Max Goldman on bass, and Chad McKinsey on drums. This four-piece plays a blend of progressive rock, power pop, and psychedelic jams, centered around James’s sophisticated songwriting and howling, wide-ranging vocals.

    About James Booth & The Return

    Originally hailing from New Jersey, the first James Booth & The Return album, titled ‘This Makes The Dead Walk’, was (save for two electric tracks) largely a DIY anti-folk record.

    Their second release, ‘Hard Strokes Of Velvet Redux’ drew from such diverse genres as power-pop, acoustic blues, New York punk, and spoken word. After this came the goth-inspired ‘The Sky Hurts My Eyes’, the progressive rock adventure ‘In The Gardens Of Knight’, and the hubris-soaked odyssey of ‘Third Star In The Sky’. This run of albums concluded with ‘Songs From A Doll’s House’, the indie-est of indie rock records, a raw and unpolished collection of love songs and torch ballads. When not recording, James and his crew bounced up and down the Eastern Seaboard playing in venues like John & Peter’s in New Hope, Pennsylvania, as well as The Bitter End and the Delancey in New York City.

    In 2019, James moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with super-producer Fernando Perdomo to produce the band’s seventh release, ‘Postcards From The New Frontier’, an epic psych-rock record about doomed relationships set against a backdrop of quasi-cosmic imagery. Three songs from the record, “Heartbreak Hill”, “The Afterimage of Love”, and “A Message for the King” received airplay on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s Underground Garage channel and 88.5 Bilingual Sounds in Southern California, among others.

    When the band plays live, James commands the stage with humor and authority when not singing his heart out. His vocal range is expansive, capable of singing everything from the most sensitive acoustic ballads to the heaviest rockers that verge on classic metal. His bandmates in The Return include alt-country veteran Taylor Kropp on lead guitar, punk stalwart Max Goldman on bass, and metal virtuoso Chad McKinsey on drums. They’ve been electrifying audiences up and down Los Angeles, playing in such storied venues as the Whisky-A-Go-Go, The Viper Room, The Mint, The Hotel Cafe, The Venice West, and Molly Malone’s. Anyone lucky enough to catch them in one of these venues will tell you: there simply isn’t a rock and roll band quite like them around today.

    What’s more is that James designs every piece of artwork for the band, creating not only the album covers but also the posters, drawing from the public domain and transforming long-dormant visuals into retro-futuristic, pop-art-inspired collages.

    In addition to all this, James has recently been featured providing vocals for the track “Sun King” on the tribute album ‘Abbey Road Reimagined’, alongside British guitar legend Albert Lee and keyboardist Geoff Downes from YES. James can also be seen as a talking head in the upcoming documentary Welcome to Dreamland.

    The band’s most recent album, ‘An American Warlock In Hollywood’, was released on January 24th. If that weren’t enough, the band also found time to release ‘An April Fool’s Extended Play’, a light-hearted comedy record, on April 1st of this year.

    What more do you expect from Southern California’s only Prog-Rock/Power Pop/Grand Slam Jam Band? The band is currently recording a series of tunes, including the new song “Daywalker” off the upcoming ‘The Invisible Man Extended Play’. Tune in, take the ride, and come out the other side knowing that Rock & Roll Never Forgives.

    Featured image by Mathias Fau.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINKS:
    https://www.instagram.com/jamesboothandthereturn/
    https://www.facebook.com/JamesBoothAndTheReturn/
    https://www.youtube.com/@JBnTR-Archive
    https://jamesboothandthereturn.bandcamp.com
    https://music.apple.com/us/artist/james-booth-the-return/1562061967
    https://open.spotify.com/artist/6psfubJto7gIeJJaQwL2Xl

    Elvis Presley – Sunset Boulevard

    By
    Editorial Team
    -
    Elvis Presley
    Elvis Presley

    ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is a definitive 5-CD collection chronicling Elvis Presley’s recording sessions and rehearsals at RCA’s legendary Los Angeles studios. Spanning 89 rarities – over half of which have never been released in the United States – Sunset Boulevard delivers an illuminating perspective on Elvis’ 1970s recording output. This retrospective was released on August 1st, 2025, via RCA Records and Legacy Recordings.

    This includes rare alternate studio versions of late-period gems like “Separate Ways” – widely seen as the most autobiographical song Elvis ever recorded – “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” which channeled the groundbreaking signature vocal style from his earlier years, and “Burning Love,” the 40th and final Top Ten single of his career. Another powerful highlight of the Sunset Boulevard collection is “Always on My Mind,” which stands as one of Elvis Presley’s most emotionally resonant recordings from his 1970s sessions. Though widely popularized by Willie Nelson a decade later – and originally penned by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James – Presley’s version captures the song’s raw vulnerability with striking depth.

    On Sunset Boulevard, the collection’s first two discs (also released as a standalone 2 LP ‘highlights’ set with a curated selection of standouts and outtakes) feature new and never-heard mixes from four-time GRAMMY winner Matt Ross-Spang, stripping all overdubs and delivering fresh insights in the process. Opening with seventeen classics from throughout Elvis’ time in RCA Studio C, these mixes provide an intimate glimpse into the ways his riveting voice interacts with material from the era’s greatest songwriters: Kris Kristofferson’s “For The Good Times” (a 1972 b-side first released in 1995), Paul Williams’ “Where Do I Go From Here” (from 1973’s Elvis), Billy Swan’s “I Can Help” (from 1975’s Today) and Don McLean’s “And I Love You So” (also from Today) among them. Ross-Spang’s stripped-down mixes equally bolster the seventeen studio outtakes that comprise the set’s second piece.

    Sunset Boulevard is available in 5-CD and digital formats, including rare archival photographs and new liner notes from music historian Colin Escott, plus an introduction by longtime friend Jerry Schilling. The 2-LP ‘highlights’ edition is also offered in a Graceland Exclusive Color Variant.

    The final three discs of Sunset Boulevard offer a behind-the-scenes look at Elvis’ history-making Las Vegas residency, featuring Los Angeles rehearsals from July 1970 and August 1974 with his iconic TCB Band. Throughout the sessions, Elvis pours himself into every line, with no one listening but his band and the engineer in the control room, as his lifelong love of performing is on full display. Elvis’s effortless chemistry with The TCB Band is palpable throughout both rehearsals, perhaps owing to his decision to record with a road band for the first time during this era.

    SOURCE: Official Bio

    LINK:
    https://Elvis.lnk.to/SunsetBoulevard

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