‘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.
Originally written as a song about a love that’s burnt out, Leonie Persch gradually discovered over time that it is much more; it’s about the things you’re forced to leave behind when you outgrow something you’re still fighting for, but know deep down it’s not worth it.
The lyrics mirror Persch’s own story, as she made the bold decision to leave her successful songwriting career in Berlin and move to Los Angeles, rebranding as the musician she had always dreamed of becoming. In return, she “traded the familiar and stable for the unknown, burning old maps to draw new ones,” Persch shares. “‘Code Blue’ captures the raw, aching moment when something beautiful stops breathing. Whether it’s love, a dream, or a version of yourself.”
It isn’t easy, however, as the lyrics point to attachment and desperation, in hopes that the slight pulse is enough to resuscitate. The melody is infused with a tender ache representing both an ending and a beginning. Her versatile vocals floating over the track with both vulnerability and strength are undeniably the center of attention. “Code Blue” holds listeners’ hands through the uncomfortable conclusions of the past.
Leonie Persch is an independent artist, songwriter, and entrepreneur who has had an abundant career in Berlin as a writer and vocalist in the European EDM scene under the stage names Bonny Lauren and EVIE. Her achievements led her to collaborate with major labels, publishing deals, and a sync deal with Disney US, with an accumulation of 70 million streams worldwide. Wanting to release music under her real name and reclaim her identity, she has moved to Los Angeles to pursue her fully artistic career.
Alongside her journey as a musician, Persch has founded Indie Table LA, a networking event organization for independent creatives in the music industry. Taking a pop approach, her songwriting tackles themes of solitude, independence, intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships, and finding her inner voice. She was recently nominated for three Hollywood Independent Music Awards: “Best Original Recording” for “Code Blue,” “Best Original Song” for “Blindfolded,” and “Best Female Vocal.”
About Leonie Persch
Leonie Persch is a German-born, Los Angeles-based independent artist, songwriter, and creative entrepreneur. After building a successful career in Berlin – collaborating with major labels, publishing deals, working with global producers, and a sync deal with Disney US – her songs have accumulated over 70 million streams worldwide.
In 2024, she launched her fully independent artist project with her debut single “Blindfolded,” marking the start of a new chapter defined by creative ownership. Her follow-up release “Code Blue,” deepens that vision, capturing the courage to let go of what no longer fits. Now based in LA on an artist visa, Leonie is not only self-releasing her music but also actively building a creative community, with a Hollywood Independent Music Award nomination recognizing this new era.
Dagger Polyester has today dropped their debut album titled ‘Perversion For Profit’ via Silver Arrow Records. Produced by Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Dagger Polyester is one of those illustrious and provocative projects that comes out of the gate running and never lets up. From track one to the last, the style is vast, and the originality is as seamless as it is transitional. This is an artist who has truly found their sound and has a vision on how to execute it.
‘Perversion For Profit’, while well under my consideration for ‘Best Of 2025’, there is a lot more here than meets the ear. A lot more. There is a substance I seldom hear anymore in independent music. And a demand to listen and not merely hear. This is a concept for the conceptual. This is an album for those looking for a journey and not merely another favorite artist or band. It goes beyond all of the left and right turns with hooks and choices of outside-of-the-box instrumentation. It becomes guttural, natural, and in your heart while around your head. This is new music in it’s truest form.
About ‘Perversion For Profit’
Produced by Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Chris Robinson (of The Black Crowes) and tracked at the legendary Sunset Sound studios in LA, Perversion For Profit is a relentlessly ambitious debut that sees Polyester’s sardonic sneer awash in the punk theatricality of their heroes Patti Smith, Suicide, Roxy Music, and Talking Heads. While sonically rooted in the sounds of the past, the LP is a timely commentary on the pressing issues of our age, and it’s a pleasure to observe one of rock’s bold new talents spread their wings in real-time.
Effortlessly fusing the jagged, angular attack of post punk with new wave synths and the subtle funk of mid-70s Young Americans-era Bowie, Perversion For Profit features riotous blasts of pure punk rock (“We Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants”), warped disco breakdowns (“Conversion Therapy”), Sade-meets-Ziggy Stardust singalongs (“Spin”), and Chic-indebted ruminations on societal ruin (“The Tower”) amongst the record’s exhilarating 9 tracks. Embodying a different character with each song, Polyester theatrically attacks the state of commercialized queerness, the rising threat of fascist autocracy, homophobia, sexism, capitalism, and the often tragic outcomes of the pursuit of fame.
Perversion For Profit was previewed by the release of advanced singles “Conversion Therapy”, “She Kissed The Gun”, and “Father Panik”. Released earlier this year, “Conversion Therapy” aims to raise transphobia, while “She Kissed The Gun” uses the tragic death of Lana Clarkson to illustrate the dangers of the pursuit of fame. Released in July, “Father Panik” is a propulsive glam rock exploration of personal ads, limerence, and the state of modern romance.
About Dagger Polyester
Pull back the red velvet curtain of the LA underground and you’ll find Dagger Polyester—a force of nature fusing punk, glam, and art rock into something fiercely original. Their music channels subversive authenticity and theatrical defiance, drawing on influences from Roxy Music to Kenneth Anger. With sharp, satirical songwriting and a sound that embraces contradiction, Dagger confronts queerness, masculinity, and identity with style and wit. Their electrifying live performances—part punk riot, part glam opera—have landed them on stages with Yves Tumor, The Dare, and Alex Cameron. Produced by Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Dagger’s debut full-length arrives ready to upend everything you thought you knew about rock.
Fields of Jake has today released his new single titled ‘Single Forever’, from his upcoming full-length album dropping soon. Summer is officially here, unless you count the scorching heat and lack of rain, but I guess I should say that summer fun is here, then.
That lazy day at the beach or by the pool is sonically represented in all of the best ways, along with that message in the lyrics that we’ve all uttered to ourselves but may never admit. The frustration of loneliness, attributed to self-loathing and low self-esteem, is given an anthem in the guise of summer incarnate. Beautiful.
About ‘Single Forever’
Beginning with angelic vocals and bouncy drums, a scene of summertime bliss is set. Fields of Jake, the latest project of songwriter Jake Fields, recognizes the fleeting nature that comes with perfect moments. Searching for a way to freeze this memory and person in time is described through Fields’ captivating lyrics, such as “I never could find someone who’s better.” Produced by longtime collaborator Jim McGorman (Goo Goo Dolls, Sabrina Carpenter) and mixed by Dave Cerminara (Father John Misty, Lana Del Rey), this track invites listeners on a buoyant journey of layered vocals and a distinct beach-pop sound.
Written from a melody stuck in his head, Fields of Jake crafted this song with intention and personal experience. “I wrote this song about a year before recording it as a goof, but I never could get the melody out of my head. It’s about the existential anxiety at the start of a relationship that is working for once. Waiting for the other ‘shoe to drop’ because that’s all you’ve ever known.” This pop-rock track explores the doubts that arise when having a crush, evoking the sounds of sunshine and summer romance.
Fields of Jake is a Nashville-based artist who got his start when he decided to pause his professional baseball aspirations to pursue a passion for music after buying a $70 guitar from a thrift shop. What began as a hobby quickly evolved into live gigs at iconic venues such as Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go, Hotel Cafe, and The Troubadour—ultimately leading to a full-time career in professional music.
After falling deeply in love with songwriting and performing, Jake released his first artfully written solo EP, Someday You’ll Be Mine, before releasing his No One Wants To See The Grand Canyon Alone EP under his new moniker, Fields of Jake, with songs spanning the themes of love, loss, culture, and family. Drawing inspiration from legendary songwriters such as Jackson Browne and Paul Simon, Fields of Jake blends storytelling and melody in a style alluding to The Kinks and Dawes.
About Fields of Jake
For Jake Fields, all it took was $70 and a thrift store visit to change the trajectory of his life. While he originally had aspirations to be in professional baseball, the chance decision of buying a cheap electric guitar and amp was all it took for him to dedicate his life to music. What began as a hobby quickly evolved into live gigs at iconic venues such as Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go, Hotel Cafe, and The Troubadour—ultimately leading to a full-time career in professional music. After falling deeply in love with songwriting and performing, Jake released his first artfully written solo EP, Someday You’ll Be Mine, before releasing his No One Wants To See The Grand Canyon Alone EP under his new moniker, with songs spanning the themes of love, loss, culture, and family.
Now under the name Fields of Jake, he’s excited to share his upcoming 8-song album, mostly recorded at the studio Lucy’s Meat Market in Los Angeles. For this anticipated pop-rock record, Fields of Jake once again teamed with famed producer Jim McGorman (Goo Goo Dolls, Marc Broussard). Drawing inspiration from legendary songwriters such as Jackson Browne and Paul Simon, Fields of Jake blends storytelling and melody in a style alluding to The Kinks and Dawes. With classic influences and a modern perspective, Fields of Jake is building organic momentum while carving his space in the music world, laying the foundation for his future projects.
Freezing Cold has a penchant for diving into the familiar, relatable moments of being alive. Inspired by ’90s alternative and indie sounds, the NYC indie rock three-piece effortlessly layers catchy guitar, airy keys, textured synths, and woodwinds with ethereal three-part harmonies and poignant lyrics.
Final album cut “Off Season” sits firmly in the collection’s emotive whirlpool. It is like a vignette that captures the feeling of seeking calm in a place designed for it, a beach town when no one else is around. Lyricist Jeff Cunningham shares, “For me, the beach in the off season can become that reset button. It almost feels like standing at the edge of the earth, where everything slows. For someone who can struggle to be present in the moment, it’s the kind of environment that helps you do that.” Angie Boylan continues, “Jeff’s lyrics paint such a vivid picture that feels very relatable to me. Jeff and I both grew up on Long Island, and we often return to ocean, beach, and water themes in this band. This song always reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — taking ‘the train to the edge of town,’ the beach in winter, Long Island. The general sense of melancholy in the off season.”
About Freezing Cold
Freezing Cold was co-founded in 2017 by seasoned indie-punk musicians Angie Boylan (touring/session drummer in Sleater-Kinney, Aye Nako, Cheeky) on drums and Jeff Cunningham (Bridge & Tunnel, Ordinary Lives) on guitar and vocals, now joined by bassist Leanne Butkovic, who brings a new perspective and fresh energy to the band. They tracked the 10 songs over two years and three separate sessions at Lakehouse Recording Studios in Asbury Park, NJ, with friends Eric Bennett and Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females). Initially planned as an EP and derailed by COVID, as so many records were, the band used the space and time to build what would eventually become Treasure Pool. With the addition of bassist Leanne Butkovic, the band created a new microcosm of collective creativity, bringing even more intention to the songwriting process and building spectacular new 3-part vocal harmonies.
The concept of Treasure Pool was inspired by a trip Angie had recently taken to the Oregon Coast, where tide pools appeared at dusk, revealing so many creatures and habitats that you didn’t know were there just minutes before. She shares, “I read a description that called them ‘unique habitats teeming with life, offering a window into the marine world.’ There’s some metaphor here about being in a band, surely. You create this world together, are vulnerable, and share your ideas and creative expression. Pool everything together onto an album.” The world Freezing Cold has created in Treasure Pool is a collection of masterfully written rock songs about getting older, finding new ways forward, and staying curious.
It’s been 35 years since Mazzy Star’s debut album ‘She Hangs Brightly’ was originally released back in May 1990 (first pressing on Rough Trade and later in the same year via Capitol), so this repressing (having been unavailable for many years) is a very welcome addition to my collection. I had a very battered CD for many years, which was lost/stolen at some point.
The record has lost none of its charm in the intervening years, and its timeless beauty still shines through every single track. Hope Sandoval’s vocals are just as hauntingly (c’mon I had to use the word) gorgeous backed by the late David Roback’s subtle strumming, this is peak Dream Pop, in fact, this pair basically invented the genre.
Kicking off with the stunning ‘Halah’, the album floats by in a swirl of psychedelic blues-tinged folk so quickly and effortlessly, taking me back to my 16-year-old, stoned self, when I was first introduced to them by my old mate Si Norfolk via a mixtape.
If Mazzy Star is new to any younger readers, I can’t recommend this album enough (along with the rest of their back catalogue). 1990 was a superb year for music, and Mazzy Star were up there with the best of ‘em. R.I.P. David, thanks for the dreams.
About 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.
Known for their distinctive blend of male-female dual vocals, heartfelt songwriting, and infectious guitar-driven soundscapes, Hushtones have been steadily carving out their place in the UK music scene. With multiple spins on BBC 6music from Craig Charles and Chris Hawkins, support from BBC Radio 1, and glowing praise from Clash Magazine, the band’s momentum shows no sign of slowing.
Formed in the heart of Liverpool, Hushtones is made up of Martha, Mick, Caitlin, Abe, and Joe, who found each other through the city’s vibrant grassroots music scene. From open mic nights to pub jam sessions, their journey is steeped in the kind of DIY ethos and community spirit that has long defined Liverpool’s musical legacy.
New single ‘Stupid Things’ is an upbeat, energetic track about being frustrated with the daily grind and wanting to escape into nature. Vocalist Martha says, “This is a theme that underpins a lot of the music we write, and this song is the deep dive into it. ‘Stupid things’ are all of the unnecessary possessions we have that clutter our daily lives.”
The punchy guitar lines, exciting rhythm section, and synth pop riff make this single a standout track on the forthcoming album “Wildflowers in the Mystery”.
The album’s title track, ‘Wildflower’, is inspired by a specific flower that grows in California called Papaver californicum or “fire poppy”. It grows out of the ashes of a wildfire. The band continues, “it’s something beautiful that comes from something disastrous, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.” The album gets the second part of its name from ‘The Mystery’, a park in Liverpool that is close to where they all lived.
Written over two years, the new album paints a picture of overcoming personal issues and the growing pains that come with pushing yourself into a new phase of life. This album is a time-stamp for all those amazing and scary new experiences. The band concludes, “To celebrate this album, we are also going to get a set of matching fire poppy tattoos. This will be our second set of matching tats after the Saturn of Greeting From The Other Side”
Following the success of their debut album Greetings From The Other Side, Hushtones earned coveted support slots with the likes of Red Rum Club, Tim Burgess, and She Drew The Gun, with more live dates expected across 2025.
Old school truly finds new cool via this nine-time GRAMMY®-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. Knowledge crashes with history and finds a new voice with the assistance of another legend in Samara Joy. A pair of true visionaries, Christian and Samara, take a feeling and make it an experience with a classic form of music that never lost its wind in its sails and gives us that timeless sound with a new flavor. This is what happens when you infuse music with magic.
About ‘Old Folks’
Nine-time GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist/composer Christian McBride released a stunning rendition of the beloved jazz standard “Old Folks” featuring five-time GRAMMY® Award winner Samara Joy. It’s the second single from McBride’s upcoming release Without Further Ado, Vol 1, a new album featuring his acclaimed big band and an all-star cast of special guests. Following up his big band’s GRAMMY® Award winning 2020 release For Jimmy, Wes & Oliver, the new release employs a jaw-dropping array of talent, featuring Sting, Andy Summers, Samara Joy, Dianne Reeves, José James, Cécille McLorin Salvant, Jeffrey Osborne, and Antoinette Henry to bridge eras with elegance and groove, reaffirming McBride’s status as a champion of jazz past, present and future.
When asked about the performance, McBride reflects, “Oftentimes, jazz can get so deep into its vacuum, we forget what’s the most important thing – emotion. Many jazz critics will tell you it’s a process or concept, but if nobody can feel it, what good is either? Samara Joy doesn’t have that issue. She always emotes. I have a strong feeling that after you hear her interpret ‘Old Folks,’ you will intimately understand just who ‘Old Folks’ was, and your eyes dare not be dry. Thank you, Samara.”
“‘Old Folks’ could be multiple people that you think about in your life, whether it’s family or not,” Samara says. “I heard Carmen McRae’s, Ernestine Anderson’s, and Charlie Parker’s versions. It was a song that people don’t normally record or hear the lyrics to, so I thought about Roy Haynes, Quincy Jones, and all of these different people who have so much wisdom bottled up that they share.”
“Old Folks” follows the album’s lead track “Murder By Numbers,” which reunited Sting with his bandmate Andy Summers for the first time since The Police’s 2007-2008 reunion tour. The single was featured in American Songwriter, Consequence, Jambase, Stereogum, SPIN, and many other publications.
Having collaborated with artists ranging from Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis to Billie Eilish and Celine Dion, several of McBride’s artistic paths converge on Without Further Ado, Vol. 1, creating an electrifying collection of reimagined classics and surprises. The inspiration and many of the arrangements for the album grew out of the annual NJPAC Gala, for which the Big Band has served as house band and McBride as musical director since 2012. “We’ve always invited a bunch of great singers to come and perform at the Gala,” McBride says, “and as musical director, I’m responsible for arranging all of the music. After so many years of writing big band charts for these incredible singers, I realized that I had stacks of music that had only been played once. This has been a fantastic opportunity to finally record some of these arrangements and to play them with some of my favorite singers.”
If there is any doubt that we are living through a vocal jazz renaissance, the multi-generational line-up of singers McBride has assembled for Without Further Ado, Vol 1, definitively settles that debate. From Samara Joy’s breathtaking version of the jazz standard “Old Folks,” to three-time GRAMMY® winner Cécil Mclorin Salvant’s burning, uptempo reinterpretation of Cole Porter’s dreamy ballad “All Through The Night”, Without Further Ado, Vol 1 is like a vocal all-star game that’s heightened by the elegance and fire of the Christian McBride Big Band.
Ahead of the album release, the Christian McBride Big Band will be performing at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 3, where they’ll perform some of the new music from the album. In 2026, McBride will launch the first-ever McBride’s World at Sea cruise, featuring performances with all of his critically acclaimed bands and loads of special guests onboard, including Samara Joy.
About Christian McBride
Christian McBride is a nine-time GRAMMY®-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s TD James Moody Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, serving as Artistic Director of JAZZ HOUSE KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions.
In addition to artistic directing and consistent touring with his ensembles, he hosts NPR’s “Jazz Night in America” and “The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian” on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always part of the music. From jazz to R&B, and pop/rock and hip-hop/neo-soul to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him. McBride’s 2024 album But Who’s Gonna Play The Melody?, was recorded with renowned bassist, composer, and seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Edgar Meyer. Released via Mack Avenue Records, the album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Crossover chart.
About Samara Joy
Samara Joy is a 5x Grammy Award winner, born and raised in the Bronx. The 25-year-old grew up immersed in music, inspired by classic R&B, gospel, and a rich family legacy that includes her father, musician Antonio McLendon, and grandparents from the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes.
She discovered jazz while studying at SUNY Purchase, where she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and quickly gained recognition as a “once in a generation” vocalist. Her self-titled 2021 debut was followed by Linger Awhile, her Grammy-winning breakthrough on Verve, earning accolades including Grammy Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album. With her latest album, Portrait, co-produced with Brian Lynch, Joy deepens her artistry through original lyrics and inventive arrangements that honor jazz legends like Charles Mingus and Barry Harris while forging her path forward.
Portrait was awarded the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album, further solidifying her place among the genre’s most vital voices. Joy’s global tour, which recently included her anticipated sold-out Carnegie Hall debut in her hometown of New York City, will continue throughout 2025.
‘Without Further Ado, Vol. 1’ Tracklist
‘Without Further Ado, Vol. 1’ cover.
Murder By Numbers (ft. Sting & Andy Summers)
Back In Love Again (ft. Jeffrey Osborne)
Old Folks (ft. Samara Joy)
Moanin’ (ft. José James)
All Through The Night (ft. Cécile McLorin Salvant)
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (ft. Dianne Reeves)
Veronica D’Souza instils the kind of bold boundary pushing, soul stirring conscious essence into her music that was the driving force when she founded groundbreaking organization CARCEL (2016-2021), a Danish fashion brand that partnered with women in prisons in Peru and Thailand and when she co-founded Ruby Cup, a sustainable menstrual health solution for women and girls living in poverty in Africa.
Today, Veronica is an advisor, board member at The Soulfuls and The Danish Design Council, a speaker, and a creator who continues to explore new, meaningful projects alongside her music. Her latest offering, ‘Canary Song’, is a feminist anthem about waking up to your power. It speaks to the invisible cages women are born into — built from expectations and internalized roles. But when those start to crack, something shifts. In the free fall, you hear your beat. You find your band. ‘Canary Song’, which was produced by Veronica and mixed by Jorge Elbrecht (Sky Ferreira, Caroline Polachek, and Weyes Blood), celebrates the beauty of reclaiming your voice, your beat, and the radical joy of choosing yourself.
Veronica D’Souza wrote ‘Canary Song’ for herself but also for every woman who’s had to drum her rhythm and keep going. With powerful beats at the forefront, as soul-penetrating vocals build with hymn-like layered harmonies, the track is a reminder that even from the back seat, you can take the wheel. And that even in the fall, you can begin again — on your terms, in your power.
“I wrote this song as I started shredding roles, expectations, and systems that no longer serve me,” says D’Souza. “It’s a celebration of all the strength women carry — the kind that often goes unnoticed, even by ourselves. But once you feel it, you realise you’re invincible. There is no going back. Canary Song is a tribute to that power.”
‘Canary Song’ is protest music for the soft revolution — a slow-burning, beat-driven meditation on strength, resilience, and the quiet rebellion of choosing yourself. It’s about reclaiming vulnerability as a form of power and falling as a way to finally fly.
Somebody Someone has today released their new video for the track titled ‘The Light’. A bit of an uplift with electro-nostalgic sentiment, this track takes Somebody Someone into a slightly new realm. ‘The Light’, to me, signifies a dramatic shift in tone and style from what I’ve already heard from Somebody Someone. While not fitting into the catalog created so far, it greatly expands it while keeping the songwriter’s credibility already established.
Conceptually beautiful and creatively divergent, ‘The Light’ is in its own atmosphere, in a beautiful soundscape it created for those who like to take it a little bit higher and explore. This is a daring move that paid off.
About ‘The Light’
The eye-opening accompanying video positions Somebody Someone in a boxing ring, a contender for a match that offers little challenge. “My longtime collaborator Wil Kelly and I knew from the jump that we wanted to take a hard left from the dreamy, magical tone of the ‘Better’ video,” they explain. “This one had to be weirder, sharper, surreal, and comedic, but with teeth. We kept circling the same themes, I think about obsessively: the tension between art and commerce, the broken machinery of the music industry, and the soul-tax of staying authentic in a world that rewards spectacle over substance.”
Tossing around competitive sport metaphors like tennis and golf, they “eventually landed on the boxing ring as our stage,” they relay. “It’s physical, theatrical, and just absurd enough to get the point across.” Not just a simple, straight-ahead concept of an artist in battle, “The Light” took on a bigger concept. “The whole video became a kind of satire on what it means to ‘fight’ for your art without selling yourself out to the influencer pipeline or gatekeeper cash traps,” they explain. “It’s part fever dream, part farce, and sincere in its rebellion. My favorite part was studying boxing and fight choreographing again – hey, my theater degree is useful after all!”
On the fast track to mainstream attention, Somebody Someone is turning up the heat, having made quite a significant and resounding splash, sending ripples exponentially outward. Their momentum was amplified this summer through NPR’s Tiny Desk On The Road Tour, being featured on the popular podcast “Telepathy Tapes” and added to Adam Durwitz’s Underwater Sunshine Festival in NYC, which takes place November 21-22, 2025.
A single release party is set for August 1, 2025, at Radio East (3504 Montopolis Dr, Austin, TX 78744) with support from Letrainiump (details below).
Somebody Someone Single Release (ft. Support from Letrainiump)
We’re celebrating the release of Somebody Someone’s new single “The Light” — Indoors (AMEN), All Ages, $20 ADV and $25 at the Door.
Doors at 7PM
Music at 8PM
Radio/East 3504 Montopolis Dr Austin, TX 78744
About Somebody Someone
Garnering plaudits for their single “Better” from New Noise Magazine (“a stunning yet subtle piano ballad that’s notable for its raw emotion and powerful vocal performance”), Ghettoblaster (“spellbinding… a name you’ll be hearing quite a bit from in 2025”), International Musician (“deeply personal and authentic”), KUTX (“breathtaking”), Somebody Someone has made a deep impact on not only the Austin music scene, but nationally as well.
Tackling not only their neurodivergence but also their struggles with mental health and identity, they have carved out a niche that is wholly their own.
Formidable lyricist T.M/O returns to your ears, hearts, screens, and stages, a modern day Odysseus, no really. Back from the dead with nine prop fibroids, a couple of new battle scars, and an origin story so inspiring, so ridiculous, so frustrating. She is the art. A proven vessel of resilience, she may be the only artist to perform a Sofar Sounds set mid kidney failure, but she hasn’t had time to check.
The former ‘poet, painter/nightmare’, has evolved, and recognizes her realities as they now stand; alchemist. Advocate. Witness.Director. Survivor. T.M/O has been leaving spoken word fans in tears, quaking, cackling, and questioning themselves up and down the UK notoriously since 2019, performing alongside chart-topping Nxdia, and the voice’s broken pen. An artist sculpted by unbelievable truths and a quest for justice, she speaks to and for those who have been thrust into corners they had no idea how to get out of, for every ‘other’ who can relate to losing momentum in the search for self.
New single ‘Wilson’ – 140 bpm – ‘drop me into fire I will ride my horse, I will remind the lightning it was calm before” a drum and bass anthem for every castaway, every other, every rejected. Produced by PaleBlu, this track is a lyrically defiant journey through burning bridges and systems that do not serve you. Inspired by falling elevators, life-altering instances, and the relationship between rock bottom and sky high, this tune is slamming the doors open post hiatus.
Armed with the sharpest word weaponry, 28 staples is a multi-genre commentary, a cinematic wrong turn through existentialism, from somebody who has truly seen the edges of it.
The debut album that very almost wasn’t. Ready to release as an EP in 2024, T had a real and terrifying rug pull experience with her health, when fibroids had become a critical issue, and summer got cancelled due to the most avoidable of near-death experiences. 9 major surgeries and 28 Staples later, the EP became the album that is now the soundtrack to a full-length film (in progress) with videographer Searle, highlighting the madness of this female’s experience. Ultimately, this is a reaction to the health crisis that was so close to costing T her life, and the broader, accumulative struggles that impact every woman every day, in every workplace and every relationship.
Ana Grosh has today premiered her new video for the track titled ‘Freedom’, dropping tomorrow, via Dog Brothers Records. With hints of soul, glistening with glamour, Ana shows that music is about the feeling and fusion between stylistic choices that make the song a go-to for validation and emotional rehabilitation.
Self-assurance is just the beginning, as the song so clearly conveys. Freedom is a journey. An ever-winding road with many twists and turns that, hopefully, leads you to your self-worth. This is what this song and video mean to me. It’s a key to a door that leads to the rest of your life.
While the song is drenched in soul, the hero of the day is Ana’s posh and weathered vocals. She is a star that doesn’t know she’s a star. And that is the best kind of star to sing how you feel.
About ‘Freedom’
Grosh wrote and produced “Freedom,” and it was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Terrence Brandt, with vocals recorded at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta.
“The song is about that feeling when your partner has a real life and you don’t,” says Grosh. “You’ve wrapped your identity around someone else, and suddenly you’re left wondering who you even are. I wanted to write something that sounded like taking your power back.”
“Freedom” is Grosh’s first official release since signing with Dog Brothers Records, the independent label arm of Unleashed Music. A current Middle Tennessee State University student studying audio engineering, Grosh splits her time between Nashville and her hometown of Atlanta.
The music video for “Freedom” follows as part of an episodic visual rollout beginning later this month. Directed by Ryan Piwarski of The Happy Agency, the video leans into a 1950s-inspired housewife aesthetic, shot in a retro Nashville home and styled with sharp irony.
About Ana Grosh
Ana Grosh is a 21-year-old artist, singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and audio engineer-in-training blending alt-pop, soul pop, neo-soul, R&B, and blues into a modern, genre-fluid sound. Her music has drawn comparisons to Amy Winehouse, Joy Crookes, and Celeste for its emotional honesty and vocal grit. “Freedom” is the first in a series of planned releases with Dog Brothers Records.
Justinus x Cloudkey is a duo creating music in the Experimental, Electronic, and New Age genres, characterized by their rhythms and anthems. Hailing from the town of Birzai, Lithuania, the artist draws inspiration from his hometown farmstead surrounded by forests, below the star-sprangled sky, with their cups of tea or beers, at their music studio.’
Taking listeners on a dynamic voyage through space and time, the artist’s newest releases delve them deep into the depths of life, love, and feelings.
Hailing from Biržai, Lithuania, Justinus x Cloudkey is the creative partnership between producer and musician Alvidas Kavaliauskas and vocalist and lyricist Justinas Simanavičius. Together, they blend live instrumentation with electronic beats to craft their unique, emotive soundscapes.
Portland four‑piece Kallai (sounds like ‘call-eye’) announced The Wave, the first look at the band’s highly anticipated debut LP, We Are Forever, due this fall via Little Cloud Records. Kallai emerged in 2024 with a distinct alt/shoegaze sound, debuting with the single Always/Never in March, followed by the post-punk-infused Palisades, which earned a spot on the Audioasis on KEXP Best of PNW 2024 list.
Their self-titled EP arrived in June to critical praise, including being listed among the Best of 2024 by Shoegazer Alive. The Wave blends shoegaze with alt-rock elements to tell a compelling story of the transformational power of rage. Drawing inspiration from historian Susan Stryker’s paper “My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix,” the song delves into the emotional experience of being treated like a monster by society. Cate Hukle’s ethereal vocals intertwine with towering guitar layers and a driving rhythm section to deliver a narrative of how—by embracing the monster’s rage—the marginalized can bring renewal to society and the self.
The song and forthcoming album show the band delving further into what Gabriel Mazza of Mesmerized describes as a “decisively eclectic artistic formula.” The Wave and We Are Forever were recorded at Revolver Studios by Collin Hegna (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Federale) and by the band at their own Synthetikit Studio. The album promises to exhibit expanded electronic textures, string sections, and emotive piano arrangements along with their shoegaze sound.
New Jersey’s high-energy ska punk trio Joker’s Republic is back with their second full-length album, The Hand You’ve Been Dealt, set for release on October 10th via their new label home, Punkerton Records. Produced by ska-punk icon Roger Lima of Less Than Jake/Rehasher and mixed/mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Eric Taft, the album brings 12 punchy, infectious tracks that explore themes of identity, grief, politics, and mental health—all delivered with the band’s signature humor and unforgettable hooks.
Following the success of their 2023 LP Necessary Evil (released on Ska Punk International), Joker’s Republic toured extensively, hitting the stage at festivals like Punk Rock Saves Lives Fest and Ska Punk International Fest. Now, with The Hand You’ve Been Dealt, they take another bold leap forward, further cementing their place among ska punk’s next generation torchbearers.
“This record is us at full throttle,” the band says. “It’s personal, it’s loud, and it’s ridiculously catchy. Plus, Roger Lima told us it slaps—so there’s that.”
About Joker’s Republic
Known among fans as the “Elected Representatives of the Joker’s Republic,” this New Jersey-based power trio delivers tightly wound ska punk that nods to genre legends while pulling in unexpected influences. Their stripped-down, horn-free format allows for maximum crossover appeal—and fewer band members to keep track of.
With a DIY spirit, razor-sharp lyrics, and a growing fanbase (affectionately dubbed “Citizens of the Joker’s Republic”), the band continues to fly the flag for all things loud, fast, and fun. And while they categorically refuse to acknowledge the existence of “Brass Rock,” they proudly proclaim: “One nation under Ska, and together we will save rock and roll.”
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with Michael Dolan and David T. Palmer of Moon from the UK on the same day that their new debut album titled ‘The Green Lilac Park’ drops.
With a sonic repertoire that includes bands such as Windmill, Moongoose, Yorkie, Lumin Bells, Bird & Rise, Shack, Space, Kelley Stoltz & Trilby, The Balcony, Egypt for Now, & The Dance Party, just to name a few, Moon is a culmination of hip and history that mixes and collides throughout every track within ‘The Green Lilac Park’.
In this interview, we talk with these members of Moon about ‘The Green Lilac Park’, including the writing and recording process, the music held within, as well as their culmination of original style and nostalgic roots, and much, much more.
‘The Green Lilac Park’
‘The Green Lilac Park’ starts with such a sweet culmination of guitar and jangle that I almost forget that I’m listening to something brand new. It has that classic album vibe you get when you grab your favorite copy on vinyl, you know, the one you’ve bought before, but wore out, so here you are at the record store again because you have to have it on vinyl. That’s the vibe and feel I get with ‘The Green Lilac Park’.
Apart from that, this is an album that also feels like a journey. Put it on in the car, press play, and just go. Down the road, up the mountain, and through the woods. It fits and feels with everything and becomes a soundtrack to that moment you thought meant nothing, but is now filled with something you will never forget.
About Moon
Moon emerges from some of the most experienced minds of Liverpool’s historic music scene, bringing forward a new pop sound with a somewhat surreal sensibility. Take this chance to embark on Moon’s stellar journey through The Green Lilac Park. Leading the way is the duo of Michael Dolan and David T. Palmer, with an extensive history of musical collaboration behind them. Michael, known best for Windmill and Bird, heads the band as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He has worked on perfecting the lyrics and songs for over two years, giving the album its otherworldly pop sheen.
Speaking of the album, he says, “What is The Green Lilac Park? It’s an escape route, a sanctuary, a place of quiet reflection and imagined peace, the destination we all long for, whether we know it or not. This album isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a deeply personal journey told through intimate stories, drawn from one life, but resonant with many.”Each track is a window into a moment, a feeling, a memory, a shared human experience that speaks to anyone who listens. The songs begin a conversation with the listener, guiding you into another world for 45 minutes. It’s a world that feels familiar, like a dream you’ve half-forgotten, somewhere you may have already visited, but now seen through different eyes. The music explores themes of loss, hope, spirit, and resilience, tracing the emotional arc of a life: reaching back through our past, grounding us in the present, and casting a hopeful gaze toward the future. The Green Lilac Park is not just a place, it’s a state of mind. It exists within us all: the place we return to in dreams, the quiet space we seek in moments of chaos, the haven we carry deep inside. This album is an invitation to remember that place, and maybe, for a little while, to rest there”.
David, also known as Yorkie, brings the sound together with his signature rich production style, while supplying solid bass guitar and keyboards similar to his work in Windmill and Moongoose, Yorkie is best known as the bassist and producer for indie giants Space, co- writing tracks for their albums “Tin Planet* “Love You More Than Football “ and “Suburban Rock ‘n’ Roll”. He also produced the critically acclaimed last album by Liverpool legends Shack, “…the corner of Miles & Gil” for Noel Gallagher’s Sourmash label.
Assisting the duo’s cosmic sound are Phil Melville and Joshua McCartney (son of Liverpool legend Mike McCartney), providing a powerful finish to the tracks. Phil utilises a broad range of guitar styles, and Joshua gives every song an appropriate punch with drums and percussion. Additional talents make the band’s debut all the more important, most notably trumpet player Andy Diagram, having been involved in such legendary bands as James, Pere Ubu, Spaceheads, and the Diagram Brothers. Upcoming vocalist Emily Casey provides the all-important backing vocals that give tracks a harmonic duality.
Outside of the music, noted author Jeff Young, known for Wild Twin and Ghost Town as well as many theatrical works, provides a poignant literary context for the album in his sleeve notes. With Moon’s expert makeup, The Green Lilac Park is a psychedelic ‘70s Dystopian Science Fiction Film Soundtrack for the modern age.
Natalie Holmes has today premiered her new video for the track titled ‘To Be A Woman’ from her upcoming album, ‘Opposite Day’, dropping October 17th. Take a bit of a dream and mix it with an homage mixed with hope and love, this is what you get with ‘To Be A Woman’. An honor for women everywhere, I can’t help but think of those special women in my life, living and living on, who’ve made me who I am today.
A musical embrace for the heart, the sweetness is not overbearing but focused on those who deserve recognition by delivering a powerful hook and winding melody.
About ‘To Be A Woman’
To Be A Woman is a raw and honest reflection on the beautifully tangled experience of womanhood. It’s laughable how drastically our perception of ourselves—and the world’s perception of us—can shift from day to day. This is not a song about being feminine; it is a song about having to navigate the word ‘woman’ and everything it holds.
The rules are always changing, yet the pressure to follow them remains constant. Natalie honours both the frustration and the quiet, surprising joy within. Lilting, angelic, and swimming in sarcasm, this other-worldly piano ballad is scattered with playful percussion, strings, and harp, as well as interesting harmony and vocals that’ll stir your insides like soup.
Lilting, angelic, and swimming in sarcasm, this other-worldly piano ballad is scattered with playful percussion, strings, and harp, as well as interesting harmony and vocals that’ll stir your insides like soup.
About ‘Opposite Day’
Alt-pop artist Natalie Holmes is set to release her highly anticipated second album, Opposite Day, on October 17th.
Following the success of her debut self-produced album, Vitamin Be (2022), Natalie’s new project takes listeners on a kaleidoscopic journey through the paradoxes of human existence. Like Alice down the rabbit hole, we tumble together through accidental worlds of style and sound that mirror the disorienting beauty of being alive today.
Reaching her arms wide, ’Opposite Day’ involves a team of outrageously talented musicians – Boci, violin; Rob Pemberton, drums & mix; Alex Heane, bass & William J Stokes, co-production – Holmes proudly prepares to release this collection of genre-blurring alt-pop that ping-pongs between introspective ballads and upbeat anthems. With influences ranging from Caroline Polachek & Aurora to The Japanese House & Bon Iver, Opposite Day continues to showcase Natalie’s signature blend of ethereal vocals and thought-provoking lyrics.
Natalie’s musical journey has already seen a sea of milestones. After starting with grainy YouTube videos in 2010, she’s since released several EPs, collaborations, and her debut album, Vitamin Be, which received praise from BBC Radio 2, BBC 6, Clash, and EARMILK. In 2016, she joined Above & Beyond as a lead vocalist on their Acoustic World Tour, performing at legendary venues such as the Hollywood Bowl and the Royal Albert Hall. Her solo material has captured the attention of fans and critics alike, with Tom Robinson on BBC 6 calling her work “fresh, adventurous, and assured.”
“An inspired return from a songwriter we will enjoy watching develop over the coming months and years,” wrote Clash about her debut. And indeed, with Opposite Day on the horizon, Natalie is poised to continue that trajectory, finding new ways to connect with listeners through her rivers of wordplay and arresting reflections on the human condition.
Roots firmly planted in the DIY ethos, Natalie remains determined to grow as a songwriter and artist.
Her work also reaches listeners through platforms like Calm, where her music is featured on the #1 sleep and meditation app.
Following standout shows at VestRock in the Netherlands and Paris’ renowned Supersonic Festival, Bristol’s alt-indie quartet Adult Leisure release their new single ‘The Rules’ today, July 25th 2025, the next single to be taken from their debut album ‘The Things You Don’t Know Yet’, arriving on October 3rd 2025.
The track follows ‘See Her’, May’s collaboration with longtime The 1975 / Sam Fender collaborator John Waugh, and the album’s previous singles ‘Dancing Don’t Feel Right’, ‘Kiss Me Like You Miss Her’ and ‘Borderline’ which saw support from BBC Radio 6’s Indie Forever show, The Line Of Best Fit, Pop Journal, Fresh on the Net and multiple Spotify editorial playlists with ‘Borderline’ being used to open an E4 Made In Chelsea episode, their first national TV sync placement.
‘The Rules’ was recorded and mixed with Ollie Searle at Humm Studios and mastered by John Webber (David Bowie, Duran Duran, Coach Party) and sees guest vocals from Jess Chivers. The song pulls you in from the very first note, expertly mixing rich, vibrant synths, lush guitar lines, driving rhythms, and anguished vocals to deliver the perfect 80’s movie soundtrack, once again showing that this is a band that exists completely outside of time.
On the creation of the single, vocalist and lyricist Neil Scott explains, “Starting life via an ‘Islands in the Stream’-esque voice-note sent in the band WhatsApp from Dave back in December of 2023, our new single ‘The Rules’ is exactly the pop-soaked song Dolly Parton would be losing her mind at. We were listening to lots of Blossoms at the time and wanted to write a song from both sides of a relationship on the verge of breaking down. Fast forward to earlier this year, when we were fortunate enough to work with the talented Jess Chivers, who provided backing vocals on the track. The song and the emotions we wanted to capture were truly brought to life. This is our take on the 70s golden era of pop duets.”
Check out our other features with Adult Leisure HERE.
About Adult Leisure
Formed in 2020, the band released a string of celebrated singles before unveiling their debut critically acclaimed EP ‘The Weekend Ritual’ in December of 2022, streamed over 65,000 times to date and championed by BBC Radio 1, Variance Magazine, The Independent, RTE and more, which soon saw the band embarking on multiple tours of the UK, earning a handful of rave live reviews along the way.
Their second studio EP ‘Present State of Joy and Grief’ was released in November of 2023, supported by BBC Radio 1, Wonderland Magazine, and picked by producer Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, One Direction, Paloma Faith) to be played in Hotel Chocolat stores worldwide.
Since their sold-out debut show in July of 2022, Adult Leisure have gone on to tour the UK four times and have supported the likes of The Family Rain, Afflecks Palace, The Twang, Human Interest, and The Luka State, and have played a variety of UK festivals. September 2024 saw the band head to Europe for the first time to play Sweden’s Live At Heart Festival.
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with the vocalist of The Modbeats, Philip Dunn, as well as their new single ‘Frankie’ dropping today, from their debut LP dropping September 5 via Mayleen Records.
A posh mix of beats past and melodies present, The Modbeats are that beautiful bridge of niche, nostalgia, and nuance all in the guise of four proficient musicians with a singular goal: to make amazing music.
As a band so young, to find that sound and that mix of ‘it’ and ‘now’, The Modbeats are helping to shape the indie scene as much as define where it should be going.
In this interview, we talk with Philip about that and more, as well as their new eponymous album, which comes out this September (pre-save HERE).
Check out our other features with The Modbeats HERE.
‘Frankie’
‘Frankie’ is one of those tracks that start with that ‘you had me at hello’ moment when the band kicks in all at once with that slight Mersey sound meets Ameri-Rock-Ana and retro guitar rock jangly with hooks and relentless with pop-fueled adrenaline. This is music for everyone from a band that relates to anyone.
Frankie Avalon isn’t just an icon; now he’s immortal.
About ‘Frankie’
Written during the waning days of the pandemic, “Frankie” was born from a longing for joy, connection, and escape. “We suspect that those who reside on the coasts will dig the vibe verbatim—hopping in the convertible with your best friends, getting the hell out of the city, and heading to the shore blasting rock ’n’ roll en route to one hell of a party,” the band shares. “Perhaps at said party you meet someone who will change your life? Perhaps you don’t.”
It doesn’t matter… You take your chances. You plead your case.” Produced in Asbury Park, NJ while recording their debut album, “Frankie” was written and composed by Philip Dunn and recorded using his Fender Stratocaster, including on his favorite part of the track: the Chuck Berry–meets–Eddie Van Halen-meets-Beach Boys inspired solo.
“It’s a fun song. A summer song for blasting in the car, hopefully en route to a party with some rockabilly music!” The lyrics paint vivid scenes of moonlit drives, rebellious parties, and rock-fueled romance: “There’s a rockabilly party on a Saturday night / Driving up from Philly beneath the pale moonlight / ’57 Chevy rolling on to the shore / Nights like this are getting rare anymore.” At its heart, “Frankie” is more than a throwback: it’s a reaction. Echoing the spirit of Jim Morrison, they declare: “We’re gonna have our kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.”
About The Modbeats
The Modbeats are a high-voltage four-piece made up of Philip Dunn (vocals, guitar), Scott Matison (bass), Fizz (drums), and Joe Mandia (guitar), breathing new life into classic rock through a bold blend of surf, jangle-pop, blues, rockabilly, and psychedelia. Since forming in 2023, the band has carved out a distinct space in the modern rock scene with their music, which has been featured on WXPN’s Power Pop Extravaganza and received praise from outlets like The Philadelphia Inquirer, Rock at Night, Grimy Goods, and Powerpopaholic.
Their electrifying live shows and unmistakable sonic identity also earned them a coveted spot on Music Connection’s Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists and Bands of 2024.
Following the viral success of Alice — with over 500,000 streams and 600,000 YouTube views — French producer, illustrator, and cult figure MCBAISE aka Mcbess returns with Cold Cuts, the third single from his upcoming album, out later this year via Dirty Melody Records.
A collaboration with Muthi — a psychedelic pop project between Mcbess and artist Matt Christensen — Cold Cuts is a shimmering, sun-drenched jam laced with choppy guitars, punchy bass, and velvety synths. Tinged with ’90s nostalgia and playful surrealism, the track is paired with a brand-new video, directed by MCBAISE himself — his first since 2021’s Water Slide.
“Cold Cuts bottles the electric joy of being in a supermarket in the ’90s, and finally getting your hands on that Sonic & Knuckles Mega Drive cartridge — the one with the slot on top for stacking another game,” says MCBAISE. “It’s a little capsule of elation and excitement, contrasting the jagged saccade of the guitar and bass riff with the shimmering velvet of the synth. Night and day, you could say.”
Cold Cuts follows the summer success of Alice, which launched with a limited-edition collectible toy and a streetwear collaboration with fashion label The Dudes. With hints of Christensen’s upbringing in Africa and the duo’s globe-spanning misadventures, Muthi brings a woozy, off-kilter charm to MCBAISE’s signature aesthetic.
The single offers another glimpse into MCBAISE’s highly anticipated new album — the long-awaited follow-up to 2021’s Tubes — with rumours of live shows in 2025 stirring anticipation among fans.
About MCBAISE
Originating from Cannes, MCBAISE is the musical alias of Matthieu Bessudo, aka mcbess — an acclaimed illustrator, director, and multi-instrumentalist. What began as a lo-fi escape during a boring Christmas holiday has grown into a cult audio-visual world, fusing yacht rock, funk, and psychedelic pop with signature animated videos. Known for tracks like Ugo, Water Slide, and She’s a Big Boy, MCBAISE’s music carries a nostalgic, cinematic lens on home, memory, and escapism.
Supernaughty has today released their new single titled ‘Apocalypso’, from the album of the same name, dropping August 22nd via Ripple Music. This is a total soundtrack to a brutal avalanche. Black Sabbath meets white noise in a fusion of filth and dirty guitars, never knowing what it means to be clean.
While the groove chugs along, the vocals of Angel Fagni soar above like a brutal dictator feigning his masses. This is the angst and adrenaline for the new generation. Beautifully crafted and brutally executed with the purity of poets and the musicality of marines.
About ‘Apocalypso’
A sonic testimony of troubled times, “Apocalypso” marks an earth-rumbling turning point in the Livorno-based foursome’s songcraft: louder, heavier, and more metallic than ever before. The album’s title draws a parallel between the myth of nymph Calypso — who held Odysseus captive for years before setting him free — and recent dark chapters in human history. “In the aftermath of the global health crisis, Apocalypso refers to a shared feeling of confinement and longing for liberation: we all, in a way, became Odysseus in isolation,” says the band.
About Supernaughty
Supernaughty is a powerhouse stoner metal quartet from Livorno, Italy, forged in 2014 by underground scene veterans: Filippo Del Bimbo (lead guitar), Alessio Franceschi (drums), Angelo Fagni (vocals/rhythm guitar), and Luca Raffoni (bass). After years of sharpening their skills in Italy’s indie rock and heavy circuits, the four musicians officially gathered in 2013, cutting their teeth on Sabbath-worship before conjuring their riff-heavy anthems.
Drawing from the desert grooves of Kyuss, the swagger of Orange Goblin, and the dark melodies of Alice in Chains, their music has been hailed as “sleazy blues rock” and “acidic, psychedelic fuzz” with “a groove reminiscent of biker gangs”. Lyrically, they warp sci-fi tales, B-movie madness, and surreal personal narratives through vocalist Angelo Fagni’s warped yet vivid storytelling. Supernaughty is known for their explosive and gritty live shows, having toured extensively across Italy and Europe, sharing the stage with international acts such as Fatso Jetson, High on Fire, Zeke, and Nebula.
After carving their name into the stoner rock underground with the self-released “Welcome to My V” (2015), and acclaimed LPs “Vol. 1” (2018) and “Temple” (2020) via Argonauta Records, Supernaughty is poised for their next chapter—signing with powerhouse label Ripple Music in 2024 for their upcoming third studio album “Apocalypso”. The album artwork was created by renowned Italian illustrator Luca SoloMacello, whose distinctive visuals blending dark surrealism, mythological references, and psychedelic motifs have become iconic within the stoner and doom metal scene. His work on the band’s 2020 album “Temple” was featured among the 100 best album covers of the year in Heavy Music Artwork’s “Masterpieces 2020” book.
Originally written by Chris Cornell, Brad Wilk, Tom Morello, and Tim Commerford, the track has held long-standing significance in Wolfberg’s life. As a teenager, the song symbolized personal liberation. He still remembers racing to Tower Records on release day in 2002, eager to devour Audioslave’s debut. But when Cornell passed away in 2017, the meaning shifted. “The highway no longer meant personal freedom,” Wolfberg reflects. “It meant distance. Departure. Death. The final, irreversible offramp.” Years later, while playing with a new chord progression, he began singing the lyrics again, not in imitation of Cornell, but as himself.
The result is a stripped-down, passionately raw version that honors the original while uncovering a new emotional core. The song concludes with someone walking away, echoing the themes of departure and transcendence. Produced, mixed, and mastered by Dallas Thornton, “I Am The Highway” features delicate acoustic textures, a melancholic guitar solo, and Wolfberg’s resonant voice front and center. The warm, intimate arrangement supports lyrics that have grown with him through teenage yearning, adult reflection, and profound grief. “In singing his words,” Wolfberg says, “I finally found my own”.
About Wolfberg
Wolfberg is a rising alternative artist and singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. With a deep, commanding baritone and a lifelong love of music, Wolfberg has been writing songs since childhood, blending raw emotion with cinematic soundscapes that bridge the worlds of indie, alternative, and adult contemporary.
His music combines intimate, stripped-down verses with sweeping, nostalgic choruses, fusing organic and electronic elements like electric guitars, warm synths, evocative samples, and lush strings. The result is a dynamic sound that feels both deeply personal and sonically expansive.
Wolfberg’s journey into the spotlight began after a life-altering event: he lost everything he owned in the recent Palisades fires. That moment became the spark to finally pursue his passion full-time. A father of two, he channels both heartbreak and hope into his songwriting.
Despite being a new artist, Wolfberg is already gaining serious traction—garnering over 60,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and racking up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
The Cords have today released their new video and single titled ‘Fabulist’ from their upcoming debut eponymous album dropping September 26th via Skep Wax Records (UK/Europe) and Slumberland Records (US).
Indie pop with innocence and a touch of jangly jangle to add to the originality, ‘Fabulist’ shows that pop can be sincere as well as popular. To catch a band at that rare moment between starlust and stardom is a magical moment. You hear all the elements that got them where they will eventually be, yet you hear it in a slightly primordial form. This is The Cords in a nutshell.
About The Cords
The Cords are the brightest new indiepop band from Scotland. Comprising sisters Eva and Grace Tedeschi, they started playing drums when they were little kids. They found that they liked 80s and 90s indie music more than their peers did, and so formed a band, just the two of them, with Grace on drums and Eva on guitar – and the songs started to flow.
With only a cassette and a flexi single released so far (both of which sold out in a matter of hours), Eva and Grace honed their skills by playing a whole series of gigs with some of the biggest names in Scottish pop. Their first show was with The Vaselines, and since then they have played with Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian, BMX Bandits and others, while also sharing stages with the new generation of indiepop stars: the Umbrellas, Chime School, Lightheaded. They are embraced by established stars and adored by their contemporaries.
The Cords were invited to record a session for Riley and Coe on 6 Music on the back of their early releases, and have now recorded their eagerly-awaited debut album, which will be co-released by Skep Wax (in the UK and Europe) and Slumberland Records (in America). Like all great pop bands, The Cords have taken familiar ingredients and created something utterly fresh. Older indie fans will hear echoes of The Shop Assistants, The Primitives, Tiger Trap and Talulah Gosh, but they will hear something else too: a yearning, dreamy melodic power that takes the songs into darker, stranger places.
Younger pop fans won’t care about these old reference points: what they will hear is the sound of two young women doing something utterly exciting: playing loud guitar and loud drums, taking analogue instruments and hitting them hard in the service of immediate and infectious pop tunes, and not giving a second thought about the digital world that wants to own everything we do. The Cords sound free: they remind us that pop music, played right, is expressive, liberating, joyful, and deeply personal.
First single ‘Fabulist’ is a sweet and catchy pop song that races along, so headlong and hooky that, on first listen, you could miss the fact that it’s a wholehearted take-down of people who lie for a living. And the album is a rollercoaster from that point onwards. ‘Just Don’t Know (How To Be You)’ turns the jangle-meter up, quickly giving way to ‘October’, which pushes it higher still. A lot of the songs are short and sweet, but the album is full of surprises. ‘Yes It’s True’ comes in with real swagger, then softens you up with Lush-like vocal harmonies. Closing track ‘When You Said Goodbye’ is a dreamy tearjerker.
The album was produced by Jonny Scott and Simon Liddel, and it respects the band’s stripped-down DIY approach. There is some bass guitar (played by Eva and Grace) and occasionally a keyboard pokes its head above the surface. But these elements are simply doing their job: the real stars of this record are Eva’s sinuous guitar and silky vocals, and Grace’s clattering, expressive sing-song drums. It’s the sound of two sisters having an intense musical conversation with each other, pushing each other on to greater heights, exhilarated by the set of perfect pop songs they have magicked up.
The Cords will be touring in support of the new album, will be making guest appearances at Rough Trade West (London) and Mono (Glasgow), and will record a live session for John Kennedy at Radio X.
Slow Cooked has today released their double-single titled ‘Vest Poets’ and ‘Gammon’. The dream child of Louie Barby, Slow Cooked delves into the wild and wicked world of electronica by infusing their flair and originality with an original brand demanding a listen.
Not carved from the same wood, the two tracks are merged with a reprise that fits them together like musical bookends that fuse the yin and the yang with little effort and even less dissonance. I love it when a band or an artist shows their creative diversity with only a couple of songs. It makes me want to listen to more and research their background.
While ‘Vest Poets’ dives into the deep end with a trance feel and dance beat, ‘Gammon’ goes dark and deep into the feels with an almost obscure sound and underground movement. This is what music should go back to.
About Slow Cooked
Hailing from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, but now well and truly nestled in South London’s creative sprawl, Louie Barby, AKA Slow Cooked, has established himself as a central figure in the city’s music scene. Bringing his unique brand of cello playing to a range of projects, he’s supported artists such as King Krule, Black Country New Road, Nourished by Time, and Katy J Pearson and collaborated with the likes of Goat Girl, heka, and Skydaddy.
Marbling the grit, gristle, and gloom of punk with his background in classical training, new double A-side release ‘Vest Poets / Gammon’ – lands today (22nd July) via Plum Cuts (Rosie Alena). United in their critiques against the sickly sincerity of online personas within self-promotion, together they reveal the broad Slow Cooked musical spectrum, brawny and baleful at one moment, exquisitely tender the next.
Produced by regular Dan Carey collaborator, Adele Phillips – a member of Miss Tiny, and who has worked on records by Grian Chatten, Royal Otis, and Sailor Honeymoon – the tracks were originally written using only a cello and loop pedal, later utilizing glitched samples to create an air of restless energy and experimental fervor.
Discussing more on Vest Poets, Louie says: ‘Surrounded by the sickly sincerity of online life coaches and artists, you boil with hatred and frustration until you realise you’re becoming the very thing you love to hate. A ballad wrapped up within a punk song.’
Offering more on its companion track, ‘Gammon’, he adds: “‘Though the messages are ones you hold dear, confusion and bitterness exclude from you and your skin turns gammon pink in allergy to weaponization of sincerity by online influencers. ’
Releasing his debut EP Plastic Values last April, this past year has seen Louie play at the legendary Crows Nest stage at Glastonbury and tour across the UK and Europe. Winning comprehensive 6Music radio backing from New Music Fix, he has also won the favour of Emily Pilbeam at BBC Introducing, who named his debut single as a ‘Track of the Year’ in 2024.
Curating ‘Cello Sunday’ alongside the legendary booker of the Brixton Windmill, Tim Perry, Louie has also founded his night Hard Drive, blending drag art and live music to highlight the beauty of the London creative scene.
Seattle’s Acapulco Lips’ signature cocktail of psych, surf, and garage rock gets a sparkling refresh on this latest release, with thicker grooves, sharper hooks, and even more attitude. For over a decade, the band has been a staple of the Pacific Northwest underground, blending ’60s girl group charm with blown-out guitar licks and reverb-drenched abandon. Now doesn’t mellow with age. It snarls with intent, while reaching into deeper emotional terrain than ever before.
From the woozy swirl of “Fuzzy Sunshine” to the frantic pulse of “The Flim-Flam,” the album crackles with restless energy and reckless cool. Maria-Elena Herrell’s vocals remain the radiant centerpiece, equal parts haunting and honeyed, while her basslines hold down the chaos with a melodic strut. Guitarist Christopher Garland lets loose in all directions, adding a tanpura drone here, a wild tremolo run there. Jordan T Adams joins on drums and percussion, bringing punch and personality, while Stefan Rubicz’s keys offer occasional glimmers of retro shimmer.
But beneath all the shimmer and fuzz lies a quiet meditation on time — how we lose it, spend it, waste it, and sometimes try to outrun it. “I’d say pretty much every single song on Now goes back to the theme of time,” says Herrell. “There’s an urgency that comes with understanding you can’t get it back, and you don’t know how much you’ll get.” That urgency pulses through tracks like “Everyday,” a frustrated observation of history repeating itself, and “Slowly Disappearing,” a slow-burning elegy for fading places and people. Written in part after seeing photos of the now-abandoned hospital where she was born, the song captures a feeling of slow erosion — of personal and collective memory — with a gentleness that suggests deeper loss. “It can feel like you are disappearing along with them,” she says.
Produced by Killroom co-founders Ben Jenkins and Troy Nelson, Now was recorded at their Georgetown studio, then mastered by Pacific Northwest punk legend Kurt Bloch. That analog warmth oozes from every corner of the album, especially on standouts like “Welcome to the Other Side,” a psychedelic handshake into the band’s glittering world, or “Pas d’échappatoire,” a swaggering, surreal detour into French-laced cool. The band’s devotion to the garage-psych lineage is palpable, but never derivative. This is music made for today, by lifers who know their history and know how to rip it up.
If Acapulco Lips’ past work flirted with nostalgia, ‘Now’ is where they claim the present tense. It’s a record of movement, of circles, of patterns that return whether we want them to or not. These songs don’t just echo the sounds of another era — they dig into what it means to be here now, feeling joy, uncertainty, grief, and hope all at once. For fans of Shannon and the Clams, Thee Oh Sees, Jefferson Airplane, or anyone who thinks rock should be a little messy, a little dreamy, and always loud, Now is exactly the right time.
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