New Music

The Sways – “Feels Like Deja Vu”

September 20, 2025

Sometimes you need a woozy indie rocker as a nightcap – may we direct your attention to newly-minted act The Sways on their latest single, “Feels Like Deja Vu.” Feelings of nostalgia swirl rapidly – maybe it’s the subtle warbles in the ambiance, or maybe it’s the stunning harmonies. Why not both? Either way, this one was crafted specifically for vibing out – hop in the hot tub on a chilly autumn night and put on this EP.   “Feels Like Deja Vu” is available now via Soundcloud (embedded below), or Spotify and Apple Music.   The Sways · Feels Like Deja Vu

Oliver Munch – “Ciggy Water”

September 18, 2025

Glitches, bloops and off-kilter rhythms form the contents of Aussie producer Oliver Munch’s latest track “Ciggy Water.” I’m not saying that sounds appetizing, but it might quench your thirst. Munch channels these abstract sounds into a track that feels casual and profound. Did I just have the best night of my life, or was it just another night with my friends? Maybe those are the same things. I accidentally just ashed my cigarette into your drink – that’s my bad. Add “Ciggy Water” to your instrumental playlists and decide for yourself what night it’s the soundtrack to. If you’re into Munch’s output, give him a listen on Spotify. For more exciting new artists, check out our Underground and Emerging Hip Hop playlist and find your next favorite track.

Whit. – “potion”

September 18, 2025

St. Louis rapper Whit. is a fan of the double entendre. Firstly, his artist name of course hints at the depth of his lyricism. But the wordplay doesn’t stop with his latest single, “potion,” which features an assist from the baritone vocals of Khiro Kano. The highlight of this track is the infectious chorus, where Whit. bounces on syllables with a rhythm that gets your head noddin.’ Trash can drums create an old school DIY feel on production, matching the stream of conscious delivery steaming from Whit.’s microphone. If you’re into Whit.’s latest, check out his SoundCloud account. He’s also on Spotify, where you can also find him featured on our Underground and Emerging Hip Hop playlist, updated weekly if not daily. whit. · potion w/ Khiro Kano

CATBEAR – “Darkness”

September 17, 2025

“Darkness” is the latest single from Catbear; a duo based out of London who are very much here to show you how to embrace the gloom. They previously asked us “Who Cares?” back in May (here) and we had nothing but good feels there (we DO care, duh). The synth is the star here, occasionally playing second fiddle to the hauntingly beautiful vocals from Zoe Konez. Appropriately, the band describes the track as “The Cure scoring the film Drive” and I agree with that 110%.   The Soundcloud embed for “Darkness” can be found below, as well as over on Spotify. This is a surefire addition to your fall playlist and one you should honestly keep the rest of the year too. For whatever reason, spoopy time equals post-punk music and you know what? That’s just fine.   CATBEAR · Darkness

Dead Movie Animals – “Dead Movie Animals”

September 17, 2025

I’m not sure when I first started thinking about how “oh, that animal from *whatever movie* (Homeward Bound, rip Shadow) is definitely dead now” but I blame the internet and 30+ years of undiagnosed ADHD. Dead Movie Animals, in a rare play, have released a self titled track. A duo based out of Mysen, Norway, DMA leans heavily into the post punk vibe and, even with a small sample size, assuredly seems to be sticking around. I was instantly wowed by the extensive guitar play and incredible sound output, reminding me a lot of bands like Billy Talent or Death From Above 1979. If your ears aren’t melted by the end of this track, you were listening to the wrong audio.   You can hear “Dead Movie Animals” below from Spotify. They seem to have an active social media and linktree, but Spotify has the most up to date tracks.[...]

Austin Martin – “WOLF OF BACKSTREETS”

September 16, 2025

“A new den every week – you know the wolf’s gotta eat.” The leader of the “cowboy beats” pack, Montana singer/rapper/cowpoke Austin Martin‘s got an ear for beats that make you wanna tip your hat, and a refined songwriting pen that makes his singles feel more expertly crafted with each listen. His latest effort, “WOLF OF BACKSTREETS”  lays down line after line of wordplay, barely ever steering away from the song’s subject. You’ll be bought in fully to the wolf lines by the time the chorus hits a second time, curious where else he can take it. Martin and co. leverage an “mmm” vocal sample and picky guitar to add some warm twang to the track, and couple it with trap drums to really ramp up the bang. Bump this one while the summer’s still hanging on. If you like how the howl sounds, give more of Austin a listen[...]

SIKADE – “body of water”

September 16, 2025

SIKADE is a solo project from Norway native Linnea Vestre, and “body of water” is their latest. This is a poppy, shoegaze-forward track that does a fantastic job being apart of a bigger whole while standing on its own. You’ll easily be drawn into the nifty guitar riff that goes right into a nautical mouthfeel with Vestre’s vocals leading the way. Somewhere betwixt folk and shoegaze, this is sure to pique you and your friend Ron’s interests (Ron loves indie folk almost as much as his firstborn).   You can hear “body of water” below from SIKADE’s bandcamp, as well as Spotify and Apple Music. The rest of the three track single is also worth your time. “seaglass” and “bloody moon” really completed the entirety the body of water experience for me. It felt like slowly slipping deeper and deeper and really hit on all cylinders (from top to bottom,[...]

bülow – “Goldmine”

September 13, 2025

*NEW BREAKUP ANTHEM INCOMING*   We’ve all been there – if you’ve been struggling to find the words to tell off your good-for-nothing ex, just give bülow’s new tune “Goldmine” a listen. There’s plenty of “fuck yous” to go around on top of the impeccably-produced dark indie pop here. Whether it’s your ex’s infectious smile or for just setting the bar too high, you’ll be spring-loaded for your next rant.   Side note – lyrically, bülow explains how tough it is to be in your feels on Christmas day which also happens to be your birthday! Those kinds of super-specific details help to give “Goldmine” that ultra-sincere quality that really helps it hit home as hard as possible.   “Goldmine” is available via YouTube (below).  

The Altered Hours – “Turn Away”

September 13, 2025

The Altered Hours made so much friggin’ noise on their new single, “Turn Away,” that we heard them all the way across the pond. Falling somewhere between accessible alt rock and ear-shredding shoegaze, “Turn Away” is a bona fide maelstrom of energy, featuring a chest-rattling drum onslaught, walls of guitar noise, and call-and-response male/female vocals. The Cork-based crew has been kicking around since 2010, so their tried-and-true songwriting is finely nuanced now – fans of Pity Sex, Slowdive, and Yuck are going to eat this up.   Head to the forbidden YouTube link embedded below, or, find “Turn Away” on Spotify.  

Altai – “Brawl”

September 13, 2025

Altai aims for hard-hitting (and succeeds) on latest indie-pop track, “Brawl.” Beneath the Alvvays-esque gauzy synths and swimmy guitars, Altai takes aim at the destructive patterns of what it means to be “macho” in today’s society. Driven by a constant drumbeat and Altai mastermind Tessa Collins’ dreamy vocals, this paints an interesting juxtaposition. Here’s a little more from her:   “I wanted to explore the complexities of masculinity and how society’s expectations of men can lead them down destructive paths… This is to illustrate the patriarchal pressures to suppress vulnerability leading to a vicious cycle of bad behaviour and poor life choices.”   “Brawl” is on Soundcloud (below) and Spotify.   Broken Palace · Altai – Brawl

Dalmatic – “Empty Lights”

September 12, 2025

“Empty Lights” is the latest single from Glasgow based Dalmatic. Toeing the line somewhere between punk and indie with shoegaze sensibilities, there is a lot to unpack from this track. This is through and through a guitarist’s guitar track with several layers of that delightful phuzz that would pique the interest in anyone who enjoys non-stop sound. Don’t take that to mean you can’t hear anything through all of that though; not a single note or strum is wasted and I’m willing to bet bottom dollar at least one of them is classically trained.   You can hear “Empty Lights” on Deezer, as well as Spotify and Apple Music. The rest of the single is worth a listen to, with “Coming Down (Demo)” and “Not All The Time” rounding things out.  

Animal, Surrender! – “Misswanderer”

September 10, 2025

Truly embracing the mystique of the season, duo Animal, Surrender! shares their latest single “Misswanderer.” Discordant chords clash beautifully on a (real) organ along with bassist Peter Kerlin’s 8-string (electric) bass (I didn’t even know they came with 8 strings). The lyrics are those that you feel in your soul as you listen (or not, if you have no internal monologue), and, frankly I think a testament to the band. Here’s an even more cryptic snippet from Kerlin:   “This song is an ode to folks who against their better judgment follow an idea, impulse, obsession, or compulsion off the trail and deep into the bush, finding themselves lost, in a state they were their whole life warned against; a personal hell or a place of wonder and openness.”   A refutation on “waaaahhhh you need lyrics in a song;” you’ll be drawn in deep to Animal, Surrender! and I’m[...]

Django Duyns – “TBV”

September 10, 2025

We haven’t checked in with Amsterdam’s Django Duyns since “Leather Skin” from mid March, but his latest, “TBV,” seems like the perfect time to do so. He manages to bring the darker feels with the deep bass tones and almost mockingly-tuned guitars, but brings a bit of light with some vibraphone… vibes (I’m pretty sure that’s what you call notes from a vibraphone)? The track itself is a masterclass in the buildup to a nice payoff musically, while grappling with the oh-so-fun subject of imposter syndrome and overcoming self doubt. See? Post punk isn’t all gloom and doom!   You can hear “TBV” below on YouTube and add to your autumnal post punk playlist on Spotify. You can also find it over on Deezer, a French streaming service that offers FLAC (still waiting on that lossless audio OTHER STREAMING SERVICE).  

King Royal ft. AZ Chike- “How Deep”

September 8, 2025

Inland Empire native King Royal has a bit of a menace in the delivery of his introduction to his latest single, “How Deep.” There’s no doubt that Royal is the adult in the room when he snarls “This a grown man game” to kick off the winding single, but I’m not sure if he’s got his audience’s best intentions. Warped piano keys meet Royal’s barks, and a booming bass grounds you in the streets he’s reporting from. “It’s a 19 like Raja Bell.” AZ chimes in for the second verse, comfortable conducting business in the chaos of the beat. “How Deep’s” also got a highly memorable call and response beat that take this track over the top. Add this to your driving playlists while the weather permits. If you’re into Royal and AZ Chike’s collaboration, head over to Spotify and give them a follow. While you’re there, check out our[...]

Kibby – “on my self”

September 6, 2025

Columbus up-and-comer Kibby only needs 1:25 to make an impressive first impression with his newest single, “on my self.” Bass knocks right away while Kibby drops venom-laced lyrics, sounding like a Midwest Denzel Curry. The title of the track comes from his self-confidence in acquiring all these damn riches. Big bank take lil bank, better rich than sorry, shit like that. Kibby’s crafted a swagger-filled single that’ll fit in right alongside your other hype rap tracks. The production pairs a booming bottom half with some delightful sprinkles of soulful vocals. Check out more from Kibby on Spotify, and while you’re there give our Emerging Hip Hop playlist a spin.