New Music

Nik Dandelion – “GLOW”

September 18, 2026

Berlin-based producer/songwriter Nik Dandelion exists at the chillest of intersections – the crossroads between indie rock, lo-fi bedroom pop, and hip-hop inspired grooves. “GLOW” is a wonderful example of this amalgamation – christened as the “pop heart” of Dandelion’s new EP, “GLOW” captures one of those profound early-adulthood moments where you’re crushing on someone HARD, even though you know (even if it’s in hindsight) that the moment is fleeting. Expect buoyant guitars, wood-blocky percussion, and good vibes all around.   “GLOW” is available everywhere – try Spotify or Apple Music.    

Grady Ramsey ft. Avo Droc – “green”

September 17, 2026

We’re hopping west on the 90 for this new track from rising Northeast Ohio rapper Grady Ramsey. It’s a silky-smooth, timeless hip-hop track with a twinkly piano and enough bang to get your head bobbing. Featured artist Avo Droc actually opens up the track, offering a melodic approach to his verse that is countered by a gruffer delivery from Grady. Each artist boasts clever, approachable wordplay with plenty of memorable lines. I particularly dig when Grady says he doesn’t like good girls or bad girls, but girls in the middle. The claims aren’t bombastic but they have the right amount of swagger and are held down by a beat that you can play on its own. “Green” serves as the second single from Grady’s freshly released EP, GRANDSLAM. Peep the DIY artwork. If you’re feeling “green,” check out more from Grady on Spotify. While you’re there, give our Best Underground[...]

maxime. – “fear of missing out”

September 13, 2026

maxime. feels like an artist who is always reinventing themselves (see here and here and here). “fear of missing out” is another eclectic jam from the Montreal solo-act, this time, combining a laid-back groove and tasty melodies into a polished, slacker-pop gem. Taking notes from Porches and Oliver Tree, “fear of missing out” gives off “I barely care” vibes while still sounding like a masterpiece. Good stuff.   “fear of missing out” is on both Spotify and Apple Music.    

Bizou – “Deep REM”

September 13, 2026

Bizou is a verified supergroup – but they rely more on chemistry than pedigree. “Deep REM” is a perfect showcase of that – a shimmery blast of post-punk that swells with synthwave energies. Sludgy bass guitar work provides a dark night-sky backbone for the rest of the song to sparkle across. They’ve been described as “Industrial Enya” (which we kind of fuck with, tbh), but fans of CHVRCHES, Purity Ring, and The XX should consider slotting this into their gothier playlists.   “Deep REM” is available on bandcamp – it’s also on Spotify. Check out absolutely everything they have to offer here.   Deep REM by Bizou

airhockey – “nice day”

September 13, 2026

airhockey urges you to have a nice day on new single, “nice day.” For those of us that prefer to be negative because nothing good ever happens and life is meaningless – that can be a tough message to receive. But hey – for us musicians, we’ve always got our drum machines, our DAWs, and our fancy guitars. airhockey utilizes all three to create the lo-fi goodness of “nice day,” and it’s a nice reminder that next time you feel like sitting around and doom scrolling, you could probably just dust off your instrument of choice and make a cool little song instead. Fans of CASTLEBEAT, The Cure, and Molchat Doma should check this one out.   We’ve embedded “nice day” via Soundcloud below, but it can also be found on Spotify and Apple Music.   airhockey · nice day

Run Along – “Serves You Right”

September 13, 2026

Run Along is a mysterious band – “Serves You Right” appears to be the their one-and-only song. But if this is in fact their debut, it’s one hell of an intro. The band bridges the gap between 2005 emo and modern day pop punk, offering passionate vocals, loud guitars, and a blood-pumping tempo. Sure, they aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but good songwriting is good songwriting, and if this is evidence of what Run Along have in store, we’re along for the ride.   “Serves You Right” can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.    

Sweatbeads – “STAY AWAKE”

September 13, 2026

Who is Sweatbeads? We don’t know. We’re not even sure that Sweatbeads knows. He doesn’t even know if he’s ready to perform – “Here we go – are you ready for my song? Am I ready for my song? Let’s find out.”   We hope we eventually learn who Sweatbeads is because “Stay Awake” is an absolute banger of a song. Chime-y guitars, do-do-do singalongs, and sticky earworm melodies are aplenty here… The songwriting is just absolutely rock solid. This sure to appeal to fans of The Strokes, especially, you know, before the autotune.   You know the drill – “STAY AWAKE” is on YouTube and Spotify.    

Strange Pink – “Gone Already”

September 13, 2026

Strange Pink somehow turned a bleak waltz into a blown out indie-rock banger on latest song, “Gone Already.” The three-piece makes an incredible amount of noise (as all good power trios do), and the track’s transformation into blown-out guitar goodness is fascinating to us. With how much overt energy they’ve stuffed into “Gone Already,” it’s hard to imagine this in its other form – instead, we get a near-shoegaze squall of guitar-driven noise. Noice.   You can find the video for “Gone Already” on YouTube below. It’s also on Spotify.    

Abitight ft. CasaGrown – “To and Fro”

September 11, 2026

Chicago rapper Abitight’s got an ear for the essential elements of timeless hip hop tracks. His latest single, “To and Fro,” gets to crossing them off right out the rip. Within the opening 30 seconds, we get a skit, scratches, a horn drop and some breakbeat drums. The vocals are delivered sing-song and lighthearted, as we hear about missed connections and keeping it moving. All together, we get some storytelling to compliment those quintessential hip hop sounds. Abitight’s an alumnus of Chicago hip hop band Abstract Giants, but now focused on his boom bap output with city conglomerate Greenlights Music. This track is one of several highlights from Abitight’s August project, Samples from the Menu.  If you’re feeling “To and Fro,” you should check out more from Abitight and his collaborators on Spotify. While you’re there, check out our Best Underground Hip Hop of 2026 Playlist and find other tracks[...]

Awake & Dreaming – Inevitable

September 11, 2026

buffaBLOG warmly welcomes Awake & Dreaming, an awesome Canadian alt-rock quartet, to our reviewal archives. The band recently recorded their debut album, Inevitable. In this album, Awake & Dreaming (Instagram account here) successfully position themselves as a standout act who brandish massive mixes formulated with slick technicality and intense catharsis.   After the album opener, Inevitable leads us to “Rewire,” the second scheduled single. In “Rewire,” the melodic portion of the band allows the percussion to go wild at times. Overall, this tune is pretty funky and understatedly cool. The song halts into questionable bliss while the singer intonates, “Give me something to get me through…” referring to the idea that our numbing world is difficult to cope with alone.   Inevitable offers jazzy, syncopated drums, mumbling, bubbling bass guitar, and bright, trembling synthesizer before we reach the first single, “Underwater.” The band describes this song as a “… 2[...]

rapper yung king colo promotes new "pop out" single

Yung.King.Cole – “Pop Out”

September 9, 2026

Rapper Terrel Tarantino – aka “Yung.King.Cole” knows the power of a strong hook. The NYC emcee boasts Upstate NY roots and leans hard into the highlight of his new track. On his latest single, “Pop Out,” Cole relentlessly blazes forward with his earworm hook across a whirlwind 2 minutes. His lines are a tour de force, as they power through the typical breaks and find a new endpoint within the production. And when you crave it, the hook hits again. His flow is an idiosyncratic style that sorta meshes with what we’ve heard over in Detroit recently. Production here is percussive-heavy and plays a complementary role to Cole’s frenetic style. If you’re interested in hearing more from Cole, make sure you check out his output on Spotify. While you’re there, give our Best Underground Hip Hop of 2026 playlist a spin – you’re sure to find some fresh artists for[...]

The Fourth Wall – “Future Memory”

September 9, 2026

The Fourth Wall reside in Portland, Oregon, and make a delightful blend of shoegaze, pop, and indie rock. “Future Memory” is a great place to start – sounding like a mix between Death Cab for Cutie, Local Natives, and your favorite late-90s one-hit-wonder, “Memory” is both epic and unassuming. Carried by stabs of piano and a bravely anthemic drum presence, this one sounds like what it must look like to watch the birth of a star… From a safe distance, of course.   Check out the video for “Future Memory” below.    

Jayson Andrew – “Deadman”

September 9, 2026

Jayson Andrew is an up and coming singer/songwriter from Orlando, Florida whose “Deadman” caught our ears. His particular brand of indie folk is upbeat and literate with an almost European mouthfeel. It’s low key and very, very listenable – Earthy and vulnerable, his delivery is both inviting and disarming, breaking down your barriers and inviting himself in.   Check out “Deadman” on Spotify or Apple Music.    

24k Jonni – “Nyjah Hu$ton”

September 6, 2026

Sometimes you see a song title and immediately want to press play. Nyjah Hu$ton, if you’ve been out of the game since Skate 2, is one of the top dawgs in the world of skating, street skating specifically. His influential style on and off the board makes him a welcome addition to the “got a hip hop song named after them” athlete ranks. Move over Mo Bamba. The artist behind the cut, 24k Jonni, is set to build off “Nyjah,” and his other single from this year, “Vices.” “Nyjah” boasts a jazzy hip-hop instrumental, skate-laced imagery, and a no-bullshit delivery. It’s only his second single, but it’s a tone-setter that should get you excited about 24k’s future output. Check out more from 24k Jonni on Spotify – and while you’re there, check out our Best Hip Hop of 2026 Playlist. 

Sky Kistler – “you make me feel alive”

September 6, 2026

Sometimes you just gotta reinvent yourself – which is exactly what Sky Kistler is doing on latest offering “you make me feel alive.” Dropping the anon ZSHELL moniker to evolve into “hyperpop nonsense” is a bold move, but with songs like “you make me feel alive,” we think Sky is going to be just fine. Pulsing 8-bit bass drums assault your eardrums while Sky’s voice glitches out uncontrollably. This one hits hard and would have us uncontrollably grinding our teeth on our pacifiers if it was still 2002 and we had any interest in going to a rave.   “you make me feel alive” is on Soundcloud (below) and Spotify.   Sky Kistler / ZSHELL · you make me feel alive