Latest Posts

Burnadine – “Tension”

March 9, 2025

Gotta love when we catch a band debuting with a song like “Tension,” and that’s exactly what we stumbled upon with this buzzing Texas trio. “Tension” feels spring-loaded – whether its the ultra-tight drumming, chock-full of fills; the ready-to-burst guitar angularity; or the superpowered vocal performance, there’s so much energy here from a band that seems so ready to hit the ground running. Be sure to stick around for the phaser-laden guitar solo tucked neatly into the bridge before the band’s final explosion of energy.   Check out “Tension” via YouTube (below), or, add it to your Apple Music or Spotify collections.  

Swansun – “Loving Vincent”

March 9, 2025

Swansun really, really love Vincent – and we think we do too because they inspired this great new song, aptly titled “Loving Vincent.” “Everything’s been so different since I’ve been loving Vincent” is as excellent of a rally cry as we’ve ever heard, bostered by ebullient, garage-y indie rock set off by a squiggling background synth. What’s more, while we’re usually more into doom-and-gloom, this outright expression of love seems ultra-sincere without ever heading into cheese territory – a rarity when penning a love song. You can sense the excitement of a fresh and healthy love simmering inside this South Jersey act’s music – fans of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! or if The Strokes and The Shins started a side project will be super stoked on this.   Check out “Loving Vincent” via YouTube below, or, add it to your most twee Spotify playlist.  

Snoozer – “That’s All I Know”

March 9, 2025

This isn’t our first run in with the Kelly bros (aka, PA-based Mike and Tom Kelly) and their project Snoozer. We’re delighted to share their next offering, the trippy lo-fi alt pop of “That’s All I Know.” With bonkers, warped vocals; interesting and captivating production choices; and the recurring motif of “that’s all I know” hammering into your ears, this one could have fit perfectly into that weird Fatboy Slim/Primitive Radio Gods era of ’90s eccentricity – but it also sounds fresh, fun, and ready to take over 2025. Plus – my day job is at General Mills here in Buffalo and they mentioned putting their milk in their Cheerios, so this was an auto-include in our blogosphere. Cereal-related jokes aside, this is a one-of-a-kind offering from a really interesting band, and we think you’re going to agree.   Follow the link below to peep this Snoozer song on YouTube,[...]

Adetola – “OHKAYE”

March 7, 2025

Rising Nigerian-American rapper Adetola drips coolness on her Phonk-infused new single “OHKAYE.” Adetola taps into the Indie Sleaze resurgence with “Bop It” samples, a big phonky bottom half and immediately quotable lyrics. On “OHKAYE” the LA-based artist is bored of her potential hookups, demonstrating her uninspired demeanor on the the “Okayyyyyyyy” hook. Her star’s been on the rise since 2022’s 227 EP, and “OHKAYE” follows some other buzzy singles “WWZ” and “FLASHING.” Her vibe will fit in well alongside Charli XCX tracks and the older Azalea Banks hits. Come for the hook, stay for the Bop It sample. Check out the latest from Adetola on Spotify and listen to more exciting new artists on our Emerging Hip Hop playlist.

Jorge. – “Dumpling”

March 7, 2025

U.K. rapper Jorge. blends a soulful rapping delivery with delicate R+B instrumentals and affections for his latest track “Dumpling.” Spinning the narrative of a young kid trying to feel out a more experienced woman, “Dumpling” shows off Jorge’s innate storytelling abilities. Jorge’s vocals are sometimes strained, at other times powerfully backed by more punctuated voices. It’s a great fusion of traditional hip hop storytelling and an R+B/rap fusion – ripe for additions to your more chill, lovey playlists alongside acts like Anderson.Paak, Miguel and Jhené Aiko. Check out more from Jorge. on Spotify and tune into him and other exciting new artists on our Emerging Hip Hop playlist. 

Kylie Rothfield – “Temporary”

March 6, 2025

Imagine receiving accolades from Faith Hill AND Alicia Keys. Unless your name is Kylie Rothfield and you’re reading this (if so, hi!), then… Our guess is you probably haven’t. “Temporary” is her latest track and it’s a well crafted pop song about a relationship that doesn’t seem to have much staying power (ouch). How did I come to this conclusion? Exhibit A: “You can’t afford to take me out/get high so we can mess around/you’ll probably still let me down” (double ouch).   Rothfield’s vocals do most of the heavy lifting but are accompanied by clean guitars that sound so pleasant and dreamy. The juxtaposition with the subject matter adds a lot, but I hope no one ever sings about me like that. Though I suppose I wouldn’t mind if it sounded as good as this track.   You can hear  “Temporary” below from Soundcloud or over on Spotify. Send[...]

Rasha Jay – “SAY”

March 6, 2025

Cards on the table, when I get these songs sent to me I would say that the majority of the time I’ve never heard of the artist. My “liked” list has grown exponentially and it seems as though that has happened again with Rasha Jay‘s track “SAY.” She comes out swinging (vocally) and never really lets up with her impressive pipes. With more vocal-forward offerings, sometimes the instrumentals can go by the wayside, but that is positively not the case here; there’s a nice guitar (or synth, difficult to tell) that repeats throughout alongside a bass that has the *perfect* tone.   A self described “wild child” haling from small town Maryland, her musical style is all over the place – from this rockier/bluesy track to something a little more soulful, as well as R&B (but always LOUD). Indie rock fans looking to branch out a bit but still stay[...]

Avery Friedman – “Photo Booth”

March 6, 2025

“Photo Booth” is the latest from New York, NY musician Avery Friedman. It has a phuzzy beginning that comes back around for a couple passes, while keeping a playful, upbeat tone. There’s a smidgen of keys that combine with Friedman’s vocals for a wholly satisfying track start to finish. It has an almost bedroom-pop vibe that I can get on board with, as would anyone who enjoys Phoebe Bridgers or Adrianne Lenker’s catalogues. Speaking to the track, Avery Friedman had this to say:   “I wrote this song after a vibrant night out with my friends last winter – a night memorialized by many chaotic photo booth strips… This night out in particular felt like an encapsulation of spin-the-bottle-type ‘second adolescence’ that many queer people experience when coming into themselves after their adolescent years pass.”   You can hear it below from SoundCloud, as well as Spotify if that’s more[...]

ZENtheRapper – “Copernicus”

March 4, 2025

Mystical and ever-conscious ZENtheRapper keeps it true to his name on his latest single “Copernicus.” The track draws its name from the early astronomer that identified the sun as the center of the solar system, rather than the Earth. You may have known this – I needed a refresher. Anyhow – ZEN incorporates Copernicus’ learnings into his bars, discussing his place in the big picture. “Copernicus” features classic boom bap drums and a tasty piano lick – a solid foundation for ZEN to melt your brain on. ZEN’s flow might be in the shadow of his transcendental subject matter, but the frenetic pace and energy with which he delivers his Googleable lyrics should also be highlighted. Give the track a listen below, and check out ZEN on our Underground Hip Hop playlist.

Soot Sprite – All My Friends Are Depressed

March 4, 2025

Music can and has been used for a multitude of reasons since we started keeping track, and probably before that too (so I’m told); good, bad, ugly, funny, sad, noble, and a zillion other words to pad my word count. Calling attention to the mental health crisis falls into the “noble” category, which English band Soot Sprite does with their latest single “All My Friends Are Depressed.”   You can’t deny the buildup and fervor Elise Cook et al bring to the track, especially in the first minute. Guitars and bass feature heavily while Cook’s vocals bring some stability to the chaos. Indie shoegaze comes in many shapes and flavors, but fans of acts like Wolf Alice and Alvvays would find a lot to enjoy here.   You can hear “All My Friends Are Depressed” below from Soundcloud. I would also recommend the music video on YouTube if you’re into[...]

Dumb 100 – All of the Money (Just Like You) / Patience

March 3, 2025

Do we ever stop covering Jacob Smolinski’s musical endeavors (see here, here, and even here)?! The answer is no, because he’s back with another adventure, this time with collaborator Alex Behrens (who we’ve ALSO covered – here), for a project they have dubbed Dumb 100. This two-song mini EP is stuffed with intriguing sounds, beautiful harmonies, and impressive production work, rooted down by a jangly guitar-based backbone.   “All of the Money (Just Like You)” is a stunning intro – a waltz that mashes squiggly synths into electric and acoustic guitar work. Despite the song’s genuine beauty, Behrens and Smolinski don’t shy away from unique sounds – the hum of electric guitar feedback peeks through during the slow acoustic-guitar bridge, while borderline-discordant plunks of guitars smash through the mix like a gigantic 8-bit, bitcrushed bell. Puffs of electronic drums power the acoustic jangle of follow-up song, “Patience,” a song that[...]

Softer – “Beachball”

March 1, 2025

Self-described “melancholic dreamo band from LA” Softer brings us several things: their latest single “Beachball” and questions I didn’t know I’d have to answer… What is “dreamo?” What is LA? Who am I? 1. It’s a dream pop/emo/shoegaze combo. 2. It’s Los Angeles or Louisiana (probably the former). 3. I don’t know.   Layers of guitar echo and sizzle with the upbeat tempo vocals, panting a dandy of a picture that could happen in either Los Angeles or Louisiana, as I’m pretty sure beachball happens in both places. I was initially confused because the 2025 single shares a name of a track off the band’s 2023 album Lo-Fi Bedroom Favorites. This sounds like a redux or reimaging? Similar but different. Check ’em both out and see which one you like more! After that, check out this previous writeup about a Softer song we dug from late last year.   You[...]

Karter AKA – “Waterclock Eyes”

March 1, 2025

I think we all have a huge chance to do something huge here. As per the blurb/intro on the Spotify page of Karter AKA:   “i am being held against my will in a secret chamber beneath the LA River and the only way to get me out is to listen to my songs thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of times.”   “Waterclock Eyes” is the latest track released in furtherance of this goal.   With a background as a fish biologist, his two professions have some crossover. Title of the track? “Waterclock Eyes.” The upcoming album? PRETTY FOSSILS. Other track? “Friend of the River.” You get the idea. “Waterclock Eyes” is a scrumptiously-strummed folksy tinged track that worms its way into your ear and doesn’t go away. Kind of like a sandier Kurt Vile, I suppose? (I still have “Pretty Pimpin” stuck in my head from 2015).   Speaking[...]

TAL THE1 ft. Brother Ali, Freeway, Stalley & Dee-1 – “Criminal”

February 28, 2025

NYC rapper TAL THE1 recruits some of the finest rhymers of the century for his latest single, “Criminal.” “Criminal” breathes life into its title. Each artist spins stories of society’s ability to put labels on different races and demographics, and speaks to their own experiences. TAL’s vocals are heavenly, Ali’s poetic, Dee’s authentic, Freeway’s prophetic, and Stalley’s impassioned. It’s a great day to be a hip hop head hearing these dudes with their distinct styles and sounds come together with a vision in mind for the track. We’re at the part of the blog where I’d usually recommend similar artists, but you probably know them. Take a listen and check out their recent work to get caught up. Take a deep dive into TAL’s Spotify profile and while you’re there toss some Ali, Freeway, Stalley and Dee-1 into the queue.

Cadence Weapon + Dan Only – “Ungirthed” (Purity Ring Cover)

February 28, 2025

Electro-rap stalwart Cadence Weapon kicks off 2025 with another electrifying single, covering Purity Ring‘s “Ungirthed.” An internet fave since the mid 2000s, Cadence burst onto the scene with Breaking Kayfabe and has been making notable music since then – even turning out 2 LPs in 2024. “Ungirthed” showcases Cadence’s lyrical prowess and his ear for electronica, creating a single that feels equally at home with his early work of the late 2000s and in 2025. And probably in 2035. Joining Cadence on the track is noted Torontonian producer Dan Only. Only rebuilds “Ungirthed” with glitchiness and catchy blips, and will challenge your equilibrium with the panning in its bottom half. Fit this song into your rap and electronic playlists. Check out “Ungirthed” on Spotify and catch more from Cadence and Dan on their profiles.