Each Friday, Atwood Journal’s employees share what they’ve been listening to that week – a music, an album, an artist – no matter’s been having an influence on them, within the second.
This week’s weekly roundup options music by Ray and Paul Holmberg, Evan Honer, Leah Nawy, Ren Martinez, The Stamps, MOSAICS, Adrian Lyles, Levi Robin, Cinema Stereo, Tara Nome Doyle, Zoé Basha, The Shifting Stills, August Royals, Sone, SPACE&AGES, Roman Alexander, Virgins, Staci Gruber, Peaceable Faces, San Jose, Glenna Jane, The Pedals, Candice Hoyes, Jefferson Pitcher, & Blue Monkey!
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observe WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify 
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:: “Scars” – Ray and Paul Holmberg ::
by Anthony Kozlowski, Los Angeles
The newest single from Bay Space sibling duo Ray and Paul Holmberg unfolds like a weathered postcard, frayed on the edges however scribbled throughout with nostalgia. Layered guitars weave a delicate however insistent melody that looks like tracing previous scars – generally painful, generally proud – carrying the load of classes discovered and the hope of shifting ahead. It’s music that honors each the shadows and the sunshine, the solar sinking into the ocean solely to rise once more from the chilly and the darkish. Beneath the surf and storage rock haze, Ray and Paul wrap the listener in an intimate embrace. A gradual tempo simmers with vulnerability, whereas textured guitar layers and earnest vocals paint a portrait of attempting to maneuver ahead when the guts nonetheless trembles from loss. It’s a sonic journey the place every word looks like a rigorously positioned sew in a tapestry, giving life to the generally harsh strategy of letting go with out shedding oneself.
The story behind “Scars” stretches again years to an unfinished piece that lastly discovered life by way of the hand of producer Jarvis Taveniere, whose contact brings out the music’s textured heat and emotional depth. Ray penned the lyrics throughout his freshman 12 months of school as a mirrored image on the depth of younger relationships and easy methods to decide up the items as soon as they shatter.
As a lot because the wistfulness drips closely from the music, it continues the brothers’ penchant for crafting music that’s as simple to hearken to as it’s to be consumed by. Similar to the picture on that fading postcard, it may well convey us again to brighter days even when its floor is riddled with scars.
by Julius Robinson, California
Younger love is hard to recover from. There’s a lot emotion put into it, and that may be exhausting to maneuver previous. Indie rock duo Ray and Paul look at the lasting results of younger love and the load of that have with “Scars.” The serene, melancholic piece comes collectively superbly with glistening guitars and heat, passionate vocals. Ray wrote the lyrics throughout his freshman 12 months of school, and it’s a observe we will all hook up with.
Brothers Ray and Paul, hailing from the San Francisco Bay Space, began their band collectively on the ages of 17 and 13. Relocating to Santa Barbara for faculty introduced a surge of surf and storage rock power into their music, giving them the proper atmosphere to hone their sound. They constructed their chops taking part in gigs all through Isla Vista and rapidly turned a part of the native band scene. In October 2023, they dropped the observe “Pelican,” which has since turn into their hottest music on Spotify. “Scars” is equally intoxicating.
:: “lead position” – Evan Honer ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Nashville’s Evan Honer is quick turning into a private favourite because of his intuition for tender melodies and uncooked, unflinchingly weak storytelling – to not point out his prolific output! Whereas final June’s sophomore album Preventing For was an plain, soul-stirring triumph for the rising singer/songwriter, it was not at all his solely launch of the 12 months: By the point 2024 was completed, Honer had delivered not one, however two extra EPs’ price of fabric – first, the 4 confessional songs of Completely different Life (September 2024), adopted by the 5 heartrending tracks on annabelle (December 2024).
Every of those tracks deserves its second within the solar, and right now, the highlight shines (actually and figuratively) on “lead position,” the gently aching second observe off annabelle. Brutally trustworthy and painfully poignant, the music presents a bittersweet narrative marked by remorse, missed probabilities, and the unavoidable sting of hindsight as Honer poetically displays on a previous relationship by way of the lens of a film he by no means wished to star in.
I bought the lead position
to an element I by no means wished
In a film the place the man
lets down the lady in the long run
I don’t imply to spoil it
however the story traces not all that vital
Nicely it will be if he had realized
what he had when he had it
And the writers don’t appear keen on this man
‘trigger each line was fallacious or a lie
And the plot retains on altering
makes it exhausting to know
“That is a very out-of-the-box music for me,” he confesses. “It’s an attention-grabbing idea with very unstructured rhyme schemes. ‘lead position’ continues the story of this lady ‘annabelle’ and places it into the angle of a film. It begins off with, ‘I bought the lead position to a half I by no means wished / In a film the place the man lets down the lady in the long run.’ The music options doubled vocals, and I’ve solely launched one different music the place my vocals have been doubled. This sound is new for me, and I’m very proud of the way it got here out.”
How an individual, so undeserving
Finds a woman that believes in him at his lowest level
For the lengthy haul, frequent drunk calls
Now he’s attempting to recollect her voice
However three years later he performs it cool
by no means mentions her identify
And she or he all the time questioned why he let her go
And three years later, he’s questioning the identical
That artistic danger pays off tenfold: Wistful and weary, “lead position” is a soul-baring standout that captures Honer at his most weak. By way of heat acoustics and doubled vocals, he invitations listeners into his personal quiet reckoning — one steeped in longing, unresolved questions, and the sort of remorse that lingers lengthy after the credit roll.
:: “Mixing Patterns” – Leah Nawy ::
Sophie Severs, Boston, MA
As people, we get caught in cycles, at instances discovering stagnancy to be extra comforting than uncertainty. It’s fairly simple to fall into monotony and depend on previous habits to get us by way of — it’s the breaking of mentioned habits that poses a larger problem.
Leah Nawy is a Taiwanese-American songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and masterful pattern-breaker. In her newest single, “Mixing Patterns,” Nawy parses by way of her thoughts, decided to redefine and reclaim the individual she is from the habits which have inhibited her progress. True to the observe’s title, Nawy expertly mixes patterns throughout the observe’s three and a half minute run time; oscillating between fuzzed-out indie rock, jazz-infused pop and a drum machine-driven outro with bona fide nonchalance. Like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, Nawy finds herself made anew and shining brighter than ever.
With its multi-genre sonic palette and themes of rebirth and renewal, “Mixing Patterns” is the proper soundtrack for the approaching spring months.
:: “The First & Final of the Excellent Events” – Ren Martinez ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
In her luminous new single “The First & Final of the Excellent Events,” Ren Martinez captures the precise second a reminiscence turns right into a delusion. Set towards a backdrop of driving guitars and power-pop shimmer, the observe recounts a chaotic school night time – full with a home present, a kiss, and pizza on the garden – as each a celebration and an elegy. Martinez’s voice, heat and wistful, threads by way of the music with the intimacy of a diary entry, providing up snapshots of youth that really feel without delay particular and universally bittersweet. It’s the sort of songwriting that invitations you to recollect your personal model of the night time she’s singing about.
Produced by longtime collaborator Brian Robert Jones, the observe is a standout preview of Martinez’s upcoming debut album Fingers Crossed, due this fall. Previously generally known as Ren Farren, the L.A. native blends Laurel Canyon storytelling with the emotional punch of early-2000s indie rock, touchdown someplace between beabadoobee and Taylor Swift’s folklore. With sync placements already below her belt and a transparent knack for turning lived expertise into lush, emotionally resonant soundscapes, Martinez proves she’s not simply reflecting on the previous – she’s carving out a daring new chapter within the current.
:: “jamie’s music” – The Stamps ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Indie pop trio The Stamps seize fleeting moments of magic, marvel, and introspection on their newest single “jamie’s music” – a young, infectious reflection on connection, impermanence, and the great thing about dwelling within the now. Steeped in late-night recollections and lit by a way of wide-eyed awe, the observe finds the Australian trio (comprised of Scarlett Graham, Rubina Bertolini, and Sofia Hourani) drawing from a second of travel-born romance to create one thing deeply private and quietly profound. It’s comfortable and candy, cathartic and releasing – a music that invitations us to each mirror and let go.
“‘jamie’s music’ has been by way of so many various variations, new and previous choruses, preparations and whole sections that by no means made it into the recorded music,” Graham tells Atwood Journal. “I introduced the music to the women shortly after writing it, and it was undoubtedly a little bit of a bounce for the three of us to rearrange. For the most half, I hadn’t actually written a music as poppy as this one, and I wasn’t fully positive easy methods to prepare it. I bear in mind understanding the ‘down, down, down’ half and feeling like we had struck gold. It took ages to excellent.”
A reminder that onerous work and willpower do repay, “jamie’s music” finds The Stamps at their most refined – and their most relaxed.
“We first began the recording course of through the use of GarageBand to trace the guitar and vocals,” Graham continues. “We might every individually lock ourselves into the different room of the two bed room house we lived in Footscray after we first moved to Melbourne. We had been listening to the 5 seconds flat album by Lizzy McAlpine, particularly ‘Orange Present Speedway’ and I actually wished to hone into that specific sound with the manufacturing of the music. I completely love the crisp sound of the vocals in ‘Orange Present Speedway’, and tried to emulate that sound once I sing it.”
“‘jamie’s music’ shouldn’t be the most critical of songs, so I like having the ability to play with the cheekiness in the vocals. I’m fairly positive you may hear me smiling while I used to be recording it. We despatched off the uncooked vocals to our producer Tom Josephs, and he labored his magic, and we didn’t have many notes in any respect. He captured the essence of the music from the starting.”
With lush, upbeat instrumentation layered beneath reflective lyrics and a disarming vocal heat, “jamie’s music” is a heartfelt, partaking, and sonically adventurous show of The Stamps’ collective skills, hinting on the emotional depth and vibrant allure of their upcoming debut album In All The Methods I Am, out August 8th by way of Neighborhood Music.
If this observe is any indication, the album guarantees to be a coming-of-age soundtrack stuffed with sincerity, self-discovery, and the messy magic of rising up. It’s a daring and exquisite step ahead for a band who’ve clearly worn their hearts on their sleeves from day one – and now, they’re doing so with extra confidence and coloration than ever earlier than.
:: “Late To The Social gathering” – MOSAICS ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
MOSAICS surge again into the highlight with “Late To The Social gathering,” a fiery, emotionally-charged anthem that cements their place among the many UK’s most enjoyable new acts. Recent off a whirlwind tour and a standout run to the finals of the Isle of Wight New Blood competitors, the four-piece channel that momentum right into a observe that’s as uncooked as it’s razor-sharp. Produced by Matt Cotterill and mastered by trade heavyweight Nigel Heath, the only hits exhausting from the primary biting riff, with seismic drums and frontman Owen Castillo’s arresting vocal capturing the unravelling of a relationship with unflinching honesty. Echoes of Sam Fender’s anthemic grit and INHALER’s urgency swirl by way of the combo, however “Late To The Social gathering” is unmistakably MOSAICS – tight, daring, and brimming with coronary heart.
:: “Someplace to Go” – Adrian Lyles ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Adrian Lyles trades the highlight of East Excessive for one thing way more uncooked and actual on his explosive sophomore single, “Someplace to Go.” Greatest recognized for enjoying Jet on Excessive College Musical: The Musical: The Sequence, the rising singer/songwriter takes a strong leap ahead with this high-octane indie pop anthem: A roaring rush of feeling – aching, pressing, and emotionally charged from begin to end. Fueled by pounding beats, searing guitar traces, and a love-struck vocal efficiency, Lyles captures the uncooked desperation of eager for somebody who as soon as felt like dwelling.
“‘Someplace to Go’ is about discovering security and residential inside an individual somewhat than a spot,” Lyles tells Atwood Journal. “I wished it to really feel like the entire music is spent calling out and looking for somebody to prevent from the place that you simply’re in. The complete music actually stemmed from the concept that, so long as you might be there, I’m the place I’m supposed to be.”
Launched in mid-November ’24 by way of ASL Music / Hollywood Information, “Someplace to Go” follows final September’s spirited debut single “Formalize Me,” and has since been succeeded by “King of All the pieces” and “Concrete Boy” – two tracks that discover Lyles persevering with to flesh out his artistic voice and inventive id. Already, his output feels marked by a charismatic dynamism: excessive or low, quick or sluggish, his music is unapologetic and uncompromising, radiating emotional urgency and lyrical chew.
“Love songs are a lot tougher to write down than all people thinks,” Lyles provides. “I are inclined to go about it in a really possible way – not too polished, not too clear. Simply trustworthy.”
“Someplace to Go” embodies that ethos in full. Nonetheless a standout in his fast-growing catalog, it’s a cry for connection and a cathartic launch – a storm of devotion and doubt, hope and heartbreak, all crashing collectively in actual time.
:: “Therapeutic Is Coming”- Levi Robin ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Tright here is a number of strife in right now’s world. With all of the negativity, it may be exhausting to see the sunshine. Levi Robin’s profound folk-pop single “Therapeutic Is Coming” is about constructing bravery within the midst of many difficult hurdles. His earthy, soulful vocals atop picked guitar strums weave collectively right into a extremely compelling mixture. This gorgeous, soul-stirring observe is steeped in bittersweet emotion.
The Orange County native took a considerably unconventional path. Robin confides, “From being a runaway to encountering Jap spirituality, from psychedelia to unearthing my very own historical Judaic roots, songwriting has been a uniquely integrating fixed.” In every thing he does, he lets his deepest emotions seep by way of. “Therapeutic Is Coming” is the proper, poignant piece of daring give up.
:: Can’t Get Shut Sufficient – Cinema Stereo ::
Julius Robinson, California
Cinema Stereo are a novel rock group oozing with pure innovation. Their edgy, rugged fashion is fascinating and uncooked. Their music channels rock legends like Aerosmith and AC/DC, however provides a private fashionable twist. The band lately launched their new EP, Can’t Get Shut Sufficient, and followers love its hard-driving thrill.
The providing commences with “Acércate a mí,” which interprets to “come nearer to me.” The illuminating launch possesses a jungle-like sonic high quality that attracts listeners in. The sleek, passionate tone matches the music seamlessly. The title observe, “Can’t Get Shut Sufficient,” is a punchy rock piece that’s deeply infectious with a rhythmic radiance. It begs for weak intimacy—and we really feel that intense need. “Why Does This All the time Occur” has a heavy sound and is the perfect technique to conclude. The EP’s finisher is an elevated explosion that ends issues with a bang.
Cinema Stereo is an electrifying different rock band recognized for crafting catchy, unique music with a daring, dynamic sound. Initially hailing from Orlando, FL, and now calling Nashville, TN dwelling, the band blends a wide selection of musical influences into their evolving fashion. Famed for his or her emotionally charged performances, highly effective rhythms, and compelling lyrics, Cinema Stereo pushes artistic boundaries to forge a sound that’s unmistakably theirs.
:: “Heaven in Disguise” – Tara Nome Doyle ::
Will Yarbrough, Philadelphia, PA
Even when blessed with the voice of an angel, the music trade nonetheless places you thru hell.
Regardless of her youth, Tara Nome Doyle has scored thousands and thousands of streams, status TV and arthouse movies in her born-and-bred Germany. And but, regardless of inking a take care of fashionable indie FatCat Information, after two well-received albums, someplace alongside the best way, the enchanting Norwegian-Irish songstress misplaced her voice (metaphorically talking). However whereas quiet on the floor, her new album rings as loud and clear because the thunder on Mount Olympus.
Whether or not boiling down medieval chemistry or unpacking Jungian philosophy, Tara Nome Doyle tends to work with a heady idea in thoughts. Ekko isn’t any completely different. Besides this time round, her guiding mythos wasn’t so preordained. Monitoring was already midway completed when she occurred to uncover the album’s overarching theme whereas studying Metamorphoses. “I seemed down on the water / And the water seemed up at me“, begins correct opener “Heaven in Disguise”. Her tear-streaked runs by no means rise above a ripple, as if misplaced in a pool of reflection.
Having firsthand data of the folly in trying to others for validation, Doyle might relate all too nicely to the age-old, cautionary story of Echo and Narcissus. Nevertheless, not like Ovid’s accursed nymph, Ekko reclaims her voice by way of the powers of repetition. Like several true miracle employee, she will do so much with little or no, however this album strips her minimalist chamber pop to the naked necessities: acoustic plucks, quivering strings, wordless harmonies, a piano that scatters melodies like creation’s mud.
“Heaven in Disguise” reveals the depths of its magnificence one rigorously peeled layer at a time.
Whereas its opening line clearly references the album’s supply materials, the music is definitely Doyle’s retelling of Eve within the Backyard of Eden. A synth slithers into the second verse as if born from darkness, however as a substitute of everlasting damnation, consuming from the Tree of Data fills her with nothing however revelation. Eyes opened, instantly, her acquainted environment tackle the glow of paradise.
“Nothing extra, nothing much less / That is all that we get“. In anybody else’s fingers, these phrases would spell doom. However when sung in Doyle’s breathless, swish falsetto, they sound like an answered prayer.
:: Gamble – Zoé Basha ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Zoé Basha’s debut album Gamble is a uncommon and radiant arrival – a self-produced assortment that pulses with uncooked emotion and fearless honesty. With roots stretching from the U.S. and France to the backroads of rural Eire, Basha’s music attracts deeply from her nomadic life, and the result’s an album that feels lived-in and unshakably human. Mixing folks, jazz, blues, Americana, and Irish conventional music, “Gamble” defies simple categorization. Her voice – smoky, aching, and soulful – floats by way of every observe like a reminiscence, paying homage to classic greats like Billie Vacation and Edith Piaf, but unmistakably her personal.
What makes “Gamble” so compelling is the sense of place and passage it carries. Every music looks like a postcard from a distinct chapter of Basha’s journey – some tender and nonetheless, others charged with momentum. Tracks like “Touring Sneakers” and “Identical Swallows Swooping” strike a wonderful stability between storytelling and emotional launch, whereas “Dublin Avenue Corners” is an ode to the grit and beauty of road efficiency. The album is a quiet triumph of self-trust and artistic freedom, signaling the arrival of an artist who isn’t simply discovering her voice – she’s reclaiming it. In a world filled with noise, “Gamble” is a courageous whisper that lingers lengthy after it ends.
:: “Phone” – The Shifting Stills ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
The Shifting Stills dial into one thing electrical on “Phone,” a driving, dynamic burst of indie pop catharsis. Launched in late November, the band’s first observe since their acclaimed sophomore album Wabi Sabi is as angular as it’s addictive – a high-octane mix of Phoenix-style guitar licks, emotional overload, and infectious power. Fueled by danceable rhythms and a fire-under-the-skin urgency, it’s a music about burnout, boundaries, and the ever-blurring line between digital connection and disconnection.
“‘Phone’ was a very enjoyable music to make,” the Australian band – composed of Tom Mahler (vocals and guitar), Brad Guthmann (bass), Mike Drennan (guitar and vocals), and Ben Day (drums) – inform Atwood Journal. “It was a pleasant power to return again with as the primary launch since our final album Wabi Sabi. We drew influences from a few of the indie artists that we grew up listening to, like Phoenix and Two Door Cinema Membership. I feel we nonetheless maintained a number of our vibe inside that world.”
“The music is basically in regards to the relationship we now have with our telephones – the best way that we’re so linked by way of them, and generally anticipated to be reachable always. It’s good to take time away from them, to attach and mirror with out the noise of social media and comparability. We had been intentional about making this observe filled with power, and we’re excited to play it dwell.”
In a lot the identical manner that the brand new iPhone display screen actually doesn’t flip off – because of a operate generally known as “All the time On Show” – “Phone” captures the strain of being consistently reachable, consistently on, and consistently overwhelmed in our hyperconnected world.
True to its mission, “Phone” costs ahead with function: Its vibrant melodies and emotionally fraught lyrics communicate to the strain and paralysis of 24/7 availability. “I simply wanna be alone,” the band cry out on the refrain, pulling the plug in actual time. It’s introspection set to a dancefloor pulse – a daring and buoyant style of what’s to return from The Shifting Stills’ subsequent chapter.
:: “Skintight Loopy” – August Royals ::
Chloe Robinson, California
It’s troublesome letting go of a relationship. Oftentimes, we take into consideration all of the what-ifs and marvel what might have been. August Royals’ single “Skintight Loopy” is a pop/rock piece detailing the lingering results of a partnership as one seems to be again with rose-colored glasses. His daring, intoxicating vocals atop a uncooked, gritty backdrop make the observe really addictive. Lyrics like, “I sort of need to let go, however you bought me on a tightrope child, such a reasonably girl,” present simply how a lot of a wrestle it’s to interrupt free. The video shows his hopeless romantic facet as he and a woman spend time collectively within the metropolis.
August Royals swiftly began making a reputation for himself in 2021. His debut single “Blue Soccer” gained a lot crucial acclaim. In 2022, August Royals dropped his debut EP Inhaler – a nine-track, genre-blending challenge that dives into his private experiences and challenges. After parting methods with RCA, August took a step again to mirror and refine his inventive id. Collaborating with artists like Kevin Summary of Brockhampton, Ryan Beatty, and Dominic Fike helped him reassess his artistic route and additional his journey of self-discovery.
After spending a 12 months off the grid and immersed within the studio, August Royals makes his return in 2025 with a set of tracks he describes as his “most genuine and greatest work but.” You’ll be able to hear that highly effective sincerity in “Skintight Loopy.”
:: “Rollercoaster” – Sone ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
“Rollercoaster” is a full-blown emotional odyssey strapped to the heartbeat of cinematic pop, the place operatic vocals meet uncooked, journal-born honesty by rising songstress Sone. Blurring the traces between vulnerability and energy, this genre-bending anthem surges with the highs of glittering self-acceptance and dives deep into the lows of interior turmoil, all whereas refusing to apologize for the journey. Assume Gaga-level drama with Billie Eilish-level intimacy, stitched collectively by a voice that might shatter glass or soothe a storm. It’s daring, theatrical, and unfiltered – a fearless ode to feeling every thing, and loving your self anyway.
:: “Puzzle Piece” – SPACE&AGES ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Brisbane indie rockers SPACE&AGES put on their hearts on their sleeves in “Puzzle Piece,” a fiery, emotionally charged anthem that solidifies their standing as an artist-to-watch. Their sixth-ever launch since debuting in mid-2023, “Puzzle Piece” showcases the uncooked ardour and emotional vulnerability that’s rapidly turning into central to the younger band’s id. Lead singer Phin Spence delivers a show-stopping efficiency full of aching sincerity and unrelenting power, backed by driving drums and a stressed, relentless lead guitar line that refuses to give up.
The band’s ardour is palpable in each beat and lyric, and for frontman Phin Spence, all of it started with a sonic spark. “‘Puzzle Piece’ is written in regards to the difficulties felt in a relationship,” he tells Atwood Journal. “Not a one-sided relationship, however one the place it feels prefer it at instances. However I didn’t even have any sort of lyrical concept till I’d made half the music. The very first thing I had in thoughts once I wrote this music was the drums. I’d seen that a number of songs I used to be listening to on the time had that very same sort of driving, thudding drumbeat that kicks off the music and I wished to see what I might do with it. I additionally wished to enrich the driving really feel, so I added a rhythm half influenced a bit by ‘Thrills’ by Spacey Jane (love that music).”
“The concept for the lyrics got here once I got here up with the chords for the refrain. They felt tremendous emotional and I wished to painting that within the lyrics too. I began off writing about how I wished to be there for my associate and all of the struggles she was going by way of, but it surely wasn’t feeling emotive sufficient so I dug up some previous trauma from previous relationships and chucked that in there too; thus the entire storyline of ‘oh however you push me out.’ After which I introduced it to my band boys — they’ll all the time give you their components — and we workshopped it for a pair months of rehearsals.”
Put much more succinctly, “Puzzle Piece” is a younger love at sundown, “pushing previous the sensation of hopelessness and falling into love.” It’s a observe rooted in emotional friction and therapeutic — an ode to staying comfortable, supportive, and current even when every thing feels prefer it’s falling aside. Equal components daydream and catharsis, “Puzzle Piece” is a roaring, resonant reminder of the facility in selecting to remain.
SPACE&AGES are simply getting began – they usually’re already hitting with the guts of seasoned professionals. Control them; if this music is any indication, their rise is simply starting.
:: “Tying One On” – Roman Alexander ::
Julius Robinson, California
Roman Alexander’s single “Tying One On” is about elevating a glass to regrets and letting go. The twangy observe offers with drowning your ache in a number of drinks—one thing many can relate to. Emotive nation vocals skate atop highly effective guitars and pounding percussion. Alexander shares, “It’s for the nights that shifting on feels not possible, so that you accept numbing the sting, one spherical of drinks at a time. We’ve all been there—telling the bartender we’re fantastic whereas the jukebox performs all of the fallacious songs.”
Driving excessive on the momentum of over 86 million streams and a breakout debut that caught the eye of NBC’s At the moment Present, Roman is proving he’s no one-hit marvel. With a signature sound that blends a retro vibe with fashionable storytelling, the impartial nation artist has carved a lane all his personal—and followers are right here for the journey.
Now, Roman kicks off 2025 with “Tying One On,” a toast to misplaced love and errors alongside the best way. It’s the primary style of his upcoming third EP, and it’s clear he’s leveling up.
:: “blooms” – Virgins ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
With “blooms,”, Virgins crack open a deeper, darker vein of their shoegaze soul, delivering a observe that feels each cinematic and visceral in equal measure. Constructing on the ethereal promise of Nothing Harm and All the pieces Was Lovely, this newest launch swells with pressure and launch – an intoxicating fusion of shimmering guitars, tight percussion, and swirling reverb that looks like being swept right into a storm and discovering solace at its heart. Produced by Simon Francis and mastered by shoegaze royalty Simon Scott of Slowdive, blooms pulses with a brand new sort of power: moody, majestic, and unapologetically uncooked. As siren-like vocals drift above the sonic haze, Virgins show they’re not simply refining their sound – they’re blooming into one thing braver, bolder, and completely unforgettable.
:: “No One Is Alone” – Staci Gruber ::
Chloe Robinson, California
In right now’s world, it may be simple to really feel remoted and alone. Staci Gruber reminds listeners that, although we might really feel lonely, all of us have somebody. Whether or not it’s a guardian, a pal, or your canine, there are connections in our lives which are particular and impactful. Her heat, comforting vocals really feel cozy, like a blanket being wrapped round you. Her music video showcases the facility of togetherness, depicting individuals superbly bonding with others. Watching, you may’t assist however smile.
Gruber, a dynamic artist from Boston, captivates audiences along with her exceptional musical talents, heartfelt songwriting, and emotional resonance. Her music weaves collectively her personal life experiences with the poignant tales of others, forging a strong connection that delves into themes of solitude, longing, and optimism. Music has been woven into the material of Staci’s life since childhood. What began as a quiet, private escape—singing alone within the privateness of her closet—quickly reworked right into a assured expression of self when she carried out her first solo, “12 Days of Christmas,” in elementary faculty. That second marked the start of her discovering her true voice, and he or she hasn’t seemed again since.
Whereas Gruber rose to fame as a vocalist, she additionally made exceptional strides in a wholly completely different enviornment—as a revered professor at Harvard Medical College and a trailblazing neuroscientist at McLean Hospital. Her pioneering analysis on hashish explores the long-term results of cannabinoids throughout quite a few well being circumstances. Her new music serves as a honest meditation on the human experiences she observes every single day, by way of each her scientific pursuits and private journey.
:: “Freee” – Peaceable Faces ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Brooklyn-based chamber-rock collective Peaceable Faces has dropped their newest single “Freee” a observe that strikes an ideal stability between simplicity and complex texture, delivering a strong exploration of freedom each private and inventive. Opening with a gritty, distorted guitar riff that quickly provides technique to pulsating drums, the music evolves right into a dynamic journey, shifting from high-energy crescendos to intimate, stripped-back moments the place the male vocals and poignant lyrics take heart stage. The repeated chorus, “How might you ever be so free,” is underscored by delicate brass, including an emotional depth that enhances the music’s cathartic transitions. An exciting bridge of brass and drums offers a second of complexity, earlier than the observe bursts right into a closing, explosive power. Reflecting on the music’s theme of freedom and its potential pitfalls, band founder Tree Palmedo captures the essence of each the private and inventive wrestle, in the end releasing himself from musical constraints to only “rock out”. With its multi-layered preparations and considerate exploration of freedom, “Freee” confirms Peaceable Faces as a particular and compelling drive in fashionable rock.
:: “I’ve Acquired You” – San Jose ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
San Jose, a theatrical post-punk poet, returns with a tempestuous new single, “I’ve Acquired You,” a six-minute masterclass in avant-garde power and unapologetic emotional launch. Produced by Christopher McCrory (Walt Disco, Catholic Motion), the observe opens in a blaze of biting guitars and feedback-soaked chaos, brimming with uncooked theatricality. Vocals ship angst with razor-sharp urgency, threading by way of a wall of pounding drums and eerie choral textures, all coalescing right into a fever dream of chantable anarchy. This isn’t post-punk taking part in by the foundations – it’s a visceral efficiency, a confessional screamed into the void and wearing velvet.
What elevates “I’ve Acquired You” past mere punk catharsis is its deliberate descent into sonic surrealism. Simply because the noise turns into nearly insufferable, the music folds in on itself – melting right into a warped lull of woozy saxophone and ornate orchestration that’s extra dreamlike than deranged. However this transient second of magnificence is a ruse: the band hurls us again into the fray with renewed fury, constructing to a climax that feels each chaotic and triumphant. San Jose don’t simply make music – they create theatre, poetry, and full-body experiences disguised as songs. With “I’ve Acquired You”, they’ve cemented their standing as fearless boundary-pushers on the bleeding edge of recent post-punk.
:: “Juno” – Glenna Jane ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Nobody describes Glenna Jane’s newest single higher than the artist herself: “It’s about queer pleasure, queer turning into, queer world making,” she says. The Las Vegas-bred, New York Metropolis-based singer/songwriter captures the dizzying ache of need, craving, and the magic of past love in “Juno,” a young and seductive indie pop reverie constructed on reminiscence, fantasy, and the blur between friendship and one thing extra. Jane’s third single so far, “Juno” is comfortable, shimmering, and emotionally charged – a hopeless romantic’s coming-of-age anthem wrapped in glittering guitars, reversed drums, sun-soaked synths, and slumber celebration nostalgia. It performs like a sleepover secret whispered between greatest mates – fleeting however unforgettable, acquainted but daring.
“‘Juno’ is my past love music,” the New York Metropolis-based singer/songwriter shares. “It began like all my songs do: me, sitting criss-cross on my mattress, taking part in my guitar Willow in open D. Musing on recollections of the primary lady I ever fell in love with – listening to Vampire Weekend on the after faculty bus and watching Kathryn educate Cecile easy methods to kiss whereas rooming collectively on our out-of-state choir journey.”
“I bear in mind scrawling, ‘I’m a newbie / I’ll confuse a second for ceaselessly’… reflecting on craving for my greatest pal once I was 15, ‘Juno’ is about what isn’t and what could possibly be… It’s about blurring platonic and romantic love, loving your mates, and falling in love with your mates. Sonically whimsical and playful, it’s the 2000s romcom–a sleepover scene of the lady subsequent door kissing her greatest pal – scored by report scratches, slumber celebration gang vocals, glittery mandolin and shimmery guitars, reversed drums, wobbly synths.”
A radiant and resounding introduction, “Juno” is dreamy, diaristic, and defiantly intimate – the sort of music you retain tucked inside your reminiscence field, subsequent to polaroids, mixtapes, and all of the belongings you by no means mentioned out loud.
:: “Spitting Feathers” – The Pedals ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Indie newcomers The Pedals come out swinging with “Spitting Feathers,” a vibrant burst of indie-rock power that captures the uncooked depth of their dwell reveals whereas providing a stunning emotional depth. Constructed on a basis of biting guitars, thunderous drums, and a decent, grounding bassline, the observe thrums with urgency, but by no means loses its melodic focus. What really units it aside is the distinction at its core – melancholic, effortlessly managed vocals ship introspective lyrics that minimize by way of the punchy instrumentation with quiet drive. It’s a observe that wears its coronary heart on its sleeve whereas maintaining its eyes firmly on the stage, marking The Pedals as a band to look at.
:: “Far Away Star” – Candice Hoyes ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month, Candice Hoyes shares her vibrant single, “Far Away Star.” The horn-fused launch is an ode to Duke Ellington and bridges basic sounds with up to date taste. Hoyes’s heat, deep vocals elegantly glide over hypnotizing New Orleans horns. The bellowing, bluesy observe oozes with timeless magnificence. The extra you hear, the extra you can’t assist however be enchanted. The piece’s delicate nuances are simple to get misplaced in.
For many years, Black American artists of the twentieth Century have journeyed overseas in the hunt for new types of self-expression, typically discovering inventive communities in Nordic international locations like Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. There, they found progressive, intellectually wealthy areas the place music served as a unifying drive throughout cultures.
Impressed by this legacy, vocalist Candice Hoyes presents a contemporary interpretation of a Swedish folks music famously recorded in 1978 by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, that includes vocalist Alice Babs. Hoyes’s rendition, organized for soprano and jazz octet by GRAMMY Award-winner Ted Nash, contains unique lyrics by Hoyes that discover the important position of Black ancestral historical past in 2025. Reflecting on the piece, Hoyes reveals, “‘Far Away Star’ is each an homage to Ellington and a celebration of free expression and justice—timeless and fixed, just like the North Star.”
:: “Cartpushers (and Crows)” – Jefferson Pitcher ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Jefferson Pitcher’s “Cartpushers” is a tempest of sound and story: Ominous, pressing, and haunting, it pulses with the stressed spirit of revolt and reinvention. Arriving early on The Bellows – Pitcher’s lately launched, richly textured album – the observe conjures a vivid, crumbling world the place farmers, cobblers, and cartpushers metal themselves towards the reign of a brand new king – timeliness be damned.
Are you able to really feel unknown
The blood of unknowable renown
Are you locked in, down, or out
Regular for rekeying right here
And the king will carry us on silk tonight
The farmers and cobblers
and Cartpushers shall be prepared
“The music ‘Cartpushers’ is about some assembled group of individuals withering below the reign of a brand new king (I swear I wrote this a number of years in the past!) as they toil,” the Northampton, Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter tells Atwood Journal. “The ‘farmers, cobblers, and cartpushers’ are the laborers, readying to stand up for some type of revolt. I borrowed a few of the imagery for the music from Cuckoo Cloud Land by Anthony Doerr. There’s an prolonged model on the LP that has an extended outro with some very inner noise on the finish, that feels just like the world think about[d].”
Throughout the album’s unfolding narrative, “Cartpushers” marks a shift in focus — from collapse to the glimmers of recent tribal formation. “The primary line on the report is, ‘you and I noticed the lights exit,’ which imagines a pair seeing the grid go down for good,” Pitcher explains. “By the third music (‘Cartpushers’), the narrative has begun to concentrate on human/animal relationships, and we see the start of tribes forming. It sounds a bit heavy and apocalyptic, however I don’t see it that manner in any respect. I see it extra as a possibility for re-invention.”
“They are going to be our heroes,” he repeatedly sings of these farmers, cobblers, and cartpushers – all of them prepared to guide their individuals to some type of salvation. It’s a fleeting second of resolve – of hope glinting by way of the mud and despair. Three minutes in, the observe transforms right into a spirited jam session – one which builds, spirals, and at last collapses into swimming pools of chaotic, darkish, and murky sound. It’s a visceral catharsis, a sonic unraveling that lays naked the unease, pressure, and revolt simmering simply beneath the floor.
Carried by a darkish, thudding rhythm and sharpened by cryptic, evocative lyrics, “Cartpushers” feels each historical and fast – a dynamic music for a fractured future, and a rallying cry for resilience amid wreck.
:: “Frequent Enemies” – Blue Monkey ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
“Common Enemy,” Blue Monkey’s third-ever single, is a music of soppy disillusionment — a dreamy, lilting folks reverie that drifts with heat and wistfulness, even because it quietly cuts deep. Over glimmering acoustic strums and hushed, heartfelt melodies, Nashville-based singer and songwriter Charlee Remitz unpacks the delicate basis of a friendship constructed on shared resentment: “We could possibly be mates for a thousand years / And I’d hardly even know you / However I’d know everybody you hate.” With a voice that’s tender but unflinching, Blue Monkey sings of performative kindness, emotional neglect, and the heartbreak of realizing somebody’s presence was extra postured than actual. “Ain’t no justice in maintaining the peace / In case you’ve bought the instruments to cease a bleed / And also you don’t…” she laments, her voice trembling with restrained ache. Each balm and reckoning, “Frequent Enemy” is a delicate unmasking — a superbly bittersweet reminder that true connection can’t thrive within the shadows of withheld truths.
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