Baby Condor steps into the spotlight with their self-titled debut EP, a six-track introduction to a rich, melodic world shaped by harmony, analogue warmth, and timeless songwriting. Led by the single “Dreaming of the Day”, the EP invites listeners to disappear into a sun-soaked, melancholic journey across American highways, coastal roads, and hazy canyon evenings, a place where memory, longing, and reflection gently collide.
NYC-born, LA-based singer, songwriter, and producer Ally Bakst returns with her latest single, “Look So Pretty,” a darkly alluring alt-pop track that blurs the line between vulnerability and self-protection. Known for her raspy, enigmatic vocals and immersive electronic soundscapes, Bakst delivers a song that feels intimate, cinematic, and quietly confrontational, lingering long after the final note fades.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ecuadorian-American artist James Laurent never set out to be a musician, let alone an independent album artist navigating the chaos of Los Angeles. Now 26, the RIAA Certified Gold engineer and producer turns inward with his latest 8-track album, Laugh at the Tragedy, a stark, emotionally raw indie-electric rock record shaped by burnout, heartbreak, addiction, and an unflinching sense of irony.
Dave Douglas’ Four Freedoms follows the trumpeter/composer/label owner’s usual protocol: provide a set of sturdy original tunes to an exceptionally talented ensemble, and lead by example in balancing melody and improvisation.
Florence-based synthwave project Out Run unveils their highly anticipated 12-track debut album_ Past Lives_ alongside the energetic and reflective title single “Past Lives.” The album and single mark a major step in Out Run’s journey, fusing cinematic 80s-inspired synth textures with contemporary production and emotionally charged songwriting.
… this release presents a focused portrait of The Bevis Frond in 2026; vital, tuneful, and entirely unburdened by nostalgia. It is an original and uncompromising statement that reaffirms Saloman’s status as a visionary outsider whose instinctual songwriting remains as sharp as ever.
‘Melborn’ is a record that manages to be both intellectually stimulating and deeply resonant, a rare feat in a genre often preoccupied with technical prowess at the expense of soul.
Through this reissue, we see a bold declaration of independence from an artist who proved that whether he was backed by a flickering circuit board or a screaming amplifier, his aesthetic remained an uncompromising, singular beacon of outsider art.
“The Return” announces Shesgot’s new album, A House Into a Body, out February 20, 2026, on Geneva-based Urgence Disk and Loop Collective. The Return arises from the bones of Afro-Cuban music mixed with contemporary Gilla Band – style sounds, a rhythmic dialogue that finds breathing space once all the instruments settle in, then gains final momentum on a Bark Psychosis/Seefeel-esque journeys.
Throughout the record, the production remains lean, favoring raw textures over polished artifice. It is a testament to Vega’s singular vision that these songs feel both ancient and avant-garde, rooted in the foundational myths of rock and roll while simultaneously tearing them apart.
The record operates as a sonic study of the nearness of things; the breath between two people, the uncomfortable closeness of one’s own anxieties, and the tangible texture of a live band playing in a room where the air feels heavy with intent.
The rhythmic patterns throughout the EP suggest a sophisticated dialogue with the original New York No-Wave scene, yet they opt for a controlled geometry rather than the total tonal collapse of their predecessors. Where No-Wave used rhythm as a weapon of nihilistic chaos, Clone utilizes it as a structural grid.
As a final release before retirement, The Best of JustFolk 2012–2025 stands as a perfectly fitting tribute to the ambitions and aims of this trio, and it doesn’t chase legacy or reinvention. Instead, it offers a sincere second look at songs that trust their own weight, and invites listeners to meet them where they are.
“I Choose to Be Free” is a song written from a place of deep respect and admiration for people who stand up for their freedom, dignity, and independence.
The song was written and composed by Alex Solo, driven by the idea that freedom is not an abstract concept, but a personal choice — something people are willing to fight for when it truly matters. Across the world, we see individuals and entire nations showing courage, resilience, and resistance in the face of pressure. That spirit became the emotional core of this track.
Elephant Moon is the project of Danish singer-songwriter Anders Dal, creating melancholic indie-folk that moves between dreamlike expanses and stripped-back intensity. With lo-fi warmth, layered guitar work, and emotionally direct songwriting, Elephant Moon focuses on simplicity and sincerity
As a whole, ‘Guppy’ is an emotionally intelligent record that thrives on subtlety and intention. Sweet Tooth understand that impact doesn’t require excess; instead, they focus on careful songwriting, expressive performances, and a clear emotional through-line.
For listeners who crave music that feels vivid, unfiltered, and emotionally unrestrained, this release is more than just a collection of songs; it’s a cathartic rush, a reminder of how powerful sound can be when it hits you not just in the ears, but beneath the skin.
This is music shaped by time, meditation, and sustained focus, and for listeners seeking a contemplative yet richly detailed sonic journey, UNFOLDING offers a rare and rewarding experience.
US Roots Rocker DownTown Mystic has just released the “Hard Enough (Remix)” Single. The single features the Rock’n‘Roll Hall of Fame rhythm section from Bruce Springsteen’s legendary E Street Band*—drummer *“Mighty” Max Weinberg & bassist Garry Tallent. The single is the 1st release from the upcoming On E Street Remix project and will be distributed worldwide by The Orchard/Sony Music.
The Amanda Emblem Experiment formed in 2017, based in South East Queensland. Fronted by Amanda Emblem, the band performs a combination of original Folk, Rock, Blues and Roots music, with Amanda on lead vocals and guitar, Kelly King on harmonica, flute and vocals, Billy Adams on drums and vocals, Scott Astill on bass with a variety of live guests including Moses King on Lead Guitar. They perform live at local venues and Festivals having released four original albums, the most recent The Wood in Sept 2025.
Dulcimer visionary Sam Edelston has announced the release of his groundbreaking debut album, Making Waves. This bold new project marks the first-ever album to feature the dulcimer as the leading instrument on classic rock music in a rock band setting, pushing the boundaries of what the traditionally folk-associated instrument can achieve.
Yann Tiersen has long since abandoned the whimsical street corners of Paris for the salt-stung isolation of the Atlantic, and his 2025 double release, ‘Rathlin from a Distance / The Liquid Hour,’ marks the final shedding of his cinematic skin.
‘Eye of the Storm’ is more than a collection of songs; it is a cyclical celebration of growth and a deep breath of life. By embracing vulnerability and stripping away unnecessary polish in favor of raw, home-grown textures, Georgia Harmer has created an indie-folk portrait that feels both handwritten and universal.
‘Echo In The Dust’ is a work of revelation found in the fading light, capturing an artist who has moved out of the shadow of her influences to find her stride, embracing her own contradictions and successfully staying out of her own way.
Mute Swan have created an album that rewards not through grand gestures, but through nuance, patience, and an unwavering commitment to mood. ‘Skin Slip’ lingers because it understands that some experiences are not meant to be explained, only felt, then carried forward.
2. No Wave Gaze is not background music. It’s an immersive, demanding listen that confirms Vitelli’s commitment to exploration and his refusal to repeat himself.
Unsettling, beautiful, and deeply human, mother’s day is the sound of an artist who has walked through devastation and returned with hard-earned truth, offering comfort without compromise.
At its core, REDEMPTION is the sound of an artist moving forward at full speed, aware of everything they’ve lost but even more focused on what’s still possible.
Whiskey General is fronted by Jay Serrao, a British artist whose background as a Gulf War refugee and long-standing touring musician informs the emotional core of the album. Serrao has supported artists including Idlewild, Billy Bragg, Scouting for Girls, and Doves, and has worked with organisations including Universal Music, BBC, ITV, and Disney.
“Nobody’s Home” follows Franxie’s debut single “Fucking Around”, which explored autonomy and self-determination. Where that release was more confrontational, Nobody’s Home documents emotional withdrawal and stillness, showing another side of the same project.
Veteran folk singer-songwriter Doug Mishkin delivers one of his most direct and unsettling statements to date with “If They’d Been Black,” a searing response to the January 6, 2021 insurrection and the racial inequities it laid bare. The song appears on Mishkin’s latest album, Tip of the Spear, a collection of socially conscious and deeply personal songs rooted in the American folk tradition.
The literary and philosophical influences that accompany the record are not decorative references; they echo its central preoccupation: the impossibility of fully grasping what happens to us as it unfolds.
This transition from small-room folk to a more robust pop-rock landscape demonstrates a significant growth in their production vocabulary, aided by the use of real tape saturation and analog delay units that give the guitars a worn, nostalgic patina.
By embracing vulnerability and stripping away unnecessary polish, Mangan has created an indie-folk portrait that feels exactly as the title suggests: recorded in natural light.
Tracing the evolution of their songwriting reveals a journey from the more grounded, indie-rock foundations of their debut toward an increasingly symphonic and long-form philosophy.
“Black White Red” is the new single from Oxfordshire alt-rock band Wilderness States led by singer Shauna Reed. Black White Red is the latest in a run of singles from Wilderness States, a group that has quickly grown to be one of THE hotly tipped bands on the ever-thriving Oxford scene.
Goddamn Wolves is an indie rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Vocal duties are shared by guitarist Chris Weilding and bass player Laura McCullough. This often invites comparisons to classic alternative acts such as Pixies, Versus and X. However, in addition to being influenced by these bands, Goddamn Wolves is also very much invested in current indie rock sounds, resulting in what The Big Takeover called “the sound of the rock genre being polished, tweaked and brought up to sonic speed.”
Paris-based singer-songwriter Tim d’Aboville has released his debut EP, Reflets, now out. The five-track EP is a warm folk-pop project that introduces Tim’s signature sound: acoustic-driven songs, emotional lead vocals, and modern textures, rooted in a deep exploration of love, faith, and human connection.
Her debut single, ‘Thinking of You,’ earned support from a range of indie blogs and radio stations — highlighted by coverage from Flex and several spins on Amazing Radio in the UK and US. It marked the first wave of momentum as her audience began to grow. The new release “I Don’t Mind” (out January 23, 2026) reveals a sharper, louder side of that universe — indie-rock with a subtle punk bite, raw and sarcastic, threaded with trumpet lines that bring a strangely human warmth to the chaos.
Cyanotype, (produced by John Agnello*- *Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. – and mixed by Brian Deck – Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine) is a blue impression of white-hot moments in early adulthood. The album continues the band’s signature hooky guitar parts and narrative lyricism with a more mature sound. “Philosophy Test” elucidates an ironic multiple-choice exam and explores the dangers of accepting objective truths shaped by me and thousands of years ago. Guitars on Paperdoll form a crunchy wall of sound behind a description of a two-dimensional relationship. Agnes Uncaged presents a new era with an ambitious record that won’t be pinned down, and doesn’t need to be.
Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, and producer Dawn Derow announces the release of her new single, “Everything’s Gonna Be All Right,” a vibrant and soulful reimagining of the 1988 Tuck & Patti classic written by Patti Cathcart and Tuck Andress. Featuring acclaimed guitarist Sean Harkness on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, the single—along with its accompanying music video—will be released on January 23, 2026.
For Scenes From Above, his fifth Blue Note disk, Lage assembles a new band, composing material specifically for this combo of players.
Fundamentally, ‘Gala’ is a document of a band figuring out how to balance pop sensibility with sonic extremity. It captures a moment where the coziness of the dream-pop aesthetic was still dangerous and physically imposing.
“SPIT” by St. Divine is the lead single from the band’s first LP, scheduled for release 3.20.26. SPIT is an aggressive, riotous tune marked by St. Divine’s hallmark rapid-fire dual vocals and explores themes of anger and frustration that resonate with both relationships and society at large. The garage punk track opens by simultaneously demanding escape through vices (I need a drink, I need a smoke) followed by incredulity (need you to tell me this is not a joke).
From Scotland , but now living in rural Australia, Coolonaut creates analogue Psychedelic Mod Music for the era in which we live . Inspired by the greats of the past and fuelled by the increasing absurdity of the world around us
The session captures a band in full command of their craft, able to honor the urgency of live performance while subtly expanding the contours of their songwriting. The record underscores the value of attentive listening. It rewards focus, revealing details that might otherwise pass unnoticed in the flux of broadcast.
Olina is a greek London-based jewellery designer (Drool Jewel) and indie songwriter whose work lives between sarcasm and sincerity. Her music blends cathartic indie rock anger with soft folk existential dread. Her upcoming EP, By The Book (releasing Jan 21st), documents the fragmented experience of growing up between cultures, told through a wry, poetic lens.
On Convergence, the former bottom-holder for Nik Bartsch’s Ronin and frequent sidedude for Anouar Brahem uses his six-string bass more subtly, even meditatively, plucking out shimmering melodies and slowly unfolding grooves.
Critically acclaimed poet and songwriter Larry Beckett announces the release of his fifth album, Though We Have Only Love: The Songs of Jacques Brel, a tribute to the legendary Belgian singer and actor Jacques Brel. Out January 9, 2026 via The Orchard/Sony, the album reimagines 14 of Brel’s iconic 1950s and ’60s chansons in a contemporary alt-rock style while staying true to their original melodies and harmonies.
