Back in April 2025, beloved Costa Rican goth trio Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos celebrated the tenth anniversary of their debut album, The Descending, with a special show at Teatro Nico Baker. The band’s newest single, ‘Witches’, was written and performed for the first time at that show.
dramamine, hailing from Philadelphia, United States, is the mastermind behind the original album Heights Lake. Pete Pom, the sole contributor to this project, showcases his talent by playing all instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars, piano, and keyboards, while recording everything at home. The album is a collection of personal originals inspired by his hometown, delving into themes of nostalgia, love, and loss. With influences from iconic shoegaze and dreampop bands such as Slowdive, The Cure, The Verve, and Ride, dramamine’s music offers a unique and intimate perspective on life.
Seasonal Falls is the recording project of Switzerland-based songwriter Roman Gabriel (The Kind Hills, The Dentals), joined by Andrew Pelletier on vocals and production. The project grew out of Roman’schronic illness, which left him with too much time for reading, watching films – and writing songs.
Waves Crashing is an Olympia, Washington-based8 alternative indie rock trio known for blending ’80s and ’90s-inspired sounds with contemporary hooks. The band features *Josh Calisti on guitar and vocals, Bryce Albright on drums, and Zach Olson on bass. They have released several singles and EPs, including Sea of Wires, Ancora, and The Viewing, and gained prominence through performances at events like the South Sound Block Party and airplay on KEXP and DKFM.
Fiona Amaka is a London based singer- songwriter and guitarist, whose intense live performances with the Fiona Amaka Band are beginning to draw attention. Her distinctive folk-rock sound is infused with blues and soul. Anyway you come’ speaks of the trauma of seeing a loved one fighting for their life, and the total acceptance of any version of the one we love. ‘Different’ is a song for anyone learning to live with their neurodiversity and learning to love and be loved for the things that make them different.
With “The Reckoning,” veteran punk rocker Cindy Lawson makes a thunderous return to the frontlines of the Minneapolis music scene—and this time, she’s got nothing left to prove and everything left to say. The single that recently dropped on Hygh Tension Records (TLG)/Virgin Records is now paired with an official music video out now. The snarling, punk-inspired single is a cathartic takedown of every manipulator, betrayer, and bad actor who thought they’d never get what’s coming to them.
Aarktica’s 10th studio album merges transcendent atmospheres with darkly danceable rhythms, expansive analog synths and layers of modulated, tape-echo guitars. The result is a mesmerizing and immersive sound that pays homage to classic darkwave and art-rock, with a hypnotic ambience and a hopeful spirit one can only define as ecstatic.
For a band whose foundational works carry such substantial historical weight, there is a pervasive temptation to lapse into rote, museological performance. Crucially, The Chameleons resisted this inertia with a palpable, almost defiant, energy.
Based in Edmond, United States, Dead Feather is a deaf artist who skillfully uses various art forms to explore themes of assimilation and the civilization process, particularly focusing on the Mvskoke-Creek tribe. His latest project, Cate Heleswv (Red Medicine) Vol. 1, showcases his unique blend of poetry, paintings, and music. Collaborating with Adam Stanley and Isaac Nelson of Stanley Hotel, Dead Feather crafted the captivating single “Red Poem” as part of this audio sculpture, bringing to life a modern Native American narrative intertwined with vintage rock music influences
The Shrubs are Josh, Miguel and Sophie. Josh and Miguel are siblings, and Sophie was a co worker of Miguel’s. They have been writing and recording together for a few years now, and were signed to Blossom Records back in 2019. This particular track was written by Miguel back in 2019, it took them years of sifting through different versions of it to create what it has finally become!
Zachary Mason is a 28-year-old artist based in Guildford, UK. Since the spring of 2021, Zachary has created more than 200 demo tracks on a recording kit gifted to him by a relative. He creates music in different genres, using acoustic and electric guitars, and also keyboards.
Built on gritty distorted guitars and dense stacks of backing vocals — AliveTeen’s unmistakable signature — the track speaks to outsiders who feel they never quite fit in because of their principles and relentless honesty.
Attending a Swans show is always filled with a sense of suffering for one’s pleasure
Bog Witch is back with “Mr. Fly”, a buzzing garage rock anthem that trades the usual electric guitar for a driving rhythm ukulele. Built on bass, drums, ukulele, harmonies, and standout saxophone lines, the track grooves with a retro pop pulse while keeping one toe firmly in the garage.
From the outset of her career, Janita has defied convention yet repeatedly enjoyed mainstream success. She’s commanded attention as a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and artist-rights activist who meets frequently with Congressional lawmakers. Hailed by SPIN Magazine as “an artist unafraid of taking risks en route to her way back up the charts,” the two-time Billboard Top-40 hitmaker now delivers her tenth studio album, Mad Equation.
Lublin-based alternative metal/post-grunge quintet The Dead Hearts return with their powerful new single “No Way of Healing.” The band — Grzegorz Iwańczuk (vocals), Filip Dolecki (guitar), Damian Lipiński (guitar), Mateusz Michna (bass/backing vocals), and Cezary Szypulski (drums) — debuted in January 2024 with the demo “For What May Never Come” and followed up in January 2025 with the single “Enslaved (Break This Cycle).”
Emerging from New Zealand’s thriving Auckland indie scene, Echomatica craft atmospheric soundscapes that fuse elements of alt-rock, dream pop, trip hop and shoegaze into something uniquely their own. The band began with stripped-down acoustic covers before evolving into an original project, layering beats, guitars, and synths into lush, textured originals.
Sarah Morris is a Minneapolis-based Americana singer-songwriter whose crystalline voice and benevolent storytelling have earned her recognition as one of the Midwest’s most compelling musical voices. Winner of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition in 2018 and three-time Midwest Country Music Organization Songwriter of the Year, Morris creates music that gracefully balances technical precision with profound emotional resonance.
Beatrice Lenzini (Vocals), Fabio Mazzini (Guitar and Kick Drum), Giovanni Tamburini (Flugelhorn), and Luca Pasotti (Fretless Bass) meet in 2023 at the Bologna jam sessions and immediately the right alchemy that leads them to create this band characterized by an unusual formation. What sets them apart is the absence of a drummer: the groove is crafted in an essential and minimal way through the use of a kick drum and percussion, which give breath and space to the melodies and harmonies.
Already one of jazz’s most ambitiously creative minds, Turner found inspiration in Johnson’s roman à clef to write a suite of songs concerning it – a series of, as the title notes, reflections on its prose, its characters, and its ideals.
Blank Verse Records is thrilled to announce the release of “It Is Howling Here”, the latest single from Poems For Dead People, created in collaboration with
electronic project Intertitle. The track is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Fiercely independent, the British singer-songwriter has been steadily honing her craft for the better part of a decade. Her magnificent voice – instantly recognisable, full of grit – weaves stories of resilience and survival, of hope and new beginnings. In her music, we find liberation
as she picks at the threads of human connection, carefully unravelling the truths we might not have realised about ourselves.
It’s been a long time since I have written about Eyal Erlich, but it is great to hear that not only has he not lost any of his charm and songwriting prowess, but, as hoped, given that our last encounter was seven years ago, his music-making has gone from strength to strength.
Continuing in the spirit of the ensembles he assembled for his Trio of Trios albums, Charles Lloyd assembles musicians that put a personal, joyful stamp on the leader’s signature effortless improvisation.
From harmony in voice to harmony for humanity, husband and wife duo, The Levins, have created a hopeful, resonant sound that feels like both a refuge and a call to action. Their song-craft bridges mystical roots and contemporary Indie folk, with seamlessly blended interlaced vocals and a soundscape of acoustic warmth.
Seattle’s Acapulco Lips return with their newest record, Now. Fronted by singer and bassist Maria-Elena Herrell, the soaring vocal melodies are reminiscent of tracks off the Girls In The Garage compilations, but with faster supporting tempos to create a more updated sonic approach.
Vanderwolf concludes his ambitious six part Singles Club project with the release of “The Path of Love,” out now. The track, which has taken the longest and most winding journey of all six songs, stands as a powerful meditation on the necessity of love in today’s fractured world.
Pianist, singer-songwriter, and sacred sound artist Jennifer Harper is set to release her deeply anticipated third album, Soul Alive, on September 5, 2025. Blending 10 powerful original songs and 1 cover song, the album is a luminous exploration of healing, spiritual renewal, and emotional transformation—hallmarks of Harper’s artistry and her life’s path.
Formed in New Jersey and later based in San Francisco, Sunshine Blind were originally active from 1991-2004, disbanding when the husband-and-wife duo of Caroline Blind and CWHK parted ways. During that time, they produced three studio albums: Love the Sky to Death (1995), Liquid (1997)-, and _I Carry You (2003). The band gigged and toured around the US with the likes of The Wake, Faith and the Muse, and Switchblade Symphony among others; became regular fixtures at early Convergence festivals; and ventured to the UK and Europe for appearances at Whitby Goth Weekend and Wave-Gotik-Treffen.
Florence-based synthwave duo Out Run8 unveil their latest single, “Heart Shaped Glass”, a hauntingly beautiful track that fuses the nostalgia of the 1980s with a cinematic modern edge. Known for crafting evocative electronic landscapes, Out Run, formed in 2022 by singer-songwriter *Ginevra Abbarchini and multi-instrumentalist Lawrence Fancelli, continues to shape their distinctive retro-futuristic vision, one that resonates deeply with listeners drawn to emotional intensity and atmospheric soundscapes.
Formed out of decades of musical partnership and experimentation, Major Spark thrives on sonic exploration without boundaries. Goodman, a veteran of the indie/underground scene who founded the band Magnet and collaborated with Moe Tucker (The Velvet Underground) and David Lowery (Camper Van Beethoven), joins forces with Charles, a renowned producer and engineer whose credits include Dispatch, Marina and the Diamonds, and Weakened Friends. Together, they create music that feels timeless yet daring, drawing from eclectic influences while staying true to their indie rock core.
Madrid-born artist Andrés Costureras, the enigmatic mind behind Pshycotic Beats (named due to his SHY nature), returns with his boldest statement yet: an 8-track album titled Soundtrack Without A Movie. Leading the project is the luminous single “Silence”, a piece that fuses electronica with sweeping orchestration to create a state of pure calm and expansive reflection.
The Casbahs were formed in 2019 by Singer Niall Fenwick and guitarist Joe Teasdale, having played in other bands for many years. Shortly after, Bassist Jack Walker and Drummer Harry Mason joined, with guitarist Steven Grainger joining in 2024 to help with work on the new
music.
The Manor Born, hailing from Tucson, AZ, is a rising indie artist who recently released their much-anticipated original EP, “see you next year.” The EP, which dropped on September 5th, 2025, showcases the artist’s unique blend of early 2000’s indie and post-punk revival influences.
Acclaimed Dutch multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Harry Kappen returns with the release of his latest single and lyric video, “The Longing.” The track serves as the opening piece and fourth single from his highly anticipated new album, FOUR.
Wattmore are two brothers who communicate almost entirely through guitar solos, sarcasm, and eye rolls sharp enough to cut glass. They’re awkward, like suddenly forgetting how pockets work, to somehow stumbling into brilliance while looking like they took a wrong turn at common sense. Their songs are loaded with grit, mischief, and emotional sucker punches disguised as choruses.
The album’s title evokes the glass of a shop window—one in which someone might see their reflection, and through which an ocean of scattered memories turned into music becomes visible. These are lost stories from any life, and at the same time, a pillow to rest on. If sadness overtakes you in that mirror, a little tear should be shed to slowly stop crying. In the end, these are the songs that, despite being searched for, never appeared.
It was my first time in 19 years seeing London, England’s vanguard avant-pop group Stereolab founded by guitarist Tim Gane & French-native lead singer/guitarist/synth-player/trombonist Lætitia Sadier (whom I and Jack Rabid interviewed in 2004 for The Big Takeover) in 1990 after the dissolution of ‘80s indie pop band McCarthy, who resumed live gigs in 2019 after a 10-year pause, and released an excellent réunion LP Instant Holograms on Metal Film on their long-running Duophonic label in May, which made this second sold-out show at Brooklyn Steel much more than introducing the Stereolab catalogue to a new generation of indie music fans (over half the crowd seemed to be under 29) who are embracing post-rock & shoegaze purveyors.
The Missing Diamonds are an enigmatic collective of UK, Midlands-based songwriters, delivering unfiltered rock and roll—raw, unapologetic, and alive with energy. Their music surges with power, refusing to be ignored. Deliberately anonymous and anti-image, they reject trends and let the art stand alone. In a world of noise, The Missing Diamonds are a reminder of what rock and roll was always meant to be.
wht.rbbt.obj (White Rabbit Object) is a rock ‘n’ roll reckoning. Lauded by Rolling Stone for their “late-night decadence and velvet tones,” this femme fatale fronted powerhouse blends garage rock, blues, and soul with an unapologetic edge. What started as a covert side project between married duo Frank and River (Toussaint) Rabbitte has evolved into a four-piece tour de force, crafting music that lives on the edge of chaos and melody, delivering a sonic gut punch with every note.
Los Angeles-based band Softer has released their highly anticipated album Fun Ways to Cope, a sonic exploration of pain, healing, and everything in between. Spanning years of personal growth and emotional processing, the album captures the raw, transformative journey of life’s highs and lows through an ultimately optimistic lens.
For Old Time’s Sake, hailing from Perth, Australia”, is the brainchild of *Darwin D. Dacanay and Whet Crisostomo, who have been crafting their unique folk/pop/Beatles-inspired sound since 2007.
Pisgah will release her second single from her forthcoming album, called ‘Favor” on September 26, 2025. The project of Brittney Jenkins*—a Southern American-born musician based in Greater London since 2015—she draws inspiration from artists like *Aimee Mann, Hayley Williams and Momma.
Sons Of Silver is a neo-classic rock band from Los Angeles. The band’s line-up is vocalist and guitarist Peter Argyropoulos, guitarist Kevin Haaland, keyboardist Brina Kabler, bassist Adam Kury and drummer Marc Slutsky. Together they consistently deliver a creative synergy, with New Noise magazine insisting, “They keep the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll alive.”
Ancient Door is a heartfelt and restorative experience that gently encourages the listener to forge a path forward to their best life, and Wayne sings with a rare amount of authenticity and empathy that makes it all sound within reach.
The track “Deer Cross The River” is from the self-titled debut album “Hedmark”. Ten songs of winters past in our namesake county blending atmospheric Black Metal, post rock, vocal harmonies and shoegaze.
This song unfolds through the weary voice of a perpetual screw-up who realizes that the old habit of running from problems only grows heavier with age. “I think a lot of folks can relate to pieces of this story—most of us would rather sidestep life’s hardest moments than stare them down,” says Kevin Franco, frontman of The Muster Point Project (TMPP).
Meet Marzanna, the longtime alter ego of singer-songwriter Marianne Nowottny. This is her covers album, featuring versions of well-known songs by Kate Bush, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Siouxsie and the Banshees, among others. While Nowottny has interpreted covers throughout her career—releasing material by Yazoo, Anne Murray, The Beatles, and including songs by Nico, The Platters, Johnny Cash and Astrud Gilberto in her live sets—this is the first time she’s devoted herself to the art form in depth.
Love Ghost combines Alternative rock, grunge, metal, pop-punk, acoustic, hard rock and other genres. Lyrically the songs have an emo, poetic flair, often tackling trauma and Mental Health challenges head-on.
