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.

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.

What makes the album resonate is its refusal to package its themes in cliché. This is not an album about escape or triumph; it’s about engagement, with oneself, with others, and with the oft‑messy space where those encounters happen.

This release isn’t about what The Motorcycle Boy failed to become. It’s about what they already were: a band capable of writing concise, affecting songs that trusted subtlety over spectacle.

What makes the ‘Truth’ reissue compelling today is its timelessness. Its dreamy textures, contemplative pacing, and emotional poise resonate with listeners now as it did on first release. ‘Truth’ demands attentive listening, inviting engagement not just with the music, but with oneself.

In the end, listening to ‘Tiny Shapes / A Room Forever’ is like stepping into a parallel pop history that never existed, or perhaps a history that always quietly simmered beneath the mainstream. It is an album that rewards keen ears and a love of detail.

TAGABOW’s evolution from synthetic maximalism to raw humanism is complete, creating an album that is simultaneously massive, intimate, and unflinchingly honest. It is the clearest articulation yet of why They Are Gutting A Body of Water remain one of the most vital forces in American shoegaze.

Delving into the essence of “When Alone,” Matare drew inspiration from a rich tapestry of influences that prioritize emotional resonance and subtlety over flashy production. Echoes of bands like The Cure, New Order, and The Smiths can be felt in the moody atmospheres and deliberate pacing, while contemporary artists like Wild Nothing inform the delicate balance between intimacy and restraint.

Miller and Jones don’t frame Sunroof as a legacy project, and ‘Vol. 3’ makes clear why. This isn’t a summation of past achievements; it’s a continuation of curiosity. Each track begins from zero, with no thematic blueprint beyond the act of listening to the machines, to each other, to the moment itself.

Adamson provides more than a mere accompaniment; he constructs an immersive descent into a vanished London subculture, distilling the spirit of late-night rebellion into a visceral, unvarnished sonic archive that feels as vital as the flickering specters it haunts.

What makes ‘Big Ugly’ remarkable isn’t just its specificity, though the gas stations, highways, and first-name characters feel uncannily real, but its generosity. Dowdy writes from a position that is both insider and outsider, loving the South without mythologizing it, critiquing it without condescension.

What makes ‘Diamond Grove’ so compelling is its emotional clarity beneath the abstraction. Despite the layers of noise, processing, and conceptual weight, the record remains deeply grounded in human presence.

Martin Kuiper’s musical journey is no ordinary story. He released his first song in 2023, at the age of 49, and since then, his musical output has remained steady, with the folk rock album “To Feel Is To Believe,” the live EP “To Hear Is To Believe,” and the five-track EP “Dreaming Of Sea Of Time.” Now it’s time to rock for Martin Kuiper, with “Time” and “Ego” as his first two impressive trump cards.

Canadian-born composer/pianist Jeff Vidov (pronounced Vee-daw-v) has been releasing new music singles from his upcoming 2CD rock/pop album in 2025, a mammoth project that has been in the works for years. His brand new single is “TAKE A RIDE” and it was preceded by his last singles “LOVE”, “New York I’m coming to you”, “Can u get the vibe from me baby?” and “State of Innocence” and “All nite long” and “Running in Place” and “Oh mi da dey di” all recorded at his recording studio in Toronto with Canadian musicians.

The pop punk/pop rock band, The Unfamiliars?, return with a nostalgic new single, written in the heart of winter, about the summer memories that keep us going. “Bottles” is the band’s 4th single, preceding the release of their debut full-length album, which will happen in February 2026. With consistency and a clear artistic vision, The Unfamiliars? remain visually committed to a vintage VHS-inspired aesthetic, blending it with the song’s nostalgic theme and its bittersweet melodies.

From the Bay Area (re-)emerges a guitarist whose skill and distinctive sound make it surprising he isn’t more well-known, especially in guitar nerd circles.

George Collins is a Prague-based singer/songwriter whose music speaks to the second act of life with wit, depth, and infectious hooks. After decades in a high-powered international finance career, Collins returned to his first love — music. What began as an impromptu Fourth of July performance reignited a fire that has since produced a critically acclaimed debut EP It’s Been a Long Time, the fan-favorite Songs for Grown-ups, and now a full-length follow-up, New Ways of Getting Old, released track by track over the next two years.

“Devil’s Got Your Soul” delves into the profound realization of battling inner demons such as addiction, fear, and self-destructive patterns. This introspective track embodies raw honesty and emotional depth, resonating with audiences on a visceral level. Recorded at the Hazy Cosmic Jive Studio in Newcastle, NSW, the unique recording process of this single showcases Mangy Mutt’s raw talent and authentic artistic approach, setting him apart in the music industry.

Blending interpretive depth with surefooted songwriting instinct, Sasha Joy unveils her most compelling and vocally daring release to date: “To Stay.” Both timeless and forward-reaching, “To Stay” arrives with the calm confidence of an artist entering her own league, offering a sound that is emotionally arresting, musically expansive, and instantly memorable.

Following the momentum of his fancurated album By Special Request and the international attention garnered by “When He Speaks,” which climbed to #4 on the Euro Indy Artist Radio Network, Bill Barlow returns with his most ambitious and accomplished project yet: Out of Obscurity.

This is not an album designed for instant gratification or playlist skimming. Its pleasures are cumulative, rewarding repeated listens with new emotional angles and sonic details.

What distinguishes ‘Corporate Minute’ is its disciplined sense of restraint. The songs resist the temptation to overstate their purpose. Instead, they rely on texture, pacing, and subtle shifts in dynamics to carry emotional weight.

While the lyrics inhabit the fluorescent hum of stale convenience store air and the boredom of rural stagnation that assist in painting a portrait of small-town life that feels both lived-in and ghostly in tracks like “Blue Déjà Vu” and “Mr. Wine”…

By oscillating between walls of feedback and intricate guitar work, Hell of a Life has created a track that mirrors the cycle of its title, marking a massive step forward for the band and a standout addition to the contemporary heavy-alternative scene.

By synthesizing Reaganite paranoia with a deeply British sense of domestic absurdity, Dry Cleaning has created a work that captures the specific, fractured frequency of living in the 2020s by evoking the jagged, high-alert sound of early 1980s American hardcore and punk bands who were reacting to a world that felt increasingly dangerous and deceptive.

It feels like the lights being turned off in a familiar room, the kind of calm that comes not from answers but from understanding when to stop asking.

By the time the album winds down, it’s clear that Florry isn’t chasing perfection or timelessness. They’re chasing connection, the kind that happens when songs are big enough to hold both joy and dread at once.