With Echoes, Luke Wood steps fully into his own artistic orbit, one defined by authenticity, grit, and a sound that’s as textured as it is timeless. The singer-songwriter’s second release with RCSQ Records™ captures the raw heart of Eclectic Roots Groove™, a genre that’s quickly carving its place in the modern landscape. What Wood and RCSQ have created here is something more than an EP, it’s a statement of purpose, a crystallization of what happens when roots-driven storytelling meets fearless experimentation.
Chicago’s own Leo XIV, the musical identity of Dylan Leo Azadi, continues his ascent through the stratosphere of alternative pop and R&B with his latest single, “Feel.” Following the momentum of his striking debut earlier this year (“Midas”), this sophomore release solidifies Leo XIV as one of the most captivating new voices in modern music. He’s an artist unafraid to stretch the boundaries of genre while delving deep into emotional and spiritual terrain.
With “For A While,” Billboard-featured New York City songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and former Broadway performer Nicola Vazquez once again proves that few artists can match her ability to fuse raw emotion with polished musicianship. Known for her electrifying blend of pop, folk, and rock, Vazquez takes a softer yet equally commanding turn here — delivering a song that feels both intimate and cinematic, the kind of performance that lingers long after the last note fades.
Sabina Beyli is fast emerging as one of the most exciting young voices in alt-pop-rock, and her latest single, “Bad Habits,” solidifies that momentum with thrilling force. At just 22, she’s already figured out how to channel chaos into catharsis, turning self-reflection and emotional unrest into something both deeply personal and wildly anthemic. Out October 24, 2025, the track feels like a breakthrough moment, a fearless and unfiltered confession that hits as hard emotionally as it does sonically.
From its opening moments, “Bad Habits” announces itself with raw immediacy. A moody, restless instrumental gives way to a thick, swirling blend of guitars and electronic textures that pulse with tension. Beyli’s voice cuts through the mix with razor clarity; strong, emotive, and laced with just enough vulnerability to make every lyric feel like a journal entry cracked open. The song thrives on contrast: soft introspection colliding with massive, cathartic choruses, quiet moments dissolving into sonic storms.
With Destined to Fail, released on October 3rd, 2025, Violet Love delivers one of the most emotionally charged and sonically daring EPs of the year. The New Jersey-born, queer Latin American artist lays bare the unfiltered truths of self-discovery, trauma, and transformation across three stunningly crafted tracks. Clocking in at just ten minutes, this EP feels both intimate and monumental, the kind of project that lingers long after the final note fades.
With Stray Bullet Blues, Minneapolis-based guitarist, composer, and educator Cody Steinmann proves once again why he’s one of the most exhilarating players in modern jazz. Across eight instrumental tracks spanning a generous 52 minutes, Steinmann brings his signature fusion of jazz and rock into sharper, harder focus, leaning into a bolder, electrified sound that brims with urgency and energy. The result is an album that feels both virtuosic and visceral and one that we are looooving.
Whitney have always had a gift for turning the everyday into something luminous, but Small Talk feels like the album where they’ve distilled everything they’ve been chasing since their debut into one cohesive statement. Set for release November 7th on AWAL, the Chicago band’s fourth record is not just their most affecting to date, it’s arguably their best, full stop. If their past albums flirted with brilliance, this one weds it, an effortless blend of their signature soft-focus soul, shimmering folk-rock warmth, and tenderly crafted pop that glows from the first note to the last.
Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek spoke candidly with us about the making of this record, and what came through most clearly was a sense of freedom. Every instrument sits exactly where it should, every harmony breathes, and yet the album never feels overworked. Partially recorded in the confines of their apartment, it quickly proved you don’t need multimillion-dollar studio space to create something that’s as grand as this is.
September 26th at Italia Square in Tirana marked the explosive launch of this year’s Check In Festival, and one of the undisputed highlights of Electronic Night was a masterful DJ set from none other than Trentemøller. A legend in the electronic music scene, his presence alone electrified the crowd, but it was the way he curated the night that turned his set into a defining moment of the festival. Even better, we had an interview him backstage which you can check out below!
From the very first notes of their latest release, In Balance prove why Bakersfield might just be harboring one of the most exciting punk bands in the scene right now. Their new 7” record, Unforgivable, out via Transcendental Revolution, may only carry two tracks, but it punches well above its weight. Limited to just 100 copies pressed on translucent California Clear vinyl, the project feels less like a routine drop and more like a love letter to the urgency and spirit of modern punk.
With his latest release, “Jumping From So High” (out September 2th), Leo Sawikin cements himself as one of indie music’s most compelling rising voices. It’s a euphoric, dream pop–leaning track that glows with optimism and bursts of color, but at its core, it also reveals a songwriter with rock roots and a keen sense of craft. Produced by Seattle legend Phil Ek, the single feels expansive, cinematic, and effortlessly uplifting, a signpost of bigger things to come for Sawikin as he maps out an ambitious run of singles, an EP, and a full album rollout stretching into 2026.
With their latest release, First Stage Separation, University Drive prove they’re not just a band to watch, they’re a band that’s gonna make you feel what they’re serving up. Dropped on May 2nd, 2025, the Scranton, Pennsylvania rockers’ six-song EP is a thunderous ride, clocking in at just under half an hour. The record is a perfect storm of the band’s collective energy, with every member lending their hand to the songwriting and arrangements, creating a sound that’ll have you shook by the record’s end.
With “Time Thief,” rising singer-songwriter My Life As A Moth has crafted an alternative anthem that feels both deeply personal and gloriously unhinged. It’s the first glimpse into her forthcoming album The Parade Of The Starlet & The Broken Hearted, and it lands like a jolt to the system. It’s a dark, genre-defying piece of art that wrestles with the way anxiety can warp time itself, stealing moments that should be ours to live fully. The result is a brooding, beautiful storm of sound that cements her as one of the most exciting experimental voices in indie music right now.
With Elatseyi, Old Trees continues its mission to blur the line between disorientation and delight. The new four-track EP, crafted by Zachariah Watson, former frontman of Time Pilot and the restless mind behind this project, feels like a passport to a universe where folk traditions, electronic experiments, and global pop mutations coexist in harmony. It’s a record that thrives on contradictions: earthy yet otherworldly, chaotic yet carefully composed, playful yet deeply moving.
Sam Wrangle has long been one of the more intriguing voices in Australia’s indie underground, blending indie rock grit, neo-psychedelic haze, and the melodic charm of eighties guitar pop. But with his latest single “Delicious Delights”, the Canberra-born, Brisbane-based songwriter takes a refreshing leap into synth-driven territory, proving once again that reinvention is part of his DNA.
Dorsten have made a name for themselves as one of the most compelling sibling duos in modern folk-pop, and their latest single, “Hush”, arriving October 1, 2025, proves just how much they’ve sharpened their craft. Equal parts haunting and cathartic, the track is a masterclass in emotional storytelling, carried by Sophie Dorsten’s powerhouse vocals and Alex Dorsten’s restrained yet evocative instrumentation. Together, they create a song that doesn’t just play, it lingers, unsettles, and ultimately transforms the listener.
From the opening notes, “Hush” establishes itself as more than just another folk-pop ballad. Alex builds the foundation with instrumentation that is sparse but intentional, weaving mystery into every strum and echo. There’s a sense of quiet dread simmering beneath the surface, giving Sophie the space to unleash a vocal performance that’s as raw as it is commanding. Her delivery channels the wounded vulnerability of someone trapped in a toxic relationship, yet there’s a fire burning at the edges, a refusal to stay silenced.
In an era where polished, formula-driven singles dominate playlists and algorithms dictate what we hear next, The JB Project arrives like a sudden jolt of electricity to the system. With “Consumption”, an immersive six-minute psychedelic rock anthem, JB, who writes, performs, records, mixes, and masters every note, lays down not just a song, but a manifesto. It’s raw, hypnotic, and brimming with an urgency that feels ripped from the veins of both the past and the present.
Vân Scott has been making the rounds in Hollywood for years now, lending his voice to countless projects. But with “Turn Off the Tears,” the latest release from Scott Oatley under his artist moniker, he proves that his stories are just as compelling as any blockbuster he’s sung behind. What emerges is a soaring, deeply personal anthem of resilience and catharsis, one that takes private heartbreak and transforms it into something universally uplifting.
Prince Philippe has always carried himself like someone meant to blur boundaries. Raised in Verona in a family of musicians, formally trained in both modern and jazz, and later tempered by the grind of Atlanta’s R&B scene, his trajectory is anything but conventional. That mix of worlds comes alive in his latest single, “Hour of Need”, a vibrant pop-R&B track that not only grooves effortlessly but also signals a new era for the young artist as he prepares to roll out his ambitious project TGT through 2025 and 2026.
Alex Otey has long been a shape-shifter in the world of modern jazz, but Darwin AI: Survivor Choice might be his most ambitious statement yet. It’s a dazzling 37-minute set that redefines what jazz fusion can feel like in 2025. Known as an award-winning pianist, singer, trumpeter, and composer/arranger, Otey’s career has been threaded with collaborations alongside giants like Grover Washington Jr. and Richie Cole, as well as GRAMMY®-nominated and winning projects. This record distills that pedigree into something simultaneously reverent and refreshing.
Across seven tightly woven tracks, Otey blends the harmonic sophistication of classic jazz with the sleek accessibility of pop, creating an atmosphere that feels both intricate and effortlessly inviting. The album’s foundation is Otey’s virtuosity, notably his trumpet playing crackles with warmth and precision, while his piano and keyboard work bring an intoxicating mix of groove and lyricism. The basslines, always alive, always inventive, lay down rhythms that keep the record in constant forward motion. It’s modern jazz at its finest, splashed with radiant pop flourishes that never water down its depth.
Camilo EG has always thrived at the crossroads of intimacy and grandeur, and with his new EP Accidental Baroque, he delivers a concise but powerful statement that highlights his versatility as a songwriter, singer, and performer. At just four tracks and 17 minutes, it’s a tight listen, but one that lingers well beyond its runtime, creating an experience that feels both personal and cinematic, woven with rock warmth and alternative edge.
The EP opens with a bold reimagining of Queen’s “Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together),” and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s one of the most striking renditions of the classic we’ve ever heard. Where Queen’s original soared with a kind of stately optimism, Camilo leans into a darker, more rock-focused interpretation, using textured guitars and shadowed atmospheres to uncover new emotional depth. It’s not simply a cover, it’s a transformation, reframed through his artistic lens. During our interview with Camilo, he spoke about the challenge of approaching such an iconic piece with reverence while still making it his own. That balance comes through brilliantly, a true feat that sets the tone for the rest of the record.
