Strange Dream contacted us a week or so ago and we were massively impressed with their latest track Levanter, and are pleased to share it after it's release this weekend. The band tell us "Levanter takes its name from the warm wind that blows in from the east across the Mediterranean. In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist it's a presence that's always close by but never seen, known only by the mark it leaves. This track borrows that idea: a hypnotic, driving groove built around exactly that feeling."
Some background on the band: Strange Dream is a Manchester based psych band blending hypnotic rhythms, jangling guitars and reverb soaked melodies into a sound that’s both timeless and unmistakably modern. Drawing influence from bands such as Allah Las, BJM and Night Beats, the band crafts immersive songs built on driving grooves, layered guitars and hazy atmospheres.
Originally formed in 2023 as a studio project, Strange Dream focussed on writing and self producing a handful of singles. Following a short hiatus of recording the band returns with renewed creative focus and is now bringing their sound to the stage for the first time.
With a live set built around high energy performances, Strange Dream is currently seeking support slots and festival opportunities in Manchester and across the northwest. For fans of: 60’s Garage Rock, Modern Psychadelia, The Black Angels, Allah Las, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Velvet Underground.
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Released a couple of days ago 'Fake Love' is one of those songs that stands out immediately and then goes on to build into a beautiful alt pop song. Nofar Margaliot sings in Hebrew and English and on the next album 14 of the songs are recorded in English and on the strength of this one may well reach a larger international audience. Some more background on the song.
Israeli singer-songwriter Nofar Margaliot and Alon Wasserman's Project feature Fake Love, the first single from their forthcoming joint album. The song is about clinging to the crumbs of love: small gestures that give great hope, even when the connection itself does not give what we need. At the center of it is an image of plastic flowers, which look like the real thing but life is lacking.
Alternative pop with singular singing, guitars and piano in the stecto, in a sensual and melancholy atmosphere reminiscent of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black spirit. Nofar and Alon wrote the words and melody together. Alon also played, arranged, produced and recorded; Daniel Wortheimer is responsible for the mix and mastering.
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With their new single “Door,” At Baron Lane deliver a fresh, upbeat indie-pop song. At Baron Lane are a four-piece indie band from the greater Zurich area, extending as far as Lachen in the canton of Schwyz. Since celebrating the release of their debut album “in Paradise” at Amboss Rampe in Zurich in 2019, the band has continued to refine their songwriting and successfully demonstrated their skills live at countless concerts.
The quartet has already performed at venues including Schüür in Lucerne, Exil Club in Zurich, and Werk21 at Dynamo in Zurich. With the single “Future-Men,” released in June 2025, the band also secured its first airplay on various indie radio stations, both locally and internationally.
Inspired by groups such as Parcels, Twenty One Pilots, Metronomy, l’Impératrice, and Duran Duran, At Baron Lane explore the boundaries of indie pop. Their music remains catchy despite its many influences, while retaining a distinctive At Baron Lane sound—with melodies that stay in listeners’ heads long after the music ends.
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| Photo - Jørgen Nordby |
Acclaimed Norwegian songwriter Siv Jakobsen this weekend announces her new album Scandinavian Dread, out 12th March 2027 via The Nordic Mellow/Virgin Music Group, and shares new single 'On You' feat. Marit Larsen. Scandinavian Dread is Jakobsen's fourth studio album and the follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2023 album Gardening.
Taking a wry look at the "sad girl" label attached to her music, Scandinavian Dread makes room for gratitude, grief and the humour of everyday life. Where Gardening explored past hurt, its follow-up finds Jakobsen considering what comes next: the comfort of a loving relationship, the pressures of ambition, and the small domestic pleasures that help her through the Norwegian winter. "Oh, you think I’m sad? Fine. I’ll give you sad," she jokes of the title, though the songs tell a more expansive story.
Co-written with her longtime friend and collaborator Marit Larsen, who brings a sparkling pop sensibility and guest vocals to the recording, new single 'On You' finds Jakobsen at her most bright-eyed and thankful. Celebrating a love that feels effortless after one that demanded too much, the song looks back with a new perspective, past experiences deepening her appreciation for what she has now. Anchored by acoustic guitar, it opens out into strings, layered vocals and an uplifting chorus, as Jakobsen sings: "I’m not trying, we are an effortless blend / In the thick of you now, never losing - you are my luminous mender."
Discussing the new single, Jakobsen says: "On You is an ode to gratitude and pure joy - to finally finding the right person and realising that every road and dead end somehow led you to them. I wrote it with my good friend and collaborator Marit Larsen, wanting to create a song that could act as a bridge between my previous album, Gardening, and the next, Scandinavian Dread. It also became a very effortless blend of our individual voices as artists and songwriters, so having Marit join me on the recording felt both natural and obvious."
Marit Larsen added: "On You feels like—and sounds like—a breakthrough for my dear friend Siv. It is an emotional release bathed in light, hearts beating; the perfect song to take with you into the low autumn sun, with leaves crunching under your soles. The song reveals a side of Siv that’s usually reserved for those of us in her innermost circle."
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Chicago’s latest indie-rock sensation The Sunshine Rebels arrives with their debut single “Hop On, Hop Off”. The neo-psychdelic inspired track is now available via digital streaming platforms worldwide.
Inspired after a trip to the British Isles, “Hop On, Hop Off” drips with an intense and classic swagger, sonically self-described by the band as “Radiohead meets 10,000 Maniacs through a Beatles lens”. There’s a dash of Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders as well, which is evident in Sangeeta Driver's spunky and powerful vocals. Consisting of droning pedal tones, chaotic travel themes, and scattered vintage pop culture references, The Sunshine Rebels’ latest track is intentional yet surprising— leaning cleverly into a vintage aesthetic yet still remaining uniquely its own.
“Hop On, Hop Off” was created at Chicago’s Electrical Audio. Although recording for the tracks took place as recently as the Summer of 2026, The Sunshine Rebels have been cooking up these tunes for quite a while. The result is the forthcoming album, slated for unveiling in early 2027 – consisting of tracks that have been in conception since as far back as the early 2000’s.
“Hop On, Hop Off” was recorded live, with no click tracks or autotune, creating a rare and organic experience that is hard to find in today’s current soundscape. The new single is the precursor to what is to come on the forthcoming album, a decadent sonic treat leaning into 80s rock, alternative indie, and elements of post-punk revival.
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Blank Instrument, Boorloo/Perth-based singer-songwriter Kim Franklin returns with her debut album ‘Jumping at Ghosts’, just released on Friday, (October 23). Spanning 11 tracks, the album brings together themes of love, grief, uncertainty, mental health and hope through Franklin’s intimate, reflective songwriting. Made possible by the generosity of her late friend Julie, ‘Jumping at Ghosts’ grew from songs Kim Franklin began writing in early 2023, without initially intending to make a full album. Musically, the album evolved through experimentation, drawing on folk, soul, blues and piano ballads. About this album, Franklin states:
“Over the 2 and a half years that I’ve been working on these songs, they have made their truth known to me. They were born from a place in my subconscious and in understanding them, they have helped me become a better person. How I feel about my songs, my voice, myself, has been transformed through recording this album.”
The transformation Kim describes has also been reflected in the response to the album’s first releases. Kim’s releases have reached #1 on the AMRAP Country/Blues/Roots Chart and #4 Overall, alongside airplay on ABC Country, ABC Perth, RTR and community radio across AUS. They've also drawn support from Backseat Mafia, Scenestr, AAA Backstage, Good Call Live, The Point Music News, Lock Mag and more.
Now, it all comes together across 11 tracks, with ‘Jumping at Ghosts’ moving through heartbreak, uncertainty, grief, love and mental health while holding onto hope and the possibility of renewal. The album opens with its first three singles, ‘Brand New’, ‘Know Nothing’ and ‘Green and Blue’, exploring new beginnings, accepting uncertainty and learning to remain present through grief.
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