Bleu Reine - The Hempolics - Tender Claws - CR & The White Lights

Photo - Léa Grégoire

Bleu Reine - Cavalier Seul.

Bleu Reine has just joined the Géographie label. Bleu Reine is the solo project of Léa Lotz, who skillfully blends shoegaze, dark folk, and dream pop. Poised to open a new chapter in her burgeoning career, she returned yesterday June 30th with a new single titled "Cavalier Seul"—the first track from her upcoming album, due for release in early 2027 via Géographie.

"Cavalier seul" is the first single from Bleu Reine's upcoming second album. Composed upon returning from a European tour, it evokes an ambiguous fantasy of freedom and loneliness in the form of a dreampop/shoegaze ballad bathed in hazy synths. This intentionally nostalgic and ethereal track could be the soundtrack to a last kiss or a first night train journey; a perfect addition to a playlist alongside other bittersweet symphonies that have nourished its writing, both right before and right after the year 2000.

(Léa Lotz) is a Paris based singer and producer taking an active part in the DIY alt scene since 2019. Her sound is rooted in both nostalgic grunge-coated dream rock and a fierce passion for layered synth pop, with a distinctive digital glow. As a solo live performer she recently supported international bands such as US Girls, They are Gutting a Body of Water, Cinder Well, Jozef von Wissem.

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The Hempolics - A Fist Full Of Covers (Album).

The Hempolics return with A Fistful of Covers, a brand-new singles project produced and mixed by Grippa Laybourne and released on ZeeZee Records. This three-track series sees the band reworking some of their favourite songs as a tribute to timeless music, each paired with a signature dub version. All tracks are sung by original Hempolics lead singer Harry Collier, whose distinctive, moving, soulful voice brings a unique warmth and emotion to each reinterpretation.

Leading the release a few weeks back is a reggae-infused take on “No Ordinary Love” by Sade, flipped into a deep, bass-heavy groove. The smooth, emotive tones of the original shine in a fresh arrangement, now carrying a moving, upbeat Rub-a-Dub reggae flow. The second offering pays tribute to one of the band’s favourite artists, Shuggie Otis, with their version of “Aht Uh Mi Hed,” reimagined with a soulful, jazz-tinged reggae feel, driven by a four-to-the-floor rhythm and accompanied by a dub.

Rounding things off is “Nothing More To Say,” inspired by one of their favourite New York bands, The Frightners. It’s reworked with an upbeat, summer-ready Hempolics twist, complete with vibrant horns and feel-good energy. With A Fistful of Covers, they tap into nostalgia while delivering something fresh for selectors and new listeners alike, continuing to push boundaries while staying rooted in organic, analog warmth through their fusion of reggae, dub, soul and beyond.

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Tender Claws - Twinge.

Alt-grunge solo artist Tender Claws shares the evocative new single ‘Twinge’ (July 1st) - a powerful and emotionally charged gut-punch that offers another compelling glimpse into her highly anticipated debut EP, Tear Him To Pieces, due for release on 7th August. Tender Claws, the stage moniker of Belfast-born artist Tess Corr, is an independent musician now based in the North West of England, draws inspiration from gothic aesthetics, introspective storytelling, and the darker facets of both nature and the human experience. 

Across her material, Tender Claws crafts a sound that is as gritty and punchy as it is ethereal, alluring, and distinctly otherworldly. Blending fuzzy alt-grunge textures with expansive production, her music explores themes of escapism, vulnerability, and transformation, creating immersive worlds that feel both hauntingly familiar and beautifully untethered from reality.

The new single ‘Twinge’ (produced by Ben Harper - The Mysterines, The Zutons, Sister Sledge, Luvcat, The Luka State, The Kairos, Toy Car, and The Sherlocks) embodies this approach, combining a fuzz-soaked bassline, relentless drums, and a wall of guitars to generate a palpable sense of urgency, offset by shimmering synth flourishes and atmospheric depth. Anchored by Corr’s melodic, instantly catchy vocal delivery, the track carries a cathartic emotional weight that makes it both resonant and accessible while remaining true to its alternative-rock core.

Talking about the track, Tender Claws explains: “I wanted to write an upbeat, in-your-face song to, ironically, have some fun while processing the feelings stemming from a relationship that I had really hoped would develop into something more, ending quite abruptly. It left me quite devastated at the time. Despite things not going the way I wanted, I felt some freedom from being ‘released’ from a connection that was making me feel anxious and small in a way. When we play this one live, I don’t play guitar for a change, which gives me the freedom to move more on stage, which is a nice parallel to the message of the song. Dance away the heartache as Roxy Music once said!”

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CR & The White Lights - Yearbook.

"Yearbook," is the new single from CR & The White Lights, out today. It's the final preview of their forthcoming album, My Old Self, due July 17 via Magic Door Records. An earnest alt-country meditation on memory and the passage of time, "Yearbook" reflects on the people who once seemed destined to remain part of our lives—and the quiet realization that many have faded into the distance.

The song was inspired by an evening at CR's wife's childhood home, where she and her sister were flipping through old yearbooks. Watching them revisit old classmates and memories prompted CR to reflect on his own past, the friendships and relationships that once felt permanent, and the many people he hasn't seen or spoken to in years. Created by CR entirely from found footage sourced from the Internet Archive, I love the way the accompanying music video balances heartfelt nostalgia with understated humor.  

Filled with blistering guitars, shimmering pedal steel, and hard-earned heartbreak, My Old Self showcases the band's blend of classic country storytelling and roots-rock energy.

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CR & The White Lights - Marty Kolls - ADMIN - Kaktus Einarsson - Resa Saffa Park - The Deslondes

Photo - Liz Sadkowski

CR & The White Lights - Tinted Windows. 

"Tinted Windows," is the searing lead track from CR & The White Lights' forthcoming LP, My Old Self. Shot through with the ragged edge and texture of indie rock, this record is proof that honest-to-goodness alt-country is still alive and well — but you don’t need me to tell you that. Just let the epic guitar solo in “Tinted Windows” do the talking. CR Gennone tells us, "The record captures a period of time in my life when I felt un-tethered and reflective, focusing on the memories and things in the past that centered me or brought me some sense of calm in the midst of a difficult time."

Brimming with blistering guitars, shimmering pedal steel, and hard-earned heartbreak, the My Old Self channels the spirit of Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Wilco while carving out a sound entirely its own. The record arrives July 17 via Magic Door Records. 'Til then, we hope you'll soak up "Tinted Windows," and help spread the word. 

Raw, loose, and gritty, New Jersey outfit CR & The White Lights’ My Old Self is a record brimming barroom philosophy and introspection set to a stack of rollicking alt-country rock. One can trace the clear lineage from Neil Young and Crazy Horse through Songs: Ohia’s Magnolia Electric Company to this record. It trades in similar traditions. But these songs are too personal and intuitive to be anything but the work of these particular players. Produced by friend of the band Phil Connor and featuring Liam Bornovski’s pedal steel guitar just about from corner to corner, My Old Self is music born for the jukebox.

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Marty Kolls - Waves.

Building upon years of writing, teaching, and performing music rooted in connection and observation, London, Ontario–based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marty Kolls releases her latest single. “Waves” is a calm and meditative folk-pop single that draws from the natural rhythms of water to explore struggle, surrender, and emotional grounding. Gentle yet resonant, the track reflects on the ebb and flow of life, offering a quiet space for reflection and release.

Inspired by time spent along Lake Huron, “Waves” emerged from Marty’s deep, lifelong connection to water. “Whether observing water from the vastness of the ocean or a ripple in a pond, it has been the root of inspiration for me for much of my life,” she explains. “Its stillness can anchor me while its waves can cleanse me.” That duality sits at the heart of the song, where moments of calm and motion coexist, mirroring the emotional cycles we move through.

The song’s origin was as intuitive as its subject matter. “It came to me at the tail end of my sleep,” Marty shares. “As I was waking up, the chord progression was in my head and I immediately went to the keyboard to record it.” From there, the track unfolded naturally, guided by feeling rather than force.

What sets “Waves” apart is its sense of flow. Layered backing harmonies move like currents beneath the surface, subtly propelling the song forward while maintaining its grounded, reflective tone. During recording, an unexpected vocal “hiccup” shifted the rhythmic phrasing of the harmonies; a moment that producer Simon Larochette encouraged Marty to embrace. “That became our favourite part,” she notes, highlighting the song’s openness to imperfection and instinct.

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Photo - Gannon Padgett

ADMIN - Marathon Times.

Brooklyn-based post-punk act, ADMIN returns with their latest single, ‘Marathon Times,’ from its upcoming Mirrored Construct EP for Abandon Everything Records. The EP sees release June 24. On this song, the band unleashes a menacing, down tempo groove that gradually builds before detonating into a powerful, cathartic finale. Expanding their sonic palette, the band leans into tension, restraint, and release -delivering a track that simmers for minutes before finally catching fire.

“We wanted to explore what happens when you strip everything back, we were interested in that contrast,” says frontperson, Ian Jacobs. “Lyrically, the song traces themes of suppressed emotion and the inevitability of confronting those things. “It’s really a theme about overcoming obstacles or trauma.”

Jacobs continues, “But not in a victimized or supernatural way. Knowing when to face things head on, but also when to let go and walk away, without running. You can’t change the past but it’s also not good to ignore it. In my life, I’ve definitely gotten stuck in that negative space trying to swat things aside and they always come to roost eventually, I just want to make sure I’m never living life on a treadmill. Sometimes all you can do is absorb, try to create something positive out of it and in the end just give it a healthy shrug.”

ADM!N · Marathon Times

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Kaktus Einarsson - Glycerine.

Kaktus Einarsson has announced his new album Factoid Happiness feat. John Grant, RAKEL, Thibault Gomez, and Jessica Winter is due in September with the new single ‘Glycerine’ out now. In a world saturated with misinformation and manufactured ideals of fulfilment, ‘Factoid Happiness’ asks a deceptively simple question; what is it that makes us happy? The third album from Icelandic stalwart Kaktus Einarsson is out on September 18th via One Little Independent Records, and seeks its answers in community, equality, and the quiet resilience of family.

Across ten tracks, Kaktus interrogates the systems that increasingly shape our emotional lives; algorithms, social media, and political polarisation. It explores how modern life dilutes attention, erodes certainty, and turns even our happiness into a commodification. “The title Factoid Happiness actually came first,” he tells us. “The word ‘happiness’ had been sitting in my notebook for a long time, before most of the lyrics were written. A lot of the album grew out of that idea, questioning what happiness even is, and where we’re being told to find it. We’re constantly being sold things as ‘truths’; feelings, knowledge, lifestyles. Algorithms decide what we see, what we believe, even what we think will make us happy. But a lot of that is unproven. It’s a factoid. Something that feels true but isn’t necessarily real.

And it’s not always negative,” he continues. “Love is also a factoid. I can’t prove my partner loves me. I choose to trust it. But the same mechanism can also derail us, especially now that we consume fragments of mass media constantly, out of context, and mistake them for truth.”

Musically, ‘Factoid Happiness’ is rich and varied, moving between intimate piano-led songwriting, warm indie-rock, funk-leaning grooves, disco-inflected rhythms, and electronic textures. It reflects Kaktus’s background as a songwriter who has moved fluidly between underground experimentation and sophisticated pop. The LP also features contributions from John Grant, RAKEL, Thibault Gomez, and Jessica Winter.

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Photo - Henriette Sagjord

Resa Saffa Park - I Can See The World.

Oslo-based singer/songwriter and composer Resa Saffa Park today returns with new single 'I Can See The World' - a smoky, slow-burning piece of alt-pop written about the disorientation and serenity of falling deeply in love - engineered around brushed percussion, spectral piano and delicate guitar arrangements.

Born in Dubai, with her musical upbringing rooted in Liverpool (Resa is a graduate of LIPA), and now based in Oslo - Resa Saffa Park's work pulls from jazz, soul, indie and noir-pop in equal measure - drawing influence from artists as varied as Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Mitski, Julia Jacklin and Nirvana, while sitting somewhere in the orbit of Tamino, Michelle Gurevich and Portishead.

With traces of jazz phrasing and cinematic trip-hop in its DNA, the song's emotional core remains startlingly direct, as she explains: "I Can See The World is my first ever exclusively 'happy' song. I wrote it about the bliss of meeting my partner. I wrote it about love, the type of love that feels safe, but nothing close to boring. The type of love that can make mundane moments in company with them, into the best days of your life. It felt like I really experienced the world for the first time, walking in the park, noticing nature, and experiencing time in a way I had never done before. I still do, with him."

The single was recorded in Oslo alongside producer Bård Berg, becoming both the first song the pair worked on together for a new body of work and the last one they completed. "Some songs come quickly," she explains, "but others need time to ferment until you crack the code of their potential and direction. This one took a while. The bridge section was the final thing to arrive, and it made the song complete."

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Photograph - Selwyn Figg

The Deslondes - I’m Gone.

The Deslondes will release Don’t Let It Die Vol. 1 tomorrow via New West Records. The 12-track set was recorded on analog tape and features renditions of songs by Swamp Dogg, Shelby Lynne, Johnny Cash, Clifton Chenier, and more. It was produced by the band’s John James Tourville and Ajaï Combelic (Sabine McCalla) at the band’s studio in New Orleans and follows their 2024 studio album Roll It Out which was met with wide critical acclaim. 

The Deslondes didn’t want to simply exalt their heroes and catalog their influences while recording the new covers album. They wanted to also give their friends a boost as well. The poignant and powerful collection includes new interpretations of old songs by artists who’ve guided the band for years, alongside new songs by peers, tourmates, and collaborators including Nick Woods, Pat Reedy, and more. “We have so many friends who are songwriters, and we just love their music so much,” says Tourville. “Riley (Downing) and Dan (Cutler) are always kicking around awesome, inspiring old songs for us to do, but for this album we really wanted to play some friends songs, too.” Downing says “These songs are very much a close part of our lives. They’re all part of our circle, this big organism that keeps influencing itself.” 

Released today ahead of the album we have a real highlight with “I’m Gone.” The song was written by their friend Kiki Cavazos, who also appears in the Joshua Shoemaker-directed video. Riley Downing says “The moment I heard Kate Cavazos' voice, I was instantly captivated and mesmerized. Who was this mysterious woman with the most beautiful omniscient comforting voice? When I first heard the chorus it gave me goosebumps, but in a reassuring way. I hope you take this cover as an introduction to your own journey of discovering her music. Keep your eyes and ears open and you might be able to find her on the road somewhere.

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