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| Photo - Eden Mili |
We have already featured a couple of songs from New York-based artist Gilanares superb debut EP and it's a real pleasure to feature the collection in full, along with a fabulous video for 'Mom! The world is ending anyway' a song that should grab our attention by the title alone. Her music has been described as having raw intensity and cinematic emotion, and yet is as vulnerable as it is electrifying. We have to agree, it's all of that and an exciting debut that should gain considerable attention, it deserves to!
The 7-track project features standout single “water my own garden” plus “Mom! The world is ending anyway” accompanied by a mesmerizing visualizer in its simplicity. Earlier, she released “if chaos killed the dinosaurs”, "cats out of the bag” and “F33D TH3 B3AST” alongside a visuals directed by her creative collaborator, Eden Mili, in thematic liminal spaces. Gilanares adds: "Water My Own Garden is about my journey of learning to nurture myself after experiencing the cost of letting others drain my energy.”
Be sure to embark on a profound musical journey with Gilanares, an artist who fearlessly explores the intricate landscape of mental health, media's impact on youth culture, and complex, ever-changing relationships. Through a kaleidoscope of genres, Gilanares delves into the raw and often unspoken experiences of the mind, offering solace and understanding to those who have faced the labyrinth of emotions. Gilanares’ introspective lyrics, coupled with evocative instrumentals, create an immersive experience that resonates with the shared struggles and triumphs of the human condition.
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| Photo - Nick McKinlay |
After a string of critically-acclaimed singles, indie-folk artist El Tee finally unveils her EP Kind Safe Cool, a searing six-track exploration of identity, autonomy, and emotional reckoning. Building on the success of her 2020 debut Everything Is Fine, this latest release marks a bold evolution in El Tee’s songwriting, dissecting love, self-worth, and survival with unflinching clarity. For fans of Julia Jacklin, Mitski, Angie McMahon.
Throughout Kind Safe Cool, El Tee’s lyrics cut deep: grief and rage simmer beneath the surface of soft vocals. Whether reflecting on a love that lingers in recent singles ‘I Still Sing About You’ or the reckoning with the fear of asking for what you need ‘Too Afraid To Ask For Love’, the EP holds a mirror up to the messy, often contradictory truths of healing. “I wrote these songs while trying to make sense of emotional duality, how anger and love, strength and fragility, can exist in the same breath,” El Tee explains.
In ‘Always, Forever’, she reclaims destruction as agency, wielding heartbreak like a weapon. ‘Helpless’ delves into the tension between the deep need to belong and the hard-won strength of being okay alone. The EP’s most vulnerable track ‘I’m Just A Woman’ is a standout, a Ethen Cain-reminiscent feminist slow-burn that interrogates gender, power, and the illusion of safety in toxic relationships. Repeating the titular refrain like a mantra, El Tee transforms passive language into a powerful act of reclamation. “‘I’m Just A Woman’ is about peeling back the veil on weaponisation of vulnerability,” she shares. “It’s angry. It’s dark. And it’s incredibly vulnerable”.
The track is accompanied by a music video shot by rcstills: a slow, atmospheric portrait that embodies the song’s emotional weight, a confrontation with the struggle to reclaim her voice.
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Bastian Pen, lead singer of the band Tricklebolt, steps into new creative territory with a fresh project under the moniker Baba Pen. Collaborating with a group of talented friends, they form Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band, a collective destined to make waves. Their debut album, set for release on October 10, 2025, blends 60s-inspired psychedelic rock with hints of folk and cosmic country, all wrapped in the lush, intricate production style of Jonathan Wilson.
‘Stuck’ is a three-minute pop gem that wears its 60s psych-rock heart on its sleeve. Kicking off with a gutsy, swaggering guitar riff, it quickly blooms into bright, harmony-soaked choruses straight from the golden era of pop. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the song sweeps you into a brief, kaleidoscopic synth detour—lifting you off the ground—before dropping you right back into that irresistible final chorus. Lyrically, it reflects on life’s messy crossroads, but musically, it’s anything but heavy—this is an effortlessly catchy track you’ll want to spin on repeat.
Featuring members from Grand East, Money and the Man, Tricklebolt, and Jimmy Diamond, "Stuck" is a captivating taste of what’s to come, offering a glimpse into the diverse sonic landscape of Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band. It's a brilliant first step into an album that promises to explore the many shades of Baba Pen's musical world.
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