Portland, the Belgian dreampop outfit fronted by singer-songwriter Jente Pironet, have released their new single ‘Exactly What I Need’. The 3rd song to drop in the run up to the forthcoming album ‘Champain’ sounds like Portland’s most upbeat and joyous affair yet. “I’m gonna scream it all over the streets. This is exactly what I need”, proclaims Pironet backed by energetic drumbeat and shimmering synths. However, its subject matter is darker than its melody suggests.
In 2023, just days after triumphing on the stage of Belgium’s biggest festival Rock Werchter, frontman Jente Pironet was diagnosed with brain cancer. What should have been a year of triumph became a time of struggle, recovery, and self-discovery.
“In hindsight, it’s about exactly what I don’t need”, laughs Pironet, “In that dark period after my cancer diagnosis it felt like life was slipping through my fingers. I clung to escapism: going out to bars and trying to forget. When I feel bad these days, I go out into nature or have a glass of rosé with my grandmother. They’re small things, but it’s comforting to realize that can be enough.”
Portland are one of Belgium’s most compelling indie exports. Blending cinematic pop, melancholic folk, and festival-ready rock, the band first broke through with their 2019 debut ‘Your Colours Will Stain’ and follow-up ‘Departures’ (2023). Known for their delicate harmonies and emotionally charged live shows, Portland has earned praise from European tastemakers and graced stages from Rock Werchter to Eurosonic.
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Helen Counts is an Indie singer/songwriter based in Madison, Wisconsin, US. She began her career singing in cafes in Virginia in the 1990s. She has released an album and numerous singles on streaming since 2021.
Her songs range from acoustic singer/songwriter to Indie rock style. Her latest Indie rock single ‘Unravel’ was released on October 6, 2025. The single has solid vocals and vivid lyrics that are the cornerstones of her unique sound.
She works closely with Trystan Matthews, a talented producer in NYC. She hopes her songs have an impact on the listener long after the music ends.
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North Wales trio 'Bau Cat' return with their most vibrant and emotionally charged release to date - “Silver Bangle”, out now on Libertino. A rush of jangling guitars, soaring harmonies and unstoppable energy, “Silver Bangle” is Bau Cat at their most magnetic. Blending Motown girl group sparkle, 70s power-pop punch, and the melodic edge of 90s alt-pop, the track pulses with life, legacy and fierce individuality. It’s a glittering anthem of joy, resilience, and unapologetic self-expression, a song that remembers, resists, and refuses to dim.
What began as a jam built around a hypnotic bassline evolved into a defining moment for the band. “It had this driving ‘Barracuda’ vibe,” says vocalist and bassist Abby Butler. “Then Jim brought in the guitar melody, which inspired the vocal hook: ‘Hand me down a bangle that jangles, wear it on my right side.’ From there, everything just clicked.”
Drawing inspiration from The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las, through the melodic spirit of Big Star, the raw immediacy of The Lemonheads, and a flash of Galaxie 500’s emotional candour, “Silver Bangle” feels both nostalgic and vital. There’s even a glimmer of Paul McCartney’s Ram-era playfulness in the layered vocals and effortless melodic confidence - a track that sparkles on the surface yet cuts deep beneath.
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We have the new single and music video from Los Angeles-based galactic dream rock artist Polartropica and Americana artist Gilbert Louie Ray. Called "Shiny Things", the song "was inspired by my father's love for John Denver and his beautiful cinematic melodies I grew up listening to, as well as sweet classic harmonies of the Everly Brothers and surfy electric guitars of Beach Boys." shares Polartropica.
With banjo and acoustic guitar by Gilbert Louie Ray and electric guitars by Brandon Graham who also engineered and mixed the track, "Shiny Things" is a genre-defying banger. The track details the heart-crushing pain that sometimes happens at the end of falling in love. Polartropica further confides, "This song is about eventually finding it in your heart to learn and grow from all the hard lessons and finally let go with a sense of understanding and acceptance, which is a journey in itself, and coming back home to yourself with love and forgiveness."
The single is shared alongside a music video that is a swashbuckling adventure of a legendary, toasty pirate of the Salton Sea who gets a parking ticket on her ship. The cinematic video was filmed and directed by Tristan Pelletier on the hottest day of summer in the desert.
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