Pete Muller - Mike Guldin - Nic Panken - Seth James

Photo - Shervin Lainez

Pete Muller - Stopping Time.

Pete Muller shares the music video for his new single “Stopping Time,” a highlight from his album One Last Dance, out now via Two Truths Music. Featuring orchestration from the acclaimed genre-bending duo SistaStrings, “Stopping Time” is a plea against the clock that outruns us all, unfolding through a series of emotionally resonant vignettes. Its visual gives a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the poignant track, shot at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studio and New York City’s famed Power Station.

“‘Stopping Time’ unfolds like a dream—a series of vignettes exploring longing, beauty, the fleeting nature of memory, and the stories we construct to transform ourselves,” says Muller. “The video offers glimpses into how the record came to life, from our magical week at Real World in England to the subsequent overdubs at Power Station in New York City. The supremely talented SistaStrings add rich, tasteful texture, complementing Rob Mathes’s beautiful string arrangement.”

Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath, England, alongside his band the Kindred Souls, Muller’s self-produced album One Last Dance is his most vulnerable songwriting to date, garnering praise from Americana UK, Americana Highways and more. Featuring special guests like Grammy-winner Allison Russell in addition to SistaStrings, the songs here are rich and character-driven, with performances fueled by the deep bonds between Muller and his bandmates. The end result includes highlights like the Latin-flavored title track with Russell, the empowering “Fire Child,” the uplifting "Dream Small" and the bittersweet "New York In The Rain."

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Mike Guldin - While I Can (Album).

Philadelphia-area singer-songwriter and guitarist Mike Guldin has released his new album, While I Can, via Blue Sky Tunes [listen here]. Produced by multi-Grammy winner Kevin McKendree and recorded primarily at McKendree’s Rock House studio in Franklin, Tennessee, the album blends Guldin’s reflective songwriting with the stylings of acclaimed Nashville studio band The Hot Links, delivering a collection rooted in American blues, soul, and roots traditions. 

Guldin built his career the traditional way — steady touring, regional stages, and years of writing songs that connect with everyday listeners. His work reflects the perspective of a working musician shaped by the Northeast club circuit and a deep respect for American roots music. For him, this project has a deeply personal meaning. Inspired by a conversation with his father during a difficult time, While I Can reflects the importance of pursuing the things that matter most while the opportunity still exists.

“I’m very excited to be working with Kevin, his label partner and marketing head John Heithaus, and their fabulous Blue Sky Tunes label and media partners on my new album, While I Can,” shares Guldin. “When my dad Vernie got sick, he told me, ‘Mike, if there’s anything you want to do in life, do it while you can.’ Certain life circumstances have dictated that I do just that. I’m very thankful to all the wonderful artists and the Blue Sky Tunes label team for making recording this album such a pleasure. Also sending huge thanks to all of our fans and family for their unwavering love and support. We hope you all enjoy the musical and lyrical journey that is While I Can.”

QUALIFIED RECORDS · While I Can

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Photo - Rakel Stammer

Nic Panken - Out in the Rain.

Nic Panken has released the final single from his forthcoming album ‘Near Divine or Merely Rhyme’ out April 10. “Out In The Rain” arrives ahead of Panken’s full band album release shows in NYC and Kingston, as well as a handful of East Coast dates supporting The Felice Brothers; shows are detailed below.
 
Panken, frontman for the long beloved Americana act Spirit Family Reunion enlisted an esteemed cohort to craft his solo debut, including Mat Davidson (Big Thief, Twain), Ken Woodward (Buck Meek, Sam Evian), Austin Vaughn (Cassandra Jenkins, Cass Mccombs), and David Christian (Karen O, Curtis Harding) to name a few. Co-produced by Jared Samuel (Yoko Ono, Kevin Morby) at Pale Moon Services (Dr. Dog, White Denim, Jana Horn), the resulting collection is a joyful cacophony of earthy Americana energy and earwormy, indie pop appeal, with Panken’s warm, woody vocals sturdy at the forefront. Today’s single follows the recently released singles “Dear Companion” and “2 Hearts.” 

Now residing in Kingston, NY, Panken divides his time outside of music-making between working as a puppeteer, hosting his weekly radio show, and mixing sound at beloved local venue Tubby's. By immersing himself in the restorative power of the arts, every day is decorated with the potential to be present; to find new meaning and community through his various, purposeful practices. After years of relentless touring, Panken found solace in staying still, and it’s in this shift that he began crafting what would become his new body of work.

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Photo - Erin Valkner

Seth James - Motormouth.

Texas-bred guitarist, singer-songwriter Seth James has released his new album, Motormouth, via Qualified Records. Produced by multi-Grammy winner Kevin McKendree, the project delivers groove-driven, soul-infused songs that further solidify James as one of the most respected voices on today’s blues and roots circuit.

A longtime fixture of the Lone Star music community, James built his reputation the traditional way — performing in blues clubs, roadhouses, and festival stages across Texas and beyond. His sound respects the lineage of artists like Delbert McClinton while standing firmly on his own voice as a disciplined songwriter and bandleader. Through albums like Different Hat and Good Life, James has grown a loyal audience with his road-tested musicianship and authentic songwriting.

Recorded at McKendree’s Rock House studio in Franklin, Tennessee, Motormouth features an all-star lineup of musicians, including McKendree on piano and organ, Rob McNelley on guitar, Steve Mackey on bass, Lynn Williams on drums, and members of The Time Jumpers. For James, working alongside McKendree felt less like a traditional producer-artist collaboration and more like making music with family.

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ena mori - Pete Muller - Tamar Berk

Photo - Ennuh Tiu

ena mori - Portion Control.

Genre-defying Filipino-Japanese indie/art-pop artist ena mori has just released a new EP 'rOe.' To mark the EP release, ena today releases the video for focus single 'Portion Control'.

Characterised by a relentless pursuit of innovation, new EP 'rOe' is an six-track project that finds ena mori revisiting her childhood, and how it shaped her moral and emotional compass as an adult. Featuring previously released singles 'Trust Me', 'Heartache Generation' and 'Sink' - the EP is a reinterpretation of the memories of her early years with the perspective she carries right now.

“rOe isn’t about making grand statements. It’s more about being present in the process—figuring things out in real time. It's that feeling of being in your 20s, still feeling like a child when you're expected to have it all together. I may not have the perfect words to describe it yet, but somehow, in this moment, it makes sense to me," ena mori said.

A coming-of-age project but not in a traditional sense, 'rOe' navigates the emotional whiplash of entering your twenties with one foot still planted in childhood. To sum it up, it’s about the paradox of forward motion while feeling stuck.

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Photo - Shervin Lainez

Pete Muller - Dream Small.

Pianist and singer-songwriter Pete Muller has shared his new single “Dream Small” via Two Truths Music. An ode to finding happiness through a shift in perspective, this uplifting song arrives with a colorful stop-motion music video directed by Stefano Bertelli (Pink Floyd, Eminem, Amy Lee).

Muller on the new song: “So many people who have a lot continue to want more and more. ‘Dream Small’ is about a celebrity who finds that her path to happiness lies within — in the smaller things. The stop animation video was created by a wonderful studio in Italy called Seen Film.”

Bertelli on directing the visual: “When I first listened to ‘Dream Small,’ I focused especially on the lyrics, and one line really stood out to me — the one about the star on the Walk of Fame. I imagined a visual analogy between the star and the shape of a broken car wheel rim coming loose and rolling away. This contrast — between a symbol of success and something ordinary, even broken — immediately inspired the opening scene of the video: a wheel rim detaching from a car and beginning its own journey.”

“Dream Small” follows Muller’s critically acclaimed album More Time, released last year. After achieving success in quantitative finance, Muller found himself yearning to fulfill his creative urges. “I have these two sides,” Muller explains. “One part of me is a very practical, analytical thinker, and the other’s this creative artist who can’t help but express what’s going on in his soul. For a long time, I thought I had to choose between the two, but I’ve realized that I can love and nourish both sides of myself, that it’s and not or.”

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Tamar Berk - stay close by.

Acclaimed indie power-pop artist Tamar Berk shares “stay close by,” the shimmering and emotionally charged lead single from her upcoming album ocd, out on September 5th on all music platforms. Although it opens the album, “stay close by” was actually the final song Tamar wrote. It was an impulsive, late-night effort to create the perfect introduction that would pull listeners in while hinting at the emotional spirals that lie ahead.

The result is a lush, unexpected mix of distortion, loopy rhythms, and aching vocals that reflect the tension of longing for connection while trying to protect your heart. Berk blends gauzy guitars with a retro, low-end Big Muff fuzz and layered synth textures, creating a sound that feels both melancholy and warm. Lyrically, the song captures that in-between space of dreaming and doing. It lingers in those tender, half-serious plans we make with someone close, like the refrain: “we always say we should get high… and go for a ride.”

“I wanted the first track and single to feel a little mysterious, a little off-center,” Tamar says. “Something that sounds familiar but also surprises you and makes you curious about what’s coming next.”

With ocd, Tamar explores themes of anxiety, repetition, and the constant struggle to stay in control of our emotions. It's an album shaped by spirals of thought, fear, and memory. “stay close by” acts as both an invitation and a mission statement, setting the tone for everything that follows.

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