North Mississippi Allstars - St. Catherine's Child - Fast Followers - Alexandra Alden

Photograph by Michael Emanuele

North Mississippi Allstars - Stay All Night.

North Mississippi Allstars return with Still Shakin’ on June 6, 2025 via New West Records. The 11-track album was produced by Luther & Cody Dickinson. Still Shakin’ follows their acclaimed 2022 album Set Sail, which No Depression said was “their most soulful, funky creation to date.”

To make their twelfth album, the North Mississippi Allstars went back to the beginning—namely, their 2000 debut, Shake Hands with Shorty. Luther Dickinson says, “Still Shakin’ is a celebration of our life-changing first album, which we released 25 years ago, and a love letter of appreciation to everyone who supported us and kept us in the game all these years. In the spirit of our debut, we recorded Mississippi classics that despite inspiring us to start the band in 1996, we have yet to record.  We also wanted to feature our fantastic band mates Joey Williams and Rayfield “Ray Ray” Hollman who inspire us to no end.

Their contributions elevate NMA to new heights.” Still Shakin’ is a daringly inventive expansion of that album, showing how much the Dickinson Brothers have grown in the last 25 years. The point wasn’t to re-create the sound of Shake Hands with Shorty, but to recapture that spirit of invention and excitement. Back in the day, the Allstars came up with the phrase "Modern Mississippi Music" to describe their collision of styles and attitudes: an obsession with Mississippi Hill Country and Sacred Steel cross-bred with their punk/psychedelic jams. Still Shakin’ embodies that idea with every note and incorporates wild explorations, weird experiments, and unexpected influences into their sound.

“Though always a Junior Kimbrough favorite, NMA has never recorded 'Stay All Night' until now, featuring Junior’s son Robert Kimbrough on vocals and guitar (recorded at Duwayne Burnside’s Juke Joint, just down the road from Junior’s old spot) and NMA bandmate Joey Williams (Blind Boys of Alabama) as well Jojo Hermann (Widespread Panic).”

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St. Catherine's Child - New Eden.

Transatlantic indie folk/Americana artist St. Catherine's Child (Ilana Zsigmond) released her touching new single ‘New Eden’ on April 25th, the second single off her highly anticipated debut album This Might Affect You, (out June 15th) following the release of ‘Negative Space’ last month.

Approaching the difficult perspective of romantic love in the face of grief, St. Catherine’s Child’s latest offering is a heartfelt piece which explores the chasm between crushing sorrow and joy from one’s partner. The suddenness of her father’s passing was the creative motivation for the single, stemming from the realisation that in spite of the anguish and pain, life has to move on no matter how dark. In a touching reflection, her signature wistful voice floats above tender indie-folk instrumentation as she navigates the importance of the people who helped her hope and dream while still grieving.

“New Eden is about meeting my partner mere months before I lost my father, about the uncomfortable dissonance that formed between such incredible happiness and utter sadness,” Zsigmond explains. “Life doesn’t ask you if you’re ready before it moves on, but that does mean hope and love spring absolutely eternal, no matter how dark it gets on the journey.”

‘New Eden’ will be the second offering from St. Catherine’s Child’s debut album This Might Affect You, set for release June 2025. A chronological journey through her experience with her father's illness and subsequent passing, the album's A-side documents the period leading to his death, while the B-side explores the aftermath and her healing process. In a departure from her previous solo writing approach, St. Catherine's Child orchestrated a collective catharsis, collaborating with ten different songwriters who had also experienced recent loss. "I just didn't think I could manage it by myself," she reflects. "It was just too heavy. I feel so much deeper in my community now because we've all made this thing together."

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Fast Followers - Figure It Out.

This really is a fine song, where creativity and natural talent combine. The lyrics engage, the band have the hallmark of session musicians making it all seem easy, the final result however is as mentioned a fine, no make that delicious and captivating song.

Emerging from the sonic chambers of DC's vibrant music scene, Fast Followers materialized in 2024 when a group of session players gathered in the studio during what witnesses describe as "the most fortuitous power outage in District history." This shape-shifting collective blends keyboard-driven melodies with an alchemical fusion of alt, prog and classic rock DNA, somehow managing to sound like the love child of a 70s radio station and a time-traveling indie band from tomorrow.

Their debut EP—birthed during a feverish weekend of instrument-swapping and triangle solos that the recording engineer claimed "didn't just fill the room, it transformed it." —captures the raw electricity that happens when classically-trained fingers meet garage band hearts. Fast Followers doesn't just cross decades; they fold the musical timeline into an origami crane and then teach it to play synthesizer. This is their invitation: tune in, turn up, and follow them down the rabbit hole.

"Figure It Out" by Fast Followers We've figured it all out: Chemistry, Telecommunications, Biology... Nothing's impossible anymore. Or is it? Will we ever reach our limit? This keyboard-driven track on the debut EP from Fast Followers has a bouncy vibe that hints at the fusion of musical influences that come together when this band powers up.

Fast Followers · Figure It Out

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Alexandra Alden - magnolia.

Malta-born indie artist Alexandra Alden returns with her evocative new single, ‘magnolia,’ a song that delicately explores themes of vulnerability, resilience, and cultural identity. The single is the first glimpse into her upcoming album When is it too late?, set for release this autumn.

The song’s genesis can be traced back to a romantic dawn encounter with magnolia blossoms in a small Welsh town, followed by a spontaneous night on Brighton beach during The Great Escape Festival. Just as the magnolia flower blooms before its protective leaves appear, ‘magnolia’ captures the fragile yet unwavering strength of stepping into the unknown. ‘magnolia’ celebrates beauty breaking through the cracks.

The accompanying music video is a collaboration with animator and director Gideon van der Stelt, the ŻfinMalta National Dance Company, and Malta’s Museum of Archaeology. Van der Stelt, whose work explores liminal spaces and isolation, developed a visual narrative that blends historic frescoes with contemporary movement, creating a dreamlike meditation on the anticipation before a performance. Shot during the 2024 edition of Intimate Żfin - coinciding with the inaugural Malta Biennale - the video showcases choreography by ŻfinMalta’s Artistic Director, Paolo Mangiola, illustrating the tension between stillness and transformation.

Alden’s upcoming album, When is it too late?, takes inspiration from Sylvia Plath’s fig tree metaphor, exploring the weight of choices and the paths left untaken. This deeply introspective collection follows her previous albums, Wild Honey (2018) and Leads to Love (2021), and represents her most fully realised work to date. Drawing on her multicultural upbringing and nomadic experiences, the album’s sonic landscape is a fusion of indie and ambient influences where British and American new-wave folk meets Mediterranean warmth, appealing to fans of artists like Laura Marling, Billie Marten, Adrianne Lenker, and Weyes Blood.

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The Bablers - LoveSeat - Hallelujah The Hills - Victoria Akua - Imogen Clark

The Bablers - Like The First Time (Album).

Finnish power pop veterans The Bablers and Big Stir Records can now announce the album release their fans have been waiting for: the new and definitive edition of the band's Like The First Time, long out of print and previously only available in Japan and Finland. Featuring a new track sequence and freshly remixed and rearranged tracks never before heard anywhere – and no fewer than six hit indie singles from the past three years – the album sees release on CD and streaming worldwide today April 25.

The story of The Bablers has become much more widely known outside their native Finland in recent years for good reason. It's been over forty years since the band came together as teenagers in the late '70s and took Finland's nascent power pop scene by storm with their debut album What's All About and its hit title track. For decades afterward, they remained a cult favorite among power pop aficionados worldwide until the surprise release of their acclaimed 2021 reunion album Psychadilly Circus won the band – in their longest-lived and definitive lineup of leader, singer-songwriter and guitarist Arto Tamminen, drummer Janne Haavisto, bassist Pekka Gröhn and guitarist Hannu Pikkarainen – a much broader and long-deserved audience of fans in the indie pop world. Those bookend releases tell a remarkable tale in themselves, but what keen-eared listeners have been slowly discovering since then is that the amazing story of The Bablers has a secret middle chapter... one that is about to be revealed at last.

The clues have been all over the indie airwaves since 2022, shortly after Psychadilly Circus bowed to near-universal acclaim, as a series of new singles from the band began to emerge and captivate the ears of the band's new fans. The indie hits began with “You Are The One For Me” (chosen by Stevie Van Zandt as The Coolest Song in the World This Week on SiriusXM's Underground Garage) and “Holding Me Tight Tonight”, followed in 2023 by “Mr. King” and “Thinking Of You”. Each found its way onto Top 10 charts on terrestrial and online radio in the US, UK and EU, paving the way for this year's “Together Forever” and the wonderful surprise of the beautiful and brand new “Where The Wind Blows Free”. Between them, they've revealed the band's unique versatility, varying in style from muscular pure power pop to highly sophisticated, groovy and infectiously catchy pop. Along the way, the press releases and social media posts from the band have teased the album from which these tunes originate: Like The First Time, a lost treasure hidden in plain sight for those curious enough to check Discogs, but never released on a global scale until now.

Originally issued only in Japan in 1998 by EMI, the album's first hit single “You Are The One For Me” received substantial airplay on Japanese national radio. Songs from the album were featured in TV commercials for the insurance company Nippon Life, Ford Motor Company and the Foreign Ministry of Japan. The next hit single “You Are The One For Me” became a karaoke favorite and is still widely heard in karaoke bars in Tokyo and elsewhere today. The album Like The First Time would go on to enjoy a Finnish release in 2000, and its songs would soar to greater glory still in the band's homeland: “Together Forever” was the winner of the Finnish Grammy Award (Emma) for Song of the Year in its Finnish language version, and two Finnish megastars, Samuli Edelmann and Vesa-Matti Loiri, recorded versions of the unforgettable ballad “Where The Wind Blows Free” under the title “Palava Pää”. But the forthcoming reissue of Like The First Time is the “first time” the album will be available to a global audience, making it a debut release to most of the indie pop, pop rock, power pop and classic rock fans in the world.

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LoveSeat - Our Way (Album).

The first album of songs from Effingham, IL husband/wife duo LoveSeat is called “Our Way” and is released today April 25th, 2025. The album is composed of eight songs written or co-written by Bill and JJ Passalacqua, plus one throwback song written by Kirsty MacColl and Peter Glenister. The album was produced and engineered by Ezra Idlet in his Fayetteville, AR Trout Studios.

‘The Old Me’ is the standard bearer of the album, a classic country, waltz duet. It’s at once poignant, funny and sentimental. If songs can be judged by the number of requests, this one wins by a substantial margin.

The songwriting developed organically between a very experienced songwriter husband and a novice songwriter wife. The skill and experience of Bill combined with the excitement and drive of JJ to net some very real, personal songs for the “Our Way” album. Two songs came down a different path; Time Stand Still was written by JJ about the bittersweet feeling of watching one’s children grow up, Clock and Speedometer is a twenty year old song written for country radio by Bill.

The songs feature a playful interplay between husband and wife, featuring love peppered with a lot of laughs. While the language is ‘clean’ throughout, some of the lyrics are a bit spicy, with a few references to sex and drug and alcohol use.

The album crosses a lot of genres from folk to rock and roll, touching on country and bluegrass at times. Some of the songs are stripped down, while others include full band instrumentation, truly something for everyone interested in roots/Americana styles.

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Hallelujah The Hills - Crush All Night.

Today, prolific Boston indie rock ensemble Hallelujah The Hills unveil their latest single, “Crush All Night,” a feverish anthem that surges with raw energy and searing hooks. This track offers another glimpse into their forthcoming magnum opus, DECK, set for release on June 13th, 2025, via Discrete Pageantry Records and Best Brother Records.

Featuring a dynamic guest vocal from Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis (SAD13), “Crush All Night” embodies what frontman Ryan H. Walsh describes as “Dirtbag Rock.” Walsh elaborates: “In our band, we have a genre of song that we sometimes like to mess around with that we’ve titled Dirtbag Rock. ‘Crush All Night’ is a great example of a Dirtbag Rock song. I wanted this track to sound like running red lights and smoking cigarettes inside a church. But also, the lyrics try to rise above all that; the adventure might take in an old Camaro, but the stakes are mythical. And then the great Sadie Dupuis comes in on vocals and it just takes it to a whole ‘nother level. We hope this single, coming on the heels of ‘Fake Flowers at Sunset,’ will give listeners a hint at just how many different sounds we’ve packed inside the DECK.”

Clocking in at a tight three minutes, the track barrels forward with gritty guitar riffs, lo-fi drum machines, and warped vocal layers that capture the chaotic euphoria of late-night escapades. Dupuis’ haunting vocals intertwine with Walsh’s, elevating the song’s intensity and adding an otherworldly shimmer to the beautifully unhinged composition.​

“Crush All Night” follows the release of “Fake Flowers at Sunset,” a folk song with a disco beat that features a haunting guest vocal from Cassie Berman (Silver Jews). This track subverts the notion that nature serves as an apt metaphor for human relationships, examining love’s intensity with both longing and hesitation.

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Victoria Akua - The River.

Victoria Akua from Copenhagen Denmark, describes her music as a genre mix of indie pop, folky singer-songwriter and meditative music. The new single The River drops today April 25, 2025 via Greywood Records.

Her new single: "The River is a celebration of friendship and connection. Friendships that keep growing and evolving, like a stream of water running freely, softly and wildly. I began writing The River, in 2018, and in the meantime it’s also been called “The Friendship Song” in my nearest circle. What makes me smile about this recording, is that three of my closest friends are singing along with me."

Victoria's music is based on her own journey, which began at a young age, searching for more balance and a deeper peace and understanding within herself. In a hectic world where it is so easy to be pulled in many directions, she wants to find ways to stay centered with an open heart in the hope that her music can support others on their own paths. The intention of the music is to have a nourishing, calming and healing effect.

Music that comes from the heart and that reflects and creates inner peace, trust and self-love - and connects us. Her music is inspired by the rhythms and cycles of nature, healthy and nurturing connections between people and creating spaces for expression, creativity and loving energy. Through the simplicity of the music, the listener is invited directly into a calm cocoon where breathing becomes deeper and the mind can rest.

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Imogen Clark - Squinters.

Imogen Clark has a new album Choking on Fuel due May 30, 2025. It’s reimagined versions of songs from her album The Art of Getting Through (2024) that have been stripped down to their singer/songwriter roots and includes a cover of Sheryl Crowe’s “If It Makes You Happy.”

Imogen Clark calls Nashville home, but earned her stripes as a high-schooler playing bars in her native Western Sydney. Touring with Shania Twain, Steve Poltz and Bowen * Young, collaborating with Colin Hay and Jim Lauderdale and many more, Imogen has earned the respect of her heroes and peers through her deeply personal storytelling, roof-raising voice and leave it all out on the field live energy. Her witty, melodic songwriting crosses generations and genres, with influences from Joni Mitchell to Jason Isbell, Led Zeppelin to Taylor Swift.

After a breakneck year in 2024 of non-stop touring, Imogen’s new album Choking on Fuel sees her returning to her roots. Armed with an acoustic guitar, Imogen is rolling out a record that captures the intensity, vulnerability, musical dexterity and vocal power that characterizes her compelling live performances. “I spent last year on the road around the world, playing headline shows but also touring with Robyn Hitchcock, Steve Poltz, Bowen * Young and Andrew Farriss”, Imogen explains. “So many people have messaged me or commented on my social media to say that they would love to have an album that captured the spirit of what I do live, and that’s what this is”.

The album puts Imogen’s rich, devastating vocals front and center, foregrounding her deft, cutting lyrics and affecting melodies. A mix of co-writes and purely self-penned songs, the record runs the emotional gamut from the wry, incendiary All Hard Feelings (with 70s style backing vocals from co-writers Sinead Burgess and Blake O’Connor, who also tears up a blistering slide guitar solo) to the raw, powerful anthem The Last of Me (with My Morning Jacket’s Bo Koster on propulsive piano), the road not taken nightmare of Squinters (a co-write with Steve Poltz powered by Bryan Sutton’s nuanced acoustic guitar)to the delicate, timeless wisdom of If Your Heart Never Breaks (featuring gorgeous harmonies from co-writer Jim Lauderdale and a dexterous and beautiful guitar from the iconic Tommy Emmanuel).

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Amanda DeBoer Bartlett - MF Tomlinson - Blue Foundation - The Kentucky Gentlemen - Woahgetter

Photo - Aleksandr Karjaka

Amanda DeBoer Bartlett - Storm.

“Storm,” the latest single from Amanda DeBoer Bartlett (of Ensemble Dal Niente), is out today on all platforms. Following the dreamy sway of March’s “Skyscraper,” “Storm” hits with fire and force—a driving, fiddle-charged collaboration with the powerhouse players of Fiddle in the Middle. It’s folk fusion with heart: Appalachian grit colliding with Irish fiddle fireworks, all sweeping into bold, cinematic terrain.

Amanda recorded this one at Chicago’s Electrical Audio with producer Taylor Hales, continuing her blend of classical training, experimental chops, and raw Americana spirit.

The full album Braided Together arrives June 6, and she’s just announced a string of Midwest tour dates this June, including appearances in Des Moines, Milwaukee, Omaha, and Chicago—joined by a rotating cast of special guests like Abbie Sawyer, Ben Eisenberger, and Fiddle in the Middle.

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Photo - Andrea Zvadova

MF Tomlinson - Blink And You'll Miss It.

MF Tomlinson unveils the new single 'Blink And You'll Miss It' a lush, expansive second taste of new album 'Die To Wake Up From A Dream', out 11th July on PRAH Recordings. MF Tomlinson will launch the new album with in-stores at Rough Trade East, Rough Trade Bristol, Drift Records in Totnes and David's Music in Letchworth.

Written in collaboration with Is Tropical's Gary Barber, new single 'Blink And You'll Miss It' opens the album with a blend of shimmering beauty and melancholic depth. Softly plucked guitars, feathery flute runs, and warming saxophone interweave with luminous harmonies, as Tomlinson explores the challenge of staying present: 'I try to keep all the pieces from drifting away / Here in the darkness.'

With nods to the sonic mastery of Galaxie 500, My Bloody Valentine, Astral Weeks and Bon Iver all in the same breath, Tomlinson thinks of the song as “the sound of all of your life happening at once.”

Speaking more on the song, Tomlinson shared: "The song is about aging, at any age. As the album's opener, it flows seamlessly from We Are Still Wild Horses down to the beat. It’s a moment — a view from a great height — when the full weight of the distance between the person you used to be and the person you are now hits you like a freight train. It fills you up and empties you out all at once. Everything that has happened brought you here. You can never go back, but then again, you don’t need to. All of those moments are still happening endlessly inside you. You’re holding them all like a vessel."

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Blue Foundation - Close to the Knife (Album).

‘Twilight’ soundtrack legends Blue Foundation dropped their new album ‘Close to the Knife’ on Friday!

Blue Foundation is renowned for their distinctive fusion of electronic music and dream pop. Drawing inspiration from the ethereal nature of dream pop and a moody, introspective atmosphere, the band creates immersive soundscapes characterized by emotive vocals and intricate production. Their music often evokes a sense of melancholy and reflection, resonating with listeners who appreciate ambient, emotive melodies and introspective themes.

Blue Foundation's music has been featured in various popular films, such as Michael Mann’s ‘Miami Vice’, and TV shows like ‘The Vampire Diaries’. Their song ‘Eyes on Fire’ gained significant fame after being included in the soundtrack of the movie ‘Twilight’. Blue Foundation is sampled by Lil Durk featuring French Montana on his track ‘Fly High’ and Young Thug's song ‘She Noticed’. They co-wrote the song ‘Taurus’ for Machine Gun Kelly.

‘Close to the Knife’ begins a new chapter for the band as Nina Dahlgaard Larsen joins their lineup.


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Photo - Peyton Dollar

The Kentucky Gentlemen - Whiskey Does.

Twin-brother country duo The Kentucky Gentlemen release "Whiskey Does," a boot-scootin' drinkin' song about pouring one up to get over heartbreak. It is the latest single from the pair's full-length debut album Rhinestone Revolution, which is out June 6 via River House Artists.

The Kentucky Gentlemen on their new single: “We had an absolute blast recording this one. 'Whiskey Does' is one of those ‘drinking 'cause I want to stop thinking’ kind of songs — the kind you blast when you're laughing through the heartbreak. Sometimes it’s easier to toast to the losses when you’ve got a good vice in your glass. Breakups suck, but whiskey doesn’t.”

The Kentucky Gentlemen have been making their way in Nashville's country music scene as independent artists for the last decade while simultaneously embracing, defying, and expanding the constructs of genre. Recorded with producer David “Messy” Mescon (Megan Moroney, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, Reyna Roberts), Rhinestone Revolution encapsulates the infectious blend of authenticity, self-acceptance and joy that has led them to quickly become one of Nashville’s most exciting new acts. The pair announced the album last month and shared the music video for their song "Made for Movin' On," an earworm blend of old school country and 2000s pop that Rolling Stone called "a catchy mid-tempo country-rocker that contains layers of depth." Earlier this year, they released the come-as-you-are country bop "Country Hymn," which prompted MusicRow to declare "These guys always know how to bring the party."

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Woahgetter - Even Dad Had A Fiver On Love.

Following the release of their single ‘I Can’t Love You Anymore’, alt-indie collective Woahgetter explore the absurdities of contemporary romance with ‘Even Dad Had A Fiver On Love,’ out this week via Silent Kid Records.

Fusing angular guitars, lush chamber strings and infectious avant pop melodies, the latest offering from the Northampton based group is a sharp, unsentimental lament on postmodern alienation delivered in the guise of an increasingly manic internal monologue spilling out in front of a mirror.

"I'm sure most of us can easily call to mind a 'Dad' figure that has seemingly very little invested in the notion of love," says Woahgetter of the titular character, "but even in the coldest of cases, there's usually some small stake in something classifiable, if only tenuously, as love... which probably says more about the nebulousness of the word 'love' than it does about any particular individual.”

The narrative is delivered by an end of tether baritone, accompanied by five other (as far as we are aware) genetically unrelated voices, giddily riffing on the limitations of a seemingly singular eponymous anti hero and is set against an assuredly danceable and momentarily anthemic arrangement. With the fusion of vocal tones, the chorus reflects a relatable frustration towards the meaning of love and how to find it in an increasingly chaotic world.

The self-produced track promises to resonate with fans of sharp-witted, deeply affecting storytelling. Imagine if The National taught a masterclass in brooding indie rock and Father John Misty delivered a lecture on musical storytelling, Woahgetter would be the brilliantly rowdy students who learned the lesson, then blew up the classroom.

woahgetter · Even Dad Had A Fiver On Love

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Lawn Chair - Bones Ate Arfa - Dog Park - Soot Sprite

Photo - Frederike Wetzels

Lawn Chair - The Next Big Thing.

German indie punk outfit Lawn Chair is set to make waves with their highly anticipated debut album, You Want It! You Got It!, slated for release later this year. Following their return with ‘Fancy Car, Girlfriend and the Big House’, the band now drops their new single, ‘The Next Big Thing’, a biting reflection on self-optimisation, ambition, and the often absurd pursuit of success in the music industry.

For three years, Lawn Chair has been a vital force in the German indie scene, captivating audiences with their dynamic sound. Their previous two EPs, crafted in collaboration with producers Olaf Opal (The Notwist) and Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), solidified their reputation as one of the most exciting acts in Germany. With countless gigs across the country, a successful tour in the UK, and unforgettable performances alongside bands like Sleaford Mods and Deadletter, as well as at festivals like Reeperbahn and Fusion, the band has proven their staying power.

‘The Next Big Thing’, showcases a new sonic direction for Lawn Chair. A pulsating bassline leads the charge as the band experiments with electronic-infused drum patterns and stripped-back guitars. Claudia Schlutius’ lyrics paint a wry picture of the pressures of self-improvement and the relentless chase for fame - echoing the false promises of an industry that thrives on ambition but offers no guarantees.

Written during a time of personal and creative transition, You Want It! You Got It! was crafted between November 2023 and September 2024, with extensive pre-production shaping its unique sound. The album’s title, a lyric drawn from the new single, is a tongue-in-cheek response to the relentless demands of the music industry. Inspired by the absurdity of late-stage capitalism, fragile male egos, Schlutius’ complicated relationship with her US roots and the eternal pursuit of happiness, the album blends playful experimentation with raw energy, making it Lawn Chair’s most daring work yet.

LAWN CHAIR · The Next Big Thing

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Photo - @ethnephoto

Bones Ate Arfa - Just Bananas (EP).

Brighton alt-rock trio Bones Ate Arfa release the anticipated new EP ‘Just Bananas’. With a growing sense of momentum, the band have most recently hit over 120k TikTok followers and linked up with skating brand Wasted Paris. The band are heading on a UK tour through April and early May.

Made up of Bones (guitar), 8 (drums), and Arfa (vocals & bass), the trio have made a significant mark on the UK’s southeastern gig circuit within a short period and continue to showcase what an exciting up and coming band they are.

Building soundscapes that blend the energy of punk, the riff heavy approach of alt-rock, and some infectious and melodic vocal melodies, the band have become renowned for their instantly recognisable sound. Punching drums, fuzzy guitar and driving bass tones flow across the ‘Just Bananas’ EP as the band showcase their most complete work to date.

Following a wave of national acclaim across the likes of Dork, 1883, Clash, Punk News, Louder Than War, New Noise, BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X, Earmilk, Total Rock, Ones To Watch and Amazing Radio (A-List) the band are set to head on a mammoth UK tour through April to support their EP release. Describing their sound as psychedelic-street-punk-desert-rock, the trio (Bones on guitar, 8 on drums, and Arfa on vocals & bass) have gained recognition online and made fans of a number of renowned artists such as Muse, Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Isaac Holman (SOFT PLAY), Royal Blood, Tigercub, cool sorcery, Demob Happy, and Bad Nerves.


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Dog Park - Kaleidoscope.

Over the past three years, Dog Park has documented the various stages of its debut album Festina Lente. To mark the album's first anniversary, the Kaleidoscope video captures the moments that welded the band together, from recording in the studio to their first festivals. Against a backdrop of Atlantic rooftops, the question “Have you seen the world outside?”.

Sometimes, it takes a series of coincidences for four individuals to meet and become a band. Erica is American, Isabella is Brazilian, and Sarah and Jean are from Paris. It's at a venue in Paris in 2021 that they get to know each other. As they quickly bond together in the excitement generated by a situation of overcoming a crisis, the urge to play music together arises.

Because they all know how to play multiple instruments and have a desire for freedom, they naturally play musical chairs from the start. This is what makes their quartet unique: instruments and microphones change hands from one track to the next.

A particularly surprising and impressive dance to observe in concert, which a wide audience has already experienced. Despite having released only two singles in the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023, Dog Park has secured stages such as La Boule Noire or the Auditorium of the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, as well as several summer festivals across France.

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Soot Sprite - Vicious Cycles.

Exeter, England alt-indie trio Soot Sprite share new single ‘Vicious Cycles’. Rising Exeter trio Soot Sprite are set to release their debut album, Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon, on May 16th via Specialist Subject (FRESH, Jeff Rosenstock, Doe, Muncie Girls). Since the release of their debut single in 2018, Soot Sprite has grown from a one-woman lo-fi bedroom pop project to a fully-fledged touring alt-indie shoegaze outfit. Their debut album sees Elise Cook (lead vocals/guitar), Sean Mariner (bass/backing vocals), and Sam Cother (drums/backing vocals) fully embrace the dynamic highs and intimate lows that define their sound.

At its core, Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon is a record about refusing to let apathy take hold. Cook explains, “it’s about embracing empathy over apathy, despite the constant stream of worldly horrors. If we have empathy we can have hope, and with hope then change is always possible.” Inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s book ‘Hope In The Dark’, the album title reflects the urgent need for action in an increasingly chaotic world.

“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.” Rebecca Solnit

Of their new single, 'Vicious Cycles', Cook says: “The single is about addressing your patterns of behaviour and the damage done in previous relationships. The fear of retribution for the smallest of hiccups that sticks with you long after the impacting relationship is done ‘Can’t wash off the oil from your spill.’ The thought that you’ll never fully shake it off.”

Soot Sprite · Vicious Cycles

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