Saturday, 17 January 2026

Phantom Pink - Jasmin Wagner - Special Friend - Farveblind feat. Emmeline - The Tammy Shine - Son Little

Photo - Rachel Frichette
Phantom Pink - Czech New Wave.

Phantom Pink is the hauntingly tender alias of Los Angeles-based artist Brayton Walls, whose dark, cinematic strain of art-rock captures the beauty in emotional chaos. Blending jagged textures with dreamlike melodies, Phantom Pink’s sound is otherworldly, yet familiar. 

Originally from Las Vegas, Walls began writing songs at 10 as a way to navigate his growing pains and identity. After years of shaping his voice in DIY scenes across the West Coast, Phantom Pink has emerged with a sound uniquely bruised and beautiful

In October, he released the first single “I’m at the right place at the right time” from his forthcoming full length album Gothika (due 2026). The song - mastered by Joe LaPorta (Beabadoobee, Laufey, Future Islands) - is loosely based on the cult classic thriller, Possession (1981). This year, he follows with “Czech New Wave” (out 1/16/26) inspired by the film movement of the same name, it’s a splash of color in a black and white world.  


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Jasmin Wagner - Were You Happy Today.

Jasmin Wagner comes from Kerns in the Swiss canton of Obwalden and is releasing a catchy new single titled “Were You Happy Today.” The 23-year-old singer and songwriter didn’t just discover her love of country music today. In fact, this sound has accompanied Jasmin since childhood—alongside her second passion, besides music: flowers. How does she combine these two loves? Quite simply, as “The Singing Florist,” as she likes to call herself.

It’s therefore no surprise that ideas for songs often come to Jasmin when she’s out in nature. She loves being in the mountains and finds inspiration when moving through the fresh air amid the Alps.

Growing up with a guitar in her hand, Jasmin began performing at weddings, christenings, and celebrations at the age of 14—and for several years now, also in renowned Swiss clubs. Always with her Western guitar and her expressive voice, which truly shines in the country and folk repertoire.


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Special Friend - Breakfast.

Special Friend have become the masters of weaving elegant and sophisticated pop musical webs while staying true to their DIY roots.  The French/American duo (Guillaume on guitar and vocals, Erica on drums and vocals) manage to create a sound like no other band.  When they play live, audiences marvel at the huge, intricate structures the band construct, while falling in love with the crystal-clear vocal melodies that are threaded in between the shards of guitar and the rattle of the drums.  How can a duo achieve so much?  UK audiences will be able to ponder this question in March: Special Friend are coming over from France to do a substantial tour of the UK. 

The new album is more diverse that the last, with the high-tempo indiepop of first single ‘Breakfast’, the majestic, Yo La Tengo like dreampop of ‘Clipping’ and the country-ish, gentle, homesick melancholy of ‘Isolation’.  Final track ‘OOO’ is a bold piece of Krautrock inspired experimentation; ‘Mold’ is a beautiful slice of slowcore and opener ‘Paint A Picture’ is modern pop at its catchiest and most direct.  

‘Clipping’, the album title, refers to the discipline of pruning growth back, removing dead wood to create a perfectly shaped tree with abundant blossoms: an accurate description of the album, and of the songs that hang from its elegant branches.  The album artwork is by Erica: Special Friend are in control of every aspect of this elegant artifact.


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Photo - Noemi Kapusy
Farveblind feat. Emmeline - Natural Behaviour.

Copenhagen trio Farveblind just announced their debut album 'Micro Pleasures', will be out 15th May. Produced by Farveblind and mixed by Swedish engineer Gustav Brunn (whose credits include work with Yung Lean and Viagra Boys), the album will feature a cast of contributors and guest vocalists including Django Django, k.flay, Elliphant, USERS, Foreign Air and Emmeline. With touchstones ranging from Battles and The Chemical Brothers to Underworld and Viagra Boys, Farveblind's hard-edged brand of electronic music collides breakbeats, acid-drenched techno, punk fury, and sweeping cinematic layers. 

Their forthcoming debut album 'Micro Pleasures' pulls that punk volatility, industrial precision and widescreen electronic drama into the same gravitational field and is previewed now by new single 'Natural Behaviour', featuring London vocalist Emmeline. Built on a pulsing, subterranean groove, Emmeline’s vocal moves between shadow and clarity, circling the refrain “I’ve been waiting for a change in your natural behaviour” while the skittering instrumental tightens around her.

Speaking about the track, Emmeline says: “When the boys sent me the rough draft of this instrumental it was already so driving and epic. I wanted to write something equally dark but with a momentum and force to it that would move the song into something broadly philosophical and/or existential. The phrase ‘Natural Behaviour’ came to the fore pretty quickly, and I started to think about what that actually means. How much are we a product of the music around us? Of the people? Of the availability of light? Then I started thinking about someone waiting for someone’s natural behaviour to shift — and how that can be a pretty futile task. Maybe the song exists in a club at the ends of the earth, where we’re all questioning why the grass grows upwards, why the bassline hits harder when the beat drops, why we punish the earth for what it gives us — and how some patterns are hard to break.”

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The Tammy Shine - So Very Little.

Just released the new solo single and video So Very Little by indiepop legend and lifer Tammy Ealom of the band Dressy Bessy. It's been 6 years since the last Dressy Bessy album, but this time Tammy is back under a new name The Tammy Shine with an album she wrote, recorded, and mixed all herself. It doesn't stop there as she also shot all the promo photos, made the videos, and did all the album artwork and packaging. This was her first time in full control of an album from start to finish. 

Set for release on February 20, 2026, Ok Shine Ok finds the perfect home on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records (HHBTM), a label known for championing idiosyncratic and authentic indie pop. The album title itself serves as a mantra—an affirmation of positivity amidst the chaos, a nod to the "shine" Tammy has always brought to her visual art and stage persona.

Fans of Dressy Bessy will still find the undeniable hooks and melodic sensibilities that are Ealom’s trademark. However, they will also discover a new depth—a vulnerability that comes from the singular approach and the confidence of a woman who has lived through the changing tides of the music industry and emerged even stronger.


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Jasmin Valcarcel Photography
Son Little - Be Better.

Son Little has announced ‘Cityfolk’, his fourth album and first since 2022. Although Little is often placed in the category of “roots musician”, ‘Cityfolk’ defies genre and lets the evocation of his storytelling pierce through. “The industry likes to keep artists in little boxes, and for Black artists it has meant being defined by your proximity to ‘urban,’” Little admits. “But my music has always had flashes of country, rock and folk, as well as hip-hop, blues and R&B. So I've always struggled as an artist who kind of, I think, lives in the spaces between genres.” 

With today’s album announcement comes 'Be Better', a track that is perfectly apt for the start of a new year. A song about release, resilience, and the quiet power of self-belief, 'Be Better' sheds the weight of old stories and broken expectations, trading despair for movement and renewal; it’s a hymn for transformation, challenging anyone ready to leave the past behind to step forward, even when the road ahead is dark. 
 
Now living outside of Atlanta, Livingston attributes the development of ‘Cityfolk’ to going even further south to record in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in January 2025. It was there that Little connected with Ben Tanner, a two-time Grammy-winning musician, Alabama Shakes band member and producer of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, John Paul White, Foy Vance and more, to flesh out sketches of songs that he’d crafted through epiphanies about his family’s roots. Already having an understanding of his father’s side, Little views his maternal line as a “mystery unfolding,” but it was in Shoals that the stars aligned, both through retracing his history and formulating an organic chemistry with Tanner.

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Friday, 16 January 2026

Maddy Little - Hirta - KickDr - The Corner Laughers - All For Jolly - Heidy H King

Photo - Carly Boomer
Maddy Little - All My Fault.

Canadian indie alt-pop artist Maddy Little returns with "All My Fault," a raw, bittersweet reflection on self-doubt, emotional manipulation, and the quiet power of finally choosing yourself. Written in the aftermath of a situationship defined by push and pull, the track captures the moment where self-blame gives way to clarity and growth.

Built around a stripped-back, organic production style, "All My Fault" keeps its focus firmly on emotion. Little explores the toll of being caught in a cycle of unmet commitment, questioning her worth while mistaking manipulation for affection. "I was constantly either being blamed, or blaming myself," she explains. "I didn't think I was good enough, or I felt too weak to walk away from a situation where I wasn't valued."

What makes the song especially resonant is its emotional arc. "All My Fault" moves from internalized blame toward self-recognition, marking a turning point where Little finds her voice and reclaims her value. The contrast between vulnerability and resolve sits at the heart of the track, mirroring the process of leaving something painful behind and stepping into something healthier.

"It feels like the end of something painful, but the beginning of something better," says Little. "I'm finally out of that dark part of my life and focused on being happier, and I truly am." 


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Hirta - Birds In The Loft.

We have the third and final single from Hirta's upcoming Soft Peaks LP. The track is called "Birds In The Loft" and it perfectly embodies the undercurrent of mourning and optimism that runs throughout this record so gracefully. Hirta is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Alistair Paxton and this record hasn't left my rotation since I first heard it last autumn. 

Hirta’s ‘Soft Peaks’ finds solace in the natural world and comforts through an intriguing map of familiar trailheads and newly chartered terrain. The debut official release from Scottish - American multi instrumentalist, Alistair Paxton, ‘Soft Peaks’ casts a windswept and lonely spell yet retains an air of optimism across its ten warm and desolate tracks. 

This album was self produced and recorded in 2025 in sessions split between the Hudson Valley town of Nyack, NY and rural Bovina in the Western Catskill mountains culminating in both vinyl and digital releases under Paxton’s own imprint, Half Painted Door.

Soft Peaks reveals layers of intricate acoustic fingerstyle guitar and plaintive drums under sparse and tasteful contemporary textures. A subtle and evocative blend of traditional folk voicings and indie rock charm which conjures fleeting nostalgia and offers some hopeful light in a dark time. Through songwriting that crafts propulsive repetition and embraces the power of restraint and economy, Paxton’s vocal harmonies remain unadorned and carry a poetic honesty while delivering elegiacal verses both timeless and universal."


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KickDr - Dubtitles (EP).

Dubtitles is the second KickDr EP on Moom, following last year’s Afro-inspired Neema. The EP was shaped by a period of deep listening to dub music across genres — from the classic sounds of King Tubby and Lee “Scratch” Perry to electronic landmarks like Leftfield and Basic Channel.

Dubtitles brings the light touch of dub into a house EP, creating something that balances movement and energy with space, warmth and atmosphere.

Dubtitles is built to travel. Equally at home on the dancefloor, the beach, in the car or drifting through your living room, it’s designed for effortless, repeat listening — music that soundtracks moments rather than being locked into a single setting.

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The Corner Laughers - Rainbow Cardigan.

The Corner Laughers return to make good on the promise of a long-awaited new album –their first since 2020 –with the new single “Rainbow Cardigan.” The new track is a blend of melancholy and exuberance that's a thrilling sign of things to come. “Rainbow Cardigan” is out today January 16.

“Rainbow Cardigan,” like the album it heralds and the band that created it, is an exhilarating study in remarkably consonant contrasts. For longtime fans of The Corner Laughers, the sound will be instantly recognizable, kicking off in a minor key with the solo vocals and jangly ukulele of Karla Kane (both distinctive calling cards of the band), spinning a tale where the title garment is the only splash of color in a graveyard on a grey British morning. 

When the chorus hits, though, it's positively jubilant, all major chords, driving rhythms and interlocking harmonies. Still, there' a dichotomy at the core: “We were old, yes we were ancient; we were young, yes, we were barely conceived.” For all that depth and intrigue, it's also flat-out catchy, with intricate acoustic guitar by Khoi Huynh, spaghetti western bass and electric guitar by KC Bowman (both also suppling those harmonies), and propelled over the edge by a folk-punk explosion of drums by Charlie Crabtree and, coming in with a burst of electric guitar distortion for the grand finale, an exciting cameo by original band co-founder Angela Rhoades (nee Silletto), her first reunion on record since leaving the band more than a decade ago. 


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All For Jolly - Lifeblood.

Penzance (Cornwall England) based folk-punk band All For Jolly have announced their upcoming single “Lifeblood” a release that sits at the heart of a wider campaign highlighting the ongoing closure of grassroots music venues across the UK. The track is both a tribute to independent venues and a frank reflection on the growing pressures facing the grassroots music scene, from rising operating costs and redevelopment to the increasing financial strain placed on DIY artists.

For All For Jolly, the issue is deeply personal. The band built their career touring the UK’s grassroots circuit and credit small, independent venues as the foundation of their journey — and as vital spaces where new artists can survive, develop, and connect with audiences. “Grassroots venues are the lifeblood of bands like ours,” the band say. “They’re where scenes exist at all. Without them — and without proper support — making music becomes impossible for so many people.”

Following the release of “Lifeblood”, All For Jolly will embark on a UK tour throughout February 2026. The run will also mark the band’s final tour as a full band for the foreseeable future, with rising costs and the realities of remaining fully independent making extended touring increasingly unsustainable. Together, the single and tour underline the campaign’s central message: the fight to keep grassroots venues alive is inseparable from the fight faced by the artists who rely on them. Fans will be encouraged to support local venues, attend shows, and buy tickets in advance wherever possible.


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Heidy H King - The Washing Machine.

Inspired by the likes of Carole King & Kate Bush singer-songwriter Heidy H King, has many inspirations. It's obvious, after just a few bars of the newly released folk-pop number “The Washing Machine.” With this catchy and sophisticated track, Heidy H King presents herself to a wider public for the first time.

The song is carried by Thomas Güttinger’s acoustic guitar playing—and, of course, by Heidy H King’s voice. The musician was born in Schaffhausen and has been living in the canton of Zurich for 38 years. Even if her name may at first glance appear new on the music scene, she is in fact an experienced artist with extensive live experience. She began writing her own songs at the age of 17 and later deepened her musical craft at the Lucerne School of Jazz as well as through various training and continuing education programs in Switzerland and abroad.

Heidy H King in her own words about 'The Washing Machine' The song is a homage to the washing machine and tells how I make myself comfortable during the washing cycle. With this song, I wanted to prove that instead of a love song or a protest song, you can also write a ballad about a washing machine. I googled to see whether there was already a real washing-machine song—and ended up finding over 100 videos of spinning washing machines (for meditative purposes).


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Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Kee Avil - The Darts - Archive - Adam Weil - Honey Motel

Photo - Caro Etchart
Kee Avil - itch.

Kee Avil (Vicky Mettler) this week shares the next move in what has been a notable and highly praised musical journey in recent years. Rather than produce and drop a traditional album, Mettler is teaming up with NNA Tapes to experiment with a one-track-at-a-time-over-the-course-of-a-year project, Vapor. To be clear, this is not merely an album with a bunch of singles –– this is Mettler writing, recording, and releasing her album in real time, in chronological order. 

It feels to me like a response to the public-diaristic modes that have emerged alongside the life of the Internet and digital social communications. Mettler says: "Creative inspiration is often like vapor, appearing and dissipating quickly. This album represents what inspires me in the moment."

"Vapor is a deconstructed album that I’ll be releasing song-by-song throughout 2026, a sort of sonic diary. Creative inspiration is often like vapor, appearing and dissipating quickly. This album represents what inspires me in the moment, it’s my attempt at capturing fleeting moments of creativity, and finishing them quickly while they’re still fresh and breathing. For me, it’s a way to let go and make music without thinking too far ahead. Once a song is finished, I move on. I don’t try to link the songs: each tells its own story. My hope is that at the end, a natural cohesion appears, a concept reflecting a frozen moment in time, a process from start to finish."


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Photo - Tina Gross
The Darts (US) - Midnight Creep.

Seattle’s all-women garage-rock wrecking crew The Darts kick off their new album cycle with “Midnight Creep,” the first advance single from their upcoming LP Halloween Love Songs, out March 3 on Adrenalin Fix Music. The single dropped yesterday and finds the band slipping deeper into the spooky, swagger-heavy garage-trash universe they’ve been flirting with since day one. If you’ve ever wished the Back From the Grave comps came with a dance craze, you’re already in the right neighborhood. The Darts have spent the last decade carving their name into the global underground with Farfisa-first garage chaos, sold-out shows across Europe, the UK, and North America, and multiple sold-out vinyl runs. 

They’re known for genuine, close-to-the-crowd performances and Nicole’s honest connection with the room, a band that brings people into the show and plays from real joy rather than polish. They’ve landed sought-after KEXP live sessions and hit major festivals like Punk Rock Bowling, Binic Folk and Blues, SJOCK Festival, and Bear Stone Festival, earning fans ranging from Dave Vanian to Stephen King to Jello Biafra. With Nicole Laurenne (vocals and keys), Rebecca Davidson (guitar), Lindsay Scarey (bass), and the returning Rikki Watson (drums), this lineup feels like the most dialed, dangerous, and joyfully unhinged version of the band yet.

“Midnight Creep” started as a surprise curveball when Lindsay brought Nicole a demo called “Phantom Creep.” Nicole was already quietly writing a Halloween-themed album and immediately heard a chance to chase something different: an honest-to-ghoul old-school monster dance, the kind that might’ve aired on a haunted Shindig episode taped in a basement full of fog machines and paper-mâché bats. She rebuilt the tune into a slinky, organ-driven earworm; Lindsay created a simple, go-go-friendly choreography; and suddenly The Darts had a Halloween banger that felt both brand-new and weirdly familiar.

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Photo - Yagub Allahverdiyev

Archive - City Walls.

The unique, enigmatic and acclaimed South London collective Archive share the latest single, "City Walls", from their forthcoming record Glass Minds (due out February 27 via Dangervisit).

Archive are a musical group based in London, England, whose music spans electronic, trip hop, avant-garde, post-rock and progressive rock. Over their 31-year history, the band has released twelve studio albums and enjoyed established success throughout Europe.

On 29 April 2022 Archive released their twelfth studio album Call To Arms & Angels recorded at RAK Studios and produced by Jérome Devoise. The album features 17 tracks and is accompanied by the documentary Super8: A Call To Arms & Angels. Archive released music videos for the tracks "Shouting Within", "Fear There & Everywhere", "We Are The Same", and "Frying Paint". The album introduced Lisa Mottram as the band's new vocalist. 


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Adam Weil - A Little Broken.

Adam Weil is a Midwest-based singer-songwriter whose music blends unguarded lyricism with a stripped-down Americana sound, favoring emotional honesty over embellishment. He released his debut album, Same As I Used to Be, in 2024, establishing a voice rooted in intimacy and reflection. Adam continues to refine and expand his artistry with his forthcoming release, A Little Broken, on Friday, March 27, 2026. His songs delve into themes of resilience, self-reflection, and quiet perseverance. Adam’s voice carries a subtle tension throughout the record, balancing vulnerability and resolve that feels quietly disarming. There’s a rawness to the music that suggests the songs were written to be felt first, not explained. 

The CD was produced by Grammy-winning producer Sheldon Gomberg, who also produced Same As I Used to Be, engineered by Kevin Smith, and recorded at Carriage House Studio in Silver Lake, CA.  The musicians playing on the CD are Adam (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), Jay Bellerose, Gary Novak (drums), Rob Humphreys (percussion), Joshua Gooch, Trevor Menear (guitars), Anna Butterss, Alan Hampton, Jorgen Carlsson, Jennifer Condos (bass), Carey Frank (organ), Chris Stills and Kipp Lennon (background vocals.) 

Weil’s friendship with Sheldon is important. “Sheldon and I actually go way back. We used to play together, and years ago, I was the first full-length album he ever produced, which makes coming back together for these projects even more special. There’s a deep level of trust between us — he knows how to draw out performances that feel completely honest.” Adam released two college-era albums with his band, followed by two more in his early twenties under the name Rhythm Tree

He then moved to Los Angeles, where producer Marvin Etzioni produced his album Proof. During those sessions, Adam met bassist Sheldon, and their creative partnership began. Adam later released Out of the Blue on an indie label, followed by Expectation Bridge, Sheldon’s first full-length production. Though unreleased, it was a key creative milestone. After stepping away from music for years, Adam reunited with Sheldon last year to release Same As I Used to Be and A Little Broken.

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Honey Motel - Mammoth Bones.

Honey Motel release the soulful final single ‘Mammoth Bones’ ahead of their anticipated new EP Motel FM (Due Feb 20th). Produced by Alec Brits (Clean Cut Kid, Michael Aldag, St Catherine’s Child), the EP bursts with character - from moments of heartfelt reflection to others of driving alternative rock intensity. ‘Mammoth Bones’ brings one of the most emotive moments on the EP, bringing a shimmering blend of neo-soul and drampop to the band's indie tendencies. From its bubbling downtempo mainstay, the track moves to a funk influence finally as a tasteful guitar solo tops the chopping rhythmic shift.  

Talking about the EP, the band explain: “‘Mammoth Bones’ is about the beautiful absurdity of navigating life with someone who makes everything feel okay. It’s a reflection on how the chaos of the world seems to fade into the background when you’re side by side with the right person. The song explores that feeling of drifting through the universe with your person, so content and locked in that even if it all ended tomorrow, you wouldn’t mind. ‘Dying wouldn’t be so bad if it was with you.’ There’s a quiet, defiant peace in that idea. Love can make the noise fall away.

Musically, the song mirrors that journey. It begins steady and measured, then gradually opens up into something more expressive and free. It’s a love song at its core, just one that floats in space rather than walks the earth.” The upcoming 6 track EP ‘Motel FM’ showcases the Liverpool quartet’s radiant musicality and growth, blending elements of indie, alt-rock and alt-pop through a guitar led sound that is nuanced yet raw, capturing the essence of their live sound whilst delivering varied, at times intense and high octane, at others textural and emotive soundscapes. 


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Tuesday, 13 January 2026

Celestial Bums - Pressgang Mutiny - Sunnan - Raivo Jackson

Celestial Bums - A Dream (Guide Me From the Stars).

Ethereal psychedelia ascends in Celestial Bums’ new single A Dream (Guide Me From the Stars). Barcelona’s Celestial Bums present A Dream (Guide Me From the Stars), the third single from their upcoming album Minutes From Heaven, arriving on February 13th, 2026 via the Italo-American label We Were Never Being Boring (WWNBB).

With this new chapter, the band leans fully into its most luminous and atmospheric side: washed-out guitars drifting like distant memories, glowing synths weaving soft halos of light, and vocals that float with a weightless, almost heavenly calm. A Dream unfolds with the slow-motion clarity of a half-remembered vision — intimate yet expansive, fragile yet radiant — offering a piece of astral pop designed to drift, dissolve, and guide listeners gently toward the stars.

After the more elaborate, almost tour-de-force construction of Ascend, and the studio-driven experimentation of their third album, Minutes From Heaven marks a deliberate return to immediacy, instinct, and identity. It is the band’s freshest and most spontaneous work since their 2010 self-titled debut, but this time enriched by a decade of experience. More importantly, it represents a reconciliation with the band’s true DNA, reclaiming a way of writing and sounding that is uniquely their own. Where previous records wandered into new territories, this album embraces what Celestial Bums truly are at their core, and its strength lies precisely in that honesty.


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Pressgang Mutiny - Old Mick.

Toronto’s rowdiest keepers of the shanty flame, Pressgang Mutiny return with “Old Mick,” the second advance single from their forthcoming album Departure, out March 13, 2026 on Slammin Media. Known for reviving the raw, working-class spirit of traditional sea shanties, the quartet pushes that legacy forward here, blending their signature four-part firepower with contemporary urban production. It lands like a deck-stomper, full of rhythm, grit, and the kind of communal lift built for crowded rooms. Pressgang Mutiny have built their reputation on the road and at sea, traveling the world to uncover shanties, work songs, and the people keeping them alive. Departure marks their most ambitious leap yet and explores the musical connections that have always lived inside this tradition.

The sea shanty cannon, a synthesis of African-American and AfroCaribbean rhythmic call and answer forms combined with gritty Irish folk vocals, are wedded on this album with historical shanty samples, drum machine production, and musical collaborations with Toronto hip-hop, reggae, and dancehall veterans and rising stars, all weave into the album’s wider vision without losing the salt and sweat that define their sound. “Old Mick” unapologetically kicks open a door while keeping one boot planted in tradition.

The track pulls from its capstan and railroad song roots, built on calland-response vocals shaped for muscle and momentum. Pressgang Mutiny deliver it with thick harmonies, tight phrasing, and a rhythmic push that feels equal parts archival and alive and new. Their arrangement nods to the versions they have encountered across the Atlantic, but the energy is unmistakably theirs, delivered with a hard hitting modern North American attitude. It is loose, loud, and meant to be sung shoulder to shoulder. There is a lived-in credibility here that comes from singers who have actually handled lines, decks, and sails, not just chased the romance of the stories.


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Sunnan - Sail (Lady In Waiting).

Following their Swedish Grammy–nominated debut and the success of the Cinema Sound System EP, critically acclaimed cinematic soul outfit Sunnan returns with “Sail (Lady In Waiting)” the introduction to their forthcoming sophomore album Spaghetti Soul hailed for release 2026. Rooted in Morricone-inspired soundscapes and classical aesthetics, the track captures what Sunnan describe as “the manifestation of a new genre.”  "Sail (Lady In Waiting)" occupies a  space where Hendrix’s electric swagger collides with the melodic ambition of The Beatles’ most experimental eras, all framed by lush, cinematic orchestration. The result is a sound that feels timeless yet strikingly current.

Built on a foundation of vintage soul, the song weaves psychedelic textures and rock ’n’ roll grit into a distinctly modern production. It honours the golden age of soulful sophistication and raw rock energy while pushing confidently into new territory — transporting listeners across decades without ever losing its contemporary pulse.

“‘Sail’ is the bridge from Cinema Sound System to our sophomore album Spaghetti Soul,” the band explains. “Leaning into our cinematic roots and timeless soundtracks like ‘Hurricane’ and ‘All Along the Watchtower’, the song portrays the legend of a life well lived — beauty preserved in memory, and hope for one last ride.”

That vision carries into Spaghetti Soul, an album that deepens Sunnan’s cinematic exploration while expanding their sonic palette. If debut album Cinema was the feature film and Cinema Sound System the afterparty, Spaghetti Soul is their most immersive statement yet: a bold fusion of Italian Western grandeur and classic soul, filtered through a modern lens. With "Sail (Lady In Waiting)" as its gateway, the album positions Sunnan at the forefront of their self-defined genre, where orchestral drama meets raw emotional immediacy.

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Raivo Jackson - Swimming Under Ice.

Raivo Jackson blends blues and spaghetti western vibes on the new single Swimming Under Ice, the third and final single from Raivo Jackson’s debut album Tangled Up in Roots, due to be released on Thursday. The track is one of the album’s most swinging cuts, where the band’s blues-infused groove is given extra color by a spaghetti western–inspired atmosphere.

Swimming Under Ice tells the story of a person who falls in with the wrong crowd and loses their way. It’s a tale about how difficult it can be to find a path back to the surface from deep waters. The song leaves the listener wondering whether a way to safety will ultimately be found or whether the character will remain trapped beneath the ice.

Released on Thursday, January 15, Tangled Up in Roots showcases Raivo Jackson’s versatile and narrative-driven expression, where rhythm and melody go hand in hand with strong, evocative moods.

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Sunday, 11 January 2026

Konradsen - Howling Bells - Tyce Delk & Trinity Lake - Dani Ivory

Photo - Marthe Thu
Konradsen - Efficiency (feat. Beharie).

Northern Norwegian duo Konradsen - the project of Jenny Marie Sabel and Eirik Vildgren - just released their new single ‘Efficiency’, alongside an animated visual by Jacob Grönbech Jensen (Kelly Lee Owens, Prins Thomas). Arriving shortly after their recent collaboration with Gia Margaret, 'Nick of Time', the track provides a second glimpse of a new body of work expected later this year. Konradsen will mark the beginning of this new chapter with a special show at Oslo's MUNCH Museum on 10th April.

Written while the duo were also composing for a short film rooted in Jenny’s home village Storfjord, ‘Efficiency’ grew out of a request for something “slightly souly” in 6/8 - inspired by jazz singer Solveig Slettahjell’s version of ‘Borrowed Time’ by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The song ultimately wasn’t used in the film, but the constraint proved pivotal, pushing Konradsen into a register they might not have explored otherwise.

Produced with Hans Olav Settem and Marith Othilie Thorvik, ‘Efficiency’ features guest vocals from Norwegian singer-songwriter Beharie. Set against softly strummed guitars, sparing strings and unhurried percussion, his expressive delivery deepens the song’s emotional centre: a portrait of love that persists through routine rather than drama:

"'Efficiency' portrays a kind of love that isn’t always immediate or all-consuming, but one that endures nonetheless — a relationship where time, patience, and a willingness to see the beauty in each other’s imperfections are essential. It touches on a phase many people recognize: when the distance between two people can feel greater than before, yet the bond remains strong." 


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Photo - Orlando Cubitt
Howling Bells - Melbourne.

UK-based Australian trio Howling Bells has just released their latest single 'Melbourne', marking the final release before the arrival of 'Strange Life', their first album in over 12 years, on 13th February.
 
Juanita explains: "Melbourne is a song about deep yearning and ultimately grief. It explores a unique inner conflict many of us feel when we leave our homes and families to start anew somewhere else. This aching can be especially intense when we’re faced with something traumatic and all we want is the safety and warm embrace of the familiar. I experienced a heightened version of this when I returned to Melbourne a few years ago to play some shows, having not been back for a while. 

It felt slightly surreal and tragic being there without any family to share this with, as they had also left Australia over the years. Then, within 24 hours of touchdown, I got a call from a hospital in England telling me that my father, who was ill, had taken a turn for the worse, and so I had to pack up and return to the UK before I’d even played a show. It was brutal. I felt a thousand things that day, from the physical weight of having to lug around 2 huge suitcases full of merch I was planning to unload, to sitting alone in tears at the airport in Singapore during the layover. 

All these experiences left me with a deep well of sadness and a longing to return to my homeland to find what it is I’d now lost forever. This is something I carry around with me every day. All it takes is the glimmer of the sun at a certain time of day, or the occasional scent of an eucalyptus tree, or the sharp twinge of nostalgia when I hear the melody of a particular song, to remind me of the sadness and beauty that is now my Australia".


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Photo -  Josef Lloyd
Tyce Delk & Trinity Lake - Adaline.

Rising country star Tyce Delk shared a special duet version of his streaming hit “Adaline” with Oklahoma country-pop artist Trinity Lake. Her soulful vocals complement the blues-infected country ballad, which surpassed 1 million streams in under a week and currently sits at over 23 million U.S. streams to date (Luminate). “Being able to give 'Adaline' another life as a duet has been awesome,” shares Delk. “Trinity added another level to this song that it needed, couldn’t have thought of a better person for it. Thankful she was up for it!” 

Lake adds: “I’ve been such a fan of Tyce and this song since he first started promoting it on social media. It’s been so cool getting to know Tyce on a personal level, and I’m super grateful he asked me to be a part of this reimagined version!” 

Late last year, Delk released his debut EP Enough Ain’t Enough to praise from MusicRow, Country Central and Holler, who exclaimed, “The second you hear [Tyce] stretch out and land that opening ‘Baby’ on his debut single, ‘Adaline,’ he blows every other country singer around out of the water. His voice has a depth and power and an ability to lift a song up and send it somewhere otherworldly that few other singers in modern-day country music have.” Grounded in Delk’s Red Dirt New Mexico roots with Western swing touches and radio-ready hooks, the EP paired high-energy country stompers with tender ballads that showcased his rich, emotive voice.

A fourth-generation farmer, rancher and musician, Delk's soulful storytelling springs from a lifetime of wide-open skies and family heritage. Growing up amidst the rhythms of crops and cattle, and the melodies of swing-era music passed down through generations, Tyce’s artistic identity is steeped in generational legacy.


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Dani Ivory - Anymore.

Dani Ivory’s new single “Anymore” arrives with quiet intensity, capturing the moment when clarity finally cuts through confusion. Built around a rich piano line and unflinching vocal performance, the track unfolds like a confession, turning heartbreak into resolve. It’s tinged with folky, Americana-esque guitar textures, seamlessly blended with soul and pop elements, giving the song a warm, grounded feel without losing its modern edge.

The song centers on reclaiming autonomy and spirit after emotional control, with Ivory delivering lines that feel lived-in and resolute: “When I had a hunch you were creepin’ behind closed doors / I’m not yours / No, no, no, no / I’m not yours anymore.” Rather than dramatizing the breakup, Ivory leans into restraint, allowing honesty to do the heavy lifting.

Ivory shares, “I wrote ‘Anymore’ after leaving someone who mistook control for love. It’s about waking up from the fog of infatuation and excuses and realizing you’re done letting someone else’s insecurity cage you. It’s a reluctant release — part mourning, part reckoning — and ultimately a return to my true self. Even when you know it’s good for you, letting go can still hurt.”

That release shows up in the song’s smallest victories — the freedom to exist without fear or expectation: “When I step out on the street, I can be who I want to be / Makeup-free in my faded, beat-up jeans / ’Cause I ain’t got no one threatenin’ to leave.” Ivory also reflects on the future she once imagined, now left behind: “You had my heart beatin’ and even wedding dreamin’ / Until the sweetness turned sour.”


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Johnny Delaware - Nicole Atkins - Late Stay Ultra Girls - Nora Stanley

Johnny Delaware - Regret Town. Johnny Delaware (co-founder and former member of Susto) will release On God’s Time on July 24, 2026 via Norm...