Now, with the world turning again, The Exbats are poised to attack more hearts and ears with “Song Machine” . It’s another slab of sonic references to the golden era of rock singles played with a modern urgency. Singer/drummer Inez McLain has evolved into a majorly confident representative of her very own heart and soul, belting out the songs her father Kenny crafts about their charmed, occasionally fraught, yet beautiful lives together. Impressively, Exbats is able to find a tenderness in their sound without losing the sensibilities of pop. Altogether, Arizona-based Exbats are effortless time travelers– who’ve set the dial for the early 1970s as they incorporate the sonic magic of the Partridge Family, Muswell Hillbillies-era Kinks, and Brian Wilson into the crux of their musical ethos.
Described by the band as “music for people who bought 45s from 1965 to 1975”, “Like it Like I Do” is nothing short of a sweet love letter. With a crooning melody adjacent to a Mamas & Papas song, the track describes the bliss one feels shortly after falling in love. Throughout the ditty, the fears of being alone forever are uncovered, which now become replenished by the narrator meeting their perfect match. In the excitable two minute number, we hear Kenny and Inez McLain’s buttery vocals working in unison. The end result is a track that feels as if it’s been dug out of a time capsule from the mid 1960’s to early 1970’s.
Resonance, the upcoming album by composer and multi-instrumentalist Joel Styzens, features a full hour of hammered dulcimer, acoustic guitar, cello, piano, and string quartet compositions designed to take readers on an instrumental journey about the transformative power of connection. “In an age of singles and ping-pong streaming, Resonance offers listeners an opportunity to deeply listen, to reflect, to interact with the music by being musically guided or by imaginatively choosing their own adventure,” Styzens says.
Transformation is also a theme in Joel Styzens’ life. Severe tinnitus and hyperacusis sidetracked hiscareer as a percussionist causing him to temporarily lose his identity as a musician while he focused on dealing with symptoms and finding therapies. Styzens founded a Chicago-based support group and he found a new way to create music that his ears could tolerate by writing it himself for stringed instruments, performed at a lower volume. The result was Relax Your Ears (2010), Styzens’ first album, which earned international notice for its acoustic soundscapes.
Resonance connects to Relax Your Ears, which was primarily composed for guitar and cello. The foundation of rhythmic attention is key in any piece he composes—the regard to silence, pauses, a carefully placed vibrato or tempo change. However, the last decade of musical growth has helped Styzens understand more about how he composes by using the grandeur and complexities of classical works and visualizing them as more traditional songs, thereby making them more accessible to a wider audience. He is heavily influenced by his love of 90s grunge and alternative rock, jazz, world music, and his childhood exposure (through his parents) to folk, bluegrass, and old-time string bands. Styzens teaches at Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and reconnected with the hammered dulcimer there, building upon its percussive qualities. He has practiced yoga and meditation for many years and understands the ability of music to take listeners on a journey or keep them acutely present. Joining Styzens on Resonance are the British cellist Sophie Webber and jazz pianist Rob Clearfield.
Webber and Styzens have worked together creatively for years, even living in a shared artists’ house. Through his jazz drumming gigs, Styzens met Clearfield, a pianist with incredible improvisational technique. Styzens brought in the ATLYS Quartet, comprised of Jinty McTavish, Sabrina Tabby, Genevieve Tabby, and Rita Andrade, to deepen the compositional textures. Brought together,Resonance maintains the intimacy of Relax Your Ears while expanding the record dynamically and texturally.
From the first track, “Opening,” Resonance captures the relationship between our connections with others, nature, and the unknown, illustrated through the ensemble’s push-and-pull between quiet, propulsive moments and swaths of expansive string textures. Styzens describes the piece as exploring “the cosmos colliding as a metaphor for the evolution of intimate relationships.” Another bond highlighted on the album is the one between Styzens and his grandmother, who found immense comfort in his music, her final musical request being his piece, “Ascendance.” The composition maintains a consistent sense of motion, while melodies float tranquilly above, literally ascending. “The Garden Suite,” inspired by the Chicago Botanic Gardens, immerses the listener in the natural world. Styzens says “The Garden Suite” examines how “music without words can also narrate and capture specific moments in time,” providing freedom to “choose your own adventure in the moment.” He adds, “But if you want to listen for specific imagery, you might hear dragonflies joyfully darting in the shadow and light of ‘Walled Garden,’ and graceful, falling cascades in ‘Waterfall Garden.’”
In each second of Resonance, the musical gentleness and majesty blend seamlessly through the warmth amongst the musicians involved and the care for the stories behind the compositions. “Resonance is based on connection,” says Styzens, “and how we resonate with each other, with nature, with the great beyond. It’s a celebration of the challenges and triumphs of life and the potential for transformation.”
C.O.F.F.I.N are a four piece hard rock and roll band hailing from Sydney’s northern beaches, featuring a lead vocalist on drums. Forming in 2005 as just teenagers, they played their first ever show alongside Australian punk icons / personal heroes the Hard-Ons at community centre all-ages show. Word spread quickly in those formative years and hometown C.O.F.F.I.N shows soon became more like large-scale, community-gathered events, held at venues that were brave enough to host the always chaotic live performances. A yearn for adventure and a strong sense of DIY-ethics saw C.O.F.F.I.N take to the road in no time. Australia/New Zealand, Asia, North America and Europe were hit on countless self-booked tours. Their passion for travel and experiencing new cultures, undoubtedly built the strong foundation of devoted C.O.F.F.I.N fans worldwide (perhaps even unknowingly to the young band at the time).
With years spent refining their craft, C.O.F.F.I.N’s music began to focus more on important social issues, such as climate action, indigenous rights and gender politics. The sheer power of their musical response to social injustices we face as a society is a key element that C.O.F.F.I.N fans everywhere have recognised and come to adore. Four studio albums on various labels/pressings and 18 years down their unstoppable path, C.O.F.F.I.N have performed to crowds in the thousands, including various festivals, industry conferences worldwide and the 2022 world tour support of close friends Amyl and The Sniffers. C.O.F.F.I.N have become a cherished band, staple to the punk/rock community across the globe and an integral live band in Australian rock and roll history.
Christopher Tignor‘s upcoming album The Art of Surrender, set for a September 29th release via Western Vinyl, marks a return to life, sown from primal impulses and hard-won emotional truths. Unrestrained melodic rapture soars above a propulsive kick drum, speaking a need to move, to dance, to love. The music is as ambitious as its origins are personal. Tignor plays with scale, crafting multi-movement epics alongside one-minute miniatures. The smallest, most fragile violin gestures, where the finger barely touches the string to extract natural harmonics exist side by side with angular, exotic melodies, asymmetric rhythms, and rapid-fire string crossings. On this album, Tignor digs even more deeply into the violin and its technicolor re-imaginings under his electroacoustic treatments. Today he shares the first look from the album in “Ritual of a Thousand Limbs,” which is a reference to the extended solo electro-acoustic instrument Tignor has created himself where he processes his violin through software using pedals (which then, in turn, perform synths). It’s an instrument played with both feet and hands including a kick drum with custom triggering software. Likewise, the title alludes to the 1000 arms and hands of the Avalokiteshvara, a bodhisattva associated with compassion. The song weaves back and forth between this impulse and its more somatic, lustful urges, a study in the duality of desire and acceptance. The striking new video for the work is a collaboration with girlfriend Rachelle Somma, who’s unique, award-winning approach to dance blends pole-dancing with modern forms to create a spellbinding interpretation completely unique to both mediums. The album title refers to the process of letting go of expectations, submitting to the will of the creative process. Following a collapsed relationship that left Tignor alone half-time with his daughter, this period was also one of surrendering to a dark unknown, rebuilding life’s basic meanings from passion and artistic drive. Likewise, Tignor’s unwavering approach to live performance embraces the rewards of taking risks: using his custom setup with meticulously controlled violin processing and drum triggered synths, this LP, like its predecessors, was created without pre-recorded tracks or live looping, allowing bodily gesture to invite audiences into the process of music making. Christopher Tignor is a composer, violinist, lecturer, and software engineer, with a PhD in music composition from Princeton. In his early years, he was the personal assistant for LaMonte Young, and was the technical director for Music at the Anthology, a new music festival produced by Philip Glass. 
Gabby & The Gondolas is the brainchild of Kyle Neveau, an indie rock songwriter from San Clemente, California. His music certainly embodies that, with the beach very much influencing his sound. Sonically, the band covers a wide range, from grunge to surf rock toAmericana. Despite Neveau currently residing in Nashville, everyone involved in the project has some sort of ties to California in one way or another.
The album, Pollyanna is a term used to describe someone who’s overly optimistic,even when they have no reason to be. Kyle Neveau thought it was fittingly ironic to give the album that name, considering many of the songs on the album, even the upbeat ones, have a melancholy element to them. The album is supported by the singles “Steamed Rice” and “Pottery God”.
A band of many facets with an effortless ability to blend various genres, Nature Loves Courage have been turning heads around the music scene for some time. Driven by an obsession with loops and beats, melodic pianist and lead vocalist McKenna Rowe set out to create her own set of lush beats inspired by industrial trip hop acts such as Massive Attack. With this in mind, Nature Loves Courage adopted bassist Jacob Bergman, drummer Garrett Smith, and guitarist Joe De Sa to further polish their electronic-forward production.
Now all based in LA, the four piece aims to bridge together the sonic worlds of experimental music and mainstream pop. Out later this fall, Nature Loves Courage’s second EP continues to flex their lush, danceable, electronic-rock sound, with themes that explore the complexity of human relationships: to a partner, to art, to the world at large.
Ballyhoo!, the dynamic and genre-defying musical powerhouse, is thrilled to announce the release of their ninth full-length studio album “Shellshock.” The album showcases Ballyhoo!’s signature sound while embracing fresh and innovative influences from their featured collaborators. The Elovators, Hirie, Iya Terra, Tropidelic, Bumpin Uglies and Kyle Smith, have each left their distinct mark on the album, adding their own flair and musical prowess to the mix.
Self-produced and brimming with creative energy, Ballyhoo!’s latest album is slated to drop on August 25, 2023, under the esteemed label Ineffable Records. Known for their groundbreaking ability to seamlessly blend reggae, punk, alternative rock, and pop elements, Ballyhoo! is ready to take their fans on an unforgettable sonic journey with their 14 electrifying tracks.
With a combination of infectious hooks, soul-stirring lyrics, and captivating melodies, Ballyhoo!’s 9th full-length record promises to captivate both loyal fans and newcomers alike. From anthemic tracks to introspective ballads, the album covers a wide spectrum of emotions, making it an exhilarating and memorable musical journey.
Frontman Howi Spangler says, “The goal with this album was to write and produce the best songs we could. There’s no focused sound or anything like that, in fact it’s all over the place stylistically. But it all sounds like Ballyhoo!. I think there’s something for everyone with “Shellshock”. I’m really proud of what we did, everyone crushed their parts. I can’t wait to see what songs are hitting the hardest with our listeners in the weeks after release.”
Izza – hailed by Genius as this “digital generation’s superstar” – encourages listeners to find freedom in being themselves, even if that means going against social normalcy. ‘Galaxy’ is a true rebirth of the USC music grad, unlocking her authentic voice in a sassy, energetic, and major Bad B*tch Energy way! Catching the attention of Tinder, the NY post, and women worldwide; the internet cannot get enough of Izza’s cheeky humor and bold moves. Izza prides herself on creating music that encourages everyone and anyone to focus on self-love and normalize vulnerability. Izza is also an advocate for mental health and has performed at 320 Festival, alongside artists like Chris Martin of Coldplay, Elohim, and Social House.
global music authority Billboard announced additional artists set to join Billboard Latin Music Week, the ultimate celebration of Latin music, culture, and entertainment. Internationally renowned pop group RBD members Christian Chávez, Maite Perroni and Christopher von Uckermann,singer Chencho Corleone, Colombian superstar Feid, Manuel Turizo and rapper Myke Towers will join the star-studded lineup. The legacy event is returning to the Faena Forum in Miami from Oct. 2-6, 2023, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month. Additional details will be released in the coming weeks with registration now open at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com
Following their highly anticipated reunion tour announcement after a 14-year hiatus, RBD members Christian Chávez, Maite Perroni and Christopher von Uckermann will take the stage at BillboardLatin Music Week and, for the first time ever, publicly tell the story of how their reunion came to fruition. This RBD marquee appearance follows another first as this month, all five members will sit down with Billboard and Billboard Español for their first interview as a group.
Colombian superstar Feid,known for his mega hits, signature look, and encapsulating stage presence, will bring together his creative and management team for a blow-by-blow panel on how his passion translated to success. Latin Music Week attendees can also expect Puerto Rican star Myke Towers,who boasts the most-listened to track in the world right now with “Lala,” and will participate in the “Deja tu Huella” panel presented by Cheetos. During the panel, Towers will share the stage with fellow creatives from different fields who have also brought together success in conjunction with social responsibility. Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and record producer Chencho Corleone will take the stage for a panel conversation with previously announced artist, Vico C. Manuel Turizo, who became popular with his song “Una Lady Como Tú,” will also grace the stage for a one-on-one conversation, presented by Delta.
These artists will will join previously announced participants including Arcángel, Edgar Barrera, Maria Becerra, Eladio Carrión, Fonseca, GALE, Grupo Frontera, Natanael Cano, Nathy Peluso, Nicki Nicole, Peso Pluma, Santa Fe Klan, Shakira, Sebastián Yatra, Vico C, Yng Lvcas, and Young Miko, with more to be revealed.
For more than 30 years, Billboard Latin Music Week has been the longest-running and biggest Latin music industry gathering in the world, spotlighting Latin’s top artists, actors, influencers, and industry leaders. The conference has become a must-attend event for artists, executives and players in the industry, both new and upcoming as well as established. The 2023 edition of Billboard Latin Music Week will feature an expansive programming lineup with one-of-a-kind performances, exclusive panel conversations, workshops, showcases, networking opportunities, and more.
BillboardLatin Music Week will also coincide with the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday, October 5 at the Watsco Center in Miami, which will broadcast LIVE on Telemundo. The awards show will also broadcast simultaneously on Spanish entertainment cable network, Universo, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional. For the latest news about the event, visit Telemundo.com/PremiosBillboard.
BillboardLatin Music Week partners include Cheetos, Delta Air Lines, Michelob ULTRA, Smirnoff and more. Cheetos makes its second return to Miami to collaborate with Billboard on championing charitable efforts throughout the Latin communities and the artists that give back to them. This year, Cheetos will present the Deja tu Huella panel and will bring the celebration into the community with a block party featuring some special guests. In the Latin community, Solo Vale La Pena Si Lo Disfrutas, resonates for many generations. Translating to, “It’s Only Worth It If You Enjoy It”, Michelob ULTRA, the first-ever beer partner of Billboard Español, will create a series of unique, music-focused moments – from bespoke concert experiences to immersive activations to video storytelling – highlighting the variety of ways that artists create moments of joy in addition to their music. Smirnoff is back again as the official Vodka and Flavored Malt Beverage (Smirnoff ICE) sponsors of Billboard’s Latin Music Week. Coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month, the brand will be integrated into the En Vivo programming, Latin Power Players, panel conversations and host a custom happy hour, driving product sampling of Smirnoff ICE and Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind for those in attendance.
Delta Air Lines will be the official airline partner of Billboard Latin Music Week in celebration of its partnership with LATAM Airlines. The Joint Venture between the two award-winning airlines is transforming travel between the two continents by offering an improved customer experience for its customers through benefits such as the joint accumulation of miles/points in frequent flyer programs and faster connections to access more than 300 destinations through the partner hubs in Atlanta, Miami, New York JFK, Los Angeles, Bogota, Sao Paulo, Lima and Santiago.
For more information on Billboard Latin Music Week and the latest updates, visit BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
Since their debut as Soda Blonde (the group was previously together as Little Green Cars) two years ago, the band (frontwoman Faye O’Rourke, guitarist Adam O’Regan, drummer Dylan Lynch, and bassist Donagh Seaver-O’Leary) have grown tremendously.
The band released their debut album, Small Talk, in 2021 after releasing two successful introductory EPs. After receiving rave reviews from Paste Magazine, Atwood Magazine, and The Irish Times, the LP was nominated for RTÉ‘s Choice Music Prize for Album of the Year.
multi-faceted Swedish artist Kasbo has officially returned with his first original solo release in three years. “The Way You Had Me” is a single that marks a new sonic journey for Kasbo, one that explores the cathartic nature of dancefloor-driven music. It’s out now via ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective, the beginning of a return for the prolific artist.
With a punchy yet minimal groove, “The Way You Had Me” locks listeners into a mesmerizing spell while giving space to the spine-tingling melodic elements of Kasbo’s production. Still utilizing the many angles of his talent, the new single also includes tight guitar licks that add a level of depth to the record, which Kasbo has exhibited throughout his discography.
“‘The Way You Had Me’ marked a major turning point for me creatively. I’d been struggling for months, if not years, to rediscover my place in the new and quickly changing electronic music landscape. This song felt like the beginning of me realizing that direction – covering new ground while still creating something that felt true to myself. The song itself is about a past relationship and coming to terms with a partner moving on. That period when you’re wondering if they’re just distracting themselves or if they’ve truly moved on, and questioning how what you had could be real if it could be forgotten so quickly… I’m so happy to finally be releasing music again and can’t wait to continue sharing this new era of inspiration with everyone.” —Kasbo
“Captures the crude textures and shadows of modern Europe’s night-scapes, from the warehouses of Berlin to the graffitied streets of Athens, and assembles them into a deliciously menacing yet dreamy soundtrack at once nostalgic and forward-looking.” – The AV Club A pungent ooze emanates from the subway. As a sticky drum machine sequence rolls out like thick dark fog, ice cold synth swirls rise from the depths. Since the debut album Europe By Night, one of the main references associated with Henrik Stelzer and his Metro Riders project has been that of cinema, and particularly the European genre films of the 1980s. With its seedy subject matters manifesting both in visual style and music, the vibe of that era has crystallized over time. Passed down to us from deteriorating video cassettes, it became an invaluable key to decoding our present day reality. And this is true for his new album Lost in Reality, set for a September 29th release via Possible Motive. Stelzer does not hide the fact that he builds heavily on that vibe; referencing it through track titles and utilizing a particular recording setup consisting of a Fostex and a reel to reel in order to achieve and recreate the feeling of those soundtracks — as heard on magnetic tape rather than vinyl.
Following the last month’s release of “Spasm,” today Metro Riders release the new single“Aenigma,” a track is inspired by the 1988 teenage possession film directed by Lucio Fulci of the same, name, with frozen-in-time synths cautiously painting a hazy nighttime picture. Check it out on YouTube and pre-order the album here. The motion picture soundtrack as an arbitrary genre definition becomes, in the hands of Stelzer, a pair of X-ray specs for him to envision a kind of music that deals in grains and contrasts rather than hooks and choruses. And like Roddy Piper in John Carpenter’s 1988 film They Live, he hands those glasses over for us to see the true face of our times. On Lost In Reality, Metro Riders maps out an emotional geography of the cities at night, wherein the cinematic haze becomes a tool by which we can view the cities with new eyes. Not steering away from the darker alleys nor the harsh realities of modern day politics masquerading as progress. Yet escapism, in the end, seems the only viable option. But not as an endgame, but rather a stepping stone for building a new vocabulary for an utopian language. Lost In Reality is the second album from Sweden based Metro Riders (real name Henrik Stelzer). Employing outdated software and now obsolete analogue recording equipment, Metro Riders conjures a suspenseful and gloomy, true to the era re-imagining of lost sounds. Metro Riders encompasses a very niche palette, everything from the prophetic visions of John Carpenter, to the warbled world of Troma films, to Italian horror flicks, euro-crime and the cybernetic sewers of The Skaters. 
In the mid-90’s when the giant wave of post-Nirvana A&R signings crested and broke, Cincinnati, OH experienced a blink-and-you-miss it moment in the sun birthing a sultry, greasy and noise-addled contribution to the Indie Rock lexicon with bands like Afghan Whigs, Ass Ponys, Wussy and compatriots Brainiac. But to say that Cincinnati possesses a “sound” that has any kind of throughline is a bit more difficult to place. Instead, the city like the music it produces, is a bit of a liminal zone – straddling the South and the Midwest, concentration of the world’s most successful multi-national companies and a startling high poverty index. The music that makes it out feels unplaceable – how did a city of just over a million birth Why?, The National, Adrian Belew and John Bender?
While so many of the acts named feel like they are constantly in the act of becoming, Spoils, a band formed in 2021 right on the cusp of another wave of creativity in Cincinnati, feels completely the opposite. Their songs sound as if they were plucked from the slipstream as fully formed, fully realized and hooked into a lineage much bigger than themselves. Songs by Spoils, once played, immediately dig deep caverns into your brain with a pace that feels practically metabolic. On their latest EP – Nothing For a Man (their first for the Cincy based Happy Families label) expands on the tunefulness of their debut 2022 EP Find Later – while expanding their musical vocabulary. Violins appear on the intro and “Riverbed (Redux)” and Rhodes piano grace “David”, giving these songs a bit more space to breathe while catalyzed by perfect hooks that songwriter, guitarist and violinist Nina Payiatis’s is so well suited for. The tunefulness of that dog., the irresistible hooks of bands like Unrest and the scrappy economy of The Spinanes are good entry points while contemporary indie bands like Spirit of the Beehive and Horse Jumper of Love seem to be fellow travelers.
Within the span of two years Spoils has managed to retain the accelerants that made Find Later such a treasured find allowing the simmering verses to feel out their depth a bit more. About the creation of the EP Nina Payiatis states, “The EP itself was written in the past year or so when the atmosphere felt more fertile from pandemic tensions being released. It’s made of threads that tie back to growing and living here– family, friends, fables, emerging into adulthood as the world opens back up.”
Structurally the songs on Nothing For a Man provide mediations on universal rites of passage through distinct and personal experiences, Payiatis states, ““David” is about a man I met after our first show at The Comet after passing by each other in the neighborhood multiple days in a row. I never saw him again. “Come Closer” is about acquaintances made post-pandemic, when we were going to see new bands play every weekend. “Figure It Out” is about wanting to learn from mistakes, also sort of influenced by Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenedes. We re-recorded “Riverbed” because the song was originally written from a very mellow place, and we wanted to honor the melancholia.”
While Cincinnati may not have a unifying sound, Nina Payiati is quick to point out that this EP is tied to the land they live in and the city’s vibrant musical community they are tied to, “Mostly, our music is an answer to living in the Midwest. We love it here. The landscape of Ohio feels very lush, vast, closely integrated with nature and sky. The culture is pleasant, it feels rooted in history and community, our music is a part of that quilt.” To sum it up with a sly IYKYK response, “It’s Ohio style”.
No doubt who resides on the Scandinavian funk throne these days! New single “Streamline”is more proof that Fieh carries the crown with confidence. Lead singer and songwriter Sofie Tollefsbøl’s vocals dance upon a funky and catchy composition, supported by a tight bassline. The song’s lyrics address arrogant and narrow-minded “ass-kissers” and shows the band’s more confrontative side. This is the last of the singles before the entire Fieh III album is released in September.
With Steve Lacey, Anderson Paak, Bootsy Collins, Gorillaz, Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse being the inspirations behind the album, we get a hint of which soundscapes shapes the album. Fieh, fronted by Sofie Tollefsbøl accompanied by the proficient musicians Jørgen Kasbo (guitar), Ola Øverby (drums), Kai von der Lippe (keyboards), Solveig Wang (synth and backing vocals), Lyder Øvreås Røed (trumpet, percussion, and horn arrangement), Andreas Rukan (bass) and Thea Arnesdotter (backing vocals), has once again created funk songs with great hit potential, and this time with a harder and somewhat meaner sound.
Through music videos, press photos, styling, artwork, and scenography the bands striking creative and colorful expression has become unmistakable through the years. Continuing this path, the artwork for their upcoming album is made by Darius Moreno, among other things known for GoldLink’s latest album cover.
Their next album IIIwill be released through Jansen Records September 15th, 2023.
Spellemann nominatedFieh, fronted by Sofie Tollefsbøl and consisting of the talented musicians Jørgen Kasbo (guitar), Ola Øverby (drums), Kai von der Lippe (keyboards), Solveig Wang (bass clarinet, moog bass and choir), Lyder Øvreås Røed (trumpet, percussion and horn arrangement), Andreas Rukan (bass) and Thea Arnesdotter (choir), have again created funk songs with great hit potential, and this time with a harder and somewhat meaner sound. Inspired by Steve Lacy, Anderson Paak, Bootsy Collins and soul legend Amy Winehouse, the octet takes us to a retro-futuristic soundscap of funk, neo-soul, pop and r&b. Fieh broke through with the single “Glu” in 2017, which quickly created great international attention and hype around the group. Extensive touring activities brought them to stages all over the world with appearances at festivals such as SXSW and Reeperbahn, and the main stage at the Norwegian Øya festival in both 2018 and 2022.On the track, Sofie Tollefsbøl shares: “When coming up with this one I was very hooked on a Rosalia-song and wanted to make something with a minimalistic, kind of hectic-feeling or angry beat. We had a looot of fun producing this drum machine, Kai doing loads of super nice synth stuff (house Lord!) and Andreas playing the Berghain bass, haha. At the time I was annoyed by an incident, I had some angry steam to release, and this tune was perfect for venting.” 
cerebral rock band Psychology have released “The Economy,” the latest single from their self-titled debut album out September 8th via Cart/Horse Records. The track speaks to having your perspective changed for the better after meeting somebody new, featuring compelling lyricism and strategically layered guitar solos. Check out the premiere from New Noise Magazine here.
While the band’s debut single “First Contact” is about meeting the one and was inspired by the moment lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist John Atkinson met his wife, “The Economy” is a continuation of those themes and is about the road you follow after. In what seems to be a straightforward and exciting time of a relationship can actually be somewhat complex, a moment of realization that is portrayed throughout the breezy rock track with its flurry of guitar work and endearing vocals.
John shares, “‘The Economy’ was, at first, an attempt at a candy pop song. I think I got that part down, but it also turned into something more. Something you can get lost in, like a love affair.”
The forthcoming self-titled LP features “The Economy” along with “First Contact,” a Black Sabbath inspired track that soars with a blended balance of hazy vocals, a thick drum groove, and buzzing guitars that transition into a masterful guitar solo. The two singles offer just a glimpse of what lies at the core of Psychology. Throughout its 11 tracks, the collection of love songs speak to the heart and the head of the listener as they tap into the challenges of everyday life – regardless of the difficulties faced. Psychology was recorded at Nuthouse Recording in New Jersey with John performing guitar, bass, and vocals, accompanied by drummer Dave Richman, produced by Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf, The Juliana Hatfield Three), and engineered by Tim Foljahn (Townes Van Zandt, Sonic Youth). Full track listing below.’
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Since the critically acclaimed LP release in 2019 ’This Was Supposed To Be Fun’ via his artist duo pairing with Sage Frances, namely ‘Epic Beard Men’, rapper and poet B. Dolan returns after a tumultuous 4 year absence- during which he underwent massive spinal surgery during the pandemic and a lengthy recovery process-with the first single from a forthcoming LP entitled “The Wound Is Not The Body”, due out Spring 2024.
Backed by dusty, moody organs and slapping production from the duo known as Widowmaker, “The Rock Cried Out” lyrically expands on a bar from the Nina Simone song “Sinnerman”. Writing from the perspective of a rock, Dolan finds surprising veins of vulnerability in what he has to say about himself, humanity, and relationships subject to lifetimes and centuries.Alongside this B. Dolan will embark of a string of UK tour dates, kicking off for a few shows at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, followed by more performances up and down the country, with support from UK 2023 Poetry Slam Champion Mithago Craze.
The Rock Cried Out is out today via a Bandcamp exclusive- https://bdolan.bandcamp.com/album/the-rock-cried-out
Women will rock Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA on Saturday, October 21st as the 6th annual Women Who Rock™ Benefit Concert Presented by Gibson Gives returns. Women Who Rock™ connects through the power of music and helps educate, support, and fund women-centric health research.
All proceeds from the Women Who Rock™ Benefit Concert support Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI), the nation’s largest research institute dedicated solely to life-saving women’s health research. Tickets for the 2023 Women Who Rock Benefit Concert go on sale Friday 8/25 at 10 AM ET via https://www.axs.com/events/498051/women-who-rock-tickets.
This year’s annual Women Who Rock™ Benefit Concert on October 21st will star the legendary Ann Wilson of Heart and Tripsitter. Widely praised as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock, Wilson’s powerful voice has been sending chills down her audience’s collective spine for over five decades, selling more than 35 million records and earning an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Barracuda,” “Crazy On You,” and “Magic Man” are among Ann’s songs that reside in the pantheon of rock’s greatest hits. “Greed” from 2022’s Fierce Bliss plays seamlessly alongside the classics in her current live set. This past year, Ann sang with Disturbed’s front man David Draiman on the duet, “Don’t Tell Me” from their recently released Divisive album, and lent her voice to Dolly Parton’s forthcoming rock record. From Dreamboat Annie to Disturbed, to Dolly Parton and beyond, Ann Wilson defies genre. Prior to starting their summer tour, Ann Wilson & Tripsitter has been putting the finishing touches on their new album Another Door, which is due out September 29 HERE. This year, Ann brings her show to venues everywhere with the same vigor and verve that she brought that one memorable night in front of Led Zeppelin at The Kennedy Center.
The 100% female-fronted music lineup on the GBU Life Stage will also feature special guest The Vindys, an alt-rock band from Youngstown, OH. The Vindys deliver ripping guitars, a driving horn section, and powerhouse vocals led by front woman Jackie Popovec with a sweet and sultry style reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. You might have heard their song “Are You Ready” which has been used to promote several sports franchises as well as in ESPN commercials, and their latest music video “Bugs,” which screened at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
The lineup also includes local support with a DJ set from Madame Trio.
All tickets for the 2023 Women Who Rock Benefit Concert go on sale Friday 8/25 at 10 AM ET via https://www.axs.com/events/498051/women-who-rock-tickets.
Sam Garrett is an English Singer-songwriter whose music highlights his spiritual journey exploring Eastern Philosophy, Meditation, Yoga and Rastafari Wisdom. Lyrically soulful and devotionally talented, Sam’s music uplifts enlivens and inspires the hearts and souls of people all over the world. With a skillful combination of vocals and guitar, he lifts the mood with reggae riffs such as ‘Viva La Revolution’ and soothes our busy minds with the soft tones of ‘Higher Than the Mountains,’ offering a unique journey and depth that is rare to experience. Sam is currently on a 29-stop tour across Europe in support of Forward to Zion. His songs have reached #1 on the iTunes/Apple Music charts 64 times in 32 countries, for a total of 1,727 days.
2023 marks the 150th anniversary of Epiphone, a leading innovator in instrument design. By leveraging its iconic past and leaning into the future, Epiphone has now set the stage for the next era of sound for present and future generations. Epiphone is proud to announce a partnership with the global influencer and music educator Marty Schwartz to create his very first Epiphone signature artist guitar. The Marty Schwartz ES-335 from Epiphone is now available worldwide at authorized Epiphone dealers, and in limited capacity on www.epiphone.com.
“Teaming up with Epiphone to bring my dream guitar to life is an absolute milestone in my musical journey,” says Marty Schwartz. “This guitar embodies everything I love about playing and teaching. We’ve truly created a guitar that’s as unique as the journey it represents.”
“Marty Schwartz is a tremendous talent whose infectious joy for learning and teaching guitar allows players of every level to easily connect with him all across the globe,” says Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer, Gibson Brands. “We are proud to partner with Marty for this very special ES-335 model.”
Making music built for those venues where your feet stick to the floor, London-based alternative rap trio, Frozemode, have already been named by NME as one of their favourite live acts to see right now and a recommended as a must-see at this weekend’s Reading & Leeds Festival. Proving that they can bring equal energy to their studio releases, the trio drop their fourth single “Vermin”, which lands with another huge seal of approval from NME, with a full interview tipping the band as one of their ‘breakout’ artists – read here.
Radiating a formidable vigour, whilst effortlessly preserving the distinctive, alternative style that characterises the group’s musical persona, “Vermin”, not only highlights their skillfulness in the rap genre but also resonates with their unique sonic fabric, as they creep further into the alternative realm. Renowned for seamlessly weaving gritty rap verses into avant-garde production, Frozemode continue to etch their name as pioneers within the contemporary music landscape with each release.. In the words of the band members: “With our new single “Vermin” we have tried to give people something unexpected by jumping into new territory. It’s a trap / rock fusion with an eerie atmosphere; we want to take listeners on a journey creating a dynamic sound that’s as captivating as it is unsettling. As always we try and keep it raw and authentic. London is unfortunately no stranger to all types of vermin, and we are trying to rise above that but can’t help the fact that it’s changed our mindset.”
Toronto-based outfit Keys N Krates officially announce their third studio album, IN:TENSION, a project coming this fall that serves as a union between their lifelong love of house music and their earliest hip-hop origins. The announcement comes alongside the release of a new single, “Higher,” out now via MNRK/Last Gang Records.
A new milestone for the esteemed trio, IN:TENSION encapsulates the true definition of their style better than ever before. Since gaining notoriety during the mid-2010s, then producing more EDM & trap influenced sounds, Keys N Krates have carefully molded their sound to fit their own tastes, and they’ve done so without sacrificing their signature composition of sampling, synths/keys, and percussion. This is heard perhaps most clearly on today’s new single, “Higher,” which features ecstasy-inducing vocal cuts, a crisp rhythm, and wall-shaking low-end that their longtime fans will continue to enjoy while they introduce themselves to a new segment of clubgoers.
The album’s title, “IN:TENSION,” has a double meaning for Keys N Krates. It serves as a hyper-focused body of work for the trio, who previously only dabbled in housey, four-on-the-floor production. Now, they hone in and embrace it by channeling their musical passion, citing inspiration from house and garage gurus such as Armand Van Helden and Masters At Work. The title also refers to the intense, energetic nature of the new sound, which will be put on full display during their 16-stop DJ set tour throughout the United States. The IN:TENSION Tour officially kicks off in September, hitting major house/techno-focused cities such as Detroit and Chicago, as well as Seattle, Washington D.C., and more.
Project Twin’s debut single Si(Gemini) is preparing for landing on August 7, 2023, hoping for a warm welcome from earthlings on all streaming platforms. Comprising of multi-instrumentalist Spike & lead vocalist Ike, the extraterrestrial duo mysteriously ended up on our planet and made a home for themselves in Ontario, Canada. Coming in peace but their heads full of existential questions, the twin brothers have already learned the hard way the struggles of human emotions and the ups and downs of being a contributing member to society. Gifted with an otherworldly knowledge of music, they use art to solve life’s equations and make sense of what are sometimes painful discoveries. Indeed, it didn’t take long for the two sentient beings to encounter heartache and other love dilemmas as they recount in their stellar first single Si(Gemini). “This song tells the story of finding yourself in a situation where you identify that a romantic partner may not be what’s best for you, yet it’s so hard to leave”, Ike reveals. A perfect hybrid where rock and flamenco orbit together, the explosive track transports you to a new dimension that will see you dancing on latin rhythms one minute and moshing with your friends the next. Si(Gemini) will be followed by the EP Adolescence in October, a project entirely produced, written, mixed and mastered by Spike & Ike. Keep your eyes peeled on their social media as they are documenting their first steps on Earth with the help of their AI assistant Rogue… But one big question currently remains: who really is Project Twin?
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
