Mary Elle is a singer/songwriter based in the Czech Republic. Originally from Oklahoma, USA, Mary Elle first came into the music scene after a video of her singing at a school music festival was discovered online by musician and producer Gregory Darling, sparking the beginning of a musical collaboration.
Her latest single “Religion” is about the difference between man-made religion and real faith that comes from connecting with God. The songwriter explains, “It’s about the lies that sometimes obscure the truth. And the people who play a role in that. But I like to believe that if we hold on to faith, we’ll always find our way back to the right path.”
Written in collaboration with Darling, the two bring together a beautiful mix of potent storytelling, fused with a melody, chord progressions and arrangement which capture the true essence of the song at heart. Sonically, “Religion” is beautifully haunting, sending shivers down your spine with celestial harmonies and a bold and graceful piano melody that evokes a rich, organic warmth, feeling both grounded and expansive.
Mary Elle shares, “I started writing the words during a time I was really struggling with my faith, especially with everyone telling me what my faith should look like and how I should act. The pressure from these expectations only grew when somehow I had attracted the part of social media that continuously talked about the Rapture and how we’d all be going to hell. If you don’t know what the Rapture is, it’s a time at the end of the Bible when the world is essentially ending.”
emerging London-based shoegaze five-piece sadplanet are set to mesmerise listeners again with their latest single, La Maga – a dreamy track that epitomises the expansive sound that the band is progressively gaining recognition for in the UK indie scene.
La Maga is available now on your streaming service of choice via APOLLO Distribution.
Magic Bronson, the Los Angeles-based indie-electronic duo, has carved a unique niche in the music scene with their compelling blend of introspective lyrics and pulsating beats. Known for their distinctive sound that marries electronic music with raw, emotional indie elements, Michael Nicastro and Matthew Lieberman have been captivating audiences since their formation. Their music, a vibrant mix of synth-driven melodies and bass-heavy rhythms, speaks to the heart of the urban experience, reflecting themes of anxiety, societal observations, and personal introspection.
The duo have now unveiled their new ten-track album, Good Dogs, which emerged after a 4 year hiatus. Crafted remotely via Zoom and home studios, the album explores themes of second chances, loss, love, longing, getting older, pining for youth and trying to find a new normalcy post Covid. The title Good Dogs is a reference to Magic Bronson’s longevity and consistency as a duo over the last decade. With its high-energy sound, blending uptempo drums, throbbing bass, and dynamic vocals, Good Dogs is an anthem of bold living and motivation.
Title-track “Good Dogs” is a playful dance track that speaks to the push and pull of attraction. Lieberman explains, “The verses alternate between who’s in charge or metaphorically on the leash in the sense of who’s controlling the relationship at the moment. Musically it’s a 4 on the floor banger with a throbbing bass line and crunchy vintage synths.”
Dirtybird is continuing its 20th anniversary celebration with a debut single ‘Above’ from rising Colombian producer/DJ Julian Collazos out now.
A striking inauguration for Julian Collazos, ‘Above’ is a dark and winding deep tech thriller. The track cruises with a driving momentum as Collazos rolls out reverbbed synths and hyperactive percussion throughout its textured five minutes. ‘Above’ embodies the edgy spunk that can be found on the intimate underground dancefloors that Dirtybird will take over as part of their 20th Anniversary Tour this year.
Transplanted from Yumbo, Colombia to Malaga, Spain, Julian Collazos is amongst a new wave of Latin house producers. The son of a salsa percussionist, Collazos combines his Latin roots with minimal tech elements for rhythm-centric creations. His originals have landed on labels like Moon Harbour, Mindshake Records, Too Many Rules, and Hottrax, with ‘Above’ serving as his first release on Dirtybird.
Vancouver-based Charlie PS has a sound that can be described as a sonic melting pot. Inspired by a wide variety of rock and blues from legends of the 20th century such as Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson, to modern rock artists that include Grace Potter and ZZ Ward, Charlie borrows elements of strong vocals and energetic riffs and uses them to create her own blended sound rooted in modern-rock.
Charlie’s newest single “Mouthpiece” is set to be released on February 7th, the hard hitting modern rock song featuring a ‘play on words’ style lyricism and leads with a nod of defiant satire towards the exceedingly opinionated and vocally over indulgent crowds of today’s digital age. ‘“Mouthpiece” is an homage to everyone who has ever given unsolicited advice or yelled out their opinion in a room full of people who just don’t want to hear it” says Charlie, “The world feels like a noisy place these days and in 2025 I’m setting boundaries with those who just can’t keep their thoughts to themselves.”
From the outside, a mess of tape loops, guitars and their pedals, synthesizers, cultural minutiae and pages of magazines litter the floors of the east Toronto studio that Zanski haunts. It doesn’t seem to make sense.
From the inside, it’s a delicate ecosystem, a roughly calculated process; the sounds seem to flow through passages in the room, in and out of pieces of vintage gear, over and under cassette tapes and drum machines, vibrating the room under layers of shimmery guitars, each cable into the next. It’s a miracle anything gets done. And yet.
A multi-instrumentalist, Zanski embeds a calculated disaffection through his vocals amid a breadth of live and electronic instrumentation including guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers, and anything else found in his home studio, resulting in a confluence of genre-bending sounds and experimental ephemera, an idiosyncratic combination.
Zanski’s music is the result of years of self-reflection and self-production; his 2021 debut ‘Phenomena’ explored the dreamlike sounds of lower fidelity recordings and subtle electronic production, while his breakthrough hit ‘Fool’ weaved a sultry and lowkey vocal over a thundering bassline and minimalist production. His new music, starting with ‘Canines’, exists to recontextualise the whole process, with a more organic, all-thoughts-bared approach to songwriting and production.
We Found a Lovebird excels at trance-like chiming rock. Since 2009, they’ve released four albums, one EP and eight singles with highlights including a Polaris Music Prize nomination and radio support from CBC and KEXP. Since 2020, they’ve released seven singles from their latest long player With Friends Like These.
Often compared to iconic New York rock bands, We Found a Lovebird evokes comparisons to Television on their 2019 album Deluxe Hotel and a more tuneful Richard Hell & the Voidoids on their new album With Friends Like These.
What it all adds up to is the enduring magic of a rock & roll four-piece with elegant guitar interplay, topped off with evocative lyrics. It’s a durable model because it continues to work and is still a vehicle for refreshing work.
Hailing from Beamsville, Ontario, Riley Michaels is a 24-year-old guitarist, singer, and songwriter electrifying the Canadian music scene. Known for his soulful vocals, heartfelt compositions, and masterful guitar work, Riley began his musical journey at the age of 8 after a life-changing win in a local singing competition and a deep dive into classic rock and blues, inspired by receiving Guitar Hero as a Christmas gift.
Michaels blends pop, blues, and adult contemporary influences into his sound, drawing comparisons to artists like John Mayer and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Almost halfway through his 20s, he has already racked up an impressive discography, hitting the pavement with the Riley Michaels EP in 2021. Since then, he has sprinkled his growing fanbase with strong stadium-pop/rock singles.
Having shared stages with legends such as Kim Mitchell and Big Wreck, Riley is celebrated for his charismatic live performances, whether as a solo act or leading the Riley Michaels Band. His meteoric rise has been underscored by accolades such as the “Blues Artist of the Year” award at the Niagara Music Awards.
Henry Taylor is a Kitchener-Waterloo-based singer-songwriter with five studio albums and recent co-writes with award-winning songwriters in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the course of his career, he has played at some of the most iconic music venues in Canada, including the Mod Club, Lee’s Palace, the Rivoli, the Cameron House, the Dakota Tavern, the El Mocambo, and the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern.
Henry’s music is mostly considered Americana – a mix of rock, blues, folk, and country, and for more than a decade, he has been working with song writing partner Monique Montgomery. Now back in his hometown of Kitchener-Waterloo, Henry released his fifth studio album in 2022, ‘Good to See You’, which was picked up on local radio and featured on several podcasts – most notably on Jeff Woods Radio’s Records & Rockstars: Episode 140.
Henry is currently working on his sixth studio album between Kitchener-Waterloo and Nashville Tennessee, where he and songwriting partner Monique Montgomery are writing with renowned Nashville songwriters Cory Lee Barker, Mark Barnowski, and Ri’chard Trest. Album Sweet Thunder due out March 28, 2025.
Through a mix of metal riffs, emo rock, and melodic vocals, front woman Lauren Pryce summons her band of monsters to create a sonic experience like none other. Monstrosa is an alternative metal artist from Toronto, Canada. Their lyrics unapologetically touch on women empowerment, queer liberation, and mental health stigma.
What started as friends Lauren Pryce, Emma Embur, and Shannon Fischer’s band in undergrad slowly evolved into an entire universe of theatrical metal characters and shredding demons. After writing their debut self-titled album in 2020, Monstrosa started gaining traction online, with their single “Axes” quickly becoming a fan favourite. In 2022 they re-emerged from the pandemic with a vengeance, playing across famous venues in Toronto such as The Horseshoe Tavern and Lee’s Palace.
In September of 2023 they released their second album “Mild Fantasy Violence”, kicking off the release with their lesbian and bisexual solidarity anthem “I Like Girls Like You Do.” Throughout the run of this album, the band continued to dominate and grow within the Toronto scene, with many other local musicians joining them on stage to expand the electric live show that has become a staple to their name. Monstrosa is currently writing the new EP which promises to be the heaviest and most theatrical yet.
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
