Rising independent powerhouse pop artist Lark is set to ignite airwaves and blockchain alike with the release of her latest single and accompanying music NFT collection, “Downtown on the Radio.” This bold pop protest track takes aim at streaming giants and record labels that exploit artists under the promise of “exposure,” while championing a return to the raw, independent spirit of radio play and downtown rebel culture. Like a Trojan horse, the track will sneak onto Spotify to deliver a message from the inside, and intentionally serve as a bridge to music NFTs. It will be available to stream on digital music platforms and, later, a music video on YouTube.
Inspired by the storytelling legacy of Video Killed the Radio Star, “Downtown on the Radio” blends Lark’s signature sound with an uplifting call to arms. The track celebrates the gritty, creative pulse of indie broadcasters and downtown scenes – long a haven for rebels and artists – while delivering an emergency radio broadcast: ‘the artists have fallen’ but there is hope. Each spin by radio stations and broadcasters around the world amplifies this message, spotlighting a movement for artist autonomy and fair recognition. “This song is about all artists taking back their power,” says Lark. “The streaming giants and corporate labels have turned art into a machine that churns out profit for them, not the creators. Radio has always been a place where independents could shine, and blockchain is a new way forward – one where artists own their work and their worth.”
Berlin-based DJ and producer, Yulia Niko, continues to defy boundaries as she unveils her latest single, “Come Away.” Officially arriving on Friday, April 18, 2025, the vibrant collaboration with Buenos Aires based vocalist mxrstn arrives at the precipice of a defining moment in the multi-hyphenate’s career amidst her official Coachella debut. A euphoric yet powerful call to action, “Come Away” carries an atmospheric allure filled with undeniable energy that immediately draws listeners into the bombshell’s groovy, serendipitous realm. Hypnotic from the onset, Niko
showcases her technical prowess, carefully weaving clever synths and fervent bursts of energy through mxrstn’s entrancing vocals. Driven forward by an ethereal bassline, the track flows into a fiery culmination of ecstasy that maintains a particularly haunting appeal through its balanced blend of melodic and up-tempo beats. Sparking curiosity while triggering an irresistible urge to move to the beat, “Come Away” arrives as a transfixing display of pure, unfiltered joy. The track perfectly embodies Niko’s affinity for innovation and freedom, using compelling elemental sounds that juxtapose the track’s deep bass to add unexplored dimensions to her already captivating soundscape. “Come Away” will officially drop following the sonic maven’s official Coachella debut as she continues to solidify her place as an immovable force, redefining house music with her pioneering sound.
NYC-based band Pry, the project of Simeon Beardsley and Amara Bush, is excited to announce their debut album, Wrapped in Plastic, arriving next month on May 29, 2025. Off the heels of their last single, “Tether You,” they are revealing the daydream-inducing track, “Heaven.” Today’s release starts slow and melodic, with rhythmic synthesizers, slow yet booming percussion, and soft harmonies. Comprised of powerful guitar licks, the track takes a turn halfway through with upbeat yet delicate instrumentation that builds up to a bombastic breakdown of chaos as they sing, “Feels like heaven to me.”
“This is the first song we rehearsed with a live band. It is a favorite part of the album for its simplicity, structure, and juxtaposition to the other tracks, and even to itself, from beginning to end,” say Pry. “The lyrics are reflective of living in a routine that feels like it necessitates yet simultaneously limits your access to ‘escape’ in any meaningful way. So we take what we can get.”
the Seattle-born, Los Angeles-based producer, Surf Mesa, officially teams up with DJ
and producer, John Alto, to officially release their high-powered, emotionally driven ballad – “Holding On”. The highly-anticipated collaboration officially arrives via Breakaway Projects on Friday, April 18, 2025. The track opens with soaring vocals before its descent into John Alto’s heavy beats, seamlessly blended with Surf Mesa’s spellbinding synths. Hypnotizing listeners with Surf’s dreamy sound, the track is driven forward by Alto’s intentional and relentless bassline. “Holding On” arrives as
an infectious exploration into the depths of hopeless devotion that’s impossibly groovy. From Surf Mesa: “I’m really excited to be working with Breakaway for a few records this year and even more excited to begin that partnership with “Holding On,” a favorite of mine with my good friend John Alto. This record has been super close to my heart from the moment we started the demo and is the 3rd or 4th idea John and I made one day in the studio. We knew immediately we had to get it out asap.”
Leave it up to Statik Selektah to bring back the all-star posse cut. The renowned producer has assembled a heavyweight line-up- Joey Bada$$, Westside Gunn, Stove God Cooks & Rome Streetz for “The Louvre,” which is now available at all DSP’s via Mass Appeal Records.
“The Louvre” is the first single from Statik Selektah’s highly anticipated album, Expensive Taste, which will be released later this year. With Expensive Taste, Statik delivers an exquisitely curated blend of elite lyricism and production, combining the culture’s most legendary artists with some of its brightest emerging stars.
“The Louvre” arrives on the heels of Mass Appeal’s recent Legend Has It… announcement which includes upcoming albums from some of hip-hop’s most revered icons, including Nas & DJ Premier, Mobb Deep, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, De La Soul and Big L and is dedicated to “celebrating and spotlighting some of the most important and influential hip-hop artists of all time; trailblazers who have been instrumental in building and shaping the music and culture, and have taken it from the streets of New York City to the wider world-leaving an indelible mark on music.
With “The Louvre” as an opening salvo, Statik Selektah and Mass Appeal set the stage for what promises to be a landmark year in hip-hop history.
Chicago’s avant-garde emcee Valee, Detroit rapper Boldy James, and genre-blurring composer/producer MVW (Michael Vincent Waller) join forces on “Whatchu Think,” a striking new single that pushes the boundaries of contemporary hip-hop. The track serves as a sonic meeting point between raw street ethos and refined, minimalist composition—anchored by MVW’s hypnotic piano work and framed by two of rap’s most distinctive voices.
“Whatchu Think” opens with MVW’s stark neoclassical piano—melancholic, deliberate, and cinematic.Valee starts with his signature nonchalant delivery, warping cadences and subverting expectations with every line. Into that haunting atmosphere steps Boldy James, whose bars paint vivid portraits of life in Detroit with surgical precision. The contrast between the two emcees, held together by MVW’s elegant yet unsettling production, results in a track that’s both minimal and immersive, reflective and menacing.
This collaboration is more than a genre crossover—it’s a statement piece. “Whatchu Think” is introspective hip hop: emotionally resonant, technically daring, and sonically distinct.
New Orleans musician Sleep Habits, the moniker of Alan Howard, is excited to announce his new EP, Mourning Doves, available May 10, 2025 via NOLA’s DIY scenemaker Kiln Recordings. Out now is lead single, “Antique Mall,” which reflects on the tendency to treasure and archive memories, clinging to conceptions of the past even as life continues to shift. Today’s release aims to make sense of that burden through a combination of hazy, mellow acoustics and focused synths, merging feelings of old and new to reach a point of understanding. The impending EP was heavily influenced by Killers and Stars by Patterson Hood, featuring live recordings and sparse reflections on the past.
“At the time I wrote this song, I was coming to terms with the fact that you can’t carry everything with you throughout your life,” Howard reflects on “Antique Mall.” “The physical space of the antique mall symbolizes that feeling. With that symbol as its base, the song explores allowing yourself to hold onto the reverence of memory and acknowledge how it has shaped you, while letting go of the idealistic sense of the ‘good ol’ days’.”
Austin rockers Farmer’s Wife are excited to announce their new EP, Faint Illusions, arriving May 15, 2025. An exploration of what’s real and what’s a figment of our imaginations, the forthcoming EP inspects reality in the context of love along churning guitars and bone-chattering whimsy. “Seethe” premiered last month, with “Mildew” preceding it, sonically previewing what’s to come from the rising group.
“Little Bubbles,”the first single off beloved children’s artistShawny’s upcoming album, Go Go Stop – Music & Movement for Kids, is out today! A catchy earworm about the joys of popping bubbles on a sunny day, “Little Bubbles” is a playful music-and-movement song that will have kids popping one, two, three, and then as many bubbles as they can. Break out the bubble soap and have a bubble party with Shawny!
“I was listening to a lot of Blink-182 and Laurie Berkner when I wrote ‘Little Bubbles,’ and you can hear a bit of that in the tune” says Shawny. “A bubble machine at the first birthday party I ever performed at was the song’s direct inspiration, though! I saw a need for a song in which children could actively interact with bubbles. So, I went home, set to work, and by the end of the afternoon, ‘Little Bubbles’ was born!”
Go Go Stop – Music & Movement for Kids is an upbeat new album that offers kids and families messages of inclusivity and empathy while encouraging them to have fun, use their imaginations, and move to the music. The album will be released on May 16, 2025.
Pop punk group Old Neon is excited to share their new single “Better Son”, out now and streaming here. The song comes from the band’s forthcoming EP, Resolution, which is set to be released on May 23rd. The EP was produced / engineered by Matt Brasch and mixed by Nick Steinborn (The Wonder Years), in addition to mastering by Will Yip (Scowl, Balance & Composure, Movements, L.S. Dunes, The Menzingers).
About the new single, bassist Sean Michael shares: “’Better Son’ is a song about my uncle dying, the sort aftermath on the family, and wrestling with the fact that fate kind of took the wrong person.”
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
