ALANA CRUZ
“Never To Heaven”
• At just 15, Nashville-based artist Alana Cruz delivers a standout performance on her latest single, “Never To Heaven.” With roots in New Orleans and a smoky, emotive voice that evokes Lauren Spencer Smith and RAYE, Alana channels the highs and heartache of young love with striking honesty.
• “As soon as I got the title ‘Never To Heaven’ written down, I couldn’t write this song fast enough. I wanted to capture all the freedom and dreaminess of love and being young, but also the uncertainty that comes with the future.” – Alana Cruz
• With over 100 original songs and key national TV moments already behind her, Alana Cruz is carving out her space as a breakout voice in pop; she’s wise beyond her years, and just getting started.
LINDSEY ROSE BLACK
“Texas Hammer”
• Lindsey Rose Black shares new track “Texas Hammer,” co-written with Daniel Chae (Kacey Musgraves, Zach Bryan) and John Velasquez (Vacations, Zella Day), with Matthew Frazier (Local Natives) on drums.
• “‘Texas Hammer’ is an ode to everything I love and hate about how and where I grew up in a small town outside of Dallas, Texas. It’s a tender, big-hearted reckoning of faith with queer identity, sexuality, and questions that were ‘off limits’ in my evangelical upbringing. I hope others asking similar questions know they’re not alone. I’m right there with you in the bluebonnet-dotted mud.” – Lindsey Rose Black
• Following her single “The Butcher,” the track premieres as KUTX (NPR)’s Song of the Day and is paired with an official music video.
Anonymous rising artist X1-Y2 has unleashed his debut solo CausticsEP out now via HypnoVizion. The EP follows last year’s collaborative NOVUS EP with Rezz.
X1-Y2 is continuing to shatter expectations with Caustics, a visceral three-track exploration of tension and texture. Caustics binds mechanical energy with entrancing basslines, layering raw percussive hits and warped samples sourced entirely from original recordings. From the glitchy growls of ‘VECTOR’ to the haunting builds of ‘ROTGB’, the EP is a dynamic storm of rhythm and pulse, anchored by its riveting titular track. Unwavering in its experimental nature, Caustics delves into the newcomer’s unrelenting sonic vision and cements X1-Y2 as one of bass music’s most intriguing talents.
“With this EP I wanted to work around the concept of refraction and light caustics, designing sounds around that theme. Inspired by industrial tonalities mixed with bass heavy rhythms and distortion, created through multiple glass hitting recordings made through months. It also serves as a starting point for what I’m creating next.” – X1-Y2
On the heels of his headline-grabbing Twitch “HIT-A-THON” frenzy, multi-platinum hip hop star DDG delivers his latest album, blame the chat. The heavily anticipated new body of work features guest appearances from the likes of Ty Dolla $ign, Rich the Kid, Offset, Rob49, BIA, Wiz Khalifa, DaBaby, Queen Naija, Shenseea and more. Get it HERE via Epic Records.
Alongside the album, today DDG premieres the music video for the track “what i prefer,” directed by Nick Mays. Watch it HERE.
DDG, in the midst of the most prolific era of his career, delivers blame the chat as he reaches the peak of his powers in the worlds he dominates. While DDG has always held a strong relationship with his fans via the powers of the internet and social media, he recently took things to a whole new level, planting his flag firmly at the forefront of a vanguard of artists. Already dubbed “one of the most powerful streamers in Hip-Hop” by Complex, DDG took things into the stratosphere a month ago when he launched his 7 day streamathon event, dubbed the “hit-a-thon,” which occurred on his Twitch channel (here). During the livestream, where he was live 24 hours per day while he worked on the new body of work, he brought fans in on the process of creating an album via the power of Twitch chat, workshopping his art with him. It saw producers and guest artists come by to write and record, as well as collaborate with DDG in real-time. Fans gave feedback on lyrics, beat choices, and more, and saw a full 360 view of a week in the life of an artist completing an album– even doing media interviews and content while live. On the final night of the stream, DDG was the #1 live channel in the world on Twitch and reached a milestone subscription number. To celebrate, he cut his locs off live, a literal transformation as he steps into the boldest era of his career.
Brandon Wayne is an alternative country-rock artist based in Long Beach, CA, known for blending emotionally raw storytelling with hard-hitting sound. A former member of The Redmoon Band, he’s performed at iconic venues like The Viper Room, Whisky a Go-Go, and The Troubadour, sharing the stage with Trapt, Faster Pussycat, and Rothchild. Now stepping out solo, Wayne channels that same live energy into a sound rooted in self-discovery, vulnerability, and unfiltered grit.
Kari Lyn has spent her whole life surrounded by music and storytelling. Growing up on the East Coast in the small town of North Rustico, the budding songstress has always felt a career in music was inevitable. From her “PEI-Renowned Storyteller” grandpa, Tommy Gallant, to childhood music staples like Back to Black by Amy Winehouse and Johnny Cash’s Greatest hits playing throughout the house, she was surrounded by melodies and tales told through lyrics.
Prior to launching a music career, this cottage core rockstar spent 5 years traveling the world, just her and a backpack, to countries like Australia, Columbia, and Thailand. Experiencing a wide variety of cultures and languages contributed immensely to her growth, confidence, and independence. While most people take notes or pictures of the places they’ve been, Kari Lyn wrote songs. Most of these songs ended up forming her debut album, Hit the Ground (July 2020).
Since the album’s release, Kari Lyn has been promoting the record everywhere she can (through a global pandemic!) on programs like CBC Radio and the Tiny Island Concert Series. To top it all off, the album was nominated for Top Rock Album at the 2020 PEI Music Awards.
Mel Denisse is a genre‑bending artist‑producer whose songs land between raw guitar grit and left‑field pop. First hooked on her dad’s acoustic at ten, she spent her teens recording demos in cracked software and, by eighteen, hustled onto a Myspace‑era tour.
Years ping‑ponging between Nashville and L.A. sharpened her writing and production: warped alt‑rock beds under ethereal, classically tinged vocals, spiked with the Eastern scales she soaked up while splitting childhood between Florida and Turkey. Lyrically, she digs into duality, obsession, and the tug‑of‑war between self‑preservation and self‑destruction.
Influenced by everything from Failure and Deftones to Tori Amos, Mel chases what she calls a“controlledcollision.” Her voice drifts like smoke, then snarls and cracks on the next beat while jagged guitar loops pulse beneath. “I like to ‘frankenstein’ a track,” she says. “If a heavy riff and a delicate melody look wrong together on paper, that’s exactly what pulls me in.”
“Like a Fiend“, her latest single, captures that push‑pull in a creature split between two selves, flipping from fragile confession to manic euphoria in a heartbeat.
Previous releases earned spins on BBC Radio 1’s Alternative Show, placement on Spotify’s All New Rock, and tastemakers from Vanyaland praised the “reckless ambition of ’90s guitar‑rock grit,” while Wolf in a Suit called her debut “hypnotizing… bound to find a home in the deepest corners of our souls.”
When it comes to personalizing the music for her fans: “If the song makes you feel a gentle gut-punch–that’s the point,” she says. “I’m slipping mirrors into the track so you have to sit with whatever stares back.”
In the studio, she’s worked with Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, Best Coast), Ken Andrews (Paramore, M83) , Micah Tawlks (Hayley Williams, Noah Kahan, Ashe), and longtime collaborator/producer Stephen Laurenson. Off the clock, you’ll catch her streaming marathon World of Warcraft sessions or disappearing into fantasy novels.
In a world where loyalty is rare, 1Ski OG (formerly known as 1SkiMask) unleashes raw energy with his latest single, “Stay To Mi Self,” out today via Against Da Grain/Epic Records. The track delves into his cautious approach to relationships and trust, expressing that people aren’t always as they seem. “Stay To Mi Self” is an anthem, a declaration for those who’ve learned the hard way to keep their circle tight. The blazing new single is accompanied by a gripping music video, amplifying the emotion with visuals that match the track’s intensity.
“Stay To Mi Self” delivers his signature bold mix of dancehall and trap, with 1Ski OG’s lyrical delivery and introspective yet gritty lyrics about self-preservation in a world filled with betrayal. “Can’t trust people, them too evil, don’t like friends too,” he raps. He expands on themes of blurred loyalties, reflecting, “can’t tell the difference between my friends or my foe,” and “blood don’t make family, money make them switch.” These sharp lyrics underline the painful truths that come with success and the price of trust.
“I’m just speaking truth that everyone can relate to, ‘Stay To Mi Self‘ is all me, no filter, trust no one, just yourself,” says 1Ski OG.
The songs on Bandits on the Run’s forthcoming EP, The Shakespeare Tapes, were born out of a joyous collaboration with director Peter Anderson, who tapped the theatrical indie-folk trio to create songs for a production of As You Like It at Carnegie Mellon University.
In this unique production, which also featured songs inspired by the prose from Twelfth Night, actors were cast in roles best suited to their spirits, resulting in an ensemble that looked different from what one might expect from a traditional binaried lens. Inspired by the task of writing songs that broke a mold of being strictly for male or female voices, Bandits on the Run’s Sydney Shepherd (she/her) became the voice of Orlando (the play’s bad-boy protagonist), and Adrian Blake Enscoe (he/they) voiced Rosalind, the gender bending heroine of the story.
“The opening and queering of that casting process opened up a whole boundless sonic universe to play with,” Regina Strayhorn states. “The songs ended up a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and we came to describe the sound as ‘Shakespeare Americana.’”
In a twist of fate, as they worked on queering up the material and developing the mold-breaking songs, Bandits on the Run found themselves in Nashville, TN, to record, right when national attention was being called to the state for its government’s attempts to ban the art of drag. “It feels like the songs have an inherent spirit of rebellion in them. They’re a mix of new and old, honoring our artistic ancestors who pushed the limits in their time, and reminding us to push the limits of our own,” says Enscoe. “The Shakespeare Tapes is in honor of love, chaos, dread, exaltation, confusion, identity, and romance beyond traditional gender roles.”
Ted Z and the Wranglers is a band hailing from Southern California, known for their unique blend of Americana, rockabilly, and roots rock music. The band was formed by frontman Ted Zakka in 2012. With Ted Z at the helm, the musical collective have cultivated a distinct sound that pays homage to the rich musical traditions of the American West while infusing it with modern energy and flair. As a songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, Ted Z brings a raw authenticity to the group’s music, drawing inspiration from his own experiences. His gravelly, whisky-drenched vocals and passionate delivery are trademarks of the group’s sound. The Wranglers, consisting of Jackson Leverone (lead guitar, vocals), Marcos de la Cruz (drums, vocals), Henry Clift (bass guitar, vocals), and James Hamilton (guitar, vocals), provide the perfect musical backdrop for Ted Z’s evocative storytelling. With their tight rhythms, explosive guitar solos, and soulful thick vocal harmonies, the band adds depth and texture to Ted Z’s songs, creating a sound that is both timeless and contemporary.
Since their formation, Ted Z and the Wranglers have built a loyal following with their electrifying live performances and catchy Americana tunes. Sharing bills with heavy hitters including Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steppenwolf among others, the band brings their relentless energy and passion to every show.
Their first label release Ghost Train was recorded at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, Texas and produced by Monte Byrom (Big House, Eddie Money). The 11 track album received acclaim from the likes of PopMatters and catapulted them into the spotlight. Their 2019 album release Southland was featured in Billboard, with the outlet praising their music as “a foot-stomping honky tonk revival”.
The band’s brand new album Kerosene is a continuation of the evolution of their songwriting, incorporating more rock elements while staying true to their sound. Ted Z shares, “I believe that this album is our best work thus far. It offers moments of contemplation but is also a fun and cohesive sonic ride. We want our listeners to be able to spin the entire album and feel a full gamut of emotions. It took a few years to finish this project, but that let us road-test these songs and grow together as a band, and I think you can hear that in the arrangements and performances.” The full length was recorded and mixed by drummer Marcos de la Cruz at Firefly Music Studio in Orange County, California. Leading single “Right That Wrong” is a twist on a classic love story, incorporating a call to action for the lovers to live in the moment and understand the fleeting nature of their existence. “The song ignites the heart’s desire to follow our passion and take a chance on chasing dreams,” proclaims Ted Z.
Then there is “Let Me Be Your Sin”, an irresistible and melodic roots rock single all about wanting to be that “sin” for someone you care about. You will happily do almost anything for them hoping that eventually the “light will come in”.
The third single “Williamsburg” is a personal, emotional and important single. Ted confides, “The idea behind the lyrics and feel of the tune was an ode to my son and a call to action to be a “better man than me”. My past is riddled with questionable decisions and there was a time where I was not extremely proud of my behavior. Much of that was a consequence of overindulgence in substances that were not beneficial to my growth as a person. The song is a reminder that people can make life changes and embark on a path of growth and light. It lends itself to the hope that the next generation will be wiser and more resilient and heed the advice of past mistakes by those that came first.”
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
