Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra, the folk punk songwriting project of Dustin Hayes, today announces their long-awaited album Yikes Almighty will release on July 18 via Lauren Records. The lead single “Omfg” and accompanying music video are out now.
Of all the ways for a cult band to rise out of a decade of silence, Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra chose to send their fans on a real-life treasure hunt for their new album, Yikes Almighty. The album, a calming existential crisis set to children’s toy instruments, was dubbed to a single cassette and buried in a cave in the California desert. The band released a cryptic video that served as the treasure map, with the message “if you find it, we will release it.” It was found in just four hours.
The inspiration for the single “Omfg” appeared in a dream. “I went to sleep under the pine trees and dreamt about sitting on my truck’s tailgate watching the ocean,” Dustin explains. “A merman rose from the sea playing a simple song on guitar, and when I woke up I recorded it onto my iPhone so I wouldn’t forget.”
“Omfg” was written in the wake of a period of personal turmoil. “There was a friend’s suicide, my folk hero had gone into exile, and I had just run away from home into the mountains,” Hayes said. The stripped-down track accentuates emotionally raw lyrics with simplistic drums and toy piano.
Though Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra hasn’t released music in over a decade, Hayes has remained active under their genre-defying umbrella name, Walter Etc. When asked why the band is split into two identities, Dustin responded, “My life is already such a mess, I decided I’d keep adding to the chaos.” It’s that cut-your-own-ear-off sincerity that fuels the rich lore and mythology of the Walter-verse
the Houston-born and Los Angeles-based rock artist DE’WAYNE releases the heartfelt and deeply personal track “sundays.” This single will be on his highly anticipated third studio album june set to be released July 30th via Fearless Records.
STREAM “SUNDAYS” NOW AND WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO
This synth-heavy, soulful song is one of the most vulnerable tracks off the record as DE’WAYNE breaks down his tumultuous albeit strong relationship with his father.
“When I wrote this song, I wanted to explain the complicated bond between a father and son. One where love and pain, admiration, and resentment all live side by side. It’s about seeing your father as both a hero and a human, flawed and real. In the end, it’s my way of saying; ‘Thank you, Dad—for the good and the bad. You helped make me who I am,’” shares DE’WAYNE.
This is the final single to come out from his new record june which he describes as his epic rock love album. Oozing soul, sex, and style, DE’WAYNE gave this record everything – his blood, sweat, tears, love, spirituality, and truth. It was produced with the help of his best friend Dylan Bauld (formerly flor), and the melodies came to life with the help of Brandon Colbein a true songwriting assassin.
“Every song on this record was a surrender, and ‘June’ is the light guiding it all. I wanted to reframe vulnerability as a superpower, not a weakness, and use this record to show my evolution—not just as an artist, but as a human being,” adds DE’WAYNE.
Donegal-based cinematic folk outfit Charles James & The Rise release their brand new single, “Wide Awake” June 19th, a darkly atmospheric track exploring the quiet torment of insomnia and are also proud to announce the release of their long-awaited self titled debut album, arriving September 2025. With their signature blend of haunting folk melodies and choral textures, the band once again delivers a deeply cinematic soundscape — this time turning their lens inward, capturing the surreal and restless experience of lying awake through the long hours of the night.
“Wide Awake” is described by frontman Charles James as “a song about the space we inhabit between wake and sleep and the inability to actually get to sleep. A fever dream made worse by the urgency and restlessness we experience during bouts of insomnia.”
Expanding on its inspiration, James shares:
“I wrote this song when I was struggling to sleep on a ship knowing I had to get up again to keep watch in a couple of hours. The mounting frustration only makes things worse.”
He continues, “Lyrically, the song explores this idea of being caught between states of consciousness and eventually waking up unsure as to whether you’ve slept at all. The change of tempo halfway through is used to reinforce that feeling of frustration we all feel as a sleepless night runs on with no end in sight.”
“Wide Awake” follows a wave of critical momentum for Charles James & The Rise. In 2023, they were named Highland Radio’s winner in Hot Press’ A New Local Hero competition and have since played stages across Ireland and Austin, Texas, building a reputation for evocative live performances and immersive visuals.
Known for their intricate vocal harmonies and unique instrumentation as well as their poetic lyrics, Raynes consist of Mark Race (lead vocals, electric guitar, piano), Joe Berger (backing vocals, acoustic guitar), and Mat Charley (backing vocals, keys, synths, electric guitar). Incorporating elements of folk, rock, and chamber pop with Celtic and world music to create a wholly original—and difficult to categorize—sound that has become the British-American trio’s own. Raynes are currently embarking on their own headlining tour after sharing the stages with greats such as Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, The Young Dubliners, and Yachtley Crew.
My Point Of You is a North Texas-based band blending alternative rock, screamo, and twee into something affectionately dubbed tweemo. The band came together in 2023 after crossing paths through local shows and shared musical obsessions, forming naturally within a tight-knit DIY scene. Originating from places like Midland and Denton, their backgrounds shaped a hunger for connection, honesty, and noise.
With influences ranging from Mineral and Everyone Asked About You to Carissa’s Wierd, the band’s sound has evolved from raw post-hardcore roots to a more intricate and emotionally rich palette. Known for their dual vocals and collaborative songwriting, they channel vulnerability, change, and personal reflection into every track.
After a year of refining their sound, they have since shared the stage with scene heroes like Camping In Alaska and Your Arms Are My Cocoon.
multi-platinum selling DJ, producer and international sensation, HUGEL, arrives with his latest single, “Loosen Up (Feat. Preston Harris)”. A collaboration with French-a merican producer, songwriter, singer and DJ, Dawty, featuring vocals from songbird Preston Harris, the track arrives as a timeless anthem on Friday, June 27, 2025 via HUGEL’s imprint, Make The Girls Dance. Emphasizing the freeing and cathartic power of music, “Loosen Up” explores yet another layer of HUGEL’s sonic personality. HUGEL and Dawty’s steady yet subtle reggaeton beat carries its compassionate lyrics, guiding listeners through his groove-filled realm. Adorned with an enchanting beat, the track has an undeniably danceable rhythm that’s accentuated by Harris’s angelic voice.
India Shawn returns with her genre-bending new single and video, “Kill Switch” on VANTA Music/Disney Music Group. The song highlights India’s mesmerizing voice and weaves the story of reclaiming one’s power. Said India, “’Kill Switch’” is an unexpected shift, as I move away from the familiar shadows of unreturned love and reclaim the power to decide my own fate. It’s a song about recognizing the potential danger of crossing the line from friends to lovers, and trying to safeguard what’s real before it becomes too messy; “this could turn from a good thing to hate, keep it shallow for our own sake.” “Kill Switch” was written by India Shawn, Varren Wade, D’Mile, Livvy Bennett and Michael Benjamin Hunter, and was produced by D’Mile, Livvy Bennett and Michael Benjamin Hunter.
The video was directed by Anne-Sophie Bine and co-stars India Shawn with actor/musician Luke James. The clip is a labyrinthine odyssey through love, loss and the unraveling of reality. India finds herself trapped in a shifting tapestry of her own past lives. As scenes collapse and identities blur, India must come to terms with the fact that some relationships aren’t meant to last.
SORRYNOTSORRY is a Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock duo formed by Venezuelan multi-instrumentalists Samantha Dagnino and Andrés Cottin. The project first came to life when Sam, returning to music after an eight-year hiatus pursuing acting, met Andrés in a recording studio in Long Island City. Their bond was instant. What started as a live session quickly evolved into full-blown creative chemistry, culminating in SORRYNOTSORRY—both a band and a manifesto for sonic freedom. Their songwriting process is fluid and intuitive, driven by curiosity rather than outcome. “We let the music find us,” Sam explains, “not the other way around.” Blending fuzzy guitars, ambient textures, and mantra-like vocals, the band creates a nostalgic yet forward-thinking sound rooted in play, experimentation, and emotional depth. In their upcoming, self-produced debut album The Other Side, the pair channels influences like Radiohead, Khruangbin, and Tame Impala while crafting their own electrifying vision of modern psychedelia.
French-Congolese producer/DJ KARABA has unveiled her anticipated Tides EP out now via ONErpm. The EP features previously released singles ‘Surfacing’, ‘Siren’ and ‘Dark Waters’.
Crafted as a conceptual arc, Tides flows through aquatic metaphors and submerged moods as KARABA explores themes of identity, transformation, and fluidity. Across its five tracks, the EP ripples with mystical textures, iridescent rhythms, and ancestral vocal motifs that echo across time and tide. From the meditative opener ‘Into The Sea’ and melodious depth of ‘Sinking’ to the sultry crescendos of ‘Surfacing’, each track evokes a phase of submersion and emergence. The EP dives into her Afro house signature with the shadowy pulse of ‘Dark Waters’ and hypnotic call of ‘Siren’, weaving a sonic narrative that mirrors the push and pull of emotional waves and personal rebirth.
Bursting onto the pop punk scene, trxvis releases his highly-anticipated party anthem “CRASH LANDING.” With the release, he unveiled a wildly entertaining music video featuring his bandmates and a rogue alien friend.
STREAM THE SINGLE AND WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO NOW
Reminiscent of the pop punk icons from the early aughts like blink-182, Sum 41, and Good Charlotte, “CRASH LANDING” is a perfect blend of nostalgia and Gen Z angst. The video was directed by Juan Flores (@sk8orjuan), known for his work with legends on the scene such as Avril Lavigne, Bring Me The Horizon, and newer artists such as jxdn, MOD SUN, and Royal and the Serpent.
trxvis shared his thoughts on the new song below:
“This song is pure chaos in the best way. It’s everything I imagined as a kid dreaming about alien abductions, dialed up to 100. It’s loud, reckless, nostalgic, and completely unhinged. In other words, exactly what pop punk should be.”
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
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