Soul-pop artist Durell Anthony returns this fall with Lovenotes, a deeply personal
and universally resonant album that explores love in all its forms – romantic, familial, and human. Set for release on November 14, the ten-track project showcases Anthony’s smooth vocals, timeless melodies, and emotional storytelling, affirming his place as one of today’s most sincere voices in modern soul. Anchored by the 2024 San Diego Music Award–nominated single (Best Pop Song) “One More Night,” Lovenotes blends the warmth of classic R&B with contemporary pop polish. Think John Legend meets Leon Bridges, with a touch of Brian McKnight – Anthony’s sound is rich with expressive piano, layered harmonies, and a falsetto that glides between joy and heartbreak. Lovenotes feels like a quiet conversation and a grand gesture all at once, creating a sound that feels both classic and contemporary that is perfect for listeners who crave sincerity and substance in modern pop-soul music.
Country newcomers Presley & Taylor today release “OUT OF THIS DODGE” an edgier tune from the Connecticut-bred charmers. Written by Presley & Taylor, Sam Blasko, Claire Carruthers and Brent McCollough, the rebellious track captures the turmoil of knowing it’s time to leave a relationship and pulling the trigger. Employing a classic Country turn of phrase to “get out of dodge,” the song finds the narrator running from the truth, like they’re running from the cops. The turbulent track evokes the reckless thrill of doing something you know won’t end well—because it’s fun to do bad things… until it isn’t anymore.
As the holiday season approaches, pop artist Ashlee Keating continues her tradition of infusing Christmas music with her unique flair. This year, she’s taking self-empowerment to new heights with her latest single, “Sleigh All Day.”
Set to become a festive anthem, the track is a lively synth-pop celebration of independence and self-love. With its infectious melodies and playful energy, “Sleigh All Day” showcases Ashlee’s signature vibrant style and unshakeable confidence.
Australian pop and R&B artist Lara Villani isn’t asking for attention; she’s demanding it. With her debut EP, ‘Whiplash’ dropping October 27, she steps into the spotlight with the kind of unapologetic confidence that turns vulnerability into power. Known for her no-filter storytelling and emotionally rich vocals, Lara delivers an explosive mix of heartbreak, self-reclamation, and late-night honesty that cuts right through the noise. Following a string of acclaimed singles, including ‘I love it’, ‘Make it go away,’ and ‘Losing my mind’, ‘Whiplash’ brings together five tracks that chart the highs and lows of relationships and the empowerment that comes from embracing your true self. Each song captures a unique moment in Lara’s journey, from the fun and flirty energy of new love to the heartbreak and, ultimately, the freedom of moving on.
“This EP is a journey, every track is a snapshot of love, growth, and finding myself again,” Lara says. “It’s the most ‘me’ I’ve ever sounded, raw, bold, and a little bit cheeky.”
‘Whiplash’ showcases Lara’s knack for confessional storytelling and polished production, co- written with Steven Harris. From the high-energy anthem ‘Second chances’ to the powerful closer ‘Too late’, each song spotlights a different chapter of her story. “Second chances gives me so much confidence every time I perform it, while Too late is all about reclaiming your worth. These songs are iconic to me,” Lara shares. Every track comes to life with its own music video, with the clip for ‘Second chances’ coming out Nov 3 and ‘Too late’ Nov 10, creating a visual EP that lets each song shine. “I wanted every video to have its own vibe like stepping into a new mini movie. Working with a creative, all-women team made the whole process unforgettable,” she says. Lara’s previous releases have earned praise from Rolling Stone Australia, Happy Mag, Buzz Music, triple j, and more, with ‘Fire’ selling out her debut show at Nighthawks and landing in Rolling Stone’s Best Australian Music of the Week. ‘Whiplash’ is a bold leap forward; it’s fun, playful, and fiercely authentic. “I just want to make music I’d be obsessed with as a fan. This project is honest, emotional, and full of energy,” Lara says.
Layla Kaylif is an English–Arab singer-songwriter and filmmaker known for her genre-bending, lyrics-first approach that blends poetry, pop, and cinematic storytelling. After studying Arabic at Oxford University, she signed with Edel Records and released the international hit”Shakespeare in Love”, which received critical acclaim as BBC Radio‘s Record of the Week and a top ten success across Southeast Asia. Following her award-winning work in film, Kaylif returned to music with her album Lovers Don’t Meet (2020) and the poetic single “God’s Keeper” (2024/2025). Her new track “Closer” marks the first official single from her forthcoming 2026 album, deepening her reputation and becoming, as Curious For Music states, “one of the UK’s most intriguing under-the-radar voices… a boundary-walker between genres and cultures”.
Canadian singer/songwriter Maddisun is pleased to share the official music video for “Big Star” on YouTube.
“Big Star” – written by Maddisun and produced by Jim Bryson – is the featured track from the Cranbrook, BC-based artist’s third album, “The Pages”, which dropped on digital streaming platforms on October 2nd after a physical release in July on vinyl, CD, and cassette.
The bold release strategy honours her fans, the mediums from which Maddisun first discovered music, and the album’s vintage folk, rock ‘n’ roll, Southern Rock and Americana influences.
With an old soul vibe structured as a deeply personal musical journal, the album features 12 tracks – all written by Maddisun with 10 produced by Julian Bueckert, and one produced by Ian Docherty in addition to Bryson’s contribution of “Big Star”. Each song – “or page” – reflects Maddisun’s experiences with love, loss, growth, connection, and self-discovery.
Maddisun says, “This album is truly me in every sense of the word – from its writing to its creation. ‘Big Star’ specifically tackles the emotional cycle we run through as artists in the ongoing quest to ‘make it’. For the video, I wanted to maintain the personal energy of the project by self-producing a video – starring me and my 1976 Chevy Chevette – that could reflect the timeless vibes of the song and reinforce the album’s core themes.”
Leading into the album and music video release, the nomadic musical adventure for Maddisun has taken her throughout Canada, to Ireland, and to Los Angeles. In just the last five years, she has dropped two prior albums and over ten singles, while playing 500+ shows including four NXNE showcases and a Folk Canada showcase at Folk Alliance International.
With “The Pages”, Maddisun has shared the culmination of her artist journey thus far. Through its release and the “Big Star” video, she wants to recast resilience in a more ethereal light.
She says, “This album is about turning our hardest moments into beauty. I want people to listen and leave it feeling seen, uplifted, and connected.”
The “Big Star” music video is now available on YouTube.
“The Pages” is on all digital streaming platforms and is also available as a physical release through Maddisun’s website.
Brooklyn-based indie-punk outfit Sadlands—featuring members of Answering Machine, Choke Up, and Ellen and the Degenerates—have released their debut album Try To Have A Little Fun, out now on Wiretap Records.
Blending shimmering feedback, dueling vocals, pleading lyrics, and searing guitar leads, Sadlands deliver a sound that thrives on both vulnerability and catharsis. Fronted by guitarists/songwriters Sam Campanile and Jess Lane, the band is rounded out by Louis Rabeno (bass) and Harley Cox (drums).
The group recorded 12 tracks over the summer of 2024 with Matt Schimelfenig (Gladie) at The Bunk in the Pennsylvania Poconos. The record was mastered by Ian Farmer (Modern Baseball) with the help of his cat, Onion, at The Metal Shop in Philadelphia, PA.
Rising New Dallas rap artist HeadHuncho Amir is back with his powerful mixtape 50 Year Run, out now HERE.
50 Year Run reflects Amir’s mission to motivate not just his city, but himself as he builds a lasting legacy. It is about endurance, vision, and leaving an imprint for the next 50 years. HeadHuncho Amir is in pursuit of balance, where health and wealth go hand in hand. His single “You The Biggest,” released earlier this month, captured his relentless drive and set the perfect tone for today’s release.
The mixtape was preceded by an inspiring album trailer, featuring Amir reflecting on his journey and expressing his unwavering commitment to staying focused amid the grind. To kick off release week, Amir hit the streets with a performance of “You The Biggest” on Yerr On the Street and followed up with an impressive On The Radar freestyle, further proving his hunger and lyrical presence.
The new project follows Amir’s recent run of momentum, including his gritty April release “Still Ain Nun Bigger” and his summer drop “New Dallus” – a track that’s been making waves and showcasing Amir’s versatility. Together, these records highlight his consistency and his determination to put his city firmly on the map. Beyond the music, Amir also took his grind to the stage this summer, hitting the road with EST Gee, where he earned new fans and proved he can hold his own alongside some of hip-hop’s most respected names.
With 50 Year Run, HeadHuncho Amir is setting his sights even higher, delivering a project that’s as much about perseverance as it is about ambition. Stay tuned for more.
Katie Schecter today releases her new album Empress, finding liberation in imperfection. Recorded live to tape at the legendary Diamond Mine Studio in NYC while she was pregnant with her daughter, Empress is in many ways a family affair. Produced by Nick Bockrath, her husband and the guitarist of Cage The Elephant, the record distills life’s double-edged lessons into 11 songs. The album also features the powerhouse rhythm section of Nick Movshon and Homer Steinweiss, who are known for their work with The Arcs, Clairo, Mark Ronson and more. Empress also showcases Russ Pahl on pedal steel, Leon Michels on piano, and Matt Combs on violin, viola and cello, informing the record’s soulful core temperature — Stream / Order Empress on vinyl.
In her own words, Schecter’s mission statement for the album is:
“In a world that’s gone mad, I will keep making. Fast food, fast fashion I am the argyle sweater resting at the bottom of the $5 bin. The one that’s withstood decades of wear, overlooked, but pristinely fashioned. The one people would want if they knew better. Listen closely, you will hear my heart… the imperfections I have come to cherish and privately detest..the warmth of the tape machine…the vulnerability in each hopeful breath…unstoppable, undeniable, my human experience. Utterly unique and no different than anybody else’s. I only did this to leave something behind when I one day evaporate. Something for the pickers, diggers, the tastemakers and truth seekers. Something woven by skilled and tired hands, a pattern worthy of every stitch. The one and only…Empress.”
After more than ten years away, beloved punk trio Good Luck returns with their long-awaited third album Big Dreams, Mister, out today via Lauren Records and Specialist Subject in the UK.
Lily Vakili is, at her core, a storyteller.
A lifelong observer, chronicler, and creative force, she has spent decades gathering fragments of the world – memories, landscapes, voices, losses, joys – and transforming them into urgent, electric songs. It was on her most recent solo tour, while driving through the continental US with one of her brothers (a former submariner) as roadie, that Vakili found the inspiration for what would ultimately become a new album and a new era for her artistry, signaled by a return to using her own name, Lily Vakili (rather than Vakili Band), for her musical explorations.
On her new album Oceans of Kansas, Vakili offers her most intimate, collaborative, and expansive work yet: A collection shaped by lived experience, artistic risk, and restless curiosity. It’s music born not of image or pretense, but of will – a record that embraces improvisation, vulnerability, and the raw pleasure of creation.
The album’s title, Oceans of Kansas, is both literal and metaphorical – a nod to the prehistoric inland sea that once covered the Great Plains, and to Vakili’s own understanding of life as layered, shifting, and filled with fossils of memory. An overnight stop on tour led Vakili to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, Kansas.
Following the release of their hauntingly cinematic debut album Crossing the Bar, Charles James & The Rise return with their latest single, “About a Cow”, arriving October 21st.
The band’s growing acclaim has seen them perform live on RTÉ Radio 1’s Sunday with Miriam, support Gavin James on his Goldrush album launch tour, and take home Music Video of the Year at the 2025 Disappear Here Film Festival for their single Sailor and the Saint.
A standout track from Crossing the Bar, About a Cow is a striking meditation on greed and consumption, told through an unexpected narrator, a cow. “It’s a song that’s had a number of lives and has been with me for a long time,” says Charles James O’Donnell, the band’s frontman and songwriter. “As abstract the notion may seem, the lyrics hit on the sacrifice that’s made in all forms to service greed and the longer term impacts this has”
Set against the band’s trademark blend of cinematic folk and lyrical introspection, About a Cow unfolds like a dark pastoral fable, anchored by Charles’s emotive vocals, Catherine O’Donnell’s plaintive piano, and spectral strings from legendary Waterboys fiddler Steve Wickham and cellist Laura McFadden.
About the Album — Crossing the Bar
Released September 12th, 2025, Crossing the Bar is the debut full-length from Charles James & The Rise, a widescreen folk odyssey through grief, memory and the tides of loss. Inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson’s elegiac poem of the same name, the album transforms themes of death and departure into songs of solace and renewal.
Featuring lush instrumentation, cinematic production, and stirring performances, the record has been praised for its emotional honesty and musical depth.
“Crossing the Bar is a journey through loss, its different stages, and the idea that those we’ve loved and lost are never truly gone but waiting for us across the bar,” — Charles James
Crossing the Bar is available now on limited edition vinyl, CD, and all streaming platforms.
New York City rock group bloodsports are excited to share their debut album, Anything Can Be A Hammer, available digitally everywhere and on Cassette and Vinyl via Good English Records. An raucous, unbridled exploration of self sabotage and destructive tendencies, bloodsports dissect conflicting emotions to create a tightly wound collection of songs barbed with cutting guitars and sharp lyricism.
bloodsports will celebrate with an album release show, presented by Stereogum and Good English. The show will take place tomorrow, Saturday, October 18 at Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY and feature performances from bloodsports, Venus Twins, Vangas and a DJ set from Shower Curtain. Tickets are on sale now, see below to purchase. Additionally, they are supporting They Are Gutting A Body of Water tonight in Philadelphia at their free generator show.
rising indie-alternative artist isitjosh released his new music video for the deeply personal and intimate track “WATCHING ANIME.” This song is a standout song off his debut album A Collection of Short Stories About the Heart, that dropped earlier this year.
Watch the official “WATCHING ANIME” music video here.
isitjosh shared his sentiments on the new music video below:
“I wasn’t sure if ‘WATCHING ANIME’ was going to make the record to be honest, but I’m so glad it did. It’s spoken word, and the lyrics are deeply personal. But I guess part of the freedom of being an independent artist means I get to release songs like these, without any creative restraints. Even as nerve-racking as it can be, it’s equally as rewarding. With this song, I tried to capture the feeling of internalizing a panic attack while doing something as mundane as watching anime. Oddly enough, I think that’s an experience a lot of us have shared, and I’m grateful it’s resonated with so many people. We truly are all in this together.”
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
- Socials: @frazer.live
- @neill.outloud
