featuring @frenchtoastkiller @griffinbrown_ @knitting_band @babymetal_official @official_mikeclarkjr @_theveldt @thedambuilders @sim_japan
LA-based alt-pop provocateur Chloe Star returnswith her punchy new single, “Emergency Contact.” Following recent singles like “call you back” and “i didn’t wanna say goodbye,” Chloe continues to peel back new layers of her artistry with each new release.
On “Emergency Contact,” Chloe flips her hurt and heartbreak into a moment of liberation. It’s an in-your-face anthem that cuts deep with biting lyrics, gritty textures, and bold, commanding vocals. “The song itself just feels like you’re walking through the clouds with your middle finger to the sky,” she shares.
Co-written with JP Clark (blink-182, Bryce Vine, Kim Petras), “Emergency Contact” is a song about breaking the cycle of one-sided love. “It’s about being the person who always answers — until you finally stop,” Chloe explains. “I was always ready to drop everything for her, but love isn’t supposed to feel like a one-way street. At some point, you realize you deserve someone who shows up the same way you do. I’ve given my time, my effort, my loyalty, and it hasn’t been returned. This song is about letting them know I’m not that person anymore.”
Known for fusing raw vulnerability with high-voltage rockstar energy, Chloe Star is a bold new voice for the next generation of rock-pop outsiders and visionaries. Born of Indigenous and Persian heritage and raised between Los Angeles and her family’s reservation in San Bernardino, Chloe’s artistry is rooted in her layered identity. A fierce advocate for marginalized voices and queer visibility, she channels her lived experience into songs that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Since making her debut in 2023, Chloe has released two EPs, the bed i lie in (2024) and Apt. 1101 (2025), which have earned her praise from tastemakers like CLASH, 1883 Magazine, Just Jared, and EUPHORIA. In 2025 she expanded her reach across new audiences with her Pride Tour in the US and the UK. With her electrifying stage presence, genre-bending sound, and rapidly growing fanbase, Chloe Star is building a world that feels entirely her own.
New York-based artist Griffin Brown announces his third solo album, Begriffen—in a sense, his self-titled. Arriving May 8, co-released by Spread Way Out/Better Company Records (vinyl), Begriffen is a collection of songs that ask more than they answer, embodying the omnivorous pursuits of a musician The Wire calls “impressive” and “original.”
Following in the mold of 2021’s il y a and 2023’s Busy Being Angry, work Bandcamp praises for its “tapestry of sound,” Begriffen ranges across electronic, rock, pop, classical, and jazz textures; track 2 sounds nothing like track 5. But the voice is nevertheless unified and distinct, and it pushes further than its predecessors into song. Formally and lyrically, it is Brown at his most forthright, centering the poetry that has appeared in The Paris Review, Oxford Poetry, Plume, and other publications.
Reflecting on new love, as in the maximalist “Figure” (“I wake up for the first time in a year, full of ideas”), or on the angular cadences of social norms, as in woozy rocker “DRAW” (“I need a hint, like a task, to check off and put behind me…”), Brown vocalizes the everyday, the site of banality and atrocity. The title is part-eponymous, part-concept: it’s an inversion of his name (Griffin B); an imperative for himself; and a German word meaning something like “under development,” “growing,” or even “to understand, fathom.”
Montreal band knitting are excited to announce Souvenir, their sophomore record, out on Mint Records on June 26, 2026. In French, “souvenir” translates directly to “to remember.” The record considers what we take with us in life—each song feels like opening a locket and looking onto a specific moment or memory, a world of feeling held in a few moments. Today, the band released “I Want To Remember Everything,” a track about having been a weird kid, and trying to reconnect as an adult with all the parts of yourself you tried to deny in order to fit in. It’s a striking track that gets into your soft spots, while still finding an ease in its chiming chords and driving, focused guitars. It makes for a keenly empathetic listening experience, close to the surface without feeling overly tender.
“I Want to Remember Everything” was one of the first songs that really came together for the album,” says Mischa Dempsey, the band’s frontperson. “It draws inspiration from the movies, music and TV that made me feel really seen as a kid, but that maybe my friends weren’t so into. My dad had a lot of random songs and music videos on our family computer that he’d downloaded from Limewire, one of them being a fan video edit of a Linkin Park song that me and my siblings would watch on repeat. That was a big inspiration for the overall feel of this song, along with the 1996 movie ‘Harriet the Spy’. “I Want to Remember Everything” is a love letter to the weirdo I was when I was a kid, and as a way to try to reconnect with the parts of myself I hid away as I was growing up.”
The video is a campy, whimsical visual in which the band tries to track down a treasured missing object against the intense brutalist backdrop of Montreal in the winter. It takes a playful yet wistful approach, entering an imaginative world that has one foot in childhood and one in adulthood, and highlights the undeniable, guitar-forward catchiness of the track.
the renowned J-metal group BABYMETAL celebrates Fox Day with the announcement of their World Tour 2026 across North America and Latin America. Supporting them on their North American tour dates will be Halestorm and Violent Vira.
Tickets for dates in the US and Canada will be available starting with an artist presale that begins on Monday, April 6th at 10am local time, and you can sign up now until April 5th at the LINK HERE. A Citi presale will begin on April 6, with additional presales running throughout the week ahead of the general onsale starting Friday, April 10 at 10am local time. Tickets for Latin American dates will be available starting with an artist presale on Monday, April 20th at 10am local time through April 21st at 11pm local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting on April 22nd.
BABYMETAL is also thrilled to share that METAL FORTH (DELUXE EDITION) will be released via Capitol Records on June 26, 2026. The deluxe edition will be available digitally and on vinyl which will feature a zoetrope design, with ten icons from the record brought to life in motion. It will feature three live performances off the record and two remixes from Major Lazer and Jordan Fish of the standout track “from me to u (feat. Poppy).”
Elegant, bold, and unmistakably Parisian, Hélène in Paris
celebrates love à la française with the release of her new single,
“French Kiss” — a radiant pop anthem that captures the very
essence of Paris and sends it shining across the world.
After enchanting the holiday season with “Christmas in Paris”
,
Hélène changes the scenery but keeps the magic: stolen glances,
springtime gardens, silhouettes brushing past one another on
Rue de Rivoli, and that effortless elegance that makes Paris the
undisputed capital of romance.
Joyful, sparkling, and irresistibly feel-good,
“French Kiss” is a
love letter to France, to Paris, and to that universally iconic
gesture known around the globe as the “French kiss.
”
Carried by luminous pop production and an infectious chorus,
the track is an invitation to celebrate love in its purest and most
beautiful form:
Love each other. Kiss each other. Dare to love boldly.
Mike Clark Jr. is back in his bag with “No Chaser,” a smooth, melodic R&B record featuring K Camp that’s all about real connection and good vibes.
The track feels like one of those late-night tracks you throw on when you’re with someone special. Mike leans into his signature sound, which is super soulful and authentic. The added touch of K Camp just adds to the track and ties in those nostalgic R&B feels all together.
“With ‘No Chaser,’ I wanted to show a different side of my sound—still soulful, but a little more laid-back and confident. K Camp came in and elevated it, and we made something authentic.”
The song captures that “lover boy” energy without trying too hard. It’s smooth and is relatable to listeners everywhere. Give it a listen, and it’s guaranteed that “No Chaser” fits right into the moment.
With this release, Mike Clark Jr. continues to show his growth and carve out his own lane while staying true to himself. Follow him on social media for tour schedule, content and much more.
With an outsized charisma and a flow that hits like a prizefighter, Big Moochie Grape is one of them ones. The East Memphis rapper reflects on what keeps him going on “Da Reason,” his new music video, a highlight from his 2025 mixtape, Nightmare On AB. Produced by regular collaborator Dee Gudda, “Da Reason” is a soulful slapper that borrows its grit from his hometown’s blues, using mournful saxophones and sumptuous bass slides to adorn the Paper Route Empire rapper’s motivational bars: Gotta take care of my kids, my nephews and nieces/They the ones that really need me,” he spits. In the video, Moochie flashes back to his youth, spending afternoons in detention writing his first rhymes and plotting ways to escape the vicious cycle of street life. The clips set in the present day prove that Moochie’s dreams have come true, as he rocks designer and rides around his hometown in a vintage muscle car.
Released on Halloween 2025, Moochie posits himself as the block’s own Freddie Krueger on Nightmare On AB. A reference to the famous Nightmare films and his home block of Apple Blossom Drive, in East Memphis, Nightmare On AB quickly establishes the life and death stakes of day-to-day in his neighborhood, where it is hustle or fall behind, and kill or be killed. Sometimes, Moochie is the monster in the movie, while other times, he is the victim, and the roles reverse more often than you can count. Home to singles like “Humongous” and “I Earned It,” Nightmare On AB is available on all platforms via Paper Route Empire.
The trailblazers known as The Veldt are back with their new single ‘Black Girl’, along with a video by Rob Weiss and James Eakins, heralding their ‘Spanakopita’ EP. Released as a tour-exclusive CD, featuring new tracks and experimental demos, this was created especially for their Arctic Moon Tour with post-punk legends The Chameleons. Kicking off April 7 in Minneapolis, this sweeping run of shows brings The Veldt’s sound to a wide cross-section of East Coast, South-Central US and Midwest audiences, along with select Canadian dates.
One of the most notable first-wave shoegaze bands, formed in North Carolina in the 1980s by identical twins Daniel Chavis (vocals, guitar) and Danny Chavis (guitar), The Veldt have long occupied a distinctive space where shoegaze textures intersect with soul, gospel, and experimental rock. Drawing inspiration from artists as varied as Prince, Sun Ra and Pink Floyd, the band developed an approach that favors atmosphere, groove, and emotional nuance over rigid genre boundaries.
After relocating to New York City and expanding their lineup with bassist and programmer Hayato Nakao, the group deepened its sonic identity, incorporating layered production and electronic elements while maintaining a strong melodic core. Consistently prioritizing depth and mood, their recordings reward close listening and their live performances emphasize immersion.
American college radio faves The Dambuilders are back with their new single “Shrine 2026”, marking the band’s first new release in decades. Released via Magic Door Record Label in traditional A / B format, “Shrine 2026” comes with the companion track “I Hope We’re Not Too Late”, recorded and produced by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording in Montclair, NJ and mastered by award-winning engineer Greg Calbi (Lennon, Bowie, Springsteen, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Tom Petty).
2025 saw the band’s reformation with reunion shows at Dromfest and NYC Berlin, where they performed their 1989 debut album in its entirety. In April, they will once again be performing in New York City and Providence, Rhode Island. Involving a host of special guests, these are the band’s first performances in either city in 30 years, offering a rare opportunity to experience the band’s dynamic live presence.
“Shrine 2026” revisits one of the band’s most beloved songs, from their 1994 album “Encendedor”, reaffirming the group’s signature blend of emotional immediacy and sonic invention.
Shimmering synths ring out as a hard-hitting beat kicks off proceedings, complemented by Greg’s ghostly saxophone motifs. Open Mike Eagle’s signature laid-back flow feels perfectly at home, as he breaks down the do’s and dont’s of navigating social interactions. Marking an exciting new direction, the track signals the latest evolution in Greg Surmacz’s distinctive and ever-evolving catalogue. Greg has brought his powerful live show to We Out Here Festival and sharing stages with Corto.Alto, Ashley Henry, James Holden, Colin Stetson and Sarathy Korwar, building support from tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, Tom Ravenscroft, Bandcamp Weekly, Spotify Jazz UK, Moses Boyd+ more.
A visceral storyteller, Truman’s words serve as a compass that guides through the jagged, syncopated universe created by producer Jakwob (Jorja Smith, Little Simz, Nia Archives), his lyrics chiselling away at parts of himself, revealing fragments of childhood trauma, toxic masculinity and the struggles growing up working class in the underbelly of the capital. Kid Raise Kid sees these scattered shards of thought and feeling meticulously pieced together as Truman mines them for gems that glint throughout the ten track body of work.
Opener “Charley Boy” is governed by an unruly, warbling bassline that Truman’s vocal bobs and weaves around, before landing punchlines and hooks in quick succession. Shifting gears on “Beer Knights”, the track glimmers darkly with a haunting melancholy that emanates from Jakwob’s soundscape, drawing Truman’s vivid lyrics into its orbit. The tone change then moves towards affection on “Public House”, as Truman pays tribute to its congregation and sheltering role in public life. “Relapse” then sees Jakwob’s shredding guitars transform Truman the poet into Truman the rockstar; capturing the chaos of a drug fuelled binge in one of the standout performances on the album.
Speaking on the album and the inspiration behind its name, Truman notes: “The anger of being a child who was neglected by his nearest, abused by the system, gaslit by the gang and humiliated and paraded around like a baby handbag. This is the shadow I started to get pally with, this is Truman; The Kid who Raised the Kid.”
Following her acclaimed debut EP ‘f u jonathan’ (here) and first-ever headline tour across Europe this year, building attention across the landscape from Spotify GSA’s Artists To Watch 2026 to Europe’s Biggest Gig with BBC RADIO 1 – performing alongside British superstar Sekou – panicbaby continues to carve her own lane as a true multi-hyphenate talent, storyteller, and performer. The young star-in-waiting also capped off another run of shows across the UK last week – this time supporting US singer-songwriter Ari Abdul – underlining her position as a serious touring force in the making.
Philadelphia-based melodic punk trio FILM announce their debut album Permanence, due May 22 via Lauren Records. Featuring members of Algernon Cadwallader, The Starting Line, and Halfway to Holland, the album captures a raw, unfiltered moment in time, serving as the final recordings from beloved drummer TJ DeBlois, who passed away unexpectedly in 2023 at the age of 38. Alongside the announcement, the band share their lead single “Roundabout,” out now.
Japanese band SiM is excited to share their first release of 2026. The group – known for their unique blend of hard-hitting metal, punk, and reggae/ska – has unleashed their new single “FiVE TiMES DEAD (by my wallet)”, out now via UNFD. Stream the track here and watch the new music video here.
The band shares: “SiM’s heaviest, most chaotic reggae punk track yet. World tour soon!”
Fans can look forward to hearing the new single live at SiM’s annual DEAD POP FESTiVAL, taking place April 4-5 in Japan. Featuring performances from SiM, BABYMETAL, coldrain, MAXIMUM THE HORMON, Crystal Lake, Ankor, THORNHILL, and more, this year’s sold out event will draw an audience of 15,000 people each day. For more information, please visit: https://deadpopfest.com/
Eve Maret (sounds like “muh-ray”) is a Nashville-based experimental artist and composer who employs a wide array of electronic media and techniques in her various disciplines, exploring the possibilities of personal and communal healing through creative action.
Over twelve tracks, her upcoming album Diamond Cutter is an exploration of the space where strength meets vulnerability. The title comes from an ancient Buddhist text of the same name, and it’s out April 17th.
Drawing inspiration from nineteenth-century orchestral and choral works, the Fluxus movement, Kosmische Musik and funk, Eve makes use of digital and modular synthesizers, a vocoder, clarinet, electric bass, guitar, and field recordings to create works that range from lush cinematic compositions to space disco. Eve’s music practice is a conversation with her numerous curiosities, manifested in the form of video art, drawing, dance, ritual, and cymatics.
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
- Socials: @frazer.live
- @neill.outloud
