featuring @jeandeaux @microwaveatl @solidcopyband @noisevein.band @misstrinitybliss @iamabbiecallahan @fuelofficialmusic @izzaroze @hi_mija
Berlin-based DJ, producer and vocalist MIJA unveils her new EP Hard Disco via Hot Meal Records -a four-track collection that puts her own spin on the space between disco, techno, hardgroove and Eurodance. Designed for the dancefloor but never confined by it, the EP is bright, physical and full of movement, bringing together MIJA’s love of groove-led club music with a playful approach to songwriting and production.
Stream Hard Disco via your streaming service of choice HERE.
On Hard Disco, MIJA treats disco not as a relic of the 1970s, but as a genre that has never stopped evolving beyond its form. The result is a light-hearted vision of an imagined next step: sultry, playful tracks that cite old and new influences, never taking themselves too seriously. It is nostalgia reworked for the darker rooms and higher energy of Berlin. It’s disco in her own words.
That independence extends to every part of the EP. MIJA wrote, sang, produced and mixed Hard Disco herself from start to finish, keeping the process deliberately hands-on and DIY. It’s an approach that runs through her wider work as a DJ and producer, where instinct, experimentation and a willingness to blur the lines between genres have become central to her sound.
Across the four tracks, MIJA moves naturally between different sides of that sound. ‘Feels Good’ opens the EP with an immediate sense of movement, while title track ‘Hard Disco’ pushes her disco influences into something tougher and more club-focused. ‘On The Floor’, released ahead of the EP, set the tone for the project with its infectious groove and was met with early support from House of Solo and Son of Marketing. Closing track ‘Temptation’ brings another shade to the project, completing a collection where each track has its own identity while still feeling part of the same world.
George Wilding shares new single ‘Loser to Loser’, which also happens to be the second single from the forthcoming debut album. At its core, the track is an ode to forming your own path, and living life on your terms, navigating the rollercoaster of love whilst refusing to conform to the conventions society expects you to. ‘Loser to Loser’ is out now on your streaming service of choice, via APOLLO Distribution.
Listen to ‘Loser to Loser’ HERE.
Beginning with a crisp electric guitar riff, the track immediately embodies the essence of Franz Ferdinand, before bursting into an infectious, high energy sun soaked indie arrangement. Wilding’s vibrant vocals take centre stage, creating a track loaded with energy and joy. Beneath its buoyant instrumentation, however, lies a more restless narrative, exploring the turbulence of being in a relationship, while rejecting the expectations that the suit-clad figures of the world try to pin on you.
As the lyrics unravel, personal frustrations begin to mirror broader distrust of rules and authority. But, rather than sinking into cynicism, the song finds its answer in freedom, with the final line instructing the listener to ‘Just let your spirit soar and spread your light.’ Ultimately, the track rejects conventions and urges listeners to embrace the things that make them unique.
New York duo Fcukers reconnect with Tame Impala (Kevin Parker) on a new remix of his runaway hit “Loser.” LISTEN HERE.
The collaboration brings things full circle for the two acts: Fcukers joined Tame Impala last fall as support for the opening U.S. run of the Deadbeat Tour, which kicked off with four nights at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center before making its way across the country. Now, the duo puts its own stamp on one of Deadbeat’s defining tracks, transforming “Loser” through the frenetic, dancefloor-minded lens that has made Fcukers one of the most exciting new names in electronic music.
With this release, Fcukers continue to add to their list of achievements this year after the release of their acclaimed debut album Ö in March. Recorded during a concentrated two-week studio session in Los Angeles between the band’s two Coachella weekends last year, the album features standout singles “L.U.C.K.Y,” “if you wanna party, come over to my house,” and “I Like It Like That.” Since its release, the New York duo has amassed more than 300 million global streams.
ABBIE CALLAHAN
And For My Next Trick…
• Abbie Callahan has one more trick up her sleeve… the genre-bending singer-songwriter unveils her sophomore EP, And For My Next Trick…, a seven-song collection that pushes her self-described “kaleidoscope country” into stranger and more unexpected territory.
• “For me, this project has started to clarify and cement the sonic space I want to live in as an artist. This is a lyrical deep dive into who I am as a person, without trying to package that in a pretty way, just an honest autopsy.” — Abbie Callahan
• Abbie recently wrapped her OptiMYSTIC headline tour with a sold-out hometown show in Iowa City and heads out on the road with Willow Avalon, then Orville Peck next month. Get tickets HERE.
FUEL
“Bad at Love”
• Multi-platinum, GRAMMY-nominated rock band Fuel release “Bad at Love,” the latest single from their highly anticipated seventh studio album, Pendulum, out October 30th.
• “Bad at Love” turns the familiar “it’s not you, it’s me” sentiment into something far more piercing: an unflinching confession of regret, self-doubt, and the anguish that follows when love slips through your hands.
• The release follows a packed summer tour of fan favorites and new material, highlighted by a recent raucous underplay show at New York City’s iconic Silver Lining Lounge, presented by Scott Lipps. More shows are on deck this fall. Tickets HERE.
IZZA
“Flaunt”
• Izza releases “Flaunt,” a pop rap track that turns retail therapy and designer name-drops into pure confidence.
• “I wrote ‘Flaunt’ about the moment you finally feel like you’ve gotten over a breakup/being heartbroken and the sense of relief it brings like a burden has been lifted off of your shoulders. It’s celebrating who you are and the endless possibilities that you can be now that you are free of the pain. I put all of my energy back into myself, my music and everything I’m building.” – Izza
• The single is released alongside an official music video through Vevo, shot by Christian Quiroz (Yeat, Iann Dior, Bazzi).
With over 1.2 billion streams and over 400,000 tickets sold, global dance artist BUNT. releases “Nothing Lasts Forever” via Arista Records, the latest preview of his upcoming album, Levi Did It, slated for release on October 23rd.
Listen to “Nothing Lasts Forever” HERE and pre-order Levi Did It HERE.
A follow up to his 2024 breakout EP, Levi Don’t Do It, BUNT.’s debut album Levi Did It marks the next chapter in his evolution into a global success story. The announcement follows the biggest show of his career in his home country of Germany, where he just performed for more than 100,000 fans.
Levi Did It arrives amid a massive year for BUNT. who, in addition to his Coachella debut, made his festival mark across the world hitting EDC Vegas, Ultra Croatia, ElectricLove, Lollapalooza South America & India as well as SonneMondSterne. In New York alone, he saw a sold-out Under the K show in May followed by a sold-out debut at NYC’s iconic Pacha in July just six weeks later — over 20,000 fans turning out to see him. He won’t be slowing down the rest of the year either with more headline dates and slots at Austin City Limits and Corona Capital.
Trinity Bliss has released her sophomore album, Forever Fool, a 10-track coming-of-age record capturing the exhilaration, uncertainty, and all-consuming emotions of adolescence as they happen. Blending bright pop production with narrative-driven storylines, dreamy harmonies, and witty, confessional lyricism, Bliss traces the line between imagining the life you want and finally taking the risk of living it. Best known to audiences around the world for her portrayal of Tuk in the blockbuster Avatar franchise, Bliss continues to establish herself as a distinct voice in pop with a perspective rooted in the present-tense reality of growing up. Forever Fool is out now on all major streaming platforms.
Forever Fool is a record for hopeful romantics, chronic overthinkers, and anyone willing to believe in possibility despite knowing better. Across the project, young love gradually expands into the larger idea of becoming yourself, following Bliss as she steps out of the stories she grew up dreaming about and into a world without a script. The album opener, “things,” finds her watching everyone else’s lives unfold while wondering when her own will begin, before “chemistry,” “so sure,” and “run after me” throw her into the dopamine, hesitation, yearning, and push-and-pull of a crush becoming impossible to ignore. On “once upon a time,” fairytale expectations begin to crack, heard through boppy indie pop beats, as Bliss trades castles and true love’s kiss for the unpredictable excitement of real life, asking whether the person she has been chasing might actually be a version of herself. That realization comes into focus on the title track, where being a “forever fool” transforms from naïveté into a conscious choice to keep feeling everything, even when she knows the risks. “I know I will always be a forever fool, but most of all, I want to be a forever fool,” Bliss explains. “A forever fool isn’t someone who doesn’t know the risks. It is someone who knows the fairy tale may turn Grimm, the perfect moment will pass, and the heart may break, but I’m ready, and I want to feel it all.”
Rock outfit NOISEVEIN returns with vengeance on their new single “OOZE,” the latest track from their Dungeons & Dragons-inspired debut album, PLANEWALKER. Fueled by annoyance and doldrums, this chapter of the Planewalker’s story battles self-sabotage, frustration, and a lack of movement in one’s life and the systems around them. “OOZE” is now available to stream and download on platforms worldwide.
“OOZE” opens with a gritty bass guitar that serves as the heartbeat of the track before gradually building and finally erupting into an uneasy and oppressive atmosphere. The intentionally chaotic composition reflects the inertia and bottled-up energy that can build when you feel trapped, along with the havoc that frustration can create. “‘OOZE’ is about the feeling of stagnation, self-sabotage, and the growing rage and desperation that comes from feeling stuck,” says the band. “The tonality and the composition of the song are meant to feel droning, stagnant, and frustrating.” Lyrically, the song personifies that stagnation as a force generated both from within and externally, where an individual, a system, or even oneself can be the source holding the narrator down and suffocating them with toxic thoughts they cannot escape. The chorus, “Sunken dreams, fading screams, never-ending, (pull us down) / Dredge the light / Dredge the light before we drown,” captures the mounting desperation of trying to break free before sinking any deeper. As the track unfolds, its oppressive atmosphere reflects a feeling familiar to anyone who has experienced doubt, frustration, or the sense of being completely trapped by their surroundings. Ultimately, “OOZE” explores the idea that when there seems to be no way forward, the only way out is through. The track was produced by Cole Miller (lyrics, drums), Stewart Houser (lyrics, synth), Dante Long (vocals), and Jackson Ludlow (guitar, bass).
Indie rock duo Solid Copy tackles the more complicated parts of life in their new single, “Thanks for Asking.” Cousins Fiona and Daniel Quinn use transcendent vocals, crescendoing guitars, and a solid drum line to imbue the song with a sense of urgency. “Thanks for Asking” asks the audience to toe the line between how they feel and how they present themselves to the world. “Thanks for Asking,” the final single off the band’s upcoming debut album Forensic Manor, is now available to stream and download worldwide.
“Thanks for Asking” gives voice to uneasy feelings of self-doubt and self-criticism, bringing moments we might otherwise shrink away from to the surface. Rather than avoiding that discomfort, Solid Copy dives headfirst into it with nuance and vulnerability. The band asks, “What if we gave the negative things we say about ourselves the space to speak freely?” They follow that question through an exhausting loop of introspection, revealing how messy the process of self-discovery can become. Set against a lush indie-pop backdrop reminiscent of the glory days of early-2000s indie rock and dream pop, “Thanks for Asking” finds beauty in admitting when things are difficult. Its ebbing verses gradually uncover more uncomfortable truths, contrasting the song’s inviting sound with the friction between our inner and outer selves. Yet through it all, life keeps moving forward. “This song explores these less desirable aspects of life,” Solid Copy says. The track approaches them with grace and raw emotion, ultimately arriving at a sense of bittersweet acceptance. “Thanks for Asking” was engineered by Jeff Berner (Kurt Vile, Public Practice, Johnny Aries) at Studio G and produced by the band, with mastering by Carl Saff (Sonic Youth, Guided By Voices, Wild Pink) at Saff Mastering. The track features Fiona Quinn on vocals, Daniel Quinn on guitar, Casey Feldman on guitar, Tom Manolakes on bass, and Tom O’Malley on drums.
Over a decade ago, Microwave were still a young band out of Atlanta trying to find their scene across the globe. Through social platforms, message boards, Bandcamp charts, and good old-fashioned word of mouth, they found the people and peers that would go on to help them become a fixture of modern alt-rock.
In 2015, despite having never met in person, they teamed up with Buffalo’s Head North for a split release. Now, 11 years, four albums, and countless miles traversed later, Microwave returns to the format.
Today Microwave shares a new two-song split with Puddle Splasher, out today. Microwave and Puddle Splasher take things a step farther here by co-writing and performing both songs, “Step Inside” and “Heel,” together.
Nathan Hardy, vocalist and guitarist for Microwave, explains:
“As long time Puddle Splasher fans, we had a great time sending ideas back and forth and eventually getting together with them at Barbershop Studios in New Jersey to hang out and work with Brett Romnes to record a couple tracks. Working with Brett was a long time coming as he’s recorded several of our friends’ bands and several of our favorite records over the last decade or two. Surprisingly enough, the songs sound like a cross between Microwave and Puddle Splasher. Dante and Adam played drums and bass on ‘Step Inside.’ Tito and Tyler played drums and bass on ‘Heel.’ Nathan and Andy sang and played guitars on both songs.”
Continuing a run of adventurous standalone releases, Strange Plants unveil “You Say Falling,” a hypnotic and anthemic psych-pop single that challenges conventional ideas of success, stability, and what it means to truly thrive. Wrapped in dreamy melodies, bouncy rhythms, and the band’s signature blend of retro-pop hooks and psychedelic textures, the track offers an uplifting reminder that the lives others misunderstand are often the ones lived most authentically.
At its heart, “You Say Falling” is about embracing a path that may look unconventional from the outside. Rather than conforming to expectations, the song celebrates the freedom that comes from trusting your own instincts, even when others mistake that journey for failure.
“The idea is that what looks like falling to you is flying to me,” explains songwriter Matt Brannon. “It’s about living a life that might be uncomfortable for those who witness and don’t understand yet it’s how you thrive.”
Chicago lyricist, singer-songwriter, and filmmaker Jean Deaux returns with her first offering of the year “Immaculate,” produced by frequent collaborator and friend Blake Wright. Armed with heavy bars and a viciously smooth flow, Deaux cuts through the noise of online discourse and culture vultures with her pen front and center. Setting the tone for reclamation, while continuing to raise the bar as an emcee, daring anyone to meet her there.
“Immaculate” is Black expression in its rawest, most self-assured form. The accompanying self-directed visual pairs flashes of archival imagery honoring Black women artists with a shimmering Deaux amid the flames and ritual. Militantly focused as she carries her hometown on her back with every bar, commanding attention without forcing her delivery. The track is a challenge from an artist who quakes a room with a loud stillness extending beyond the mic – questioning how hip-hop is valued, who shapes its future, and how women central to its history are recognized.
Jean Deaux shares, “Hip Hop is culture. It’s a religion. It’s resistance. It’s history. One rich with desire for liberation, and the intimate inner workings of the divine feminine. It’s time to start treating Hip Hop as such.”
A Black, queer Chicago native and self-directed creative, Deaux brings a singular perspective to music and film. Her journey began in spoken word and poetry before she sharpened her pen in Chicago’s tight-knit hip-hop community. Standout guest appearances alongside Saba, Smino, Mick Jenkins, and Isaiah Rashad established her as one of the city’s most sought-after voices and introduced listeners to a voice equally at home delivering confident bars or a confessional melody.
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
- Socials: @neill.frazer
- @neill.outloud
