featuring @babynezza @my.mom.is.here @_strongboi_ @caitlinstarr__ @porchlighttheband @scarypoolparty @scarlethouse @AndyGruhin @vory
Guitarist, singer, and a founding member of New York City’s Spin Doctors, Eric Schenkman shares “Recipe,” a groove-driven rock inflected single that expresses the enduring story of the electric guitar and the role it plays as a cultural and emotional archetype. The electric guitar’s pedigree is due to innovators like Charlie Christian, Albert King and, of course, Jimi Hendrix.
At its core, “Recipe” is about every guitarist’s contribution to this legacy. “We inherit a long history of sound,” Eric explains. “It explores the psychic debt associated with the electric guitar.”
New York-based pop-rock band My Mom Is Here shares their reimagined cover of Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home,” featuring a guest guitar performance from legendary guitarist Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands).
Recorded live at BerkleeNYC’s Power Station, the track transforms the beloved classic through a lush, jazz-inspired orchestral arrangement produced, arranged, and conducted by Terence “T” Odonkor. Featuring sweeping brass and strings, the reimagined cover offers a bold new interpretation while preserving the emotional core of the original.
“‘Can’t Find My Way Home’ has been one of my favorite songs since I was little,” says vocalist Samantha Seiff. “My dad raised me on classic rock. He made me flash cards when I was about three years old with questions like, ‘When I find myself in times of trouble, who comes to me?’ (‘Mother Mary’) or ‘How did Jimi Hendrix die?’ (‘Too much beer and wine.’). Honoring the music I grew up on while creating something that feels me and now is one of my goals with this project.”
strongboi (Alice Phoebe Lou and Ziv Yamin) release their first single of the year titled “think twice.” The hazy, neo-psych jewel offers the world a micro melodic mission statement: “We just want the music to be front and center and for that to be all we can offer,” strongboi share. Charming and upbeat it’s only when you peel back the layers that you hear the vulnerability in not knowing where you stand. Meticulous layers of instrumentation and heavenly harmonies are peppered with strongboi’s unmistakable, signature seasoning that continues to put them on the map
Preloved, the solo project of Canadian artist and producer Michael (Miki) Watson, releases their debut album Willow via Lauren Records. Alongside the album, Watson spotlights the reflective centerpiece “Granite Hill,” offering listeners another window into one of the year’s most intimate DIY records.
the NYC native melodic punk rocker Caitlin Starr announces her fiery sophomore EP Speed Saves, out October 9 via G-Foil Records. In just five songs, the guitarist and singer-songwriter captures a conflicted, high-velocity chapter in her life, the rush that feels like salvation and the inevitable collisions that follow. Her new single “Pass Me By”, which watches life barrel by with its crunchy guitars and anthemic pop punk hooks, is also out today with a grungy yet wistful new music video.
Ahead of their first-ever Lollapalooza performance this weekend, Minneapolis band Porch Light is excited to share their new single “Under.” Centered around the idea of creating a mosh pit-inducing anthem, “Under” charges forth with heavy riffs and vocalist Jackie Uhas’s most powerful vocal performance yet. Churning with urgency and rhythmic heft, “Under” showcases the group’s vigorous angst and strong melodies all at once.
“Full transparency, we just really wanted to make a face-melting song I could scream on. The guys came to my parents’ house for a writing session and began jamming,” Jackie explains. “‘Under’” was born, with the only parts I had written at the time being the verses. It took some marinating, but a few months later at practice, I just started yelling “WAKE ME UP” over the chorus. When we went to record the album, I made it a point that these vocals would be the last thing I recorded over our 10-day session. I’m not trained to yell without damaging my voice, and I didn’t want to hold back; I also thought it would be fitting if I was drunk. Our last night, Timberwolves game on, a few beers and a Jameson shot deep, I stumbled to the bathroom and wrote the bridge sitting on the toilet. 5 minutes later I recorded vocals, our producer Caleb having not heard my parts yet. Safe to say, nobody knew what to expect.”
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alejandro Aranda is excited to share his brand new EP Baroque, out now and streaming here. The EP features previous singles “GLOWING” and “QUEEN”, along with five additional tracks that showcase Aranda’s wide-ranging influences. He shares:
“Baroque is a new batch of songs that blends the past and future. I wanted to put my inspirations into a couple songs that embody every element, from jazz to classical to pop to drum and bass.”
Audiences can catch these new songs live on the second leg of the Hondo World Tour, which kicked off earlier this month. Leg 1 wrapped in June and featured stops in Toronto, Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Nashville, etc.. On Leg 2, Aranda will bring the show to Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, and more. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit: hondoworld.com.
rising one-man shoegaze act Scarlet House releases new single, “Made For You.” The track is the latest offering off of his debut album, Angels, out everywhere August 28th.
“Made For You,” produced by Stint (Wisp, Alameda, Demi Lovato), is a poignant new track built around understated acoustic instrumentation and an emotionally charged vocal arrangement. Gradually expanding from a stripped-back, intimate foundation into a soaring chorus driven by layered harmonies, the single explores themes of heartbreak, distance, and the difficulty of holding onto a love that has changed. Capturing the tension between yearning for the past and accepting the reality of moving forward, the track exists in the space between longing and release. Like the singles before it, “Made For You” showcases Scarlet House’s innate ability to transform moments of aching vulnerability into a cinematic, immersive listening experience.
As Scarlet House says, “This is a very personal song that I will let speak for itself.”
the singer-songwriter and storyteller, Andy Gruhin, announces his debut album Hannah, which will be released on September 18th. Along with the news, he released a new single and music video for “Bobby” featuring Alejandro Aranda, an ode to his first-born son.
STREAM “BOBBY” AND WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO HERE
Following the aftermath of losing his wife six months after they had their first child, Gruhin wrote Hannah to process his grief. There’s a version of this album that could have been a eulogy, but rather than write songs about who she was, he wrote songs about what happened after her passing. When speaking on the record, he shares, “The only song where I mention her is ‘Bobby.’ The rest of it is processing.”
The latest single, “Bobby” explores the fragile, overwhelming love of fatherhood found in the middle of an unimaginable loss. “I wrote ‘Bobby’ for my son because he’ll never get the chance to really know his biological mom. I can’t change that, but I hope this song gives him a small piece of her,” shares Gruhin. “I want him to grow up knowing that she loved him more than anything, and that love doesn’t end just because someone is gone. I hope if he listens to it years from now, he knows he’ll always have her love, and he’ll always have mine.”
Produced by Chrishan, Don Valy, Pray4iz & fashotim, “SIAMESE” is the first glimpse of Vory’s next album DONDADA out August 14th. The forthcoming release marks his first official full-length under his new independent label, EROS LLC.
Since emerging in the mid-2010s, Vory has helped define the sound of contemporary rap and R&B with his work on the mic and behind the scenes. At just 18-years-old, he scored his first contribution to fellow Louisville native Bryson Tiller‘s soon-to-be Diamond certified “Don’t.” The artist’s distinct pen helped launch further hits like Drake’s “Mob Ties,” which peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Vory’s talents earned him his first GRAMMY for his contribution to Everything Is Love by Jay-Z and Beyoncé as The Carters, taking home the prize for the Best Urban Contemporary Album. The decorated industry figure has become a household name among hip-hop fans since his production, written, and vocal contributions to Kanye West’s GRAMMY-nominated DONDA album on “God Breathed,” “Jonah,” and “No Child Left Behind.” With additional credits for artists like Lil Baby, 2 Chainz, and DaniLeigh among others, Vory has racked up 15 Platinum plaques and 4 Gold records on his written works.
Gibson, the name behind generations of iconic sound, is celebrating the global release of “World Alone,” the brand-new single from legendary guitarist Tony Iommi, with an exclusive premiere inside the Gibson App. Available now in sync with the track’s worldwide release via BMG, the lesson experience invites players to learn Tony Iommi’s “World Alone” through exclusive in-app arrangements, with multiple difficulty levels that make the song accessible for players at every stage of their guitar journey. Download the Gibson App on iOS and Android to plug in, turn it up, and start playing today.
The Gibson App release of “World Alone” offers players an inside path into one of rock’s most iconic guitar voices, bringing the riffs and feel of Tony Iommi’s signature style to guitarists around the world. Designed for players across a range of skill levels, the lesson features specially created arrangements that allow fans to explore the song’s unmistakable riffs, dark tones, and driving heavy rock energy at their own pace.
Being Here, the third album from Litvar, is a record about endings and new beginnings. Inspired by the loss of frontman Rex Thurstan’s father, these story-driven songs shine a light on the long climb from grief to restoration, filled with folksy sounds, including the J-45 acoustic guitar that served as Thurstan’s primary writing tool, that expand beyond the band’s critically-acclaimed indie rock sound. Caught halfway between the raw roots of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the sonic experimentation of Wilco, and the electronic soundscapes of Brian Eno and Porter Robinson, Being Here casts the widest net of Litvar’s career.
“It’s a bare, stripped-back folk record,” Thurstan says, “but it has a modern touch, too. You can’t mistake it for old music, because the landscapes of each song are clearly contemporary.”
Working with drummer and chief collaborator Joe Lemieux, he created those landscapes at home in Connecticut, reaching out to guitarist Violet Falkowski and bassist John Blues McCarthy to help fill the album with melody, mood, and recurring motifs. The result is an intimate album for late nights and early mornings, encompassing everything from the sonic sweep of “Yeah I Know” and “Waiting For Something,” upbeat songs that could’ve appeared on the band’s first two releases, to the bare-boned, jazz-inspired shuffle of “Backstab.” Throughout it all, there’s no mistaking the sorrow and struggle that inspired these tracks.
“We went so hard during our first three years as a band,” admits Thurstan, who formed Litvar with Lemieux during the months before the Covid-19 pandemic. The band quickly found an audience with early singles like “Hi I’m Andy,” but the growth came at a price. “By the time we were driving back home from LA after recording our second album, Eloquently Aimless,” he adds, “we were all hitting some life walls.” For Thurstan, those walls felt unscalable. Reeling from the death of his father, he isolated himself for months, taking a break not only from social situations, but from music, too. He later returned to songwriting after buying his dream guitar, a Gibson J-45 acoustic, and dedicating himself to the challenge of turning his personal struggles into universal songs about loss, grief, and the light at the end of the tunnel.
On “Belong,” Thurstan drives home through darkened streets, uninspired by the daytime hours that have just elapsed. “I’m trying to feel like I belong here,” he sings, his lonely voice echoing through the stillness. On “I Hate It Here,” he turns the final words he ever spoke to his father, “Sure, I’ll come by real soon,” into the song’s opening lines, painting a melancholic picture that’s all too familiar to those who’ve lost loved ones. “Backstab” even unfolds like the soundtrack to a lucid dissociation, fueled by slow-motion groove and late-night atmosphere.
Toronto singer-songwriter and guitarist Nelson Sobral shares “Searching For A Higher Love,” an upbeat and soulful rock single that reflects on humanity’s enduring search for meaning, purpose, and connection. Blending blues-rock grit, Americana warmth, and classic soul influences, the track channels a universal longing for something greater than ourselves while delivering an irresistible groove driven by soaring harmonies and heartfelt conviction.
Inspired by contemplating humanity’s place within the vastness of existence, “Searching For A Higher Love” explores the many ways people seek answers to life’s biggest questions. “No matter where we come from or what we believe, we all seem to be searching for something greater than ourselves,” Sobral explains.
The title itself reflects the song’s central theme. For Sobral, a “higher love” extends far beyond romance. “It can mean truth, purpose, God, consciousness, connection, or simply a deeper understanding of life,” he says.
Los Angeles-based dark pop artist Ella Boh announces her headline BLURRY Tour. Kicking off in late September and running through October, highlights include Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn and a hometown show at The Roxy. Following her headline run, Ella will join Artemas for an expansive UK/EU tour to close out the year. Along with today’s news, she will make her debut performance at Lollapalooza this afternoon. See all upcoming tour dates here and below.
Artist pre-sale begins Monday, August 3 at 10 am local time and ends Thursday, August 6 at 10 pm local time. General on-sale for the tour begins Friday, August 7 at 10 am local time. All ticketing information can be found here.
Last week, Ella released the BLURRY (DELUXE EP) via Bamboo Artists. Expanding on the world she introduced with the original BLURRY EP, the deluxe edition closes the chapter with three new tracks — “PRETTY BABY,” “BLURRY” and “BAD MEDICINE” — that dive even deeper into the themes of obsession, vulnerability, identity and emotional addiction — Stream.
The acronym A.N.S.H. means “AI needs some help”. It’s a warm indie folk song with banjo, delicate acoustic fingerpicking, baritone vocals and an intimate lo-fi ambiance.
I feel it could be a great match for playlists featuring intimate acoustic and narrative-driven indie folk.
Colombian-Dominican singer-songwriter NEZZA returns with her new single, “Final Season,” a Spanglish pop breakup anthem that captures the moment you realize you’ve reached the end of a relationship—whether romantic or platonic—and are ready to move forward. Blending emotional vulnerability with empowering confidence, the track pairs soaring pop production with bilingual lyrics to celebrate choosing yourself and embracing a new chapter.
“Final Season” also marks the next installment in the story of GIGI (A Girl Who Gets It), the central character in NEZZA’s evolving visual universe. As she continues building toward her forthcoming album, the single expands GIGI’s journey through heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery, offering another glimpse into the interconnected world that ties each release together.
“Final Season” is available now on all streaming platforms
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
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