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Caitlin Lavagna prescribed an artfully amplified pop punk antidepressant with her latest single, Pretty Alright

Posted on 20 July 2024

As you crank up the volume in Caitlin Lavagna’s latest synthesis of art-pop and pop punk, Pretty Alright, the absolution amplifies to the nth degree as the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist fervently strives to let loose the black dog and awaken her listener’s inner power.

The infectiously fiery reprise of “It will take time to feel pretty alright” in the electrifying riff-raw anthem attests to how patience is the ultimate virtue in the process of healing, yet everyone has an active role to play in the reclamation of their serotonin and self-esteem.

With a vocal presence that could rival any of the chart toppers, there’s no denying Caitlin Lavagna’s charisma which acts as a catalyst of resolution and salvation in Pretty Alright.

You just can’t help but succumb to enamourment when your senses are being stirred by her larger-than-material-reality energy and her songwriting stripes which are sliced with more hooks than a butcher’s shop.

Pretty Alright was officially released on July 11; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The high vibes in Mike37’s spacey electronic hip-hop track, C.R.I.B., transcended Earth’s orbit

Posted on 6 July 2024

After being dubbed the Best Italian Emerging DJ in 2018, Mike37 has begun to prove his mettle in the rap scene. With over 200k streams behind his hottest track, Take Me to Your Love Again, the luminary of creative versatility has lit a beacon with the fire in his flows.

The rapper and producer’s latest single, C.R.I.B. featuring Uno Hype, is wavey vibe-heavy, cosmic-dipped production which pairs his flair with metric precision with his ability to slam charisma through your speakers.

The spacey synthetics wrapped around the solid rattle of the 808s exhibited how Mike37 isn’t just in his own league; his boundary-breaking aural identity transcends the conventional limits of the genre.

While every bar becomes an infectious mantra, the transgressing instrumentals attest to how much promise lies in the artist’s career as he gears up for the drop of his debut self-written, produced, and performed LP, HOT AIR BALLOON.

Having already released three tracks via Just Entertainment, being featured in La Stampa and on RAI and Radio Monte Carlo, it’s only a matter of time before he looks down on the industry from the top of the charts.

C.R.I.B. dropped on June 28; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

António Sá – Partition_Monolog: An Ambient Immersion into Digital Reflection

Posted on 4 July 2024

António Sá’s debut LP, CACHE 01, presents Partition_Monolog, a track that immerses listeners in subtle cerebral reflections, a tonality of transcendence and syncopated spectres of futurism.

The soundscape within the concept LP, which explores how memories are increasingly digitised, subdues the listener into a profound state of catharsis while pondering what it means to be human when our autonomy is increasingly enmeshed with the artificial artifices of technology.

António Sá, an artist, producer, and sound engineer, efficaciously utilised spatial effect within his diaphanously lush downtempo progressions which are shrouded in an aura of deep reticent thought. Partition_Monolog invites you to lose yourself in its sonic world, invite ambience into your psyche, and join the visionary as he follows his muse through unchartered territory.

The CACHE 01 album, released under Diffuse Reality Records, brings a fresh perspective to the electronic music scene. It speaks volumes of the Portuguese-based originator’s talents and ability to awaken the imagination within his evocatively euphonic scores.

Partition_Monolog is now available to stream on Spotify with the rest of António Sá’s debut LP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Samana Rising is radiantly irreplicable in their summer soul-rock anthem, Sunshine

Posted on 30 June 2024

Samana Rising’s summer soul-rock anthem, Sunshine, is a radiant declaration of musical vitality and versatility. This first release since their debut album in 2020 confirms that the Norwegian band hasn’t just been biding time. Between life’s milestones and global upheavals, they’ve refined a sound that shines and erupts with irreplicable radiance.

Recorded at ArtBeat Studio in Bryne, with the adept Bjørn Erik Sørensen at the production helm, Sunshine marries an instantly memorable guitar intro with a reggae-inspired rhythm that’s irresistibly danceable. This track is engineered to lift spirits and coax listeners from the mundane to the magical. Mastered with precision in Nashville by Alex McCollough, every note is crafted to perfection, capturing the essence of pop rock while promising more than typical chart-toppers.

Hanne Sivertsen’s vocals could light up any room, soul or playlist; the immense power in the delivery, paired with the charismatically magnetic proclivity, ensures that this latest sonic triumph resounds with maximum euphoric impact.

Lyrically, Sunshine presents an opportunity to celebrate the people who light up your world as much as solar rays; wherever you play it, you won’t be able to resist its demand to be played LOUD.

Sunshine was officially released on June 21; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emilie Thorsby electrified the airwaves with the disco pop grooves in ‘Fake Love’

Posted on 29 June 2024

After garnering over 40k streams on Spotify with her 2023 single “Ocean,” pop sensation Emilie Thorsby has continued to ascend the ranks of the music industry. Her accolades include several prestigious awards, international stage performances, interviews with NBC, and a feature in Elle Global Woman Magazine. Emilie’s career momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

Her latest release, “Fake Love,” is poised to further elevate her profile. This timeless anthem embodies all the characteristics of an enduring pop classic. The kinetically rhythmic euro disco grooves, combined with an instantly catchy hook and her vibrant, vivacious vocals, transform “Fake Love” into a guilt-free pop pleasure.

The Spanish guitar motifs bring a distinct dynamic to the radio and dancefloor-ready track which will undoubtedly become another playlist staple for anyone who seeks serotonin from sound.

Fake Love is a fiery attest to the capacity for reclamation of the heart, body and rhythmic pulses after falling in love with a lothario. Should your summer romances end on a bitter-sweet note, sugar the pill with this infectiously empowering tour de force.

Fake Love was officially released on June 28; stream the single on Spotify now.


Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gothenburg’s Feral Mind Gave Rock Fans Nowhere to Hide From Their Eponymous Debut LP

Posted on 18 June 2024

If you’ve ever wondered what the Misfits might sound like if they swapped their horror punk theatrics for mature, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll, look no further than Feral Mind’s seminal release, State of Mind. The standout single from their eponymous debut album has been igniting the global rock scene with its raw power and hints of psychobilly, reminiscent of the Koffin Kats and The Coffin Caddies.

Founded in Gothenburg in 2023, Feral Mind comprises seasoned rockers who have honed their craft both in the studio and on live stages; their uniquely whiskey-soaked sound is grounded in rock ‘n’ roll grooves, with influences spanning from 70s hard rock to funk and prog. Yet, unlike your run-of-the-mill assimilators, Feral Mind is delivering the future of rock, surpassing the banality of pastiche while inviting you into the psyche of one of the most promising acts creeping their way up from the European underground

State of Mind is a powerhouse of rolling rhythms, technical riffs, and seductively rugged croons, which prove that Feral Mind knows exactly how to bring the rough with the smooth.

We can’t wait to hear what follows this flawless LP.

Stream the debut LP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Oceandvst cured nihilism with their hooked-up juggernaut of an emo post-hardcore anthem, Dead End Hope

Posted on 16 June 2024

‘Dead End Hope’ is so much more than the sum of its parts; a savant polymath wouldn’t know where to start breaking the latest expansively affecting single from Oceandvst down.

The only true way to do the augmented with raw volition alt anthem any justice is by alluding to the visceral impact of the release that covers the entire emo spectrum while extending an olive branch of empathy to anyone who has ever known the claustrophobia of being trapped within their own mind.

From Paramore-esque vocal hooks to the heart-in-throat vindication of MCR to the hell-hath-no-fury like a post-hardcore breakdown of blast beats, ferociously distorted guitars and snarled basslines, Dead End Hope delivers it all while keeping the emotion of the single at its core.

Since forming in 2017, the Greek trio has lived up to their mission of becoming architects of sonic sanctuaries to the disillusioned, the lost, and the outliers with the candour in their lyrics and the intensity of their melodies. Messages of solidarity and hope underscore each of their releases which have been lauded by Billboard Magazine and Alternative Press.

If any outfit is capable of curing nihilism while simultaneously perfecting the formula for a pop-punk-post-hardcore anthemic hybrid, it is Oceandvst.

Dead End Hope was officially released on June 7th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

USUALLY MODEST became the biggest free-from-vanity rockstar in pop with ‘Toothpick’

Posted on 7 June 2024

USUALLY MODEST came in red-hot with his latest rock-licked hypersonic pop hit, Toothpick, which blurs genre boundaries through an explosion of high-energy hooks and a sense of unfettered exuberance that becomes infectious from the first progression.

Unravelling like an accelerated sonic lovechild of the Weeknd and the 1975, Toothpick speeds past contemporary trends, arriving safely in the confines of the future of pop, inviting listeners in by laying out a doormat woven by innovation

Just as his moniker would lead you to believe the up-and-coming Switzerland-born-and-raised artist with Ukrainian roots, his free-from-vanity sensibility shines through in Toothpick. The sticky-sweet emotional underpinnings are the cherry on the hyper-augmented sonic cake, which will undoubtedly allow the self-taught singer, songwriter and producer to rack up even more streams.

Since his humble beginnings on SoundCloud in 2017, USUALLY MODEST is well on his way to becoming a viral sensation. In the last three years, he’s racked up over 350,000 streams on Spotify along with 50,000 total views on YouTube. His standout single, Soul Searching, has also been in regular rotation on one of the biggest Swiss urban radio stations, yet, we’re sure that there are far bigger accolades waiting to fall on the revolutionary.

Stream the official music video for Toothpick when it premieres on June 7th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matching Drapes reinvented Riot Grrrl with the infectious indie rock single, all my friends are (snakes)

Posted on 3 June 2024

If you attempted to temper your teenage angst by cranking up Jack of Jill, Bikini Kill, and Babes in Toyland, tune into the latest single, all my friends are (snakes), from the bratty resistance against misogyny, Matching Drapes.

Taken from the manslaughter EP, all my friends are (snakes) injects the modern reverberations of infectious indie rock into a 90s Riot Grrrl aesthetic, moving far past the mediocrity of uninspired pastiche.

As the basslines prowl, the overdriven guitars augment the single with a level of volition fitting for the tongue-in-cheek articulation of outrage as the vocals spit out the venom of fake friends. We all have them, yet, when the single was organically conceived from a jam session, Matching Drapes intended for the track to be an invitation to shed inhibition and imbibe in rhythmic hedonism.

The project by Berlin/Reykjavik band, comprising the two frontwomen Arndís Rán and Jacquie Hirt, started in 2023.  To record their debut EP, they were joined by Liam Harrison (lead guitar), Toby Savill (rhythm guitar), Niclas Liebling (Bass) and Adrian Lizarraga (drums). As a fully-fledged unreckonable force, they’re not a band you want to leave off your radar.

all my friends are (snakes) will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify and Soundcloud, from May 31.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Claire Marante unveiled the depths of trauma in her trip-hop-tinted art-pop installation, ‘You Want Me’

Posted on 30 May 2024

Maltese singer-songwriter, Claire Marante reached the crowning point of her career with the release of her trip-hop-tinted pensive titan of an art-pop installation, You Want Me, which gives a voice to the female protagonist in the lust-fuelled story portrayed in Elvis Costello’s single, I Want You.

The imagination that went into the concept of the single in itself is a triumph, but that scarcely scratches the surface of the depth within this heart-wrenching downtempo release that anyone who has suffered sexual abuse will find consolation within. If you’re nefarious enough to be a perpetrator, prepare to witness the ugly truth of your lascivious actions.

The three chapters within the deeply conceptual single, You Want Me, Hold Me Down, and I Can’t Breathe, create a heart-rending narrative as Claire Marante tentatively moves through the harrowing three-part chronicle, reflecting how hard it can be to voice the agony of sexual abuse, which ripples through our identity with a force strong enough to tear at the seams of our soul.

You Want Me is the precursor to Claire Marante’s upcoming EP which is being primed for a September 2024 release. Expect more intersections of pained introspection to be explored by the artist who never shies away from sonically confronting visceral emotion.

Stream Claire Marante’s single, You Want Me on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast