We Talk About Music

Jeff Hodges has spent years shaping the sounds of other artists, but with “Loco Motive,” the veteran producer turned performer steps confidently into his own spotlight. The founder of Charleston Sound Studios may be best known for engineering massive hits like Darius Rucker’s 10x-platinum “Wagon Wheel,” yet his newest chapter takes him far from Nashville, both geographically and sonically. Now bas...

With Echoes , Luke Wood steps fully into his own artistic orbit, one defined by authenticity, grit, and a sound that’s as textured as it is timeless. The singer-songwriter’s second release with RCSQ Records™ captures the raw heart of Eclectic Roots Groove™, a genre that’s quickly carving its place in the modern landscape. What Wood and RCSQ have created here is something more than an EP, it’s a st...

Chicago’s own Leo XIV, the musical identity of Dylan Leo Azadi, continues his ascent through the stratosphere of alternative pop and R&B with his latest single, “Feel.” Following the momentum of his striking debut earlier this year (“Midas”), this sophomore release solidifies Leo XIV as one of the most captivating new voices in modern music. He’s an artist unafraid to stretch the boundaries of...

With “For A While,” Billboard-featured New York City songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and former Broadway performer Nicola Vazquez once again proves that few artists can match her ability to fuse raw emotion with polished musicianship. Known for her electrifying blend of pop, folk, and rock, Vazquez takes a softer yet equally commanding turn here — delivering a song that feels both intimate and ci...

Sabina Beyli is fast emerging as one of the most exciting young voices in alt-pop-rock, and her latest single, “Bad Habits,” solidifies that momentum with thrilling force. At just 22, she’s already figured out how to channel chaos into catharsis, turning self-reflection and emotional unrest into something both deeply personal and wildly anthemic. Out October 24, 2025, the track feels like a breakt...

With Destined to Fail, released on October 3rd, 2025, Violet Love delivers one of the most emotionally charged and sonically daring EPs of the year. The New Jersey-born, queer Latin American artist lays bare the unfiltered truths of self-discovery, trauma, and transformation across three stunningly crafted tracks. Clocking in at just ten minutes, this EP feels both intimate and monumental, the kin...

With Stray Bullet Blues , Minneapolis-based guitarist, composer, and educator Cody Steinmann proves once again why he’s one of the most exhilarating players in modern jazz. Across eight instrumental tracks spanning a generous 52 minutes, Steinmann brings his signature fusion of jazz and rock into sharper, harder focus, leaning into a bolder, electrified sound that brims with urgency and energy. Th...

Whitney have always had a gift for turning the everyday into something luminous, but Small Talk feels like the album where they’ve distilled everything they’ve been chasing since their debut into one cohesive statement. Set for release November 7th on AWAL, the Chicago band’s fourth record is not just their most affecting to date, it’s arguably their best, full stop. If their past albums flirted w...

September 26th at Italia Square in Tirana marked the explosive launch of this year’s Check In Festival, and one of the undisputed highlights of Electronic Night was a masterful DJ set from none other than Trentemøller. A legend in the electronic music scene, his presence alone electrified the crowd, but it was the way he curated the night that turned his set into a defining moment of the festival....

From the very first notes of their latest release, In Balance prove why Bakersfield might just be harboring one of the most exciting punk bands in the scene right now. Their new 7” record, Unforgivable , out via Transcendental Revolution, may only carry two tracks, but it punches well above its weight. Limited to just 100 copies pressed on translucent California Clear vinyl, the project feels less...

With his latest release, “Jumping From So High” (out September 2th), Leo Sawikin cements himself as one of indie music’s most compelling rising voices. It’s a euphoric, dream pop–leaning track that glows with optimism and bursts of color, but at its core, it also reveals a songwriter with rock roots and a keen sense of craft. Produced by Seattle legend Phil Ek, the single feels expansive, cinemati...

With their latest release, First Stage Separation , University Drive prove they’re not just a band to watch, they’re a band that’s gonna make you feel what they’re serving up. Dropped on May 2nd, 2025, the Scranton, Pennsylvania rockers’ six-song EP is a thunderous ride, clocking in at just under half an hour. The record is a perfect storm of the band’s collective energy, with every member lending...

With “Time Thief,” rising singer-songwriter My Life As A Moth has crafted an alternative anthem that feels both deeply personal and gloriously unhinged. It’s the first glimpse into her forthcoming album The Parade Of The Starlet & The Broken Hearted , and it lands like a jolt to the system. It’s a dark, genre-defying piece of art that wrestles with the way anxiety can warp time itself, stealin...

With Elatseyi , Old Trees continues its mission to blur the line between disorientation and delight. The new four-track EP, crafted by Zachariah Watson, former frontman of Time Pilot and the restless mind behind this project, feels like a passport to a universe where folk traditions, electronic experiments, and global pop mutations coexist in harmony. It’s a record that thrives on contradictions:...

Sam Wrangle has long been one of the more intriguing voices in Australia’s indie underground, blending indie rock grit, neo-psychedelic haze, and the melodic charm of eighties guitar pop. But with his latest single “Delicious Delights” , the Canberra-born, Brisbane-based songwriter takes a refreshing leap into synth-driven territory, proving once again that reinvention is part of his DNA.

Dorsten have made a name for themselves as one of the most compelling sibling duos in modern folk-pop, and their latest single, “Hush” , arriving October 1, 2025, proves just how much they’ve sharpened their craft. Equal parts haunting and cathartic, the track is a masterclass in emotional storytelling, carried by Sophie Dorsten’s powerhouse vocals and Alex Dorsten’s restrained yet evocative instr...

In an era where polished, formula-driven singles dominate playlists and algorithms dictate what we hear next, The JB Project arrives like a sudden jolt of electricity to the system. With “Consumption” , an immersive six-minute psychedelic rock anthem, JB, who writes, performs, records, mixes, and masters every note, lays down not just a song, but a manifesto. It’s raw, hypnotic, and brimming with...

Vân Scott has been making the rounds in Hollywood for years now, lending his voice to countless projects. But with “Turn Off the Tears,” the latest release from Scott Oatley under his artist moniker, he proves that his stories are just as compelling as any blockbuster he’s sung behind. What emerges is a soaring, deeply personal anthem of resilience and catharsis, one that takes private heartbreak...

Prince Philippe has always carried himself like someone meant to blur boundaries. Raised in Verona in a family of musicians, formally trained in both modern and jazz, and later tempered by the grind of Atlanta’s R&B scene, his trajectory is anything but conventional. That mix of worlds comes alive in his latest single, “Hour of Need” , a vibrant pop-R&B track that not only grooves effortle...

Alex Otey has long been a shape-shifter in the world of modern jazz, but Darwin AI: Survivor Choice might be his most ambitious statement yet. It’s a dazzling 37-minute set that redefines what jazz fusion can feel like in 2025. Known as an award-winning pianist, singer, trumpeter, and composer/arranger, Otey’s career has been threaded with collaborations alongside giants like Grover Washington Jr....

Camilo EG has always thrived at the crossroads of intimacy and grandeur, and with his new EP Accidental Baroque , he delivers a concise but powerful statement that highlights his versatility as a songwriter, singer, and performer. At just four tracks and 17 minutes, it’s a tight listen, but one that lingers well beyond its runtime, creating an experience that feels both personal and cinematic, wov...

Brielle Brown isn’t just a songwriter, she’s a storyteller who carves deep into the dirt of human experience and gently brings out the light. With In Art & Soil the Same , her highly anticipated full-length debut, Brown cultivates something quietly seismic: a roots/folk record that doesn’t scream to be heard but instead invites you to listen. It’s tender, defiant, and beautifully honest. It fe...

Cayden Penner’s Fun Times Good Vibes is a debut album that wears its heart on its sleeve while refusing to let the weight of the world dull its color. Released July 1st, 2025, and crafted entirely by the Alberta-born artist himself, from writing and production to composition, it’s a vibrant self-portrait painted in bold strokes of optimism, rhythm, and emotional honesty. In a world addicted to iro...

Sydney’s Northern Beaches have long been a quietly influential breeding ground for Australia’s most thoughtful, genre-defying artists — and with their debut album Dope Folk , Sky Juice Duo not only continue that tradition, they elevate it. The collaboration between Alby Gibson-Healey and Matthew Trapnell is a masterclass in atmosphere and intimacy, weaving a rich tapestry of ambient folk, singer-s...

Gogol Bordello has never been a band content with just raising the roof—they raise the entire damn village. This summer, frontman Eugene Hütz is leading the gypsy-punk collective into a blazing season of chaos, community, and continuity. Touring with a crew of handpicked artists from his label Casa Gogol Records, Hütz is not only reasserting the band’s legacy as live legends, but also highlighting...