Tom Cox mystifies us with the psych-pop single “They Mystify!” The new song is the last single ahead of his home-recorded debut album, Modal Fixture, out next month on August 15. While he was listening to a lot of Steely Dan when writing the song, it showcases Cox’s background as a drummer, his 70s influences like Todd Rundgren, and his love for breezy indie-rock bands like Dr. Dog.
“Suite for the Summer Rain began simply. One day on a whim I tuned the low E string on my guitar down to C. Suddenly a new world opened up to me, chords played as usual made different harmonic and emotional impressions, and I started finger picking instead of strumming. Purposefully non-metronomic, Suite for the Summer Rain and Dance of the Yellow Leaf sway and swell, ocean winds whistling raindrops in new directions.” (Peter Salett)
“‘FRACTURED’ is a sonic representation of how sadness can lead to physical pain. Longing melodies flow into jagged textures and rhythms that are meant to feel harsh and uncomfortable, all the while juxtaposed against the triumphant bass and chord movement telling you (me) to release this pain and longing. Aurelia and Echos really picked up on this in a way I couldn’t have imagined and really brought that story to the song. Similar to the other tracks on the album, this was a very cathartic way to approach the music, an experience I think all of the collaborators have shared.” (Icarus Moth)
LA indie-pop artist Ruby Sparks says to follow your dreams so long as they don’t leave you astray on new single “Dreams.” Enlisting Collin Desha (Low Hum), Phil Joly for mixing (The Strokes, Lana Del Rey, Daft Punk), and Dave Cooley for mastering (Tame Impala, Spoon, M83), Ruby Sparks’ upcoming debut album Iris mixes the best of 60s pop-rock and 2010s indie-rock.
The Big Takeover is featuring the world premiere of Canyon Lights’ new single “Song Behind Those Tears” from the rock trio’s upcoming album Breathe Easy.
“The new disc is a revival of the indie culture I’ve always appreciated. ‘Deus-Dará’ is about perseverance and the courage to throw yourself into the world. We’re about to embark on another tour of Europe and a lot of emotions are hanging over us. Many of my lyrics are like prayers. I think this is another one of those strong, motivating lyrics.” (Oruã)
“The title of the song is actually a reference to a Drones lyric, from their song ‘Jezebel’ off Gala Mill, which is easily one of the two or three most beloved songs of my adult life. Like most of their material, ‘Jezebel’ is supercharged with really visceral lyricism, and ‘I gave my dowry to a finger on a switch, turn me to a fine pink mist’ is a sardonic sentiment I’ve been rolling with for a long time, haha. Like, I’ll frequently refer to a time before life ‘turned me to a fine pink mist.’ I always wanted to write my own song using/capturing that sentiment, and finally did. I’m actually proud of my lyrics on that one, because each verse has little cryptic tidbits that mean something to me on a personal level.” (Jake Sprecher)
The Whimbrels is the eponymous debut album by a power art-rock band with lineages to some of the most influential and raw music New York has produced — loud art with a back beat. The players’ credits, including The Glenn Branca Ensemble (dating to the 1980s), The Swans, and J. Mascis, lay the groundwork for the guitar-driven, sonic onslaught of The Whimbrels, captured on their startling debut.
NYC indie artist Nikita premieres her new single “No One Is Gonna,” a tender, immersive track about holding onto love in the moment.
Visionary electric 12-string guitarist’s ghostly new single recorded in 1940s-present Mississippi juke joint.
The Great Yellow Light is the 21st LP from veteran New York-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Willie Nile, called by The New Yorker “[O]ne of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of the past 30 years.” The album title is a reference to Vincent Van Gogh’s letters to his brother, Theo, and the light that inspired him in Arles, France where he lived from February 1888 to May 1889.
“These songs came from that in-between space—the aftershock, the quiet reckoning, the feeling of trying to move forward while still haunted by what came before. The EP title came to our drummer Ally Bull when she was watching one of her cats having a vivid encounter in her sleep, but for me, the title reflects the heavy experiences that seem ‘done’ but linger beyond our conscious reach.” (Andrea Neuenfeldt, MK Naomi)
“I founded Funkrust Brass Band with the idea that we were from a dystopian future without electricity or venues, so a brass band like ours would be one of the few musical groups still around to create community, provide catharsis and interrogate the doom–but also to facilitate joy and dancing, which the survivors would surely need. The music video for “Ignition” is a vision of that world: just a bonfire, a band, and a crowd.” (bandleader and composer Phil Andrews)
“‘Phosphene’ is a song that started out as a simple, catchy groove riff, but it grew into something more complex than that after I finished writing it.” (AJ Rosales)
Pep Rally bring summer fun in their video for “Staying Alive” (Bee Gees) as they dance through the streets of Philadelphia.
This is a song for the Icarus long dead, alive, and yet to be. (Trevor Sensor)
Ryan Cassata’s Greetings from Echo Park transforms the struggles of chronic illness and the fight against transphobia into a fearless, genre-blending punk-folk howl.
“Before I started writing my own music, I solely did covers by my favorite artists. It helped me understand music from a non technical POV,” Kayla Janowitz explains. ‘Congratulations’ by MGMT has been one of my favorite songs since it came out in 2010. It was always a standout to me in MGMT’s discography, being slower and more stripped down than their usual tracks. Her version joins a tradition she began with her first EP, which included a cover of The Zombies’ “The Way I Feel Inside.” “I always thought it was super cool when artists included a cover in their projects—it shows you a glimpse of their inner world, what inspires them.”
Sugar Bomb announces new EP Explosive with lead single “Frenzy.”
Honoring its 30th anniversary, Glide’s seminal debut album Open Up and Croon is being reissued on vinyl (180g) for the first time, complete with a special 8 page insert booklet.
“I had a free night in my hometown in between tour dates and my dear friends at No Worries Brewing offered up their brewery as a place to film some live acoustic performances. I had done a monthly residency at No Worries in the months prior to recording the new album so most of the songs on the record were sussed out there before heading into the studio. So it just seemed to make sense to document this song acoustically in their space.”
“There are 46 species of Seahorse living in the earth’s oceans. They mate as if in a dream. After a long and exquisitely beautiful ballet of courtship, the male seahorse receives eggs from the female and fertilizes them in his brood pouch. The male gives birth (typically at night) between 9 and 48 days later, and is ready for the next batch of eggs by the following morning when his mate returns. He is both male, and female. To me, this is music.” (Kramer)
“I hope this record is universal for the listener. I hope it is an album they choose to listen to while working out, while driving, on amazing days, and on awful days. Handle With Care reflects how young our band is in the grand scheme of things, in a positive way. There are many wildly different sounding tracks on this record, yet all of them still sound like they come from us. It all still feels cohesive.” (George Danahy, The Ghouls)
In an surprising reunion after 25 years apart, the ex-Sorrows bassist joins former Tang S’Dang bandmate Jim Santo (The Sharp Things, Matt Hunter & The Dusty Fates) for a genre-jumping collaboration that draws inspiration from Curtis Mayfield to David Bowie, Elvis Presley to Ray Davies, Scott Walker and beyond.
“Mother’s Day” is about familial trauma. People receive a lot of messages about the importance of staying connected with family and forgiving them for the harm that they do. Pain is passed down and each new generation is expected to accept the treatment they are given. The song is a pushback on those expectations. The verses lay out the pain of the child in this dynamic, and the chorus turns around to say, “but I’m not allowed to feel that way, right?” It reflects the confusion and loneliness of being the first in a family to try to break patterns and move forward.
“‘Barely Real’ is song about landing in a place you’ve always wanted to be. But now that you’ve arrived, you discover that what you’ve wanted all along isn’t quite what you thought it’d be. Perspectives change, time is fleeting, and you realize that life is just a collection of memories that can leave you wondering what’s even real. We tried to mirror this sentiment in the video, by capturing candid footage on 8mm film the weekend we began recording the album in the summer of 2023.” (Matt O’Conke, Worn Through drummer and songwriter)
Good news! Big Takeover Issue #96 Spring 2025 with Bob Mould on the cover (our Special 45th Anniversary Issue) has been completed and will be out shortly! But hurry to order—pre-orders and subscriptions are best/crucial! And they are much cheaper than ordering after we have to turn in our mailing list to the printer.
“Time Machine” is a steampunk-inspired video for a track from goth-folk duo Charming Disaster’s new album The Double. The video depicts an animated adventure through space and time, in which the duo attempt to change the past and start over again. What could possibly go wrong?
“We Listened to the Radio” is the definitive Nourallah Brothers single. Both brothers sing throughout with each other; Faris taking the high road, Salim taking the low. These siblings from El Paso have survived a lifetime of ups and downs. They’re not reuniting after 25 years to cash in on the payday from stadiums or concert halls filled with adoring fans. Salim and Faris are simply back for the joy of reconnecting again over music, the thing that they connected with together as children. This track perfectly captures that wide-eyed enthusiasm.
Sunset Lines’ new single is a lush, synth-laced ballad that juxtaposes delicate melodies with a haunting narrative, capturing the bittersweet end of summer and the complexities of love.
“I wrote ‘Hate Me Less’ with a common thread found throughout the fabric of multiple previous connections. I was reflecting on a breakup in which I recognized I was putting off ending for far too long, worried about hurting the person, but actually hurting us both worse. In the end, it became a song about memories, regret, feeling messy, and ultimately, one of hope… but from a healthy distance.” (Aidan Strange of Strange Neighbors)
David Lowery (singer, songwriter and frontman for the two acclaimed rock bands Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker) drops his new solo single “Fathers, Sons and Brothers” (featuring The BellRays).
“Chuckles Deluxe is the first of hopefully many love letters to myself, my desires and my authentic personhood. I’ve spent years as Fielded searching for a comfortable vocal delivery, honest lyrics, dreamy melodies and an embodiment of all of the genres and musical decades that have influenced me. With the help of David Lackner (YAI, Blue Jazz TV), my co-writer, I was able to dream up the melodies and have someone to lay the groundwork under my acapellas to create the songs you’re hearing. I feel ‘Chuckles’ is one step closer to a fuller, more realized version of Fielded.” (Lindsay Powell)
Rising singer-songwriter Charlotte Morris is opening up like never before in her new album both sides, and we’re thrilled to be premiering the full project exclusively on The Big Takeover before its official release on streaming platforms.
“What was both challenging and special about this video is that its story arc evolved over the course of several months, twisting and turning in real time alongside Tyree’s ongoing fight for justice,” says guitarist David Perry.
CDSM band member and co-director Ben Presley on the video: “The video concept for ‘Not Another Bleeder’ was D.I.Y. at its finest. My partner Violet Martini took the lead, pushing the nineties fisheye feels to the limit. Drawing influences from Busta Rhymes’ “Gimme Some More” music video, we went for a Willy Wonka-style trip through a bad dream… and there’s goats! Thank you to Mary from Decimal Farms as well as Tabre and Parks from The Goat Farm Arts Center for access to your facilities!”
“Love is a Picnic” is an introspective rumination on the personal cost of love, framed through a dreamy, cinematic soundscape.
Afton Wolfe is a product of his home, Mississippi. It is the birthplace of at least two American art forms: country music and blues music. Meridian is the birthplace of Jimmy Rodgers, while the Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of the blues, and the first rock n’ roll notes ever played, according to some music historians, came from Hattiesburg. Afton also draws much of his style from nearby New Orleans.
“Make The Most” is the fourth video from the upcoming GuitarDrumming 0I mini-album from O.A.R. keyboard player MikelParis. It revolves around his unique style of “GuitarDrumming” on acoustic guitar.
“Our friends Derek and Ben (from Sessions in Place) approached us about doing a music video for us. They were the ones who picked the song “The Pattern” and we told them they could do whatever they wanted,” shares Weep Wave vocalist Dylan Fuentes. “We’ve never done that before and we’re super stoked about the way things came together. It was interesting to see what kind of story and vibe they created from our music.”
Time Thieves shares “Remember I Forgot” music video ahead of Come Home EP.
Doug Albregts of Little Falls Trophy explores the depths of craving on new single, “Addiction,” from the upcoming album Rehashed. “It’s about that first rush, when something—or someone—becomes a part of you,” says Albregts.
I wrote “Afterlife Passerby” about that small, yet viscous fear of missing out on a supposed peaceful afterlife. It’s a fear that has loomed over my head since I was a child, always haunting the bright peaks of life.
A bluesy, organ-fueled anthem about resilience and starting again, Reid Parsons’ “Get Out Of Bed” offers a powerful preview of their lush and emotionally rich debut album Back to Back.
Remain’s “No Day to Die” was recorded with Eric Delegard at Reeltime Audio in Denton, TX. What you hear on the recording is 100% organic–band members playing instruments and serving the song. The longer we live the less we tend to believe. This song is admitting that we still want to believe in something, and still want someone to believe with.
The Slow Death premieres new song “Little Ghost” ahead of their upcoming album, No Light To See.
Washington DC trio Starting Early are back with a video for new single “Do As I Do,” written at the end of the studio sessions for their debut album Hello.
“Newcomer Blues” is the video for the third single from Stories I Only Tell My Friends, the third album from Nikki O’Neill, an R&B/Americana singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Chicago.
Softjaw burst onto the international power pop scene in 2024 with a sound that combines Cheap Trick guitars and Teenage Fanclub harmonies with a dash of The Exploding Hearts’ energy. “I Need You” is an infectious single, premiering with a video at The Big Takeover in advance of their first full-length album later this year.
Now considered to have been decades ahead of his time, Bruce Haack forged his music from glittering “new” computer landscapes of his own invention, long before the world was aware that such things were even possible.
