In this age of irony, a little honesty is hard to find. “S.O.B. Blues” is a refreshing reinterpretation of classic literary tropes for this strange new world.

Chicago’s gritty noir-rockers The Claudettes premiere “Touch You Back,” a video for the first single off their upcoming seventh album Garage Glamour.

“For me personally, I’m describing what it feels like to be in a social setting while being maxed out on my social meter. I have a big people-pleasing problem (working on it), so I’ll keep pushing through social interactions even when I have nothing left to give, so what comes out of my mouth at that point is usually just that: filler, forced smiles, canned responses, bullshit.” – Tommy Ng

“‘Spiral’ is a jab in the ribs; quick, intense and unexpected. Instrumentally the drums are relentless, the bass is driving and the guitar melody is cyclical within the chorus, lending itself to the title of the track. Lyrically, the song is all about wading through a sea of chaos, knowing fully that havoc often leads to necessary or positive change. Chaos like this makes me feel like I’m holding my breath underwater. Even though I feel slightly panicked, I know that the first gasp of air is going to be beyond satisfying.“ -Sienna Cureton-Mahoney (Pearl)

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Troy Mercy says of his new music video “A Place of Our Own,” “Visually I played up the song’s lyrical themes of feeling alienated in the normal day-to-day cycle. I admire the films by Cocteau, Tati, Kenneth Anger, and Gilliam. So I thought some of that more oblique imagery would hit the mark here. It’s a hopeful song, but you really don’t have any need for hope unless you find yourself currently in the dark, y’know?”

Whiskerman premieres “Ram’s Head” from the forthcoming American Hell Pt. II, dropping May 22.

“Hair” was written just a week before the Portland, OR trio OGRE went into the studio—a sweetly silly, scattershot piece. “It’s about the biological relevance of hair growing on heads and crotches—it kind of came out gross.” Musically, the track also underscores the power of the band’s two-bass attack.

SLC artist Anthony Pena shares his upcoming debut album 4’s second and final single, “M4TH,” a soulful yearning when the math doesn’t add up.

Peppermint Moon’s The Flipside is a hazy, hook-laced psych-pop head trip—melodic, moody, and sharp at the edges.

“Vocalist Ellia Bisker and I work out the concept of each song before she writes the lyrics. For Quartermain & Victoria I had a very specific idea of the characters, the setting and the story. I had a dream that it would one day be an animated video and we’re so thrilled that the amazing folks at Witching Hour Animation were able to make it a reality.” -Phil Andrews

Contemporary punk band Samuel S.C. delivers its second single of 2026, the J. Robbins-produced “Push The Needle.”

Ceylon Sailor turns scruffy indie roots into a sun-drenched, harmony-stacked anthem, where lo-fi heart meets big-sky hooks.

“I knew I wanted to write a concept album following the classic hero’s journey, and I knew I wanted to play on the main character having a ‘title’ like Superman or something. The main themes this album explores are anxiety, repeating cycles, the creative process, grief, self-sabotage, and learning to try and live simply in the modern world.” -Kerrin Connolly

Portland-based band Abronia share “Mirrored Ends of Light” off their forthcoming album Shapes Unravel.

Hardy Mums release new swampy folk-rock anthem “Good Day For A Bad Tattoo.”

“Sugar Man” is Addiction Personified: the kitschy new gutter-glam video-single from Charlotte NC indie-electro outfit Midniter.

“It’s now or never. Really the song is an anthem of love – love me or leave me. You either bring love to life, or you’re not living.” (Michael Des Barres)

Ahead of tomorrow’s release of Midnight Show via Nadine Records/Nerve Center Recordings, The Freak Accident is happy to exclusively premiere their catchiest album to date on The Big Takeover.

Seattle darkwave veterans Jupe Jupe return with “Down With The Setting Sun,” a brooding, pulse-driven single from their forthcoming album King of Sorrows, out February 27 via No-Count Records. Blending cinematic post-punk tension with shadowy synths and baritone croon, the track explores the fragile space between connection and exploitation as daylight fades.

The Big Takeover is thrilled to premiere “Mechanical Being,” the latest single from Chicago-based indie rock force ktwheels: a song that hums, churns, and pulses with the uneasy electricity of a mind that won’t quiet down.

“‘Calm & Delivered’ is about the pressure to be emotionally regulated when everything around you is overstimulating. It’s inspired by my journey as a parent, which is often too loud, as well as my journey as a woman, where setting boundaries is often interpreted poorly… So it’s really about finding your inner-power as a woman and not being afraid of your rage or frustration.” (Ali Lipman)

Boston-based alternative rock trio lesser birds releases their debut album without a tether, a restless, guitar-driven record reflecting on disillusionment and discontent in the modern world.

Los Angeles indie rock band The Pretty Flowers are premiering their new single “Came Back Kicking.” The track is the first song to be released from their album Never Felt Bitter out on March 27th on Chicago-based Forge Again Records.

Power pop is alive and thriving in Los Angeles thanks to a vibrant scene teeming with talented young bands like Uni Boys. Their third album for LA-based Curation Records is a self-titled collection that drills into the core of the quartet’s classic, catchy sound. Recorded by Paul D. Millar in Brooklyn, the debut single, “I Don’t Wanna Dream Anymore,” is a sugary jolt of heartbreak that’s sure to thrill genre fanatics and lovers of hooky, should be radio hits. The new album will be available March 27.

“No lie. I’m just fighting for life above the poverty line because it’s do or die.” (Various Blonde)

Mondo NYC music business conference celebrated its 10th anniversary October 14-17 with a four-day gathering of ardent music industry professionals, including major & indie label executives, managers & lawyers, music publishers, technology entrepreneurs, policy lobbyists, educators, and currently performing artists, for intensive presentations, panel discussions, informal chats, and happy hour revelry in the packed bars, with some diehards heading to later night music showcases in lower Manhattan and north Brooklyn.

Concert and record reviews! Artist interviews & profiles! Music news & world premieres! The BigTakeover.com team was all over it this year. Pour yourself an eggnog, put up your feet and enjoy our most popular articles of 2025. See you all next year!

Ten Million Lights release new single ‘Hit The Floor ‘ – A driving shoegaze maelstrom born from real-life violence and disillusionment.

San Francisco recording artist Bob Hillman’s new project, King of the Bees, is a six-song EP of melodic and slightly messy rock or maybe power pop. The Invisible World features Matthew Caws of Issue 95 cover band Nada Surf and all six feature Pete Thomas from the Attractions/Imposters on drums.

“Samba-soul” artist Jontan announces second album, The Yellow House, with lead single “Amélie.” Led by Chicago songwriter and audio engineer Jonathan Gardner, the upcoming album showcases Gardner’s ear for Brazilian music and classic pop.

Spell captures Leadbetter Band leveling up — ripping, soulful and charged with new purpose.

Their sound was not a pastiche, but a profound and resonant synthesis.
When they achieved true, incandescent lift-off with 2023’s magnificent ‘Lemon Lights’ (_Mt. St. Mtn.), the band transcended influence, striking upon shimmering soundscapes that were utterly and irrevocably their own—a rare and precious singularity.

“I think there is something very psychedelic about this record but not in an Electric Prunes-type way… I just think some of these songs sound like dreams – odd, disassociated lyrics with warped sounds to match. To me it’s like misty morning mood music.” (Adam Franklin)

Tercel transports the listener to a fonder time with its reverb-filled early 2000s flair while keeping in touch with modern themes, as seen in the lyricism of the song “Stuck.”

Malibu-based indie pop/dance duo Very Nice Person premieres the official video for their single “Underwater,” from their upcoming album due early next year.

“‘PINEAPPLE DIESEL’ is that after-the-club track: flirty, fierce, smooth, but laid-back. It’s what you play with the windows down on the way to the afters, when the city lights blur and you’re just in it. The name came from a vape a guy left at my place once; it said ‘Pineapple Diesel’ on it. I saw it and just immediately thought: ‘song title.’” (Raphael Rosalen)

Good news! Big Takeover Issue #97 Fall 2025 with Neko Case on the cover has been completed and will be out shortly! But hurry to order—pre-orders and subscriptions are best/crucial! And they are much, much cheaper than ordering after we have to turn in our mailing list to the printer.

And it’s just in time for the perfect Christmas, Chanukah, other holidays, birthday, or other gift, even to yourself: Big Takeover Magazine subscriptions and back issues (like the big enchilada, complete set 1980-2025)! Plus our T-Shirts (in several sizes) in three colors, as well as our Big Takeover Beer Cozies and (signed if you like) Color 30th Anniversary Festival Posters, or our CDs!

On their self-titled LP, Sunjammer turns Texas heat into slow-burn psychedelia.

“‘I’m In Love With My Friends’ is an homage to one’s ‘ride or dies’; our true-blue friends who are there for us when the shit hits the fan, who make us laugh when things look dark, and who inspire us to be our best selves through all of life’s challenges. Romantic relationships don’t always survive those challenges, but authentic friendships usually do.” (Girl with a Hawk vocalist and guitarist Linda Viens)

Arizonian natives BBgail and Weston Smith premiere their Fort Lowell Records debuit “if you let it” — a unique blend of electronic trance-inducing synths paired with an eloquent saxophone.

“During Covid Lockdown, a lot folk had no choice but to work from home with a remote laptop. One particular week, a friend of mine who worked for another company said that he had to express some grievances with management, but couldn’t get through to them after bringing up issues via email. His words specifically were “I keep getting kicked off the VPN!” A ridiculous title and relatable issue for many led to these particular lyrics where the narrator questions just how much one’s employer takes his role seriously.” (Tyler Boutilier)

By stripping away the collaborative dynamic, Dunn has built a self-contained space where his influences, from folk to rock, coalesce under an entirely new pressure. Kinda Like A Dream asks you to step into the quiet headspace of its making.

Jangly indie-rock band Wide Orbit released their debut album Introducing… Wide Orbit last month off of 22TWENTY (Oracle Sisters, Cornelia Murr). While one side of the new record is packed with energetic 60s-inspired pop-rock songs, the new music video for “Soon / Good Morning” showcases the band’s more psychedelic and experimental side.

Mia Wilson premieres new single “I Want It All” from her forthcoming self-titled debut album due November 14th on Royal Oakie Records.

Chicago-based songwriter Orillia shares a new countrified version of his song “Weather” as the last single to his album Fire-Weed. Featuring guest artists, including his backing band Local Memory, Lydia Cash (relative of Johnny Cash) on fiddle, Dylan Sage on banjo, and more. The new single features an arrangement and take that is so different than the original version from his previous band, The Roof Dogs, that it may as well be a new song entirely.

With hushed intensity and haunting melodies, JOURNEYGLO turns uncertainty into something luminous on her new album Limp By My Side.

“Burn It Down and Start Over Again is a little different than the rest of the EP. While it’s mostly a compilation of love songs, this is the one protest song I was compelled to write. I actually started it in 2020 at the end of the first term of the current president, during the lockdown. And then he lost the election in 2020 and I wasn’t quite sure how to finish the song, so it sat on the shelf for 4 years. On November 6th, 2024, I spent the day in a bit of a despondent fog, unsure how to process my emotions. Late in the evening, I opened this track for the first time in years, and the song poured out of me incredibly easily. It’s one part political statement and one part my own way of dealing with my political grief. And at the end of the day, I’m not sure if my anger in this song is directed more towards the left for botching the election, or with the right for electing a fascist – but it’s definitely a bit of both.” (Lips of Strangers)