The Woven Project are a lo-fi acoustic/electronica experimental outfit from the East Durham, Hartlepool, formed in 2009.

“California” is the 7th single by Social Gravy. On its release in January 2019, the track was well received for its enduring sense of longing while borrowing from the soothing sonic qualities of the Golden State, reminiscent of the perennial classics by the likes of The Eagles and Tom Petty. In 2024, it serves as a welcome precursor to an upcoming single “These Are The Times”, slated for release by the artist over the next few months.

On November 29, 2024, *Cold Shoulders8 released their original album The Sun Goes Down Alone, a collection of tracks that delves into the complexities of relationships, missed chances, and everyday struggles. Featuring strong melodies and profound lyrics, the album resonates with fans of guitar-driven music who have experienced the highs and lows of love. Tracks like “Done Again” evoke nostalgic memories of 90s parties, while “Through My Arms” combines catchy tunes with poignant storytelling, showcasing Cold Shoulders’ musical versatility and emotional depth.

Holding Onto the Holy is the debut solo album for Eric Cannata, guitarist, songwriter, and founding member of Young the Giant, Coma Culture and
American Pets. Cannata first dipped his toes into the solo stream with the Lonely Beast EP in 2020, a collection inspired by solitude. Now he’s back with a record about togetherness, or how to love life while the world falls apart, sparked by his relationship with wife and collaborator* Hannah Connolly*.

London-based, female-led rock band X-Ray Love is back with their latest single, “Another Time,” a raw and hauntingly beautiful track that captures the essence of human resilience. Led by guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Ella Day, the band, which initially made waves in New York City, has cemented their place on the UK music scene with their gritty, post-punk sound reminiscent of legendary acts like Blondie, The Ramones, and Patti Smith.

The Mags, a band with roots in Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club, have released their much-anticipated debut album, This Is The Mags. Packed with 11 electrifying tracks, the album is a modern homage to raw, unfiltered rock and roll, blending the spirit of early 2000s DIY bands with The Mags’ distinctive sound.

“Dumbass” is a high-energy hard rock anthem that blends the raw, rebellious attitude of punk with the swagger and theatre of glam rock into a raucous celebration of living in the moment. The distorted lead guitar cuts through the mix like a shot of adrenaline, supported by a powerful, propulsive rhythm section whose energy hits hard from the start.

San Francisco-based ethereal artist AURSJOEN presents her debut Strand’ EP, released via Stratis Capta Records and produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, Mephisto Waltz, Christian Death) at 13 Studio in Chicago.

Pete International Airport presents their new Sea of Eyes EP, (a.k.a. The Lamplighters EP) released via Portland-based label Little Cloud Records. This release comes hot on the trail the latest offering – the ‘Sea of Eyes’ GLOK Remix’ by Ride legend Andy Bell.

“Faith & Courage” was born out of the transformative experiences of the last four years. Michael Beck shares a deeply personal journey, connecting with inner strength and trusting intuition during challenging times. The song combines contemporary melodies with spiritual mantras, including the Gayatri Mantra and Aditya Hridayam, to invoke courage, faith, and universal guidance.

Indie pop duo Aerolinea presents their All We Need album, released via My Long Wknd Records. This debut eight-track offering also sees a guest appearance by Failure drummer Kellii Scott. With passionate tandem lyrics, intertwining guitars and rhythms that sometimes groove and sometimes surprise, Aerolinea crafts a sound designed for romantics and misfits, for late nights and strange places.

Born in Canada to French parents, Elea lived in Hemmingford until age 5 when her family moved to Dharamsala, India for her father to pursue Tibetan medicine studies. She subsequently spent a few years in the south of France before moving to Bristol, UK at 16 to study music. Releasing a string of singles, “Lust”, “Trigger” and “Sacrifice”, to critical acclaim in her idiosyncratically “towering sound reminiscent of PJ Harvey and Feist”, she was touted as “a millennial Patti Smith”. Albeit being Gen Z, she decided not to correct the journalist for the (hopefully only partly) erroneous compliment.

Five badasses setting aside egos and working toward the common (very, very) good.

An accomplished scholar of folk accordion hailing from the former USSR, Cafcae picked up the guitar while attending high school in Maryland. It was around this time that he began experimenting with writing his own material and went on to play in bands in Europe and North America.

The thought-provoking title of the (literally) long-awaited debut album by the London-based indie artiste could be explained like this: easily digestible contagiousness around big and hard topics discussed both lightly and deeply in an indie slash classic slash soft rock setting. This has already become evident with several great singles along the way, though. The last of them being “Is Everything Okay?” as a prime example starting off the album brilliantly produced by Teaboy Palmer, only to be followed by one pleasant surprise after the other.

Emergency Third Rail Power Trip is simply one of the essential texts of American psychedelic rock.

Los Angeles-based shoegaze / psychedelic rock collective Tombstones In Their Eyes presents their much-anticipated Asylum Harbour album, released via Kitten Robot Records. Produced and engineered by Paul Roessler (45 Grave, Twisted Roots, The Screamers, Nina Hagen), known for his work with Josie Cotton, Hayley and the Crushers and Gitane Demone, this record was co-produced by the band’s frontmain John Treanor and recorded at Kitten Robot Studios.

Oh, the delights that await!

Imagine this: it’s 1969, the air is thick with incense, the acid is just starting to kick in, and somewhere in the smog-choked hills of Laurel Canyon, the last great rock ‘n’ roll sound is being born. Fast forward to now. John Beckmann, the madman behind The Mortal Prophets, has cracked open a time capsule no one knew existed and unleashed _Laurel Canyon: The Lost Sessions_—10 tracks of mind-bending, instrumental psychedelia that’ll melt your brain faster than a handful of tabs at a Grateful Dead show.

Rising singer-songwriter Logan Taylor is back with her latest single, ‘Anna,’ an evocative soft rock ballad filled with haunting emotion and lyrical depth. Known for her powerful fusion of rock, pop, folk, and blues, Logan’s music resonates with raw honesty and vulnerability. ‘Anna’ continues this tradition, inviting listeners into a cinematic, melancholic soundscape where her sultry vocals and storytelling shine.

Brooklyn-born artist Tyrin invites listeners on an intimate journey of self-reflection with his new 6-track EP, Blue Hour, a poignant exploration of heartbreak, healing, and moving forward. Known for his genreless approach to music, Tyrin combines his pop-punk and hip-hop roots with the rawness of personal introspection, crafting a hybrid of indie-pop, rock and hip-hop soundscapes that is uniquely his own.

Liverpool-based duo The Wood present their debut Days album, released via Riverdream Records. The Wood is made up of Alex Evans (vocals, backing vocals, percussion) and producer and co-writer Steve Powell (guitars, bass, backing vocals, keys, percussion), who met when Powell was recording Evans at his Ark Recording Studios in Liverpool. Creating music that is difficult to categorise yet somehow sounds familiar, The Wood cleverly mesh blue-eyed soul, southern and indie rock.

It’s tempting to say the Sextet simply picks up where it left off on the self-titled album, but that’s selling short what this group does.

Post-punk outfit Vision Video presents has unveiled their new video for ‘Let Go of Time’, their fourth single from their Modern Horror album. Diving headlong into the viscera of atrocity that we see in our modern world, this 11-track offering was preceded by the singles ‘Stay’, ‘In My Side (Modern Horror Version)’ and ‘Dead Gods’, a scathing critique of those who use dogma and ideology to justify violence and authoritarianism.

The new single “Burn The Tyrants” from Orange County group Fake Figures was produced by Kris Comeaux (A Static Lullaby) and mastered by Rogue Planet (Periphery etc). Fake Figures features members of Atreyu, Adamantium, Scars of Tomorrow etc and this single is currently at rock radio.

North Carolina’s Stray Owls have a sort of broken sound but, wait… I mean that as a compliment. There is a certain reticence in their rock, a raw imperfect perfection, street smarts and a tendency to like things that feel a bit off. Just listen to Words that have a kind of crashing sound of Pixies and Miracle Legion blended together. A heavy but sort of tender 90’s College rock tone.

“Disengaged” b/w “Slipping” is the first recorded material from the reformed Delta of Venus. Plying their own vision of shoegaze and indie pop, the songs also benefit from the unique song writing process Ellery has refined during the solo work. They have eschewed the traditional format of verse / chorus / verse with something more in tune with their sonic palette. There are no verses, there are no “choruses” there are no “solos”. Instead, musical movements revolve around each other, creating an architecture that adds definition to the indeterminate description of shoegaze.

Portland psychedelic gaze-wave outfit Sun Atoms present their sophomore album Everything Forever, set for release on November 8 via Little Cloud Records. Meticulously crafted with cosmic energy, their magnum opus features notable guest appearances by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, Jasno Swarez of The Vandelles, and Lauren Andino of Tremours, amongst others.

Judas Goat and the Bellwether is the love child of Pete Vincent, a multi-instrumentalist from Yeovil and Sara Vian, a singer/songwriter from Frome; described as indie-rock alchemy, transforming leaden woes into sonic gold with sweet, melancholic riffs, moody basslines & powerful, nuanced vocal performances with luscious harmonies.

Nick Gusman and the Coyotes’ new album Lifting Heavy Things was released on December 6. The band recorded it completely live at Native Sound Recordings in St. Louis*—no click tracks, no overdubs, just six people playing together above a whiskey bar on *Cherokee Street.

Iconic post-punk band Pink Turns Blue has announced that their new Black Swan album will be released in February on limited edition vinyl, CD and digitally via Orden Records. Ahead of that, they present ‘Black Swan (But I Know There Is More to Life)’, the only ballad on the album, this song offers ample fruit for thought. Delving into profound questions about existence, it reflects on life’s purpose and the beauty of the world.

Based in Myrtle Beach, The Yets features the creative synergy of guitarist-producer Craig Anderson Snook and vocalist Robin Wilson, both natives of the state. Their collaboration fuses Craig’s dynamic guitar work and production expertise with Robin’s rich, emotive vocals, resulting in a sound that is both powerful and distinctive. Further highlighted by their multi-instrumental performance abilities, The Yets have developed a sound which is truly their own. From composing to performing to production, Craig and Robin are a “duo” in the most genuine sense of the word.

Using the bridges in Monk tunes as a starting point, the trio leaps off into a set of original songs.

This Albany, NY alt-rock foursome’s follow-up EP to 2023’s impassioned second LP Suburban Mayhem is the first of a planned music industry-themed trilogy; all four songs are vigorous and exhilarating.

Formed by singer/guitarist Neil Sabatino as a solo project in 2001, northern NJ’s ever-changing Fairmont now boasts six members; the seven-song I Wish I Was Stupid is their 13th album.

Kramies (pronounced Kraim-iss) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with producers Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Jerry Becker of Train, and Todd Tobias of Guided by Voices.

Raised On Candy has arrived, their music echoing with the promise of something truly extraordinary—a testament to the alchemy that occurs when three souls unite to craft something greater than themselves. The dynamic rock trio, with roots in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York Tri-State, features Joe Penna (vocals/guitar), Scotty Imp (drums/percussion), and Kevin Harris (bass/vocals), blending indie rock, post-punk, and shoegaze into a unique sound.

Crash Harmony is made up of Dave Derby (vocals, guitars), Mike Potenza (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Jon Nighswander (bass, vocals), and Nils Nadeau (drums, percussion, vocals). Formed in 1986 at Yale University in New Haven, CT, the band played its last gig in May 1988 and hadn’t played together again until beginning to record this album in 2022.

Now a name mostly floated in guitar nerd circles, Emily Remler was on her way to becoming a major star of jazz guitar before her untimely death in 1990 at age 32.

UK-based duo Straylings returns after six years with their epic third LP, “Call Back Your Name” (Deadpan). Utterly satisfying across every track, the 11-track odyssey fuses indie, California canyon pop, folk, and psyche with Middle Eastern flourishes. Hands down, this is their best record to date.

colby! grew up in Fort Worth, TX, surrounded by live music and spent her time exploring creative passions like singing, writing, baking, painting, and performing. Diagnosed with severe dyslexia at age 8, she spent three years in intensive therapy to learn how to slow her brain down enough to try to read. Creative arts helped her cope, and she started singing and writing at a young age. At 14, she began co-writing with her producer and brother, RJ Johnson, a Berklee College of Music grad. When not writing, she loves driving while singing (screaming) at the top of her lungs. Her most immediate goal is to continue to create songs with her brother that people will want to scream in their car to, thereby possibly escaping from situations they do not find encouraging.

Any Minute Now is the debut album from These Dead Machines (a human also known as Dan). There’s a lot of deeply personal and yet universal themes of loss, love, anxiety and resilience. While the alt-core from the days in the previous band, there’s elements of a slightly electronic touch

The Harbours, formed in 2024, are an indie band from Leicestershire, UK. An exciting upcoming talent their debut single ‘Out of Sight’, featured on BBC Introducing in the East Midlands. The Harbours went viral on social platforms when promoting ‘Out of Sight’, with Manchester City FC commenting “what a banger!” Their catchy follow-up single ‘So Sweet’ launched in time for 2024 summer vibes, increasing their fan base and cementing The Harbours energetic sound.

Cigarette is a hypnotic hard-edged psychedelic rock score for our current age of decay and disappointment, fear and fury, idiocy and hope. Previewed by the singles ‘Pipes’ and ‘The Shot’, this long-awaited and loaded 7-track offering is full of surprises, taking new risks with subject matter and composition while maintaining the intensity and dexterity fans know and love.

The latest in the Zev Feldman*-produced line of *Bill Evans’ European concert recordings, In Norway: The Kongsberg Concert exhibits a show from the 1970 Kongsberg Jazz Festival in the eponymous Norwegian town.

On the follow-up to their 2021 debut LP Undressing Minds for Show, this Philadelphia alt-rock quartet sheds some of the U2 and R.E.M. comparisons of past reviews.

With its breadth, depth, and enthusiastic performances, it’s like a crash course in Arkestral history.

An album with 12 original songs dealing in a theme of remembrance, change and loss. Some are celebrated, some are sombre. This is TMPP’s third album Some of the songs have already been released leading up the release of this album. TMPP’s third album called It Was Here He Received His Only Formal Education is spinning on a speaker near you right now. Also on limited edition blue vinyl!

Led by Alex Calabrese, Boston-based indie-folk band Old Tom & The Lookouts blend the introspective grit of Americana with the emotional rawness of indie rock. Known for their brooding lyrics and powerful storytelling, the band explores themes of mental health, love, and resilience. Drawing influences from artists like Tom Waits, Frightened Rabbit, and Phoebe Bridgers, Calabrese’s evocative vocals and poignant songwriting strike a chord with listeners searching for authenticity and emotional depth.

British alternative artist SICKY presents his new single ‘I’m Happy If You’re Happy’, an upbeat affair exploring temptation and the art of winning over another…. of all the possibilities if the bait is pitched right. Featuring Jen Bone (Project Blues Band) on double bass, this is the first taste of his new album Troubled Delight, to be released in early 2025.