Back in 2019, the twangy punk band Rodeo Boys released their debut album, Cherry, and they followed it up a year later with the stray single ‘Dog Leg.’ Now, the Lansing, Michigan group have announced a new album, Home Movies, their first for Don Giovanni Records. They’re sharing the gnarled, catchy lead single ‘Sugar,’ a chugging showcase for vocalist Tiff Hannay’s melodious growl. “How can I make it up to you?/ Could have been anyone else/ Well, it’s the least that I could do/ But I just can’t get through to myself,” Hannay sings. Watch a video below. [via Stereogum]

LA mystic-rock mainstay Death Valley Girls share their final empowering title-track ‘Islands in the Sky’ accompanied by a haunting visual directed by Dylan Greenberg. The band’s new LP Islands in the Sky is out now via Suicide Squeeze Records and the band are set to tour across the UK this February and March. About the track, lead-member Bonnie Bloomgarden offers: “We wrote ‘Islands in the Sky ‘for our future selves, hoping that if we can share the secrets we have learned from this life, and all our past lives, we wouldn’t have to suffer or feel alone again in our next carnations! You are not becoming the best version of yourself, you are and always have been, the highest and best you, eternally! You may have forgotten from societal programming, how you were raised, trauma, or ancestral circumstances, but as you grow, try to remember that the highest version of you, is cheering you on! Sending you messages to pay attention to your intuition and trust yourself. To love yourself. And to never forget… From director, Dylan Greenberg on the video: “When Bonnie approached me about making a video for this song, I was excited because the song connected with me immediately. The music and lyrics have a beautiful, melancholy optimism that called to mind a certain timelessness found in work by the Sherman Brothers and the late Burt Bacharach, with a rock/punk edge. The video was made remotely, so I wanted to put together an immersive digital environment for the band and the ghosts to be able to move in. My partner and I dressed in all black and wore ghost costumes they made and double exposed them into the video. It’s an effect that’s been done since the dawn of special effects by pioneers like George Melies, but with the benefit of digital effects allowing me to control them with a virtual camera. I wanted to make sure the movement, tone and visuals all matched the “spirit” (no pun intended) of the song and had a flowing, optimistic energy that I felt emanated from the music.”

Musician and singer-songwriter Lina Maxine releases her latest track ‘LET ME’, launching the next exciting phase of her career with an anthemic pop-rock song guaranteed to captivate listeners with its universal message and up-tempo, power punk musical heart. Lina explains, “Inspired by the great 007 anthems, ‘LET ME’ is about the power of human embrace in the face of adversity, with commanding lyrics conveying strength and drawing people closer together. I wanted to kick off 2023 with a passionate song that offers emotional support to listeners, eliciting hope and a real sense of connection to music, and to each other.” The track opens with a stripped-back, subdued intro, with warm piano chords supporting Lina’s husky, power ballad vocal. ‘LET ME’ then picks up the pace with steel-stringed guitar riffs, energetic bass, hi-octane drums and raw electric strums allowing Lina’s effortless, rockstar vocals to shine. The track intersects genres, gliding through nostalgia-tinged pop with elements of acoustic prog rock and punk expertly thrown into the mix. Written, produced, recorded and mixed in-house by Lina Maxine and Dean Aladay, ‘LET ME’ showcases Lina’s modern rockstar energy alongside an intelligence and musicality that transcends the stage. Mastering the spotlight in both live and recording studio environments, Lina continues to grow her international fanbase, building her close community of ‘Nerd-n-Roll’ addicts.

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Madison McFerrin announced her debut album, I Hope You Can Forgive Me, due out on May 12. Madison produced most of the album herself, and it includes a feature from her father, Bobby McFerrin. The first taste of the album comes from new single ‘(Please Don’t) Leave Me Now,’ an alluring R&B/pop track Madison wrote following a severe car accident. It was produced by Andrew Lappin and is accompanied by a music video directed by Kemp Baldwin. Madison explains: “Being able to walk away from a near-death experience without physical harm is one of the greatest blessings I’ve received in this life. It reaffirmed my purpose as an artist. Writing ‘(Please Don’t) Leave Me Now’ became an incredibly therapeutic and cathartic experience. Being able to express that kind of fear while still creating a fun environment was key to making this song. Death showed up in more ways than one in the process of making this video. In the weeks leading up to the shoot, multiple family members on the production side passed unexpectedly, bringing our plans to a halt. The fate of the video was in flux. Thanks to the tenacity of my team, we were able to regroup and move forward, albeit with a delay. For the video, we wanted to capture the feeling of not being prepared to die. I’m talking to myself both above and within the grave, grieving both who I was and who I could be. I didn’t expect being in a grave for multiple hours in a day would affect me, but it definitely contributed to my journey in processing a near-death experience. This song and video are a manifestation of my own personal growth as not only a musician, but as a human.” [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Prima Queen have announced their debut EP Not The Baby. Set for release on May 3 via Big Indie Records, the duo have described the EP as a reflection on their own feelings and the feelings of those closest to them. “We’ve both experienced a lot of change in the past few years and since we write all our songs together we’re usually drawn to write about our parallel experiences,” Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden explain. “In this EP we explore different types of change – birth & death, leaving & returning – and how it can affect our relationships. It’s a reflection not only on our own feelings but also the feelings of our family, friends and lovers. We’re really excited to finally release a complete body of work, rather than stand alone singles. These songs are meant to be listened to together and we want people to experience the emotional journey that they create.” News of the EP is accompanied by the new single ‘Back Row’, with the duo revealing, “’Back Row’ is about the pain of hurting someone that was really important to you. The EP talks a lot about changes in relationships and this song brings to light how failed relationships can be beautiful in their own way and ultimately make you who you are.” [via Dork]

Creams has shared new single ‘Need To Talk’. The track is fuelled by an urgent sense of energy, yet its intensity is rendered in a hugely positive fashion. Confrontational in the best possible sense, it’s a hyper-stylised piece of left-field pop, experimental while daring to be open. The Tbilisi, Georgia creator leads from the front, cutting through the challenges in her way. The vocal is on-point, the driving passion of her delivery set against emphatic electronics. Creams comments… “Confronting challenges in life, whether it be in relationships or careers, can be interpreted in different ways. However, facing these challenges helps to build strength and resilience. Eyes that consume, a struggle that’s real, and a mind that won’t stop spinning.,This song is like a journey through my feelings and the chaos in my head. This is a raw and honest look at the fight against my inner demons. Are you here alone or with your support system?” Avi Musaifi directs the video, a hypnotic short film shot at Tskaltubo Sanatorium, an abandoned resort in Tskaltubo. [via Clash]

Glasgow dark-pop mistress Lucia & The Best Boys returns with new song ‘When You Dress Up’. The new single is her first piece of music since 2021’s The State Of Things EP, and finds the songwriter doubling down on her evil, twinkling charm. Mid-way between Lana del Rey and Jenny Hval, Lucia & The Best Boys seems to make pop songs for people who think Wednesday Addams is a little on the optimistic side. New single ‘When You Dress Up’ is shrouded in post-midnight glamour, and it represents something of a turning point for the Glasgow artist. She comments… “I’ve known since the first time we played ‘When You Dress Up’ in the studio that it was the first song I wanted people to hear for this turning point in my music. This song resonates deeply with my values as a woman with its unapologetic, empowering energy. For me, this is an evolution from themes I have sung about in the past which underline the weight of the male gaze, and learning not to suppress our own identity for the sake of another person’s version of who we should be.” [via Clash]

For the past few years, the Chicago poet and musician Kara Jackson has popped up as a collaborator on albums from the likes of Sen Morimoto and Lala Lala. After being named the National Youth Poet Laureate in 2019, she released her first collection of original music, the A Song For Every Chamber Of The Heart EP. In the last couple months, Jackson has shared some singles — ‘No Fun/Party,’ ‘Dickhead Blues,’ and ‘Brain’ — from her debut album, which is being officially announced alongside another new song, ‘Pawnshop.’ Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? is out in April, and it features production contributions from Nnamdi, Kaina, and Sen Morimoto, who are all part of the same Chicago scene. Jackson cites Nina Simone, Fiona Apple, and Joanna Newsom as influences, and you can hear all of them to varying degrees on ‘Pawnshop’. [via Stereogum]

While ideas of catharsis are explored on the latest single from Dama Scout’s Eva Liu under her moniker mui zyu, ‘Talk to Death’ is far from heavy, upbeat, or otherwise blood-pumping. Instead, she expresses release through a collected and calculated evaluation of a past “putrid” relationship, as she puts it, with the near-ambient and often-surreal instrumentation still recovering from the decayed romance before beginning the next chapter. “It’s about pawning moldy gifts for new beginnings and playing with ideas of the mundane vs. the extraordinary,” she explains. For a more literal reading of the track title, the video’s directors CLUMP Collective show Liu in an administrative setting literally becoming bored to death as a co-worker talks at her about office matters, landing her in hell where she receives a mani from Death himself. “We had loads of fun killing Eva off in mui zyu’s video!” the collective shares. “We sent her to have a chat with the least threatening Death imaginable; expect fabulous nails, chattering teeth, and the return of her beloved peachy pet.” [via Flood]

Lido Pimienta has shared the music video for ‘Te Quería,’ a track from her 2020 LP, Miss Colombia. The video—directed and edited by J. Gallardo Kattah—depicts Pimienta in a fantasy world as “Queen of the Clowns,” dancing with her clown court before being interrupted a sad clown who turns his gun on them. Of the new clip, Pimienta said in a statement: “The visual for ‘Te Quería’ has always been conceived as a story about transformation—about getting right back up, despite having our spirit shut down. ‘Te Quería’ is a song that exposes toxic relationships, power imbalances and the need for some people, particularly those who we love the most, to confuse our generosity for stupidity.” [via Pitchfork]

International pop sensation and Grammy nominee JAIN is unveiling her new single ‘The Fool’ alongside a music video. This marks the first taste of new music following her sophomore album Souldier and her debut album Zanaka. The song is the first off her much-anticipated new album coming this spring on Columbia/Sony Music France. A new chapter for the multi-cultural popstar both personally and artistically, this poetic body of work is inspired by self-empowerment, new chances and beginnings, and the need to overcome one’s fears. Although entirely composed by JAIN and produced by her long-time collaborator Maxim Nucci/Yodelice, she teamed up with some new creatives to elevate her work to a new era. This international pop and folk album chronicles all the stages one goes through when making a fresh start: fear, excitement, innocence, doubts, letting go and epiphany. While the new album draws on artistic influences such as Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks, much of JAIN’s music originally blended a myriad of genres such as Arabic percussion, African rhythms, electro, reggae, soul and hip hop. She relies heavily on Tarot de Marseilles, an art her mother passed on to her which gives her the strength to jump into the unknown through an instinctive perception of the world’s dangers and possibilities. The Fool is the holiest card in the deck. You can’t go on any kind of journey unless you’re willing to be foolish. Taking your first step, driving a car, falling in love. There’s always a risk you’ll lose your balance. At any moment. But in the end, the fool’s journey is the only journey. [via Broadway World]

Less than a year after the release of her debut album, The Paradise Club, Claudia Bouvette is back with ‘Highly Unrecommended,’ a brand new single that tackles the difficult subject of forbidden love. This bittersweet pop song, which could have been featured on the soundtrack of an early 2000’s rom-com, is an anthem for the hopeless romantics of this world. The inspiration for ‘Highly Unrecommended’ came from a time when Claudia fell in love with someone she shouldn’t have, in a context where it was unthinkable and unacceptable to feel that way. “He came into my life as fast as he left and that feeling stuck with me for a long time,” explains the singer. Originally written on the guitar, bold snares and vocal melodies were later added to give the track a nostalgic y2k feel. ‘Highly Unrecommended’ is accompanied by a music video directed by Vincent Gravel. With an intimate lighting and a distinctive visual identity, the artist captivates the viewer’s attention as she delivers her lyrics with tenderness in a way that evokes the sentimental nature of the song. [via Bonsound]

Powder Blue, the highly anticipated new album from Begonia—the solo project of alt-pop Canadian artist Alexa Dirks—is out now on Birthday Cake Records. In addition, Begonia unveils the music video for feature track ‘The Only One’, directed by Gwen Trutnau. Of ‘The Only One,’ Begonia recalls, “you know that feeling when you think everyone around you is having more fun in their lives than you, so you force yourself out of bed and into the world only to realize you just want to be at home back under the covers? That feeling of running up to the club doors like you are about to enter the best night of your life, but then you end up waiting at the back of the line freezing cold wishing you’d never gone out. I wrote this being like…‘I can’t be the only one, right?’” [via Total Entertainment]

Allison Ponthier returns with ‘Character Development,’ her first new music since her acclaimed 2022 EP Shaking Hands with Elvis. The track calls out an emotional villain who tries to spin past bad behavior as a “growth experience.” Ponthier penned the song with Grammy Award nominees K.Flay and Tommy English. English also produced and played on the track. “‘Character Development’ is about the people I’ve encountered who have treated me poorly, to then turn around and say that learning from that experience has made them a better person,” says Allison Ponthier. “No one should be made to feel like they have to be a casualty or compromise themselves for someone else’s growth. I wrote the track with K.Flay and Tommy English, and it’s been the most cathartic song to sing on tour.” Ponthier teamed up with Brooklyn-based visual artist and content creator Maris Jones–who, like her, is enamored with pop culture and retro style–to co-direct the official video for ‘Character Development.’ Playing into the title’s literary reference, Ponthier plays a best-selling romance novelist with writer’s block. After exploring a series of plotlines that just don’t click, she reimagines the dashing young protagonist and chances for a happily-ever-after ending soar. Maris Jones said, “I was so privileged to work with Allison whose creative vision aligned serendipitously with mine. Working with her was effortless, and the result reflects our shared passion for creating a vibrant visual journey to take viewers on a unique ride parallel to the music. I hope the video will capture the song’s essence but also connect with viewers, leaving a lasting impression that resonates with them long after the video has ended.” [via UDiscoverMusic]

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bella White has announced her new album Among Other Things, out on April 21 via Rounder Records. To mark the occasion White has released a new single, ‘Break My Heart’ and its companion music video. “Out of all of the songs I’ve written, ‘Break My Heart’ is probably the most explicitly about getting dumped. I wrote it with no intention of ever sharing it. I didn’t even feel any particular emotional attachment to it like I do with my other songs, because it was such an isolated experience, zooming in on one specific moment in time. That said, bringing it to life by turning a valley into a peak felt deeply cathartic. It’s a heartbreaker that I hope will at least get you moving.” [via UDiscoverMusic]

The Reneé Rapp hype train barrels forward and is picking up right where she left off a breakout 2022. The deluxe version of Everything to Everyone has arrived with an extended edition of the title track and a new single, ‘Bruises.’ “All my friends make sweet fun of me, I guess it’s funny but the truth’s I bruise easily,” Rapp croons on the ballad. “I’m down to be the joke, metaphorically though, you could flip me inside out and they would show black, purple and green.” The accompanying visuals show Rapp being attacked with knives by strangers and, perhaps cutting deeper, by friends on an ordinary day out. The music video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis, who’s best known for her work in pop with stars like Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, and more.“On the day [of the video shoot], I was incredibly annoyed. Not by anyone or thing, just, anxiety for me manifests in a lot of different ways,” Rapp tells Rolling Stone. “I don’t remember even acting throughout most of the video. It was just naturally there through the edginess of the day. Hannah created this entire world that cradled the song like a baby.” [via Rolling Stone]

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Gemma Rogers has shared her brand new single ‘My Idea of Fun’ set to be released alongside her new album at the end of July. Written to accompany a David Shillinglaw exhibition in Hoxton, Gemma penned the lyrics whilst nursing a broken heart and staying at a friend’s in Brighton. Her brother, Nick, came up with the guitar riff and Arlen Figgis remixed it, bringing in DJ Fast from the Fun Lovin’ Criminals to play melodica and additional keys. Brimming with raw humour ‘My Idea of Fun’ is a colloquial commentary on the trials of drinking in the afternoon. Gemma’s effortless vocal delivery is matched by her lyrical prowess resulting in a masterful piece of musical comedy. “How do I hope this song will resonate with my listeners? To have a little dance and a lot of laughs. Life can be very serious. I also think it’s wise to go out with a wingwoman so she can keep an eye on you when you’re getting loose. I reckon I’d have avoided lots of madness had I taken my own advice.” Producer Figgis also directed the music video, which features David Shillinglaw painting live throughout the shoot, and additional animation by Alex Burt. “David has also gone on to do the art for the album. He’s been one of my main inspirations. I’ve always thought of his art as the accompanying visual to my music (or vice versa) to be honest. It’s so kaleidoscopically communicative. He’s an artist through and through and is as pure as they come in his drive to explore the honest messy human condition.”

Experimental pop artist ko aka koala – the moniker of multidisciplinary creative KO Lee – has shared the official music video for her single ‘why is everyone so scared of me.’ The song was written from the perspective of a zombie – someone who is doomed to be alone, who can’t help but hurt people around them. The video depicts a classic horror movie aesthetic, and was directed, styled, and edited by ko herself. “It is symbolic of being not seen or understood, and judged by a superficial first impression that you can’t shake off,” says KO. “The video shows the duality between good and bad – as the lyrics state ‘looks can be deceiving,’ so we understand that the two are actually intertwined.”

Kennedy Ashlyn aka SRSQ [pronounced ‘seer-skew’], has shared a captivating new single from her forthcoming album Ever Crashing, which is set for release on August 19 through Dais. The delicate yet crushing ballad ‘Abyss’ sees Ashlyn sing of her bipolar disorder with shattering clarity. Raw and vulnerable, the track embodies her unique ability to masterfully synthesizes her private struggles and sorrows into stirring, redemptive anthems. Her multi-octave range and moodswing songcraft consists of tumult and triumph, darkest night breaking into brightest dawn, proving her a musician of elemental force. The accompanying self-directed video pictures Kennedy submerged in water. She comments: “‘Abyss’ describes my darkest days with the imagery of my skinless body trapped in a riptide, its rawness exacerbated by the rushing saltwater. Suspended above is a glowing orb, the promise of peace, growing fainter and fainter as the tide pulls me down. I watch it disappear in yearning surrender, only to be resurrected by the powerful shine of the sun, which cuts through the water at random, allowing me to ascend if only for a short time. The video was shot almost entirely underwater using a home made periscope.”

Florida-born, LA-based indie-folk performer Johanna Warren has announced the follow-up to her 2020 album, Chaotic Good. Her forthcoming sixth studio album, Lessons For Mutants, will be out October 7 via Wax Nine / Carpark Records. Warren has also shared an uptempo lead single, ‘I’d Be Orange,’ which has a music video co-directed by Warren and Richey Beckett. Warren began working on Lessons For Mutants all the way back in 2018, where she tracked songs in tandem with the material from Chaotic Good. She eventually finished recording her latest in the pastoral UK “surrounded by sheep, cows and a foragerʼs paradise of wild edible plants,” as a press release puts it. Warren describes ‘I’d Be Orange’ as being “about martyrdom and masochism in pop culture and the quest for stardom.” She continues: “The only thing we love more than building up an icon is watching them fall — and yet, as an aspiring icon, even when you know that, thereʼs still this perverse desire to be one of the chosen ones who gets pinned to the cross and set ablaze.” Elaborating on Lessons For Mutants, Warren says: “Thereʼs this unspoken rule in modern music—modern life, really — that everything needs to be Auto-Tuned and ʻon the grid.’ This record is an act of resistance against that. Thereʼs beauty and power in our aberrations, if we can embrace them.” [via Stereogum]

Los Angeles-based Zella Day has released a brilliant new video, directed by Alex Casnoff, for her song ‘Radio Silence,’ which she released three weeks ago to rapturous response. ‘Radio Silence’ – written in the Autumn of 2021 – details the experience of a young woman forced to reckon with the choices surrounding an unintended pregnancy. Combining sonic elements of college radio-era R.E.M. with haunting synths and drums, as well as some of the most pointed, evocative lyrics Day has ever written, ‘Radio Silence’ is raw, candid, and universally resonant. Says Day about the video, “It was on a Monday that we decided we were going to shoot a music video that was coming Friday before I left for Texas. We ended up shooting until 4AM, I was on a plane two hours later with beach sand in my shoes leftover from the Santa Monica Pier. There was a frantic energy in the air that night as we moved through the city with our shot list, we found some of our best scenes in an In-And-Out bathroom and while running down side streets in Simi Valley. I’ll be keeping the Bunny head as a memento from our iPhone thriller. We really want the viewer to feel the energy that we felt creating this psychological chase through Los Angeles.“

This week, Beach Bunny released their sophomore album, Emotional Creature. And the Chicago band is back with one more single and video. ‘Weeds’ is a likable and hooky one that Lili Trifilio said “felt like I was taking ownership of my emotions instead of letting my emotions drive me into despair.” [via Stereogum]

On her new single, girlpuppy (Becca Harvey) addresses the most excruciating breakups out there: those that occur between friends. The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter channels the pain of going from inseparable best friends to total strangers on ‘Wish.’ The song is the first release from her forthcoming debut album, When I’m Alone, out via Royal Mountain on Oct. 28. Her first venture into shoegaze, girlpuppy swaths her floaty vocals in gauze-like layers of fuzzy guitars and tinkering bells. ‘Wish’ embodies the blur of love, anger, hurt and confusion that comes with someone leaving your life and never giving you a reason why. Still holding out hope for reconciliation, she promises, “I don’t even need an apology,” and confesses, “If you’d call me back / I’d tell you that I love you / and I’ve missed you all this time.” An emotionally raw introduction to her new era, ‘Wish’ sees Harvey shines in her most vulnerable state. “On ‘Wish’ I was thinking about when friends leave your life and you’re not entirely sure why,” Harvey explains. “It’s a pretty universal feeling, I think. And, the thing is—even if you managed to live in the walls of that person’s apartment and were able to figure it out, their reasons might not make total sense. This song is me living with that feeling, when loss just doesn’t quite add up. This is the first shoegaze rock song I’ve made and I did that intentionally—the emotions in the song go from anger to sadness to nostalgia and all the other emotions that you feel when you go through a ‘friend breakup.’ I imagined it being really cathartic to play it live.” Check out the video for ‘Wish’ (dir. Matt Swinsky and Eat Humans) above. [via Paste Magazine]

Phoebe Green has released ‘Just A Game’, the fourth single to be lifted from her upcoming debut album Lucky Me. Following the release of ‘Sweat’, ‘Lucky Me’ and ‘Make It Easy’, Green has unveiled new cut “Just A Game”, which is teamed with a Niall Trask-directed video. “‘Just A Game’ is probably the most obvious pop song on the album, which makes me feel kind of uneasy but excited,” Green says. “I’m still coming to terms with making songs that aren’t entirely alternative because I’m so cautious of my songs making me cringe if they sound too polished, but this one is just a pop bop and I’m here for it.” Green adds, “I wrote it with my friend Jessica Winter who really encouraged me to venture outside of my comfort zone and embrace my newfound willingness to write in a more structured, concise way. It was actually so freeing and I feel like I had opposite inhibitions to what is expected! I love that despite the danceability it’s still a good old heartbreaker, that is one consistent factor that I doubt will ever change.” [via Line Of Best Fit]

Kenzie TTH is serene and silky on ‘Driveway (Credits)’, the ‘glue’ of her upcoming EP, which will arrive in August. The movie-soundtrack magic of ‘Driveway (Credits)’ draws on Kenzie TTH’s (pronounced Kenzie Teeth) myriad talents. Across design, editorial, fashion, music, running a label, and working with numerous other creatives, it’s no surprise that ‘Driveway’ is a fully-fleshed musical tale with artistry on every level, and arriving alongside a stunning coming-of-age-film toned music video, Kenzie creates a whole world for this story. Packed with swirling synth textures and understated vocal dexterity, Kenzie TTH pulls together all her influences and emotions on the latest release. Both fit for a contemplative nighttime drive under the wide-open skies and the moment when you pull into the driveway quietly and leave your thoughts in the car, Kenzie’s songwriting is airy and melancholy. Bringing all the emotional layers together to form a quiet sense of acceptance, ‘Driveway (Credits)’ is a perfect cinematic closer. “It was the first time we stood back and felt like we actually knew where we were going,” Kenzie explains of the track. “’Driveway (Credits)’ is the blueprint, the sort of glue of the record, that informed the rest of the tracks on We Stayed Too Long sonically and conceptually. It’s a song about closure, and in writing it, I started imagining the final scene of a film — how it all ends: the what-ifs and second-guessing that comes with choosing to close the door on a relationship, but ultimately being resolute in the decision for two people to part ways and accepting that there is no driving off into the sunset together.” [via Line Of Best Fit]

After a pair of EPs, Skullcrusher — the quietly appealing and not particularly skull-crushing musical project of Helen Ballentine — is finally releasing a debut album. It’s called Quiet The Room, and it’s dropping in October on Secretly Canadian. The strummy, shimmery, sighingly spectral lead single ‘Whatever Fits Together’ is out now with a video by Silken Weinberg. Here’s what Ballentine has to say about it: “I wrote ‘Whatever Fits Together’ while reflecting on my past and wondering how I might begin to explain it to someone. I viewed my younger self through a wash of emotions: anger, sadness, pity, confusion, all reaching for a kind of compassion. I tried to capture the contradictions that comprise my past and define who I am now. As I looked back, I saw my life in pieces: some moments blacked out, some extremely vivid, some leading nowhere. Through the song I attempt to piece it together in some non-linear form and accept my disparate story.” [via Stereogum]

London based project Pretty Sick will release their debut album later this year. The band is driven forwards by Sabrina Fuentes, marking out their sound with excellent EPs Come Down and Deep Divine. Debut album Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile is out on September 30, a 12 track statement that traces their tangled trans-Atlantic roots, while touching upon family, mental health, love, and more. Ahead of the release – and it’s accompanying UK tour – Pretty Sick have shared biting new single ‘Human Condition’, a punchy punk-edged statement that operates on its own terms.

Indie Brooklynite Scout Gillett has announced her debut album, no roof no floor, out October 28 via Captured Tracks. She also released lead single, ‘signal,’ a bass-heavy, lightly screamy song that comes with a tongue-in-cheek music video directed by Scout herself. Of the inspiration for the video, she says, “I chose to make the object of desire a sandwich rather than a lover…I wanted to channel the slapstick work of Charlie Chaplin. I never end up finding the sandwich, just the mime pretending to chow down. I think lightness is achieved by letting go and embracing uncertainty. As in the video, which ends in laughter and acceptance, there is joy in surrender.” no roof no floor was produced by Nick Kinsey and features contributions from Ellen Kempner of Palehound, David Lizmi of MS MR, and Kevin Copeland of The Big Net. The album was inspired in large part by the changing meaning of home for Scout, as her home state of Missouri had become a place she didn’t recognize when she returned in 2020. She recorded the album in a barn in upstate New York, blending her southern upbringing with her DIY indie sensibilities. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Powerhouse vocalist Reneé Rapp returns with her new single ‘In The Kitchen.’ The 22-year-old delivers a poignant piano ballad that highlights her knack for penning devastating lyrics and shows off her towering vocal range. Currently winning over viewers and critics alike with her starring role as ‘Leighton’ in the HBO Max/ ITV series The Sex Lives of College Girls, this track proves that Rapp has equally developed gifts as a musician. On ‘In The Kitchen,’ Rapp hones in on a simple memory from a relationship — to convey how alone she feels. “I walk in the kitchen, my heart hits the floor,” she sings sweetly over gentle chords. “It’s you that I’m missing, just had a vision of us cooking dinner, and you’re holding me from behind.” Co-written by Reneé alongside Monsters & Strangerz (Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5), Tommy Brown (Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Blackpink), and Michael Pollack (Lizzo, Becky G, Justin Bieber), the song draws on personal moments of Reneé’s, creating an emotional and raw experience for her listeners, almost enduring the pain alongside her as she sings. [via Total Entertainment]

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs are officially back. After announcing some shows and signing to Secretly Canadian, the trio has announced a brand-new album, Cool It Down, which will be out in September. It’s their first album since 2013’s Mosquito. Now, they’re sharing its lead single, ‘Spitting Off The Edge Of The World’. The track features Perfume Genius and was produced by Dave Sitek. “I see the younger generations staring down this threat, and they’re standing on the edge of a precipice, confronting what’s coming with anger and defiance,” Karen O said of the track. “It’s galvanizing, and there’s hope there.” Perfume Genius is also in the song’s music video, which was directed by Cody Critcheloe, aka Ssion, who goes way back with the YYYs — he designed the album artwork for their 2001 debut Fever To Tell. Karen O had this to say on the song and video: “This is how our new story begins, we present to you with heads bowed and fists in the air ‘Spitting Off the Edge of the World’ featuring Perfume Genius. A note on this video, it’s a dream collaboration with one of our favorite artists of the 21st century Cody Critcheloe who did the artwork for our first record back in 2003 and has been making visionary music videos for the last decade. The time to collaborate again came with ‘Spitting,’ the shoot in Kansas City was dream-like, the dreams you have after eating something really greasy right before bed; bizarre, poetic, and intense. Perfume Genius was incredibly gracious to roll in the very cold mud as my co pilot and steal scene after scene with his surreal charm. We trusted Cody implicitly, he surpassed expectations and gave us our November Rain. YYY’s spirit is alive and well through the eyes of Cody Critcheloe. Custom Yeahs limo was largely his handiwork, fueled on love.” [via Stereogum]

At the beginning of April, Florist announced their new self-titled album — their first as a full band since 2017. So far we’ve heard two singles, ‘Red Bird Pt. 2 (Morning)’ and ‘Spring In Hours.’ Now, the band is back with another one. Florist’s latest is called ‘Sci-Fi Silence.’ “‘Sci-fi Silence’ is a love song about the mystical forces that attract us to one another and the spaces in-between words that can hold profound communications,” Emily Sprague said in a statement. “It is also a reflection on our impermanence and the acceptance that it is worth it to invite love and connection into our lives even for just a moment.” [via Stereogum]

Amelia Moore released her debut EP, teaching a robot to love (Capitol Records), and shared the official video for the track ‘i feel everything.’ Directed by Sam Cannon, the phantasmagorical clip brings to life the EP’s striking cover imagery, with Moore addressing the robotic object of her affection in song.

Caylie Runciman aka Boyhood shares her literally perfect new single ‘Stroke It’, taken from the gorgeous, just announced new Boyhood album My Dread, coming this fall. Listen above via the stunning video by director Monika Kraska. [via Gorilla vs Bear]

Continuing to refuse to be pigeonholed and stick to one genre are Perth / Boorloo’s Mal De Mer, who now give us the fantastic song and video combo that is ‘Mirage’, the last taste of their forthcoming Sanguine EP, due out July 8. Sure to cause instant head nods, Mirage packs bright, shimmering guitar lines, deep horns and twinkling synths, with vocalist Saskia Fleming’s engaging vocals bringing it all together. On the creation of ‘Mirage’, drummer James Marelich explains, “It’s always a great feeling finishing music and finally releasing it, but this one feels especially surreal as we only wrote it a couple of months ago! Watching it transform from an idea into a full-fledged piece of music so quickly has been awesome”. Featuring a super fun and tongue-in-cheek video directed by long-time collaborator Sarah Gelmi, the video hilariously details an exaggerated break up, with vocalist Saskia elaborating “The video is a satirical send up of leaving a crappy relationship – it taps into the joy of moving on and looking back with relief.” [via Pilerats]

Lous and the Yakuza has released a new track ‘Monsters’ on Columbia Records. In ‘Monsters’, Lous and the Yakuza comes to peace with her past while exploring the thoughts and emotions that linger within us. Examining the wounds that forged her, she opens up to the little monsters living in her head and under her bed, which continue to follow her and with whom she now coexists in peace. “My monsters do not scare me, they are part of me” she explains. “Not all monsters are bad.” Produced by El Guincho and Mems, ‘Monsters’ is a soaring mid-tempo song with a catchy, dreamy melody. The track is enhanced with a one-shot music video which recalls the universe of Anime Master Hayao Miyazaki, known for his unique way of transforming the atrocious into wonder. [via Radio Facts]

Arriving just a few short weeks after Maggie Lindemann’s recent single ‘how could you do this to me’ (feat. Sleeping With Sirens’ Kellin Quinn), the alt/rock songstress has released her latest collaborative video/track ‘break me!’ featuring siiickbrain. ‘break me!’ is from Maggie’s forthcoming debut album SUCKERPUNCH, which is expected to drop later this year. Directed by siiickbrain, ‘break me!’ is a chaotic, industrial-tinged video that explores the feelings of “fear and adrenaline” vs. “the calmness and peace” that come with being in an altered state be it from drugs, alcohol or love, according to Maggie. “‘break me!’ featuring siiickbrain is about being intoxicated,” Maggie shares. “It’s all the feelings it gives you, that rush of fear and adrenaline, but also the calmness and peace. The video is meant to convey the juxtaposition of the two – one moment you’re euphoric and the next you feel like you’re broken, suffocating and your heart is decaying.” [via Broadway World]

Jaguar Jonze has shared a music video for ‘Swallow’ off her new album Bunny Mode, to mark the record’s arrival. The ‘Swallow’ clip is another enticing visual from Jonze, who directs most of her video content herself. The eerie affair features large, shibari (Japanese rope bondage) spiderwebs, jarring, horror movie-esque choreography, and finishes with Jonze doing the once viral ‘chubby bunny’ challenge, where participants stuff their mouths with marshmallows. [via NME]

Leah Kate is putting both middle fingers up to her ex-boyfriend in her new ’10 Things I Hate About You’ music video, which follows the TikTok pop-punk darling giving a press conference revealing all the things she despises of her former love. “Revenge isn’t always best served cold. I wanted the video to be a little more immediate, a little like a slasher movie. Or the threat of one,” Kate tells Rolling Stone. “I loved having all the other angry girls behind me like a Greek Chorus, just to show that guys who are serial heartbreakers shouldn’t think that they can get away clean.” The video laces clips of Kate singing into the camera as she’s surrounded by a gang of girls who seem ready to throw hands as she counts down all the reasons why she’s done with her former man. [via Rolling Stone]

The Sex Lives of College Girls and Broadway star Reneé Rapp is making her solo music debut with ‘Tattoos,’ a vulnerable tale about the fear that comes with growing up and falling out of love.“Fifteen and 16 I had to be strong/ 22 I’m still scared of it all,” Rapp belts in the song’s chorus over moody piano chords. “Cuz I know one day I could wake up and you’ll be gone/ And I’ll just be lonely/ Missing holding your hand when we’re half asleep.”Rapp has been teasing the single on TikTok for months now, finally revealing its release date last week. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the 22-year-old opened up about what the song means to her in the context of her career thus far. “I was literally a baby forcing my family to record my ‘concerts.’ Always knew this is what I wanted to do,” Rapp wrote. “I knew it was what I loved more than anything. I’ve dreamt of my first song coming out since I [was] little. I’ve been telling y’all I’m going to release music for six years. I’ve been hustling at this shit for five years. I’ve been embarrassed turned down by labels for four years. At one point I was even in a girl group lmfao and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. I’d get turned down and messed up all over again to be here. Y’all have stuck with me through all of that and more not even knowing it. Making music is the only time I’m smiling like hell and nothing else means a fucking thing. Thank you for sticking w me. I love you like crazy.” [via Variety]

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