little chief

Becky Raisman is not trying to be anyone other than herself on this EP, and honestly, that is the best thing about it. The Mount Pleasant artist has put together four tracks built around confidence, joy, and the kind of self-assurance that does not need to shout to get its point across. And my favorite …

Derby Hill’s self-titled EP is the kind of record that makes you want to hear again and again, it gets better after each listen. He recorded this thing in Chicago basements and hall closets, and you can hear the honesty in every track. He just released songs about real people dealing with real problems. The …

Shaky’s new single “In a Heartbeat” is a solid track about looking back at your twenties and realizing how much simpler things used to be. He’s not trying to make it some grand statement, it’s just an honest reflection on those years when you were running around Philadelphia, playing shows, and figuring life out as …

Mohawk Castle recorded this entire single in his living room, handling everything from writing to mastering, and you can tell he put serious thought into every detail. The blend of art-rock and electronica here works better than it probably should. He takes cues from Thom Yorke’s solo stuff but pushes it toward a brighter, more …

Lana Crow’s new single catches you off guard with how personal it gets. She wrote this one imagining how God might actually talk to us, not in some grand, distant way, but as someone who genuinely cares. The 78 BPM tempo gives everything space to land properly, and her voice floats over lines like “The …

DrewJam takes his time with “Ultraviolet”, and honestly, that’s the best part. The song starts quiet, just acoustic guitar and his voice keeping things close, then gradually opens up with piano, drums, and eventually these huge electric guitars that make the whole buildup worth it. He recorded most of the parts himself between home and …

This Basel duo’s debut single caught me off guard in the best way. Daniel Messina and Daniel Somaroo switch between Portuguese and Spanish seamlessly, Messina takes the verses and chorus in Portuguese, then Somaroo comes in with Spanish sections that tie everything together. The hook has been stuck in my head since first listen. The …

Today, we bring together 10 standout releases from artists shaping the sound of right now. Press play, sit with each release, and if something clicks, add it to your playlist and follow the artist. Embeds Thank you!

Today, we bring together 10 standout releases from artists shaping the sound of right now. Press play, sit with each release, and if something clicks, add it to your playlist and follow the artist. Thank you!

Today, we bring together 10 standout releases from artists shaping the sound of right now. Press play, sit with each release, and if something clicks, add it to your playlist and follow the artist. Embeds Thank you!

Today, we bring together 10 standout releases from artists shaping the sound of right now. Press play, sit with each release, and if something clicks, add it to your playlist and follow the artist. Thank you!

Today, we bring together 10 standout releases from artists shaping the sound of right now. Press play, sit with each release, and if something clicks, add it to your playlist and follow the artist. Embeds Thank you!

Today, we bring together 10 standout releases from artists shaping the sound of right now. Press play, sit with each release, and if something clicks, add it to your playlist and follow the artist. Embeds Thank you!

Carley Varley’s “Butterflies” pulls no punches when it comes to heartbreak. This is the second single from their ‘Anatomy of Loss’ EP, and it tackles that awful realization when you figure out your entire relationship was built on lies, and the lead guitar work does most of the heavy lifting here. It’s sharp and purposeful, …

Ivelisse Del Carmen released a track that pulls you from the first second. The way she moves between Spanish and English feels natural, like she’s talking to family one minute and explaining herself to strangers the next. She is a talented artist, and her music is very unique. The sugarcane verse stands out, sweet and …

Levi’s 15-track country album is a tribute to her parents, this collection balances joy with the kind of bittersweet reflection that comes from looking back at where you started. “Fishing Trip” captures those carefree outdoor adventures we all remember, while “Sunday” beautifully connects spiritual lessons with simple pleasures like berry-picking in the woods. Even “I …

Micah Lopez scrapped his old project after it disappeared into the streaming void and came back as Hollow Star with a clearer vision. “Listen” is five tracks of post-punk that borrows from the Cure and the Smiths but doesn’t copy them wholesale. “Seconds” opens with guitar lines that recall Andy Summers and lyrics about contradictory …

LESS has made a track that grabs you from the first second. “Hellya” is loud, angry, and completely unapologetic about it. The song came from a dark place, being stuck, suffocated, and ready to scream at the world, and you can tell this isn’t manufactured emotion, every note sounds like it needed to come out. …