little chief

Blunt Blade’s second album shows a guy who clearly doesn’t give a damn about staying in one lane. “Forgiveness” throws together electronic beats, rock riffs, and classical bits in ways that probably shouldn’t work but somehow do. The Abbey Road connection isn’t just name-dropping – Gordon Davidson’s mixing and Alex Wharton’s mastering actually matter here. …

Larry Karpenko flips the script on “Believe the Promise” by starting with the chorus instead of building up to it. It’s an unusual move that works because it gets straight to the heart of the song without any fluff. The track was written for the International Pathfinder Camporee, a massive gathering of Seventh-day Adventist youth …

Exzenya’s “Drunk Texting” starts with her son face-planting through a Miami hotel door after a wild night, and somehow becomes the most relatable song you’ll hear all year. Recording in a homemade booth built from PVC pipes and blankets, she turns this family drama into something that feels both hilarious and heartbreaking. Her voice switches …

“Raindance” by Odelet is a full-length album that feels like a dream. The album was produced entirely by Odelet and mixed by Larry Crane, whose analog sensibilities bring a warm, organic depth to the tracks. Across its runtime, Raindance moves between moody, atmospheric moments and tracks that pulse with a quiet energy, keeping wants to …

“Dead Men’s Songs” by Marine Store Dealer is an atmospheric and gripping listen. The London-based trio, Gemma Upton, Martin Pearce, and Eray Çaylı—pull you into a layered world where post-rock textures rub up against dream pop haze, all tied together with indie grit. The song wrestles with ideas of unrest, political decay, and the way …

Tom Tom Park’s latest “Als Je Danst” is stunning. The production feels smooth and unforced, with tight guitar lines and a steady rhythm that carries the whole thing. You need to keep it on rotation. The vocals, featuring Lunettes de fête, keep things light and stylish, adding the right amount of color without crowding the …

“Wake Up & Smile (Acoustic Version)” by Stray Blue finds the long-running Greek trio marking two decades with a porch-close reworking of their signature tune. The stripped setting, twelve-string in an unusual tuning, brushed percussion, easy low harmonies, lets the refrain land like morning light over Chania’s harbor, resilient without pushing sentimentality. At the center …

Kristen Castro’s latest single, “Summer Rain” is wonderful and isn’t just a track pulled from a moment of inspiration; it’s the result of a five-year creative process that began in quiet reflection and ends with bold self-definition. The song leans into dreamy synths and rich guitar tones, layering a sonic landscape that feels right at …

“Regulator of My Dopamine” is a unique release from Exzenya, an artist who knows exactly what she wants to say. The track draws you into its world with an addictive edge, it’s really a beautiful release that you need to listen to. There’s a sense of control here, both thematically and in how the song …

“Intermittent Love” by Exzenya will make yoou want to hear it again and again. What’s refreshing is how grown this sounds. There’s an emotional maturity behind every word, like someone who’s done the work, called the bluff, and still remembers the sting. The beat is hypnotic but never overpowering, giving the vocals plenty of space …

Exzenya’s “Scansion” is my new obsession. Here’s an artist who decided to name a song after a poetry term and somehow made it work as a sultry pop track. The whole concept of scanning someone’s behavioral patterns and turning that into a song about attraction is weird enough to be brilliant. The Spanish influences don’t …

Ian Brodsky’s second album shows a songwriter who’s figured out how to make his cerebral approach work with bigger, more energetic arrangements. The New York musician trades some of his previous introspective focus for indie rock confidence, and the result feels natural rather than forced. “Trash Panda” proves why it became a crowd favorite, it’s …

“Anuther Sunny Hulliday” finds Mick J. Clark embracing deliberate misspellings that actually work. He sings “hulliday” instead of “holiday” and carries that through to “anuther”, creating consistency in his playful approach to language. The song bounces around vacation themes – planes, boats, and all the usual holiday excitement. Mick sounds genuinely enthusiastic about the subject …

Eduard Shyfrin’s latest is wonderful. Heavy drums kick things off, setting a serious tone that runs throughout the song. The Paris recording captures Shyfrin working with French rock musicians who know how to build atmosphere around his voice. His classical piano training shows up in how the song moves between quieter, thoughtful sections and harder …

Nick Byrne and Tom Symmonds team up for “Solstice Sun”, using seasonal changes as a backdrop for exploring emotional ups and downs. I’m just in love with this song. The track starts with synth bass and drum samples before moving into autumn’s quieter moments. Nick’s vocals come in during these reflective sections, and his fingerpicked …

Farbod Biglari’s “Nightmare” unfolds like a set of journal entries penned in silence. Composed and performed entirely by Farbod, the album’s eight tracks lean into imperfection as form, recorded largely in single takes, with minimal equipment, and finished in the stillness of post-production in Vancouver. Sung in Persian but resonant far beyond language, each piece …

Lucas Pasley’s “Laissez-Faire Love” strips away romantic pretense with the surgical precision of a songwriter who understands that love rarely follows any logical plan. The Appalachian artist delivers a track that examines the messy intersection between desire and indifference, it’s really wonderful and I know you will love it. Lucas doesn’t romanticize the subject matter, …

Valerie Forgione’s latest single demonstrates her evolution from Mistle Thrush’s shoegaze territories into more textured, baroque-influenced terrain. “Light and Low” builds around a harpsichord progression that anchors the track’s hypnotic momentum, while Todd Demma’s live drumming adds genuine punch to what could have been another programmed affair. The song’s layered approach works well, tremolo guitars …