little chief

“Kissing Stacey” by Dreaming Soda came from watching some YouTube video about Barbie movies and queer theory, which honestly sounds like the most random source of inspiration ever. The production on this thing is really solid without being overdone, and you can tell they spent time getting it right at Hercules studios because every little …

The El Paso/Juarez duo knows how to build tension without getting too heavy-handed about it, layering in dance elements and shoegaze textures while keeping those gothic vibes running underneath everything. You can tell these guys learned a lot from their last album, “Rhythmic Body Reflexes” because they’re playing with sounds here that feel both experimental …

The House Flies are back with a track that hits you right where you want it to, mixing their dark midwest vibes with enough melody to keep you humming along even when the lyrics are painting pictures you’d rather not think about too hard. Burnie Eckardt joining as the second guitarist has given them room …

“Last Name” by Cali Tucker takes the old Cinderella story and turns it into a country song about making your own way in the world. Cali sings like she’s lived every word of this song, her voice shifting between soft vulnerability when she talks about having no safety net and real grit when she gets …

The remix grabs the original’s heart and wraps it in beats that’ll get your head nodding from the first second. Carl knows exactly how to handle Sam’s vocals, keeping them front and center while building this whole electronic world around them Right from the start, you can tell this isn’t your typical remix job. The …

This was 2013 Jack figuring out new ways to approach the piano, and hearing it now with better sound quality makes you appreciate how bold he was being back then. The track builds slowly, the way Jack always does, but there’s something different here. Maybe it’s because he was still experimenting, still pushing boundaries he …

Chloe Tsangaris gets messy with the truth on her latest single, calling out a friend who was playing both sides while keeping secrets. This track hits hard because it’s about that awkward moment when you finally confront someone who’s been messing you around and we’ve all been there. The talented artist’s voice sounds fierce and …

Kevin Driscoll stumbled onto something good with his latest single. A guitar riff discovered while exploring Maine’s coast became the backbone of a song that sounds like it was recorded in your buddy’s living room – in the best possible way. The track runs on simplicity without being boring. Driscoll played everything himself except for …

The Atlanta singer-songwriter Katie Belle takes her real struggles with insomnia and wraps them up in synth-heavy beats that’ll get your head nodding whether you want it to or not. Her voice has this scratchy quality that works perfectly over the electronic layers, like she’s singing from that weird space between being awake and asleep. …

This one came out of those weird lockdown months when he was stuck in the studio alone, dealing with all the chaos happening around us. You can hear that frustration and confusion he was going through, but he turned it into something worth listening to. The guy knows his way around music – he’s worked …

Sofie Elezaj’s “Fly” caught me off guard in the best way and I love what she does. I wasn’t expecting much from another pop song about overcoming struggles, but this Swedish artist actually pulled it off without making me cringe. The song starts quiet and builds into something bigger, which sounds obvious but Sofie does …

Larry Karpenko turned a regular park visit with his kids into “Ladybug Field” after they stumbled upon hundreds of ladybugs swarming the grass. Larry kept the recording simple – he plugged his Fender Telecaster straight into an API preamp without any pedals or amps. The direct approach gives the track a clean, personal feel that …

MOLETRAP sounds like three mates who got properly fed up with everyone treating Mid Wales like a motorway service station. Their debut EP tackles that head-on with five tracks that bounce between Welsh and English, refusing to play nice with anyone’s expectations. “Rhagofn” opens with vocals that could wake the dead before the guitars kick …

Powers of the Monk puts together a weird and uncomfortable four-minute ride about losing your mind. David Monk sounds like he’s genuinely struggling with the vocals, which actually works for a song about hearing voices and splitting into pieces. What really grabbed my attention is he production quality. John O’Reilly went overboard recording fifteen different …

Shelita drops another winner with her newest track that mixes reggae vibes with pop in ways that actually work. Her voice sits perfectly on top of these laid-back rhythms, never fighting for space or trying too hard to impress. The whole universe-love angle could have gone sideways fast, but Shelita keeps it real, she talks …

Siggimusic just dropped “FunkyLines” and it’s got this infectious groove that gets stuck in your head whether you want it there or not. The Toronto artist mixes pop with funk in a way that actually works instead of sounding like he’s trying too hard to be different. Here’s the cool part – the song shares …

The BC folk duo is back after eight years, and “Gambler” feels like catching up with old friends who’ve been through some stuff. The song is about the uncomfortable truth that relationships are basically one big bet where nobody knows the outcome. Recording this live at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studio was a smart move. The band …

Okay, so Energy Whores came out swinging with this one. “Pretty Sparkly Things” is basically what happens when you’re fed up with seeing billionaires on your timeline while your rent’s overdue. Carrie Schoenfeld doesn’t mess around here. She’s straight up calling people out, talking about bills you can’t pay while some pop star’s living it …