Seattle-based artist US3R has built a sound that sits somewhere between electronic pop, synthwave, industrial pop, electro rock, and darker electronic music. Pronounced “User,” the project combines big synthesizers, electronic beats, vocals, rock influences, and lyrics that often look at technology, society, addiction, identity, and the strange world we live in. Originally from California, US3R moved to Seattle in 2017, and the city's music culture became an important part of

Voltage Party is the second track from the recent In Athens lathe cut 7" single on translucent red vinyl. That is now sold out; however, if anyone is interested in one, please get in touch, as we may do another run. An unabashed celebration of the early-00s indie dancefloor, Voltage Party is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs meeting Queens of the Stone Age. “We wanted to push ourselves sideways with this one, to write something made for a packed dance floor in a small, sweaty venue. It's a

Cover Art by Ian Bell A new release from Anne Lederman brings out a unique warmth that breeds a welcoming, Southern tonality built from natural and acoustic instrumentation and melodic hooks that feel like home. The piece is gorgeous from start to finish and really brings out Anne's ability to write something that feels heartfelt and genuine. I feel like it's the combination of instruments together that really creates this atmosphere, and they all seem to complement each othe

An absolute banger of a new release from LiVES hits with a bit of rambunctious undertone, wild guitar work, and memorable riffs, along with almost theatrical, animated vocals that feel robust and sort of intense. The single has some amazing guitar. It's gritty enough to be nice and heavy when those sections come in, but it's also catchy. The whole song has a bit of a bouncy rhythm to it, and the drummer is absolutely outstanding. I feel like the drummer drives this whole thin

Gentle Beast return with a new single that hits exactly the way it was meant to, with a bit of raw energy, hints of aggressive undertone, amazing guitar tonality, and just a perfect level of drive that really pushes the whole thing forward. I've heard plenty of cover songs in my day, as all of us have. However, it's very rare that you hear a cover that pays a lot of homage to the original the way this one does, let alone a cover of a single from a band that I used to listen t

A new release from Alan Goldberg comes through as a massively progressive piece of work that feels theatrical, cinematic, quite compelling at times, and laced with this almost orchestral backbone that just comes through robust and intense at times. But this is a bit of a rock record, but it's also based very much so on keys. The whole thing is laced with keys and synths that really give the songs massive melodic drive, and the whole thing comes through with heart and characte

Joshua McCooey returns with a single that feels very introspective as he delves into where he's been going for the past decade and wondering about his future self as much as his past self in terms of whether or not either one is as happy as the other. You can hear these slight elements of confliction in the lyrics, but I think that's just part of growing up. I feel like this is a very personal track that delves into some of the things that we all think about once we reach a c

Matt Harper returns with a vibrant new single that incorporates a slew of pop-riddled and dance-influenced styles and approaches, bringing out this unbelievably vivacious soundscape that is incredibly infectious right from the get-go. The latest single is packed with percussive elements that drive it through the roof. Now, this is not overly edgy or alternative. This is a bright and sort of colorful dance-pop single that incorporates electronic music at its forefront, so it's

A warm and smooth new release from Maria Solena absolutely comes through with some jazz tendencies, elements of contemporary R&B undertones, and this natural flow to things that just feels good to listen to. Not only is this single packed with amazing instrumentation, bringing wind instruments together with string instruments and more, but it captures this sort of aesthetic. That feeling she displays on this track is one that we all want to get back to. It's a feeling a lot o

Robots In Love are back with a new single, bringing out their classic blend of electronic and heavy rock, but this one has an additional sort of almost industrial undertone to it. I think it has a lot to do with the beat of the track and how it opens up a little bit during those verses so that you can really pull in the lyrics. They're utilizing some crazy synthesizers throughout this one. That also builds on the slight industrial or even electronic element. This is nothing n

A new single release from Split Vision brings out some of the better elements of what I would consider to be a blend of both New Wave, hints of post-punk, and synth-pop, as the song boasts vintage keys and synthesizers throughout its course, giving it that almost nostalgic undertone, along with some spacious, reverb-affected elements that give the track plenty of depth. The soundscape this track provides is brilliantly layered because it takes a sort of simplified approach an

Sean Hopkins’ Shadows & Light works within a familiar singer-songwriter tradition, but familiarity is part of its appeal. The New Hope, Pennsylvania artist has been releasing solo material since 2022, and this third album centers on resilience, relationships, aging, and the gradual return of hope. Hopkins isn’t trying to pull folk music into some strange new shape. These songs lean into acoustic guitars, piano, restrained percussion, and melodies that feel connected to an old

Sean V Syndicate’s Endure reaches back toward a version of rock music where soul meant more than polish. The Long Island band’s third studio album draws from Sean Virag’s experience with cancer and recovery, which gives its songs about persistence, mortality, and uncertainty a little more weight than the usual resilience slogans. Virag handles vocals and guitar, joined by Johnnie Luca on bass and Billy Rymer on drums, with organ, harmonica, lap steel, Fender Rhodes, and saxop

An immersive and wild new EP release from Hoodoo Jim brings out a soirée of electronic influences that range from EDM to drum and bass, classic trance and techno, and loads more, all rolled up into one fat release that actually swallows you up and brings you into this whole other set of places that you end up getting attached to. The reason I say that is because a lot of these songs build out atmospheres. It's not just about electronic front-facing synths and keys, but more a

A beautiful new single from Linda Marks pulls together this beautifully warm set of tones that sort of invite you along for this love song of sorts, as she gets totally descriptive lyrically and pulls you into her first-person perspective story that feels almost like it was built purely off of emotion. Linda's arrangement of this classic soft rock love song feels familiar to us, and basically because it's got such a universal sentiment. It works for anyone thatwants to be ar

The latest album release from The Scrub Ups most certainly portrays a colorful and sort of warm-toned ska-punk style, with some instrumentation you just don't expect. This is a record that gleefully blends folk and Americana along the way, and in doing so, reads as something that feels like a unique blend of approaches. One of my favorite aspects about this record is its energy, by far. This has an amazing energy to it, to the point where the whole thing feels almost like a l

A new album release from Tyson Dickert brings with it a mighty combination of what I would consider to be alternative, progressive, and cinematic rock, all rolled into one huge LP that most certainly feels more than anthemic at times, with vast undertones and memorable, powerful riffs and guitar work through and through. This is a big record. There's a lot to chew on and plenty of that is immense guitar tone. I feel like the guitar work across this record is key because it gi

A very addictive Blues Rock track from Accidental Martyr. It doesn't just deliver a single, but more a story itself. This track is riddled with amazing guitar work and a heavy-handed blues overtone, with soul dripping from every note. There's something about this performance that also sort of puts you in the moment with the music itself. It feels almost like it's a live performance, as if you're sitting there watching it right in front of your face. It brings out this one-on-

Joanne Powell returns with a powerful new single that comes through with a heavy-handed soul and gospel approach that feels vintage in its tonality, giving you a spirited and robust experience, packed with beautiful instrumentation backing those intensely soulful vocals, and the whole thing really wraps itself around you and holds you tight. This is a track that feels like it was written decades ago. It feels like something you would hear in a church in the South. It's got th

The unreal guitar trio, The String Revolution, joins forces with Tina Guo to create something so unique and different that it's borderline brilliant. This is a track that works kind of like a mashup. Now, this is not your average mashup, per se, as, of course, a guitar trio joined by a mind-bogglingly talented cellist is already an outstanding combination, but what really hits hardest about this release is the fact that it blends together the world of video games and mainstre