Art Block is a brilliant and innovative singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in East London, England who I’ve been following for nearly seven years. Possessing a uniquely distinctive and highly emotive singing voice, he creates a hauntingly beautiful style of alternative folk, characterized by stirring melodies, lush arrangements and gorgeous instrumentation built around his poetic, often deeply moving lyrics. A prolific artist, he’s released an impressive catalog of music for more than a decade, including numerous singles, EPs, remixes and four albums, his most recent of which, Tiger, dropped only a month ago on April 30th. I’ve featured him several times on this blog, most recently in March 2024 when I reviewed his lovely EP Dandelion. (You can read a few more of my reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) One of his songs, “White Horses”, reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart in December 2022, and ranks #26 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
Since the release of Tiger, Art Block has dropped two new singles – “You & I” on May 2nd and “Love Is A Fire” on the 22nd, the latter of which I’m featuring today. The track was produced and mixed by William “Wheeliemix” Robertson and mastered by noted British mastering engineer Pete Maher (whose clients include U2, The Killers, Noel Gallagher, The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Paul Weller, Jack White and Lana Del Rey, to name just a few). Art Block played all instruments except for drums, which were played by his frequent collaborator Raphael Bouchara.
As its title suggests, the song is a smoldering beauty with sweeping cinematic synths, haunting, reverb-drenched guitar chords and crunchy percussion, all of which create a magnificent incendiary backdrop for Art Block’s fervent spine-tingling vocals. It’s a darker, more dramatic sound than many of his previous songs, and I love it. The lyrics seem to speak of a tempestous love affair in which feelings of unbridled passion and longing are intertwined with the lasting pain from past mistakes and betrayal. Art Block told me he was inspired by The Cure’s latest album Songs of a Lost World, who played a special concert at the Troxy in East London neighbourhood this past November.
Our love is a fire Do what you desire Don’t hold it in Don’t hold it in So much to forget So much to remember Why don’t you bleed? Why don’t you bleed? Our love is a fire Do what you desire Hold it in Life was empty without you Do what you desire Don’t hold it in Don’t hold it in Our love is a fire So much to forget
Both “Love Is A Fire” and “You & I” are available exclusively on Bandcamp.
London, England-based Frank Joshua – an enigmatic but enormously talented singer-songwriter and producer who, wanting his music to speak for itself, shares no photos of himself – has become a favorite of mine on the strength of his gorgeous baritone voice and beguiling adult contemporary music style. The prolific artist has released a staggering amount of music over the past four years or so, including three albums, an EP and 43 singles! Every one of his songs is a captivating feast for the ears, and I love them all. I’ve previously written about four of them, most recently this past February when I reviewed his marvelous single “Walls”. After a long but steady climb, the song has finally reached #1 in its 14th week on my chart. It’s his first song to top my chart; his singles “Bluebell Wood” reached #6 in 2023 and “Winter Cowboy” reached #3 in 2024. Since “Walls”, Frank has released two more singles, including “These Words” which dropped this past Thursday, May 23rd. All of his singles have been released via British music label Numen Records.
Although Frank writes some of his songs, like the majority of his singles, “Walls” was written by his frequent collaborator Simon Pitheakley, and produced by Tony White. And like all his songs, this one’s a beauty, with gorgeous reverb-drenched bluesy guitars accompanied by warm piano keys, soaring orchestral synths and gently crashing cymbals layered over a sensuous pulsating beat. It all creates a glorious cinematic backdrop for Frank’s melancholy yet captivating vocals which are both passionate and heartfelt. It’s become my favorite of all his songs, and I never tire of listening to it. The poetic lyrics speak of the challenges of growing older and maintaining a long-term relationship, in which there’s often a tug of war between the comfort and security that comes from being with a devoted loved one, and the primal urge to be independent and free of responsibility or commitment – something I’ve long struggled with myself.
In other chart news of note, The Black Keys hold at #2 with “The Night Before”, and Fontaines D.C. move up a notch to #3 with “It’s Amazing To Be Young”. Maryland shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix enters the top 10 with their beautiful song “Poor Sad Indie Everything”, and “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron is the biggest upward mover this week, jumping eight spots to #17.
The one new debut this week is “Scars”, a heartwarming song of love and empathy by Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, the music project of singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. In addition to being a talented, hard-working artist, Craig’s a thoughtful, generous and kind soul, and though we’ve never met in person, I’ve grown quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. It’s his third song to appear on my chart, the first being “Something From Nothing/Points of Light” in 2022 and more recently “Autumn Leaves”, which spent 19 weeks on my chart from late November 2024-early April 2025, peaking at #3 in March.
WALLS – Frank Joshua (3)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (4)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (10)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (13)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (14)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (15)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (16)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (17)
LET THINGS GO – Caamp (18)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (25)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (21)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (11)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (12)
THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (22)
EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (23)
SO LONG – Wavves (24)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (29)
CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (28)
RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (30)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (19)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (20) 19th week on chart
There are several really beautiful songs on this week’s list, starting with “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which holds the top spot for a second week. Three more are “Walls” by English artist Frank Joshua, moving up to #3, “Bad Larry” by Northwest Indiana shoegaze band Cloakroom and “Mortal Wound” by English/New Zealand indie/rock band The Veils, which advance two spots to #s 5 and 6. None of those three songs have appeared on any charts as far as I can tell, which is a travesty. “The Night Before” by The Black Keys moves into second place, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. jumps six spots to #4. Two more gorgeous songs, “Laredo”, by Texas singer-songwriter Leon Bridges and “Snakeskin” by English singer-songwriter NAVE, enter the top 10 at #s 9 & 10.
There are two debuts this week, the first of which is “back to friends” by sombr, the music project of astonishingly talented 19-year-old singer-songwriter Shane Boose. Born and raised in New York City, he’s now based in Los Angeles. The song was actually released last December but as so often happens these days, it recently went viral on TikTok and began appearing on American charts. I’ve grown to love the song, and also love his follow-up single “Undressed”. The second debut, bringing up the rear at #30, is “Spaceman in Tulsa” by legendary alt-rock band Counting Crows. The song is from their eighth album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, which dropped May 9th. Still fronted by Adam Duritz who’s now 60, they sound as good as ever.
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (3)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (4)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (10)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (7)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (8)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (9)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (12)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (15)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (16)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (18)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (19)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (20)
I seem to have gotten into a pattern of publishing at least one Fresh New Tracks post each week, and hopefully I’ll keep at this until I burn out or fall back into another of my periodic funks again. For my 47th edition, I’m featuring songs by, in alphabetical order, Canadian indie rock band Bealby Point, Maryland alternative pop-rock band Between Daze, Chicago pop-rock-punk band Guardrail, and Australian indie pop-rock duo Royel Otis.
Bealby Point – “Better Off Eventually”
Vancouver, British Columbia is a wellspring of musical talent, as there are several terrific acts from that fair part of Canada I’m especially fond of. I recently wrote about two of them – dwi and Western Jaguar – in a previous Fresh New Tracks post, and another favorite is alt-rock band Bealby Point. Named after a local beachside vacation spot, the four-piece consists of childhood friends Jack Armstrong (lead vocals), Clayton Dewar (lead guitar), Jordan Studer (bass), and Zack Yeager (drums). I love their buoyant, high-energy alternative/garage rock they cheekily call “music to fold laundry to“, and their sound, particularly due to Jack’s vocal style, at times reminds me of The Strokes. Their description of themselves as “fourapproachable guys making cool music” is genuine, based on the mutual respect, camaraderie, and joy of spending time together that’s so evident in all their photos and little acoustic performance sessions they frequently post on TikTok and Instagram. I’ve been following them for more than four years and have featured them four times on this blog, most recently two years ago when I reviewed their single “America”. Their 2021 single “Talk to Me” ended up on my 100 Best Songs of 2021 list.
On May 13th, they dropped their latest single “Better Off Eventually“, a rousing indie pop song speaking to feelings of frustration amid superficiality in the world and yearning for a life filled with meaning. The band elaborates: “This song was conceived in Clay’s basement as part of a batch of songs we wrote and tracked almost 3 years ago with our long-time friend and confidant Matt Di Pomponio (who mixed and produced the track). It’s been sittin’ in the Bealby Vault ever since and we have been patiently awaiting it’s time to be unleashed unto the world. Now is that time. It’s about struggling through life’s battles, learning along the way, owning who you are and being unapologetically true to yourself, no matter what! This song means a lot to us and we hope you find something in it for you.” I love the song’s breezy, upbeat melody, highlighted by Jack and Clay’s colorful intricate guitar work and driven by Jordan’s thumping bassline and Zack’s spirited drumbeats. All of Bealby Point’s songs are so good, and “Better Off Eventually” is no exception.
Between Daze – “Call Out”
Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland is Between Daze, an original songwriting/recording project comprised primarily of Johnny Burkhead (vocals), Scott Rodenberg (guitar) and Kenn (guitar), along with Mike Coyne (bass) and Kevin Walsh (drums). Preferring to remain rather anonymous, they have no photos of themselves on social media or music platforms. They’ve been making alternative pop/rock and roll music together for over 20 years but really began hitting their stride in 2021 with the release of their single “Burn For You”. In the years since, they’ve released a total of eleven singles at the rate of two or three a year. Their latest is “Call Out“, which dropped May 1st. Johnny reached out to me about the song, and as I do with acts who are new to me, I checked out their back catalog to get a better feel for their music. I ended up listening to all eleven of their singles, and can honestly say I like them all.
The band says “Call Out” “tells a story about finding the best in yourself and being able to take on whatever comes your way. It’s about not letting things beat you down for too long, that things will turn for you and eventually be better. Keep believing in yourself, and build the confidence to take on the world!” To drive home their optimistic message, the guys serve up a barrage of roiling gnarly riffs, driving bass and thunderous drums, creating an exhilarating backdrop for Johnny’s fervent vocals. The beautiful cover art for the single was hand painted by artist Jane Link Mangano.
Guardrail “First”
Photo of Xack, Ty, Kevin & Ken by Kennedy Cottrell
Chicago-based Guardrail play a hard-hitting, high-energy style of rock drawn from a blend of punk, pop and metal, which on some songs reminds me of acts like Green Day, Blink-182, Sum 41, and even the Beastie Boys. Formed in 2014, the band has undergone several changes in lineup, and now consists of Kevin Andrew (lead vocals), Ken Ugel (guitar, vocals), Ty Olmstead (bass, vocals) and Xack (drums). (Ken is also guitarist for Chicago bands The Million Reasons and Wild Gravity, while Ty also plays in the band Ghoul For A Goblin.) They released their debut EP wordswords in 2015, and have since followed with two more EPs, numerous singles, (one of which, “Social Meteor”, I reviewed in 2021 and has garnered over 220,000 streams on Spotify), and a full-length album Content in 2023.
Yesterday, May 14th, Guardrail dropped their first new single in two years, appropriately a terrific cover of the Cold War Kids’ 2015 masterpiece “First“. I’m a longtime fan of Cold War Kids and “First” is my favorite song of theirs (it ranks #27 on my Top 100 Songs of the 2010s list). It can be risky for an artist or band to cover a song we love, but the moment I heard Guardrail’s version, I was thrilled. While Guardrail maintains some of the vibe of the original thanks to their chiming guitars, they speed it up with frantic drumbeats, jagged guitar riffs and Kevin’s fervent rapid-fire vocals, giving their version greater urgency and more of a punk feel. Cold War Kids’ original runs 3:20 minutes, whereas Guardrails is shortened to only 3:07 minutes. The band states they “recorded a bunch of covers during the pandemic times, so while we work on new music we’re gonna finally put ’em out.” I say, bring ’em on!
Royel Otis – “moody”
Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis was formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic over a shared love of the same music and bands. Based in Sydney, their sound draws from elements of indie pop, indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock. The duo released two EPs in 2021 and 2022 to little notice until the song “Oysters in My Pocket”, from the second EP Bar n Grill, gained traction in late 2022. Their third EP Sofa Kings, released in 2023, proved more successful, with the breakthrough title track marking their first appearance on American charts, eventually peaking at #12 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. In late January 2024, they released their electrifying cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor”, the 2001 disco pop hit by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor (which she co-wrote with Gregg Alexander, former frontman of the band The New Radicals, who had a hit in the late 90s with “You Get What You Give”), which they performed on the Australian radio station Triple J for their Like a Version program. The song went viral and reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, as well as my own Top 30 chart. I couldn’t get enough of it, and it ended up ranking #4 on my 100 Best Songs of 2024 list. The guys quickly followed with their debut album Pratts & Pain in February 2024, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart, and went on to win four awards at the 2024 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Music Awards.
Now they’re back with a new single “moody“, which dropped on May 9th. It’s a love song of sorts, detailing a problematic relationship with a woman who drives the singer crazy in both good ways and bad. She’s jealous, bitchy and cranky, yet he’s hopelessly in love with her: “She’s always givin’ it to me. Late nights, she always accusin’. Last time, she said she would kill me. My girl’s a bitch when she’s moody. But she’s my everything. She’s all that I need.” I love the song’s languid laid back groove, highlighted by Royel’s terrific guitar noodling and Otis’ sweet vocals. I think it’s gonna be a hit.
With their expansive and eclectic sound, alternative indie rock band My Morning Jacket have been making innovative music for more than a quarter century. Formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998, the band currently consists of founding members Jim James (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Tom Blankenship (bass), as well as Patrick Hallahan (drums & percussion), Bo Koster (keyboards, percussion & backing vocals), and Carl Broemel (lead guitar, pedal steel, saxophone & backing vocals). The introspective and lovely “Time Waited” takes over the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart. The song is from their latest and 10th album is, released on March 25th. It’s their second song to reach #1 on my chart, their previous being the gorgeous “Feel You”, which also ranks #6 on my list of 100 Best Songs of 2020.
About the song, James told Stereogum: “I made a loop of that piano intro and listened as I went for a walk, and all these melodies started coming to me. For a long time, I didn’t have lyrics, but then I had a dream where I was in a café and a song was playing, and the lyrics to that song became the lyrics to ‘Time Waited’ — the melodies just fit perfectly. And the lyrics are about how flexible time is, how we can bend and warp time, especially if we are following our hearts, the universe and time itself can flow to work with us.” In addition to that beautiful piano, I also love the marvelous guitar work.
In other chart news of note, The Black Keys advance two spots to #3 with “The Night Before”, and English singer-songwriter Frank Joshua climbs three spots to #4 with “Walls”. Two songs enter the top 10: “The Turnaround” by Philadelphia power pop trio DelCobras, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C., whose song “Starburster” was my favorite song of 2024.
Two songs make their debut, the first of which is “Ritalin” by Texas rock band Dexter and The Moonrocks, who’s previous single “Sad in Carolina” went to # in late December-early January. The second new entry is “catch these fists” by English indie rock duo Wet Leg, comprised of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. With a winning combination of infectious melodies, ascerbic lyrics, and their quirky deadpan vocal style, they burst onto the music scene in 2021 with their critically acclaimed eponymous album Wet Leg, which spawned two hits, “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream”. “catch these fists” is the lead single from their forthcoming second album Moisturizer, to be released in July.
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (2)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (1)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (5)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (7)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (3)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (4)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (9)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (10)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (11)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (12)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (8)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (14)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (6)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (15)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (16)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (17)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (20)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (21)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (23)
LET THINGS GO – Caamp (24)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (22)
THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (26)
EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (27)
SO LONG – Wavves (28)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (30)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (18) 19th week on chart
With a continuous supply of new music being released, it’s already time for another installment of my Fresh New Tracks series. Today I’m showcasing four songs by, in alphabetical order, Brooklyn, NY-based indie rock band Atlas Engine, Australian rock band Big Wheels, Michigan singer-songwriter Matt Csiszar and English musician and composer Josephine Pascoe. I’ve previously featured Matt and Josephine on this blog, whereas Atlas Engine and Big Wheels are new to me. All songs were released over the past week.
Atlas Engine – “Comfort and Calm”
Atlas Engine is a Brooklyn, New York-based band who make what they call “celestial indie rock”, an appropriate description for their dreamy style of alternative psychedelic rock. Fronted by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Nick LaFalce, (who relocated to L.A. in 2023 but still spends time in Brooklyn), the five-piece also includes Garrett Hess on guitar, Patrick Cochrane on bass, Katie Glasgow on synths & vocals, and Brendan McGuckin on drums. Starting with the release of their debut EP After the End in 2016, they’ve since followed with numerous singles and EPs, along with their wonderfully-titled and gorgeous debut album When the Compass Resets, There Can Be No Regrets in 2023.
2025 has been a busy year thus far for Atlas Engine, as in March they released a single “Desert Demos: 1” to raise funds for friends affected by the Los Angeles fires, then followed two weeks later with “(Alternate State)”, consisting of three versions of an interlude at the end of “All I Want Is Everything”, from When the Compass Resets There Can Be No Regrets. In April they dropped the beautiful “New Constellation”, and now return with yet another new single “Comfort and Calm” a thoroughly enchanting song that lives up to its title. For the recording of the song, bass was played by Patrick Cochrane, drums by Jonathan Smith and additional vocals were sung by Sally Hatchet. I love the swirling ethereal synths, shimmery guitar notes, crisp percussion and gentle bass, all of which create a dreamy atmospheric backdrop for Nick and Sally’s captivating harmonies.
Big Wheels – “Lazy Bones”
Hailing from Sydney, Australia is Big Wheels, a modern indie rock band comprised of singer-songwriters Cass Ford and Lawson Doyle, along with guitarist Tyler Buchanan. Formed in late 2021 with a shared love for legendary acts like Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane, and The Black Keys, Big Wheels write songs exploring the highs, lows and complexities of life, while incorporating a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. Also, Cass is originally from Birmingham, England, giving the band have strong ties to the British music scene. They began releasing music in May 2022 with their debut single “Chain of Fire”, and have steadily dropped a series of outstanding songs ever since. Their previous single, the bluesy rocker “Silver and Black”, landed on several Spotify editorial playlists, including New Noise, All New Rock, Local Noise, and Fresh Finds AU/NZ, as well as garnering airplay on BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio UK, and Triple J.
Their ninth and latest single is “Lazy Bones“, a wonderful sensuous track with strong Fleetwood Mac vibes. I love those bluesy guitar riffs, chugging grooves and the marvelous interplay between Cass and Lawson’s vocals. And in fact, Cass seems to channel Stevie Nicks as she sings with such raw emotion in the chorus, I’m covered in goosebumps. The lyrics speak of letting go of past disagreements and enjoying each others’ company, at least for the night: “It’s been so long why don’t we make up. We can forget it all tonight. I know we said we’d tear the page out but maybe we stay here for a while. So lay down lazy bones, next to me. We ain’t got nowhere we need to be. Baby won’t you be my remedy, and lay down lazy bones, next to me (baby next to me).” Big Wheels will be releasing their debut EP Bury Me in Velvet in June.
Matt Csiszar – “Maria”
Matt Csiszar is an earnest and kind singer-songwriter, musician and composer from Michigan I’ve been following for the past four years. With a lifelong love for music, he started writing and recording his own songs at the age of 13, and over the years has taught himself to play guitar, piano, bass, and drums. His music is pretty eclectic, drawing from a wide range of genres and styles from pop, rock, folk, country and blues to electronic, funk, dance, industrial, jazz and even classical. A prolific artist, Matt released his debut album In The Mind in 1999 while in his early 20s, then played in the band Endless Question for a while before returning to recording and releasing music again as a solo artist in the early 2010s. He’s released numerous singles and an astonishing eight albums, most recently the excellent Many Roads in September 2022. Almost exactly three years ago to the day, on May 7, 2022, I featured his song “Chicago” in another Fresh New Tracks post. After the release of Many Roads, he took the next few years off to focus on his health and emotional well-being.
Now Matt is back with a brand new single “Maria“, a melancholy but lovely track he says “is a song of hope for survivors of childhood abuse. I want the listener to feel like I’m telling their story in hopes that it brings them strength and healing.” Accompanied by just his gentle acoustic guitar, Matt’s plaintive vocals remind me a bit of Jon Bon Jovi as he sings the poignant lyrics touching on Maria’s difficult upbringing, and offering her hope and encouragement for a safer and happier adulthood: “Her mother was so critical, she can still hear her voice calling her pitiful. Now she has no choice but to pick herself apart, breaking her own heart. Her father was a bastard to say the least. She’s triggered by the sound of stomping feet cause he’d come and scream in her face, yeah, that’s all the attention he gave. Maria, are you lonesome tonight? You know you’re getting closer to who you are meant to be. Maria, everything will be alright. you’re beautiful and someday this you will see, Maria.”
Josephine Pascoe – “Llumine”
A favorite musician and composer of mine is Josephine Pascoe, a classically trained pianist, violinist and flautist based in the London suburbs. With a life-long love of music, she studied at Trinity College of Music in London, where she began composing her own music. She also trained to be a secondary school music teacher, but prefers giving one-on-one instrumental instruction on piano and violin. Since 2017, she’s collaborated with Windsor-based guitarist and producer Neil Thom (who she met the year before when she began taking guitar lessons from him) in the creation of exceptional instrumental music infused with elements of jazz, acid jazz, classical, blues and funk. Together, they’ve released an impressive amount of outstanding singles, two of which, “Starfish” and “Odyssey”, I reviewed.
Their latest – and 20th – single is “Llumine“, delivering four minutes of pure auditory bliss. For the recording of the track, Josephine played piano, Rhodes electric piano, keyboard synths, strings and flute, while Neil played bass and drums. As with all their songs, Neil handled production and engineering. Blending acid jazz with classical influences, they create a bewitching fantasia of sound, highlighted by Josephine’s sparkling piano keys, breezy strings and lilting flute, and nicely grounded by Neil’s subtle bass and crisp percussion. I’ve loved every single one of their releases, and “Llumine” just might rank among my very favorites of them all.
Time for another Fresh New Tracks post, and for the 45th installment of my ongoing series I’m featuring four terrific new songs by, in alphabetical order, Philadelphia-based indie rock act The Obscuritans, Belgian alt-rock band Pilod, Philadelphia-based rock band Snap Infraction, and Northern Virginia-based pop-rock artist Talk in Waves.
The Obscuritans – “False Prophecy”
The Obscuritans is a Philadelphia-based studio project formed earlier this year by Marc Schuster and Nick Cervini, with the aim of writing and recording music together, then inviting various artists to collaborate with them by contributing vocals, lyrics, or whatever else they have in mind. Marc is an insanely creative and multi-talented guy who’s not only an educator, author, literary critic, music blogger and visual artist, but also a prolific songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, recording both as a solo artist and as part of numerous music projects and collaborations with an ever-expanding roster of musicians. Nick is an accomplished musician who’s also drummer for Philadelphia indie rock band Sacred Monsters, and he and Marc are also members of power pop trio DelCobras (along with singer-songwriter Jim Lorino), whose song “The Turnaround” currently sits at #11 on my Top 30 chart.
In February, the Obscuritans released their debut single “Earholes”, a trippy, mostly instrumental tribute to David Lynch on which they collaborated with Jim Lorino. They followed in early April with “Break and Bend”, featuring vocals by Samantha Goodman of Philadelphia indie band Rescue Pets. Now they return with their third single “False Prophecy“, featuring lyrics and vocals by Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and blogger Neither Could Dylan (aka Jaimee Jakobczak, who also records music under her Death Cab for Cutie cover project Death Bus for Blondie, and Jimmy Eat World cover project Jaimee Eat World). Marc and Nick have created a mysterious and languid soundcape of bold guitar notes, otherworldly psychedelic synths and crisp percussion, a perfect backdrop for Jaime’s distinctive vocals, which have never sounded better. Her lyrics seems to speak of losing her sense of self in a futile attempt to maintain a romantic relationship: “While I wait for you, I break in two. Falling apart from all the things I thought I knew. But false prophecy, I sunk in so deep. Seems the cost of keeping you is losing me.”
Pilod – “Anticipate the Fall”
Hailing from Leuven, Belgium is alternative indie rock quartet Pilod. Since forming in 2013, the band has undergone a few changes in lineup and now consists of Frédéric Baervoets (guitar, vocals), Timo Jacobs (drums), Christophe Vandewoude (bass, backing vocals) and Wouter Voorspoels (guitar). Pilod released their debut album Sunny Forecast in 2013, followed by a single “Sunny” in early 2015, then their second album Black Swan in October 2016. After undergoing a long period of touring, lineup changes and the global COVID pandemic, they finally dropped a new single “The future looks bright” in June 2022, followed by two more singles in late 2024. On May 4th, they released their latest single “Anticipate the Fall“, accompanied by a charming video directed by Robbe Maes and filmed at Sint-Jozefsinstituut (a high school in Betekom), featuring Carlo Vranken and Gonzalo Vega as instructors putting the dorky, unathletic guys through some exercises.
The band says the song “explores themes of letting go, embracing change, and finding resilience amid turbulence and uncertainty.” I love the dynamic blend of Frédéric and Wouter’s reverb-soaked melodic and grungy guitars layered over a pulsating rhythm fueled by Christophe’s driving bass and Timo’s aggressive drums. Frédéric’s plaintive vocals express a heartfelt sense of assurance as he sings “Your head will kiss the cold, hard floor. Stop looking for a tight hold and think. All we have is now and the future calls, so why are you still living in the past? Future yourself. Read the cracks in the wall. The ground’s shifting, nothing stays, so learn to anticipate the fall. Life is changing forever.“
Snap Infraction – “Nothing Really Matters”
Also from Philadelphia is Snap Infraction, a three-piece musical powerhouse comprised of Steve Karsch (vocals, guitar & percussion), Dave Kerr (bass) and Tony Iannuzzi (drums). “Distilling decades of rock n roll history into a modern sonic journey“, they’ve been a band for over 15 years, releasing their first single “Try To See It My Way” in 2009. After a long hiatus, they released a five-track EP Chin Music in May 2017, then another three years would pass until their follow-up EP Stiff Arm, in May 2020. They were quite active in 2021, releasing several double singles throughout that year, followed by a very nice cover of the Beach Boys Christmas classic “Little Saint Nick” in December 2022, then their own original Christmas song “Christmas In The Islands” in December 2023. In March 2024 they released their single “Keeping Score“ (which I reviewed), followed two months later by their debut full-length album Eephus. In what’s become an annual tradition, they dropped another Christmas single “Christmas All Over Again”, a cover of the Tom Petty song on which Steve manages to channel Petty quite well.
Now they’re back with “Nothing Really Matters” a powerful and melodic song about someone who’s in denial about their mental illness and unwilling to take meaningful steps to get better, which also negatively affects their partner, all of which is beautifully expressed by Steve’s relatable lyrics: “Nothing really matters but you do it anyway. Taking better drugs to convince us you’re ok. Twisting all your stories cause the facts get in the way. Tossing out big words like you’re Ernest Hemingway. Late at night I start to worry that I’ll probably end up dying alone. With no one to say goodbye to and nothing left to call my own.” To my ears, the song has a strong ELO feel, particularly due to the marvelous interplay between those gorgeous guitar notes and piano keys, as well as the soaring vocal harmonies. I love it!
Talk in Waves – “Feels Right”
Talk in Waves (the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos and formerly known as The Frontier), is a longtime favorite of mine. Based in northern Virginia, he’s an enormously talented and gracious guy, and we’ve followed each other on social media for nearly a decade. Skillfully blending elements of indie rock, synth pop and folk, his music is incredibly melodic, flawlessly crafted and always catchy. He produces and records all aspects of his music in his home studio, and as with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, touching on topics like love, relationships and loss, and expressed through honest, relatable lyrics. He’s released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog. I’ve loved all his songs, five of which have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart. His single “Like You Do” (which I reviewed) topped my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and his previous single “You’re My Drug” reached #2 this past March.
Now Talk in Waves returns with “Feels Right“, a joyous celebration of a budding romance, where everything’s coming together and just “feels right”. Featuring highly melodic gnarly guitars, colorful swirling synths and stomping drumbeats, the song is an exuberant pop ear worm. While not quite a dance song, it’s infectious grooves are guaranteed to have you swaying your hips and tapping your feet. Jake’s always pleasing vocals are filled with unbridled euphoria as he sings “Don’t need to wait for the right time, I think we’re already here. Now let’s go and take a fast ride. Leave everybody in the rearview mirror. Tell me don’t it feel right, what you’re feeling right now. It feels right to me.” It’s another superb release, maintaining Talk in Waves’ unbroken run of perfect singles.
Alt rock band Cage the Elephant have been one of my favorite acts for well over 10 years, and I’ve loved most of their music. Founded in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 2006, the band relocated to London, England in early 2008, then moved to Nashville in 2009, where they remain today. Their current lineup consists of founding members Matt Shultz (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), his brother Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar, keyboards), Daniel Tichenor ( bass, backing vocals) and Jared Champion (drums, percussion), as well as Nick Bockrath (lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) and Matthan Minster (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), both of whom joined the band in 2017. Since 2008 they’ve released six critically acclaimed albums, two of which – Tell Me I’m Pretty in 2017 and Social Cues in 2020 – won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album.
“Metaverse”, the third single from their latest album Neon Pill, ascends to #1 on this week’s chart. It’s their second single from that album to reach #1, after last year’s title track “Neon Pill”, and their eighth song to reach #1 on my chart. The song seems to be about the struggles of being in a band and striving for perfection but sometimes failing to achieve it: “It’s a natural progression. No need for affection. Just a perfect deflection when you got no perspective. Every day spent far from my family. Double check, checked out, I’m half asleep. What the hell? Oh, well, that’s life. What the hell? I keep running and running.“
There are lots of really lovely songs out now, and one of the best is the poignant “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which moves up two spots to #2. The song is from their latest album is, released on March 25th. Two songs enter the top 10, the first of which is “Bad Larry”, by northwest Indiana stoner emo band Cloakroom. From their latest album Last Leg of the Human Table, the song has a bit of a Lord Huron sound, courtesy of achingly beautiful twangy guitars and the velvety-smooth vocals of lead singer Doyle Martin. The second is the gorgeous “Mortal Wound” by British indie rock band The Veils, from their seventh and latest album Asphodels. And speaking of Lord Huron, the L.A.-based indie folk rock band’s latest single “Nothing I Need” is the lone debut song this week. Fronted by singer-songwriter Ben Schneider, they’ve become one of my favorite bands since the release of their magnificent 2021 album Long Lost.
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (6)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (5)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (8)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (7)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (12)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (13)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (14)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (15)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (11)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (20)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (17)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (18)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (19)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (9)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (10)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (22)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (23)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (25)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (26)
The rousing garage rocker “Take This Heart” by Denton, Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert remains at #1 for a second week, while “Metaverse” by Nashville alt-rock band Cage the Elephant moves up two spots to #2 and “Rushmere” by English folk rock band Mumford & Sons holds at #3.
Four songs make their debut on my chart this week, starting with the upbeat and gentle “Let Things Go” by Columbus, Ohio-based folk band Caamp, comprised of Evan Westfall, Taylor Meier, Matt Vinson and Joseph Kavalec. Their songs have always performed well on the Billboard AAA (Adult Alternative Airplay) chart, with three reaching #1; “Let Things Go” currently sits at #5 on that chart.
The second debut, entering at #28, is “Three Six Five” by long-time Florida rock band Shinedown. Formed in 2001, the band presently consists of founding member and front man Brent Smith, as well as Barry Kerch, Zach Myers and Eric Bass. They’ve garnered the most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts with 20 and counting, and every one of their singles have reached the top five on that chart.
The third debut is “Everything Is Peaceful Love” by American indie folk band Bon Iver. Originally founded in 2006 as a solo project by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, Bon Iver eventually became a band consisting of Vernon, Sean Carey, Michael Lewis, Matthew McCaughan, Andrew Fitzpatrick and Jenn Wasner. The sweet, uplifting song is from their fifth studio album SABLE, fABLE, released on April 11th.
Entering at #30 is the fourth and final debut, “So Long” by San Diego-based indie rock band Wavves. Like Bon Iver, Wavves was originally formed as a solo project in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams, but ultimately grew to become a full band, and after several lineup changes now also includes Alex Gates, Stephen Pope and Ross Traver. Their first new music since their 2021 album Hideaway, “So Long” was released on February 28th, and will be included on their forthcoming ninth album Spun, set for release in June. I love the song’s exuberant pop-punk sound that’s reminiscent of songs by Green Day, Blink-182 and The Orwells, and it marks their first appearance on my chart.
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (1)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (4)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (3)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (5)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (2)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (8)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (9)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (10)
PEOPLE WATCHING – Sam Fender (6)
SAME OLD SONG – The Lumineers (7)
LUTHER – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (13)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (14)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (15)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (16)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (17)
WITHOUT A DOUBT – Charm School (11)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (19)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (20)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (21)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (22)
SO COLD – Balu Brigada (12)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (24)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (25)
BAD DREAMS – Teddy Swims (18)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (29)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (30)
For the 44th installment of my Fresh New Tracks series, I’m featuring new songs by an array of international artists I’m particularly fond of, including, in alphabetical order – Canadian artist dwi, French producer E-Klozion and English singer-songwriter Liam Croker, Welsh band Set the Tone, and Canadian artist Western Jaguar. I’ve previously featured all of them on this blog, with the exception of E-Klozion who is new to me.
dwi – “Doom Scroll’n”
Photo of dwi from his Facebook account
Based in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia, dwi is the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dwight Abell, who’s also the longtime bassist for Canadian alternative/power pop band The Zolas. He’s an immensely creative, talented and imaginative guy, with a totally original sound and an endearingly quirky vocal style that make his music so uniquely distinctive. I think he’s one of the brightest stars today in the Canadian music scene, or anywhere really, and I’m quite fond of him. He’s released two outstanding albums – Mild Fantasy Violence in 2021 and Zoo Life in 2023, both of which I reviewed, as well as numerous singles. Three of this songs – “Good Friend” (2021), “Party4One” (2022) and “Overrated” (2023) – reached #1 on my personal Top 30 chart.
Today dwi’s back with a wonderful new single “Doom Scroll’n“, a nostalgic, melancholy song he calls his “sappiest” yet. It was recorded, engineered and produced by James Younger and Jeffrey Innes, who are both members of Canadian indie rock band Yukon Blonde and also played on the track. In an Instagram post about the the song, Dwight noted “Originally the post chorus hook was played using this mutilated digital synth midi sound but James was like ‘fuck that I’m playing guitar’, and it was a very correct choice.” James also mixed the track, which was mastered by Montano Mastering. The song starts off with a twangy guitar line, then settles into an exuberant melodic tune with a strong, head-bopping groove overlain with lots of marvelous and quirky musical textures. The lyrics speak of missing a woman he was once romantically involved with but no longer sees, and how he tortures himself by scrolling through her social media posts on his mobile phone: “And there’s a ghost, she’s living in my phone.And I can’t look away from her, so instead I’m doom scroll’n“
The photo used for the cover art is of Dwight’s wife Caitlin taken on one of their date nights.
E-Klozion x Liam Croker – “Never Coming Down”
E-Klozion is an electronic music producer and self-described “intergalactic DJ” based in Montpellier, France. Composing music with strong emotions drawn from various influences (ethnic, oriental, bass music, psychedelic, techno, house and organic), his mission is “to sow groove on the dancefloor”. He’s played alongside many internationally renowned artists such as Boris Brejcha, Nto, Extrawelt, Ann Clue and Arjuna. Liam Croker is frontman and lead vocalist of Manchester, England-based electro-funk/soul collective WINACHI, who’ve been releasing infectious sexy grooves – which they describe as “swaggering Mancunian tenacity spliced with smooth Californian G-Funk soul” – since forming in 2015. I’ve featured them and their music numerous times, most recently in March 2023 when I reviewed their single “FOR YOU I’D KILL” featuring Natalie Wilde. I had the pleasure of meeting Liam and his fellow WINACHI band members Antony Egerton and Inder Goldfinger in 2022 when they played at the landmark club The Mint in Los Angeles.
Now E-Klozion and Liam Croker have teamed up to create a new electronic dance/funk single “Never Coming Down“, which drops today. The track was co-written by them both, and produced by E-Klozion, who programmed the cool synths. Liam sang lead vocals on the track, Antony Egerton played guitar, and English singer-songwriter Christie Bellis sang backing vocals. The song is a seductive celebration of the hedonistic joys of partying with beautiful people at the dance club: “You’ll never hear me ask for just a touch, because just a touch won’t ever do much for me. You’ll see. I’m never coming down, never coming down, never coming down, cause it’s too low. Once your lost is found, where do you go?/ I’m a professional sinner, this is what I do. I ain’t no beginner baby, and I ain’t through with you.” I like the song’s funky groove and the interplay between Liam’s sassy playful croons and Christie’s teasing backing vocals. The entertaining video for the single was filmed “during an extremely hot sweaty night” at The Black Sheep music venue in Montpellier.
Set the Tone – “All for Nothing”
Photo of Set the Tone from their Facebook account
Hailing from Pontypridd, Wales (the birthplace of legendary singer Tom Jones) is Set the Tone, a pop/rock band comprised of Liam Richards on acoustic guitar and vocals, Nate Jones on electric guitar, Dan Hayman on electric guitar and backing vocals, and Rob Williams, who recently replaced outgoing member Kage Jones on bass. With their winning combination of intelligent songwriting, an infectious and pleasing sound melding elements of classic and contemporary rock, folk and pop, and charismatic stage presence, the guys have quickly built a loyal following in South Wales. Almost a year ago to the day, they released their first singles “Happy” and “Take This Chance” on April 26, followed by “Do You Really Wanna Know?” on July 5th and “Here We Go Again” on November 29th. I reviewed “Here We Go Again” last December, and the song ended up spending eight weeks on my Top 30 chart earlier this year.
The guys returned on April 4th with their fifth single “All for Nothing“, a rousing kiss off song with a harder-rocking feel than their previous releases. Over a hard-charging galloping beat fueled by a throbbing bassline and aggressive drums, the guys layer a hearty blend of melodic and grungy guitar riffs that create a thunderous backdrop for Liam’s fervent vocals. The lyrics touch on a relationship that’s run its course and is now broken beyond repair. Liam proclaims his antipathy toward his former romantic partner, while still retaining enough grace to wish her well: “I can’t wait to get over you. Now our time is done, it’s through. Take good care of your life. Not coming home to you tonight. Now it’s done, it was all for nothing. A complete waste of time.” “All for Nothing” is another fine effort by Set the Tone, keeping their record for putting out excellent songs fully intact.
Western Jaguar – “Flower Box”
Photo by Dale Klippenstein
Another personal favorite artist of mine is Western Jaguar, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor, Like dwi, he’s from the Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, and has been releasing music since 2013 as both a band comprised of an evolving lineup of musicians and more recently as a solo artist. Skillfully blending indie rock, dream pop and shoegaze, he writes songs exploring common themes of life, love, emotional well-being and loss, expressed through poetic, relatable lyrics which he delivers with pleasing vocals. I’ve been following him for nearly seven years, and have featured him four times on this blog, most recently last May (2024) when I reviewed his single “Repossess”, which was later included on his fourth album Vacationland. Two of his songs, “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart.
On April 18th, he released his latest single “Flower Box“, a rather melancholy but poignant song about someone who keeps making bad relationship choices. Jeff has this to say about the song: “‘Flower Box’ looks at a broken relationship, but viewed from a caring outsider’s perspective. It’s clear to the narrator that this person whom this friend is engaged with is a bad fit for them, and the narrator attempts to sway them to see the truth. The repeating line, ‘Are we doing this again?’ hints that this is not the first time they have felt the need to interject about the poor circle of partners this person has chosen.” With a sense of sad resignation in his voice, Western Jaguar laments “She thinks that he can be a good man. I think that he’s a good salesman. All she wants is for him to fully love her, but he’s too busy playing games on servers with her brother./ I just don’t know what you see in him.“
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 