For the latest installment of my Fresh New Tracks series, I’m featuring new songs by an international array of acts. They are, in alphabetical order, Italian indie garage rock band Blake Rascals, English alt-rock band Future Theory, American shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix, and Canadian Country collaborative Shimmer Road.

Blake Rascals – “Conspiracy Of Snakes”

Hailing from Ancona province in central Italy are Blake Rascals, an indie garage rock trio formed early this year. With a name inspired by their shared love for British poet and painter William Blake, who often used the image of a snake to represent the complexity of the human soul, its temptations and its rebellions, their sound is a distinctive blend of British indie rock and garage / post-punk revival influences by such acts as Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Raconteurs. The band is comprised of Giuseppe Palumbo (vocals and guitar), Andrea Marcellini (bass and backing vocals) and Simone Raggetti (drums and backing vocals). Andrea previously released music under his solo acoustic folk music project Andy K Leland, and I featured him numerous times on this blog between 2017-2019.

On June 10th, Blake Rascals released their debut single “Conspiracy Of Snakes“, and it’s a glorious hard-charging banger! The song opens with a powerful stomping drumbeat which is soon joined by heavy bass and a sensuous reverby guitar riff, then explodes into a maelstrom of distorted guitars and thunderous percussion, creating an electrifying soundscape for Giuseppe’s commanding vocals. And just when we think the guys have taken things as far as they can, they let loose with a furious onslaught of raging guitars and pummeling rhythms at the end for an exhilarating finish. I love it!

Future Theory – “Reality Buzz”

A long-time favorite British music act of mine is alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory, a Lincolnshire, England-based four-piece comprised of Max Sander (rhythm guitar and vocals), Chris Moore (lead guitar), Jacob Brookes (bass) and Rohan Parrett (drums). Blending elements of alternative and progressive rock, psychedelia, grunge, shoegaze and funk, they create arresting songs featuring complex melodies and arrangements, and delivered with lavish instrumentation and Max’s mesmerizing vocals. Since first learning about them in early 2017, I’ve been consistently impressed by their intelligent songwriting and strong musicianship, and have written about them and their outstanding music numerous times. Their single “One and the Same” reached #3 on my Top 30 chart and ranks #42 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list, while their gorgeous “Why” went all the way to #1 and ranks #18 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023.

Now this talented band is back with “Reality Buzz“, their first new single since “Skin” in December 2023, and it was worth the wait! The song grabbed my attention right away with its swirling psychedelic guitars, Max’s distinctive sultry vocals and infectious head-bopping groove propelled by an insistent drumbeat. As the track progresses, we’re treated to more of Chris and Max’s awe-inspiring guitar prowess as they lay down a barrage of scorching riffs, fortified by Jacob’s grinding bass and Rohan’s boisterous drums. Future Theory never fail to deliver a quality song, and “Reality Buzz” instantly ranks among my favorite songs by them.

Icarus Phoenix – “Mark & Kyle”

The wonderfully-named Icarus Phoenix is a shoegaze/indie rock band originally formed in Missoula, Montana in 2020, but now based in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Fronted by silky-voiced singer-songwriter and guitarist Drew Danburry (who’s independently released a staggering amount of solo music since 2002, including over 400 songs on over 20 albums and 13 EPs), Icarus Phoenix has released quite a bit of music as well, starting with their self-titled debut album in 2021, followed by two more albums that year, another in 2022 and their most recent, I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said, last August (2024). In Nov 2022, Drew recorded 40 songs in three days at June Audio in Provo, Utah with producer Jed Jones (Post malone, The Killers), also recruiting the help of longtime friends Jake Bellows of the band Neva Dinova to play additional guitar, Justin Pacheco on bass, and Icarus Phoenix bandmate Andrew Young on drums. Since the release of I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said, Icarus Phoenix has been dropping singles at a rate of one every three weeks, many of which will be included on a deluxe edition of their aforementioned album, to be released next month. In March I wrote about their gorgeous song “Poor Sad Indie Everything”, which recently spent 15 weeks on my Top 30 chart, three of them at #10.

Their latest offering is “Mark & Kyle“, a heartwarming song about his English friend Mark who adopted a young boy named Kyle. Drew explains: “Mark has been a long time friend for twenty years at least. He’s always wanted to be a parent. Dreams come true. Sometimes those dreams are difficult and wonderful. It’s all part of the process of life I guess.” I love the song’s breezy melody, chiming guitars and what sounds like a mellotron. And it goes without saying I also love Drew’s warm vocals as he sings the poignant lyrics “When Kyle first met Mark and called him “Dad” he coulda cried. Adopting someone changes more than one life, if its right. So they play hide & seek to find their feet and then they dodge the cracks so they don’t fall in.” Kyle created the sweet artwork for the single.

And here’s Drew singing an acoustic version of the song:

Shimmer Road – “Branson”

Shimmer Road is a collaborate country music project fronted by the enormously talented and versatile singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson. Born and raised in Edmonton, Canada where she still resides, Shimmer also spent her teenage years in Branson, Missouri, as well as some time as an adult in Los Angeles. She began her music career singing country songs, but eventually branched out into adult contemporary pop, rock and even dance music, all of which she handles with ease. She’s recorded music both as a solo artist and in collaboration with numerous other songwriters and producers from around the globe, creating a truly impressive repertoire of outstanding songs. I’ve featured her numerous times on this blog over the past seven years, and two of her songs, the terrific 2021 dance single “Starts With You” and “Essence”, a stunning 2023 collaboration with Danish composer and producer Refeci, have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart, the latter also ranking #7 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.

The prolific artist must be running on some kind of bionic energy force, as today she drops not one but two new singles – an enthralling collaboration “All I Need to Know” with Dutch producer and songwriter Plux, and “Branson” with her country band Shimmer Road. And this is on the heels of another single she released only a week ago! I’ve chosen to feature “Branson”, as I rarely write about country music. Co-written with her husband Corey, the song is a lovely autobiographical ode to the Missouri town where she spent her formative years. Shimmer explains: “This is about my life in Branson throughout my teenage years and how it will always be my home no matter where life takes me.” In addition to Shimmer on vocals and Corey on bass and keyboards, Shimmer Road also includes Jay Road on drums, Alan Tymofichuk on guitar and Ryan Williams on steel guitar. It’s a beautiful song that has a more traditional country vibe, which in addition to Shimmer’s captivating vocals is why I find it so appealing.