Valley is Back with “Throwback Tears'“
Dry those eyes because Valley is coming back!
Canadian alt-pop band Valley have announced their highly-anticipated sophomore album, Lost In Translation coming June 23rd. While we wait, the band has shared the album’s lead single “Throwback Tears.”
Daniel Seavey Wants to “Runaway”
Coming out of a boyband, we’re seeing the growth of the 23-year-old singer. Over a synth-pop instrumental, Seavey expresses his desire to run away with his partner. The electric sound is a new side to the cello-playing musician, but it’s not unwelcome.
The Greeting Committee Keeps It Simple with “Anything But You”
The Greeting Committee proves that simplicity is the key with "Anything But You." With the verses' straightforward drum beat and melodic guitar, Addie's voice stands out to highlight the lyrics. "I'll jump if you jump," but I already had" captures the heartfelt simplicity of falling in love.
Wallice Opens Up with “Japan”
The introspective song veers away from the previously grunge and alt-rock-styled tracks of the singer-songwriter as Wallice takes a gentler approach with “Japan". An acoustic guitar lays the track's foundation and strings slowly add to the mix. Combined with soft vocals and touching lyrics, Wallice creates a beautiful stunning song that tugs at your heartstrings.
Sam Hunt Brings Nostalgia with “Start Nowhere”
Sam Hunt’s latest release is “Start Nowhere”, a stripped-down song that looks back at his childhood. "When I need to get back to who I am / There ain’t but just one road there / Sometimes you gotta start nowhere," Hunt reminisces about simpler times.
"SH!TSHOW' Is The New Release From NERIAH
Creating an almost vocoder effect, NERIAH multiplies her vocals in the chorus as she sings “baby you're a shit show, and I'm in the front row.” With all of the shitshow's failings, NERIAH establishes that she's “not one of your bitches”. The chorus inspires a cathartic release for anyone who's ever dated a shitshow.
Chelsea Cutler Returns With “Men On The Moon”
“We put men on the moon, but I can't figure out what is missin'. And in every room, you're right in front of me. We find pictures in stars, but they're thousands of miles away, oh”. Exploring the difficulties of human connection, Cutler points out the irony of investing in space exploration to try and learn a tiny bit more about the universe, but we are unwilling to invest energy into understanding the people who are right in front of us.
Ethan Bortnick is on Fire with “arsonists”
Producer and pianist Ethan Bortnick recently released his new track “arsonists”. The haunting track tells of unrequited love and heartbreak.
Soft piano and haunting vocals start the song and we know the relationship is doomed from the beginning as Bortnick sings “something about you already hurts / already know that we will crash and burn”.
Lexi Jayde Releases “what’s the matter with you”
Cowritten and produced by FINNEAS, the track is upbeat while maintaining an air of vulnerability. Reflective and brooding, Jayde sings about being afraid to fall in love again. Despite the subject being “such a gentleman”, Jayde defends her unwillingness to fall by singing “I told you I don’t have the time to fall in love again”.
The Beaches are back with “My People”
“My People” follows the theme of being young, dumb, and broke in a big city while keeping to The Beaches' alt rock sound with an enticing guitar riff, stirring bass line, and punchy drums.
Louis Tomlinson is back with “Better Than Me”
“Bigger Than Me” is a guitar driven rock-pop anthem that embraces change and personal growth. From stripped back verses to a punchy chorus, Tomlinson shows off his range in a way we haven’t heard before.
Annie DiRusso Delivers “Call It All Off”
The Nashville based artist just released “Call It All Off” on Wednesday and I cannot take it off repeat. Pop infused indie rock, DiRusso’s catchy sound sneaks up on you to get stuck in your head. An element that makes DiRusso so captivating is her vocal qualities. “Call It All Off '' perfectly demonstrates how DiRusso balances being gentle and powerful.
We’re Taking Seeing Double’s New Single: “Take It Or Leave It”
Seeing Double is back with their third single “Take It Or Leave It”. Breaking out earlier this year, the band grabbed people with their unique blend of ‘70s inspired grooves and modern indie sound. The Oneonta band’s previous two releases “Leah” and “Don’t Wait” accumulated over 2.5 million total streams and they show no sign of slowing down.
The Messy Honesty of “Becky’s So Hot”
Fletcher shared the story behind the song in an interview with Zane Lowe. "I wrote "Becky’s So Hot" a couple years ago after I was creeping on my ex’s new girlfriend’s Instagram while I was in the studio. I accidentally liked a picture of her wearing a vintage t-shirt of my ex’s, one that I’ve worn before. The complexities of moving on were something I wanted to explore, and it felt more interesting to me to write something from the perspective of being in in awe of her.”
HOW DO YOU LOVE SOMEBODY
Coming a long way from their first release in 2016, today, the group’s sound is more mature. “HOW DO YOU LOVE SOMEBODY” leans into the rocky side of pop than their previous more poppy tracks in the past. The music video even gives them an almost rock band aesthetic with a minimal color palette. The black and red aesthetic and lettering of the painted drum set brings back strong memories of old 5SOS, but the black and white dress code is very much in WDW style.
I Blame Finals...and the World
"I Blame The World" is Sasha Alex Sloan’s latest album and the perfect accompaniment for angsty feelings as you ponder your existence and all your life’s choices to date. Continuing on the same path she carved out on her previous album “Only Child”, Sloan keeps the same emotional feel to her music by writing songs that feel almost like diary entries. Lyrics demonstrate her vulnerability while soft vocals drive a sense of intimacy.
Lizzy McAlpine Doesn't Fall Flat with Five Seconds Flat
Releasing music since 2018, Lizzy McAlpine has blazed onto the scene. Her sophomore album Five Seconds Flat was released this past Friday and it is a masterpiece. There are four collaborations on this album including erase me ft. Jacob Collier, reckless driving ft. Ben Kessler, weird ft. Laura Elliot, and hate to be lame ft. FINNEAS. While McAlpine keeps consistent with her recognizable staples, she manages to change her sound each song to keep things fresh.
Don't Miss Will Linley
You don’t want to miss Will Linley’s debut single, “Miss me (when you’re gone)” that just dropped this week. It’s only been a few days and the song has already made its way onto Topsify’s “Tomorrow’s Hits” playlist...and for good reason. The song is a smash.
Sara Kays, Annie DiRusso @ Mercury Lounge
Kays’ first ep “A House Too Big” was released in 2018 and she has since released two more EPs. “Camera Shy” came out in 2021 and her newest EP “Struck by Lightning” in 2021. She also has a couple of singles including the popular hit “Home For The Summer.” With a strong social media presence, the singer-songwriter has garnered a lot of attention, especially on TikTok. Thanks to her virality, Kays has now amassed over 4 million listeners on Spotify as people feel connected to her songs. On the wide spectrum of pop, Kays sits strongly on the alternative side. A heavy lyrical focus combined with a light acoustic sound has Kays climbing the ladder of alt pop.