Check out our featured picks for this week!

“Gaslighting,” by Children of the Sün: Embodying the souls of the classic rockers of the sixties and seventies era, this rock band explodes into the scope of modernizing and revamping rock music as we know it. This single pushes the boundaries in evoking a sense of soul-binding guitar riffs, chilling female-led vocals, and gritty rock and roll, all while recreating the feelings of love in their own way, while honoring the greats as they had done it.

This single fills in the lines of nature and its relationship with love and inner strength. Written and completed while staying within the nature reserve of Glaskogen, Sweden, they break down the feelings of toxic love, breaking free from it, and out from it coming an explosion of growth after breaking bad patterns and learning the hard life lessons that come in cutting off connections that will only result in wilting and rotting away.

“Highest Heels,” by Dean Hansen: Pulled into the track immediately by its infectiously catchy bass lines, the vocals pour into the scene with the words “Got the highest heels on,” which blends in the seductive energy of the track all the further. This artist channels the energy of the likes of the Arctic Monkeys in the track; and out from the spark of inspiration their track, “Riot Van,” gave him, a masterpiece of perfect poetry was formed.

I quickly found lyrics for the two verses (originally there were three) and came up with a catchy piano riff based around the F# Minor, D Major and B Minor chords. For the chorus lyrics, I remember playing the piano riff over and over again for months before stumbling upon the words ‘I know, I know, baby at home it’s so alone, I know, I know, I know…’. For me, these words helped distill exactly what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. After having the words and piano riff ready, I started to work with a brilliant producer who helped polish off the song and give it a distinct sound. For 8 months, we worked on perfecting the multiple guitar lines, especially in the solo section, and finding better ways to make important sections stand out (like the 2nd verse harmonies). When we were nearly done a month ago, I decided to have one of my best friends record the fantastic bass line heard throughout the song.

~ Dean Hansen

“Flawless System Broken,” by J. Monaco: This versatile musician- a pianist, singer, and film composer- seamlessly mixes the boundaries of genre in his sound. Touching on progressive rock, jazz fusion, trip hop, nu jazz, synthwave, and more in his works, the Guadalajara born artist shares a multi-faceted talent for music.

From his debut album, Nature Rising, this single is a myriad of motifs inspired by the translation of his experience and intentions of the musical language. Conveying a powerful part of his journey as an artist, the works of his embark with a heavy beat, blended in with piano, trip elements, and alluring vocals that pull you into the world of his as he tells his story to what feels to be you and you only.

“I Am Your Wasteland,” by GAZAL: Curated by chaos, this artist traverses through the diverse sounds of pop and bends their definitions and lines. Her music is cathartic and captivating as she dwells in the scattered feelings of nostalgia, growing pains, and the art of inspiration and the struggles that come with it.

This single is her second ever, written from the experience of where the two-way street of relationships reach a dead end. And she takes the plunge and expands the depths, the hopes and the fears that situation brings with soulful depth and groove-inducing beats.

“safer in the dark,” by Alicia Lov: Fusing pop with alternative elements, this track bends the rule of genre all while embodying enough of a base to reflect the likes of earlier Billie Eilish, with a refreshing twist of its own.

Unconstrained by genre, this artist explores different styles of sound to capture the integrity of her music. Rooted in personal experiences, her creative endeavors began when she started out as a dancer, and expanded just as her love for the creativity and growth artistically has.

“Viridian Dreams,” by Sarah Michelle: This folk track introduces dreamy vocals paired with raw acoustic guitar and emotive lyrics depicting the pain of being apart from the one you love.

Viridian Dreams tells the story of the heartbreak of long distance, and the grief that comes with being thousands of miles away from the person you want to be with most. The climax of the emotional vocals paired with tasteful uses of cello and deep, steady guitar, parallel the personal realization of hopelessness and despair that clings on for dear life.

“Pacific,” by Luke Beling: Ridden with a sense of personal nostalgia for the long and scenic road trips up and down the Pacific Ocean, as a west-coast native, this track spoke in a personal sense as I long for the memories and wandering to come. Much like the rolling waves, the instrumentals pull you in to the ebb and flow to experience the ocean’s vastness and beauty in its expanse.

This artist is becoming known for his inlays of hope and whispers of joy blown by the winds of wildness and freedom. Rising in the indie folk world, his sound enhances the time capsule of memories grown in music, creating feelings along with listening in ways not unlike the greats of the folk and storytelling world.

“Dirty Red Shoes,” by Tyler Allgood: A breakthrough story of the artist’s personal journey past homelessness and overcoming the helpless grip of addiction, this folk track is a powerful one. Vulnerably raw lyrics offer a poetic look into this distinctive chapter in his life journey in a way that evokes a grip of emotion that pulls you in.

The self-taught, multi-instrumentalist from New Hampshire showcases his talents at their finest with this live performance below. In his world of dark poetry, his work is authentically empowering, inspiring change and longing in a way that’s rarely seen in the music world today.

What was your favorite song this week? Let us know in the comments, and stream the tracks in full on our very own playlist!

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