Single: ELIKSA – Only a Matter of Time
In their new single, the artist Eliksa channels a new wave sensibility that feels like it was shot straight out of a previous decade.
SilenceKid
Album: Moon Void – The Gathering
Triangulate the aesthetics of Grouper, Skullcrusher, and Maria B.C., and you get something like the breathtaking new album “The Gathering” from Moon Void.
Single: Simen Mitlid – Backside
In both form and content, Simen Mitlid’s “Backside” sounds like Nick Drake wrote a song about skating.
Album: The Royal Firecrackers – American Royal
These songs carry the torch of an earlier era in indie rock, one that leans heavily on ready-made guitar hooks and propulsive drums.
Single: GRAZER – When You Looked At Me
Grazer’s latest single comes replete with retro synths, washed out vocals, and anthemic hooks that defy the limitations of both genre and fandom.
Single: Human Barbie – Ghosted
The restrained feel of “Ghosted” belies an undeniable hook that will likely stick with you for some time.
Single: Rupit – Omen
The Dutch musician Rupit’s mysterious new single “Omen” seamlessly blends pop and experimental impulses.
EP: Stella Lovell – Stella Lovell
Stella Lovell’s sound recalls artists like Lydia Loveless and Karly Hartzman, leaning further into the rock elements than the twangy Americana.
Single: Mirrorball – Devil Mirror
The band Mirrorball crafts a mesmerizing pop song that somehow manages to channel the best sounds of two incredibly disparate decades.
Single: fleecepantwarm – counsel
Somewhere in the Blue Mountains in Australia, a range I have never seen, the artist fleecepantwarm composes folk music that somehow still feels like home.
EP: New, Not Shameful – Interlude
Interlude warrants headphones and solitude, and even if that means canceling plans and hanging in for the evening, you won’t regret it.
Single: Trails and Ways – Young
Trails and Ways comes out of what they describe as a “foggy, coastal indie-pop world” armed to the teeth with pop hooks and karaoke-ready harmonies.
Single: Nicole Saphos Band – Virtually For No One
The Nicole Saphos Band deftly adapts a number of compelling influences and styles for their
Single: Hampi – Was That You?
Hampi’s latest instrumental dreamscape opens with all nostalgia before culminating in a euphoric sound collage of a post-rock haze.
Single: Raw Honey – The Key
“The Key” emits a well-crafted pop melody that goes down easy, living up to the bandname, but the introspective lyrics warrant savoring over time.
Single: Mayfire – Daylight
Mayfire’s debut single suggests a maturity beyond their years, with guitar-driven hooks and layered lyrics.
Single: The Pretty Flowers – To Be So Cool
An earworm to be sure, but one that refuses to succumb to the overly polished and non-edgy production of mainstream radio.
Single: Hockitay – over/over
In the wake of their 2025 EP, slo mach, Hockitay reveals a more introspective style that reflects incisively on the toxic social media climate of our contemporary moment.
Single: James Wyatt Crosby – And The Sky
And the Sky might be my favorite song of 2026 so far.
Single: Nixon Boyd – You Will Always Get Away With It
Nixon Boyd’s new single, “You Will Always Get Away With It” packages a well-honed pop sensibility in an easygoing and mid-tempo tune about friendship and forgiveness.