Discovering the new music underground around the globe
Reggae/Review Mikhaelize - Elle était l'océan
Mikhaelize is a writer and poet working to harmonize environmental energies. He writes about a variety of themes, such as the multidimensionality of being and realities beyond the visible. For him, tending towards these dimensions through art—the sensitive vibration of words and sounds—constitutes the musical and emotional space whose source of inspiration draws directly from the currents of infinity.
Pop/Review Sandy King - No Words
As a Denver, Colorado, native, music has always been a part of Sandy King's life. A self-taught musician, she started playing piano at 7 and guitar at 13. She wrote her first song at 15 and performed in various rock, pop, and variety bands in Colorado for over 30 years. Her first CD was a collaborative effort with her sister, Kathy, a lyricist and vocalist. The “Play” CD was completely her sole creation of both lyrics and music, along with the songs on the next EP release.
Rock/Review Asgard Raven - Chasing Your Dreams
Asgard Raven is an indie-rock artist from the south of England, UK. Producing songs born from experiences during deployments in the Army, Joe (singer and songwriter) has taken the next step towards bringing them to life and releasing them to the public. Drawing on many influences, including punk, rock, blues, and indie music, he produces a unique landscape of sound reminiscent of early 90s brit pop and rock records.
Electronic/Review Mélanger le Miel - Changing States
Mélanger le Miel is a 21-year-old producer, pianist, and DJ from Geneva, Switzerland. Having spent much of his time studying in the UK and Australia, ‘Sebastian’ produces Jungle and Electronica, influenced by the sounds of Four Tet, 4AM Kru, and Adam Pits. As a member of the 6-piece jazz/funk group ‘Flavour’, the Melbourne-based collective offers a platform to express more jazz-fused electro music. Now, through an independent scope, the founder of artist-connect platform and record label Mélange brings a piano-based electronic tapestry fuelled by synth melodies, melancholy vocals, and dance music.
Pop/Review Kelsie Kimberlin - Twinkle
Kelsie Kimberlin is an American-Ukrainian musician and singer. Her work is not only accessible and entertaining but also steeped in important social themes and dual meanings, underscoring her deep understanding of the power of creative music to evoke change. From an early age, Kelsie immersed herself in music, singing in choirs, participating in Yoko Ono’s Peace Project, and spending much of her childhood in music studios working on an endless stream of original songs.
Jazz/Review Ultrablue - Herbie
Ultrablue, NY pianist John Smatla's mostly instrumental project, has been called "smooth jazz with a New York attitude." Piano-centric and more musically challenging than many in the genre, Ultrablue fuses jazz elements with r&b, pop, and world music flavors. Ultrablue features a variety of mostly-NY-based all-star instrumentalists. Players include Randy Brecker, guitarists Chieli Minucci of Special EFX, Brazilian legends Romero LuBambo and Dave Stryker, drummers Omar Hakim and Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra), bassists John Benitez, John Pattituci, and Hubert Eaves, and percussionist Mino Cinelu.
Rock/Review RISE - Here I Am
RISE is a dynamic four-piece band hailing from Liverpool, England. Known for their high-energy performances and distinctive sound, RISE is making waves in the rock music scene. The band features: Sam Kinley (aka stayMellow) on bass and vocals Paul Kinley on keyboards and backing vocals Alex Mahoney on drums Brian Petch on guitar RISE creates a powerful blend of high-tempo rock, driven by melodic vocal hooks and a seamless mix of synths and guitars.
Hip-Hop/Review YDV - WHERE I STAY
YDV entered the music game to create an impact, not to follow the traditional rules set before him. Taking inspiration from the greats, YDV sets his intention to take you on a cinematic journey through his music and accompanying visuals that bend hip-hop, pop, rap, and EDM all into one another. More than anything, YDV's music comments on the duality of everything that exists in front of us—how any one moment can be seen through multiple different lenses all at once.
Metal/Review Noiz Ritual - Embrace The Noiz
Νoiz Ritual is a 4+1 piece band that was formed in 2022 by John Varvas (4lt) on vocals, Nick Christolis (Four Sides of Strange, ex-Ghost Season, ex-Potergeist) on guitars, Mantalena Krikelli (Vegan Mosquitoes, Heavenblack, ex-Lost Arcadia) on drums, and Ilias Xirogiannis (Imperfection) on bass. The band was brought together by a shared longing for the 90s grunge music scene and the alternative rock and nu-metal of the 2000s.
Folk/Review The Melancholic Folk Collective - Virtual Travelogue (An Acoustic Odyssey)
The Melancholic Folk Collective is a project headed by Tom Vernel, consisting of this album by Vernel and Dani Romo. The second album is simpler, with fewer personnel and a more acoustic version of the sound they are trying to create. All songs were written and arranged by Tom Vernel, with production by Dani Romo. Tom did all the vocal work, and Dani did all the guitar and bass work.
Pop/Review Ava Valianti - January
Ava Valianti is a singer-songwriter from Massachusetts whose talent and passion for music have catapulted her onto the global stage. With a distinctive voice and indie pop flair, Ava’s music resonates with audiences worldwide, sparking comparisons with artists such as Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Renee Rap, and Gracie Abrams. Following the success of her first two singles, ‘bubble wrap’ and ‘Middle Ground’, Ava continues to make waves in the music industry with her much anticipated third single, ‘January’, released on May 24th.
Country/Review Dax - A Real Man
Dax is a rising artist who is currently making something from absolutely nothing.
Electronic/Review Ian Mathias-Baker - Specific Gravity
Ian Mathias-Baker is a British-born composer and producer, currently living in the Lecrín valley, south of Granada, in Spain.
Electronic/Review Mortal Prophets - Brian Eno In Heaven
Beckmann doesn’t waste any time setting the scene in the opening salvo of his Mortal Prophets debut, Stomp the Devil. As the sky turns black, a sinister rainstorm slides across the horizon, and lightning cuts through its inky canvas like Death’s scythe—a not-so-subtle warning to step away from your speakers or succumb to Beckmann’s raw, ominous sound.
Techno/Review George Bolton's Trancendental - Atomic
George Bolton's Trancendental is a project by George Bolton, a Boston artist, songwriter, engineer, and former music video assistant. George is a veteran of the Rhode Island, Chicago, Boston, and New York music scenes and has been writing electronic music since the early 1980s.
Metal/Review Ephemeral Skies - Inside These Walls
Ephemeral Skies is a project by Jonatan Berg. He is mainly a guitarist, but here he is taking care of most of the instruments and the vocals too, together with Alva Gavander.
Metal/Review Forever in Transit - Let Go Your Earthly Tether
A focus on the journey and growth rather than a fixation on the end goal or destination. The sensation of floating, suspended in the air, never quite reaching your intended destination—carried over peaks and valleys of high-energy progressive metal and complex, multilayered ambience. Armed with an ethos of artistic freedom and a forward-thinking mentality, Forever in Transit aims to take the listener on a sonic journey without regard for established conventions.
Pop/Review Natalia Quest - Redemption
Natalia Quest is a bilingual singer-songwriter born in Russia and currently residing in Los Angeles. She holds degrees in music and psychology and is passionate about alchemizing personal and collective shadows through art. In an era of rapid AI development, Natalia strives to keep her music highly authentic and charged, both emotionally and energetically. She believes that true art can only be channeled and received, not generated by the human brain.
Pop/Review myah - notice you
myah was born and raised in South Florida. She started making music at a young age. Her sound blends alternative rock, pop, and pop-punk melodies. Influenced by bands like Foxing, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Sylvan Esso, and Twenty-One Pilots, her love for alternative music solidified her decision to make music of a similar caliber while still incorporating those familiar pop beats. Storytelling is a huge part of her music identity; she writes lyrics that tap into her own life experiences with hints of nostalgia.
Pop/Review Red Skies Mourning - Beautiful Things
Red Skies Mourning is a solo artist and multi-instrumentalist; he is one of the finest examples of a musician searching for his groove and arriving in the moment with a new sound that transcends all his previous work. From a US Marine to the stage, he is greater than the sum of all of his parts and an artist on the cusp of individual greatness. Making music is never an overnight process.