ROCK

Pennan Brae knows that rock ’n’ roll never really goes out of style; sometimes, it just needs the right guitar riff, a Hammond organ, and a drummer who knows exactly when to make the whole thing swing. On Studio, the Vancouver-based singer-songwriter delivers a seven-track collection steeped in the spirit…

Something is spellbinding about “My Heart May Slumber,” the debut single from Helsinki-based project Krumbukten. Opening with bounding drums and a sweeping rush of sound, the track immediately establishes an expansive and introspective mood. The rhythm has a satisfying weight to it, with slow, rumbling percussion giving the arrangement room…

Halloween gets a healthy dose of goofy mischief with Sheldon Mashugana’s cover of “Monster Mash,” the beloved seasonal classic originally made famous by Bobby Pickett in 1962. The comedic alter ego of Dallas-based performer Dean Morgan, Sheldon is all about slapstick silliness and feel-good entertainment, and this rendition wastes no…

D.D.R. kicks off its second chapter with “Fire at Will,” a lively, guitar-driven rock number that turns a simple play on words into an increasingly ridiculous tale of bad luck. The brainchild of Indiana-based songwriter and novelist Stephen Paul, the Divorced Dad Rock project has a knack for blending melodic…

Life has a way of moving between warmth and cold, bringing moments of connection and joy before leaving us to navigate the chill of loss. On “Seasons (To Be Human),” released October 1, 2026, British singer-songwriter Steven Luke turns that familiar emotional cycle into a sweeping classic rock experience, pairing…

Born out of Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Strip during the late ’80s and early ’90s, the band Nasty Passion, returns with the same unfiltered rock ’n’ roll attitude that helped define its identity. This time around, they’re not simply dusting off old memories; they’re bringing that hard-rock swagger back with a…

Mad Painter brings the grand gestures and muscular melodies of classic British rock roaring back to life on Island Poetry, an album that celebrates the drama, grit, and adventurous spirit of the 1970s without getting trapped in a nostalgia loop. Led by vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter Alex Gitlin, the Boston-based…

MICHAEL & THE GUILLOTINE make grief feel startlingly present on “Ghosts at 3 AM,” an alternative rock single that explores the strange way someone can remain part of your life long after they are gone. Released September 25, 2026, the track moves through regret, memory and sleepless longing. The song…

Minnesota singer-songwriter Paul Jarmer turns grief into an intimate reckoning on “Stay,” a deeply personal alternative-rock song about losing his mother and confronting all the time he wishes he could have back. Coming after years away from music while rebuilding his life through recovery, therapy and self-reflection, the track carries…

On ROCK N ROLL ANIMAL, the Toronto rocker, Emily Mac, turns heartbreak, toxic relationships and existential anxiety into a ferocious collection of classic-rock muscle, bluesy grit and glam-rock attitude. Produced by Dajaun Martineau, the debut EP sounds like Mac taking everything that threatens to bury her and throwing it straight…