Reviews

Tony Frissore makes “vibes” feel intentional with “Island Lantern Festival.” He’s an independent artist who usually plays in the space between funk, groove, and modern texture, who entertains but still likes to nudge your brain a bit. Here, he goes softer and more transportive, aiming for that Lunar New Year…

Nashville singer-songwriter Kate Kristine has a talent for saying the quiet part out loud, and “stranger i can’t tell” (released Jan 9, 2026) is one of those songs that feels like it was pulled straight from a late-night notes app entry. It’s raw, specific, and a little too relatable. She’s…

Western Australia’s Clay Brown & the Trouble Round Town have been building their rep the old-fashioned way, with gigs, festival slots, and two 2025 singles (“All My Friends” and “No Place”) that picked up radio spins across Australia. Now they’re lining up their next move with “Satisfy Your Mind” (out…

Baltimore’s Will Sims sounds like he’s done being patient. “I Gave It All For You” (out Feb 6, 2026) is him planting a flag in hard rock territory with the full-chested conviction you don’t get from half-committed singles. Recorded at Deep End Studio with Grammy-nominated producer Tony Correlli and powered…

Essex artist Cabra has always moved like someone allergic to genre fences, with UK hip-hop in one pocket, smooth R&B in the other, and the occasional flash of American-rap swagger when the mood hits. On “Cruel Games,” he links with Mz (a familiar name around the ES6 collective) and, honestly,…

Hana Piranha has never been the “keep it cute” type. After making noise with Wingspan in 2023, they come back swinging with “Valentine,” a single that’s as addictive as it is unsettling—and the first proper taste of their forthcoming Heart of Darkness EP (due late 2026). The band’s whole thing…

Banquet Darling is basically what happens when a globe-trotting circus acrobat decides pop music needs more danger, more glitter, and a little “summon-the-dancefloor-demons” energy. Todd Kilby’s Newcastle/Muloobinba project has always thrived on eclectic curveballs (their 2021 debut Dreamlove Obscura built a cult following for a reason), and “Dynamite Daddy” (out…

Vladyslav Ustiuhov’s debut recording of Beethoven’s “Waldstein” (Op. 53), “Appassionata” (Op. 57), and Op. 111 is like a line in the sand. Shaped by Ukrainian and Russian musical roots, then sharpened through intense training at the Boston Conservatory and the Frost School of Music, Ustiuhov plays these sonatas like they’re…

Glasgow’s heavyskint don’t really do “polite.” Since forming in 2024 and locking in their current line-up in early 2025, they’ve been ripping through the city with sold-out shows and sweat-soaked intensity, including turns at iconic rooms like King Tut’s and QMU. Their second single, “When Are You Coming For Me…

Brett Ashby approaches music like an artist expanding his canvas. Known internationally since his 2009 Obama collage caught fire at Art Basel Miami, Ashby has spent years moving between large-scale visual art, billboards in Miami and New York, live performance painting, and film. Now, with “La Luna,” he extends that…