We Talk About Music

With Echoes, Luke Wood steps fully into his own artistic orbit, one defined by authenticity, grit, and a sound that’s as textured as it is timeless. The singer-songwriter’s second release with RCSQ Records™ captures the raw heart of Eclectic Roots Groove™, a genre that’s quickly carving its place in the modern landscape. What Wood and RCSQ have created here is something more than an EP, it’s a statement of purpose, a crystallization of what happens when roots-driven storytelling meets fearless experimentation.

Chicago’s own Leo XIV, the musical identity of Dylan Leo Azadi, continues his ascent through the stratosphere of alternative pop and R&B with his latest single, “Feel.” Following the momentum of his striking debut earlier this year (“Midas”), this sophomore release solidifies Leo XIV as one of the most captivating new voices in modern music. He’s an artist unafraid to stretch the boundaries of genre while delving deep into emotional and spiritual terrain.

With “For A While,” Billboard-featured New York City songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and former Broadway performer Nicola Vazquez once again proves that few artists can match her ability to fuse raw emotion with polished musicianship. Known for her electrifying blend of pop, folk, and rock, Vazquez takes a softer yet equally commanding turn here — delivering a song that feels both intimate and cinematic, the kind of performance that lingers long after the last note fades.

Sabina Beyli is fast emerging as one of the most exciting young voices in alt-pop-rock, and her latest single, “Bad Habits,” solidifies that momentum with thrilling force. At just 22, she’s already figured out how to channel chaos into catharsis, turning self-reflection and emotional unrest into something both deeply personal and wildly anthemic. Out October 24, 2025, the track feels like a breakthrough moment, a fearless and unfiltered confession that hits as hard emotionally as it does sonically.

From its opening moments, “Bad Habits” announces itself with raw immediacy. A moody, restless instrumental gives way to a thick, swirling blend of guitars and electronic textures that pulse with tension. Beyli’s voice cuts through the mix with razor clarity; strong, emotive, and laced with just enough vulnerability to make every lyric feel like a journal entry cracked open. The song thrives on contrast: soft introspection colliding with massive, cathartic choruses, quiet moments dissolving into sonic storms.

With Destined to Fail, released on October 3rd, 2025, Violet Love delivers one of the most emotionally charged and sonically daring EPs of the year. The New Jersey-born, queer Latin American artist lays bare the unfiltered truths of self-discovery, trauma, and transformation across three stunningly crafted tracks. Clocking in at just ten minutes, this EP feels both intimate and monumental, the kind of project that lingers long after the final note fades.

With Stray Bullet Blues, Minneapolis-based guitarist, composer, and educator Cody Steinmann proves once again why he’s one of the most exhilarating players in modern jazz. Across eight instrumental tracks spanning a generous 52 minutes, Steinmann brings his signature fusion of jazz and rock into sharper, harder focus, leaning into a bolder, electrified sound that brims with urgency and energy. The result is an album that feels both virtuosic and visceral and one that we are looooving.

Whitney have always had a gift for turning the everyday into something luminous, but Small Talk feels like the album where they’ve distilled everything they’ve been chasing since their debut into one cohesive statement. Set for release November 7th on AWAL, the Chicago band’s fourth record is not just their most affecting to date, it’s arguably their best, full stop. If their past albums flirted with brilliance, this one weds it, an effortless blend of their signature soft-focus soul, shimmering folk-rock warmth, and tenderly crafted pop that glows from the first note to the last.

Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek spoke candidly with us about the making of this record, and what came through most clearly was a sense of freedom. Every instrument sits exactly where it should, every harmony breathes, and yet the album never feels overworked. Partially recorded in the confines of their apartment, it quickly proved you don’t need multimillion-dollar studio space to create something that’s as grand as this is.

September 26th at Italia Square in Tirana marked the explosive launch of this year’s Check In Festival, and one of the undisputed highlights of Electronic Night was a masterful DJ set from none other than Trentemøller. A legend in the electronic music scene, his presence alone electrified the crowd, but it was the way he curated the night that turned his set into a defining moment of the festival. Even better, we had an interview him backstage which you can check out below!

From the very first notes of their latest release, In Balance prove why Bakersfield might just be harboring one of the most exciting punk bands in the scene right now. Their new 7” record, Unforgivable, out via Transcendental Revolution, may only carry two tracks, but it punches well above its weight. Limited to just 100 copies pressed on translucent California Clear vinyl, the project feels less like a routine drop and more like a love letter to the urgency and spirit of modern punk.

With his latest release, “Jumping From So High” (out September 2th), Leo Sawikin cements himself as one of indie music’s most compelling rising voices. It’s a euphoric, dream pop–leaning track that glows with optimism and bursts of color, but at its core, it also reveals a songwriter with rock roots and a keen sense of craft. Produced by Seattle legend Phil Ek, the single feels expansive, cinematic, and effortlessly uplifting, a signpost of bigger things to come for Sawikin as he maps out an ambitious run of singles, an EP, and a full album rollout stretching into 2026.