DISCOVERING THE NEW MUSIC UNDERGROUND AROUND THE GLOBE
Rock/Review Aaron Thompson - Swing That Hammer
Aaron Thompson is a Sacramento-area songwriter, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and pastoral musician. His music blends Americana, folk-rock, roots, soul, reggae, and socially conscious storytelling. Through Modern Feelings Music, Thompson creates independent recordings built around real instruments, real performances, and stories drawn from modern American life.
R&B/Review The Lions Groove - Sunrise in Your Eyes
Emerging from the historic streets of Rome, Italy, The Lions Groove represents a bold new chapter in contemporary R&B, fusing ancient rhythms with cutting-edge production techniques. This solo artist has carved out a distinctive sonic identity by honouring the universal language of tribal percussion while embracing modern technology as a creative partner.
Folk/Review Cupp - Heavens Gate
Hailing from Palos Hills, United States, Cupp is an artist shaped by the very experiences that define their creative vision. Working alongside collaborator Suno, Cupp crafts music that serves as a mirror to the past, reflecting both light and shadow in equal measure. Their creative process unfolds within a versatile large open studio space that doubles as a podcast, photography, and office hub—a testament to their multifaceted artistic approach.
Pop/Review Shelita - Open To You
Shelita is an international pop artist from Seattle whose journey blends resilience, reinvention, and music that transcends borders. She first rose to prominence with her innovative fusion of pop, electronic, and global sounds, earning features in Billboard, Forbes, Rolling Stone, Earmilk, and NPR. Her songs have reached millions of streams worldwide, charted on Billboard, and connected with audiences from Los Angeles to Morocco, Paris, and Tokyo.
Pop/Review AstroVoyager - Mission SuperHabitable
Multifaceted 2019 Independent Music Award Nominee AstroVoyager (Philippe Fagnoni) is a French composer, performer and electronic music producer. Possessing a fascination with space, fuelled by the electro-explosion of the 80s, AstroVoyager is an atypical & creative electronic artist whose sound invites his listeners to explore the infinity of his audio-visual universe, testing the limits of electro-symphonic music.
Rock/Review I Plead Irony - This Monologue Conversation
I Plead Irony is a UK alternative rock trio built on more than two decades of friendship and musical chemistry. Rauf Jordan (bass/vocals), Paul McDonald (guitar/backing vocals), and Lawrence Arnold (drums/backing vocals) have played together since around 2004, forming I Plead Irony in 2011. Their music sits broadly within alternative rock, drawing on punk and blues while resisting easy formulas. Melody, power, vulnerability, and unpredictability coexist in songs developed collaboratively and allowed to find their own shape.
Rock/Review Exzenya - B!tch Please
Exzenya is a globally based, genre-defying artist blending pop, R&B, rock, jazz, Latin, soul, techno, indie, and more. Her sound is as fluid as her passport—bold, emotional, and unpredictable. From lush harmonies to raw vulnerability, every song is handcrafted with intent, range, and story. Her songs introduce a voice that’s unapologetically human—no autotune, no AI, no shortcuts. Every lyric is written by Exzenya. Every vocal is sung live in paid sessions with her vocal coach.
Electronic/Review Me & Melancholy - FEM.
Me & Melancholy is the electronic music project of Stockholm-based musician and producer Peter Ehrling. Emerging in 2022 from Ehrling’s earlier project Gränsen, Me & Melancholy combines melancholic synthpop, dark electronic music, new wave, and indie influences. Echoes of artists such as New Order and Depeche Mode meet the emotional restlessness of Radiohead, Pavement, and Bloc Party, creating music that can feel nostalgic, immediate, and introspective at the same time.
Pop/Review M & J - She’s COSMIC light
M & J is an alt pop duo from Bondi, Australia. Their music is often about the natural landscape flora and fauna in Australia and about the best parts of life. Their songs are heavily lyrically focused, and each is usually a personal tale about life experiences. M & J also take all of their own pictures for their cover art, which is usually of the natural bush landscape contrasted with the beautiful oceans in Australia.
Country/Review Andrew Moore and Hooch - Mountain
Andrew Moore and Hooch, hailing from London, Kentucky, have firmly established themselves as a force in the Americana music scene. Following their award-winning debut album, which earned recognition in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Nashville, frontman Andrew Moore demonstrated his unwavering commitment to artistic growth by spending nearly two years crafting their sophomore release.
R&B/Review Dorian - RECONNECTED
Dorian is a genre-fluid singer, songwriter, and independent artist blending R&B, pop, soul, dance, electronic, and alternative influences into music rooted in emotion, authenticity, and creative freedom. Born and raised in New Jersey and now based in the Washington, D.C. area, his music explores love, healing, identity, growth, and self-discovery.
Pop/Review Alexis Lace - Ain't Nothing Better
Alexis Lace's creative journey began at an early age when she started writing songs at just 12 years old. Though her early passion for music was undeniable, it was the world of acting that first drew her into the spotlight. Alexis quickly made a name for herself as a professional actor, but when the pandemic brought the entertainment industry to a standstill, she found herself at a crossroads.
Punk/Review Grumbeaux - Now Is Near
Plant something simple in the dirt, like an acoustic guitar and voice, and see what clambers out and what swarm of biota clings to it, each protist adding its own puny but inexhaustible voice. Grumbeaux is what you ate for dinner last night; it’s what stuck to your mother’s sole in the parking lot of Kohl’s; it’s the sound your grandfather makes when his false teeth pop out; it’s the elephant in the room and the lion that keeps you awake at night.
Rock/Review Underlowe - No Pictures
Hailing from Cardiff, Wales, Underlowe are a dynamic rock outfit built on years of musical chemistry and shared passion. At the heart of the band is Jacob Dennis, an 18-year veteran guitarist, producer, and Cardiff University music graduate with an impressive catalogue of solo releases and production credits. He's joined by Alfie Mac on bass and lead vocals, a five-year collaborator who met Jacob at university and now works alongside him in a Cardiff city centre bar. Completing the core lineup is Isaac Walker, Alfie's childhood best friend from Oxfordshire and former bandmate in Sprung From Cages.
Classical/Review Sergiy Bolotny - Ukrainian Caprice No.4 Sycamore & Burlesque
Sergiy Bolotny is a Ukrainian-born concert violinist, composer, and assistant second concertmaster with the Noord Nederlands Orkest (NNO) in the Netherlands. Educated at music academies in Lviv, Kyiv, and Vienna, Bolotny has built an international career spanning classical masterworks, chamber ensembles, and original contemporary compositions. His ongoing Ukrainian Caprices and Little Dutch Rhapsodies cycle fuse historical European folk heritage with concert-level solo string virtuosity.
Rock/Review The Timbre Project - Bass River Sessions
The Timbre Project is a dynamic trio from Cambridge, United States, comprising seasoned musicians Jaime d'Almeida, David Zimmerman, and Jason DeWaard. Having played together for years, their chemistry is undeniable: Dave commands the drums while Jason and Jaime share guitar duties, with Jason also handling bass and Jaime adding keys and percussion to their richly textured sound.
Pop/Review Susan Mohini Kane - Ready for the Wonderful
Susan Mohini Kane makes emotionally rich, story-driven music rooted in wonder and compassion. She trained classically, but her sound lives somewhere between cinematic indie pop and theatrical storytelling. At the center of it all is a simple belief in human dignity and songs written for people finding their way back to hope.
Pop/Review M & J - NOT A LOVE SONG
M & J is an alt pop duo from Bondi, Australia. Their music is often about the natural landscape flora and fauna in Australia and about the best parts of life. Their songs are heavily lyrically focused, and each is usually a personal tale about life experiences we hope others can relate to. M & J also take all of their own pictures for their cover art, which is usually of the natural bush landscape contrasted with the beautiful oceans in Australia.
Folk/Review Mary Tuttle - God in the Wild
Mary Tuttle - God in the Wild
Country/Review Reagan Hudson - When Your Husband Gets Out of Jail
Reagan Hudson is a singer-songwriter from Vale, NC, United States, who possesses a rare talent for transforming everyday observations into compelling country narratives. As both the songwriter and performing artist on this project, Hudson demonstrates a keen eye for the quirky, authentic stories that make country music so relatable. His creative process reflects a genuine connection to the genre's storytelling tradition, finding inspiration in unexpected places and crafting songs that resonate with real-life experiences.
