DISCOVERING THE NEW MUSIC UNDERGROUND AROUND THE GLOBE
Rock/Review Spinors - You loved the cage
Spinors is a steampunk aesthetic alternative rock band based in London, United Kingdom, founded by singer and guitarist Sergie Code. The project was born in London, UK, after Sergie spent time in Europe and decided to continue expanding his musical career internationally. Originally from Argentina, where he had already built successful musical projects, Sergie moved to the United Kingdom to take the next step and bring his music to a broader audience, continuing the evolution of his work on a larger scale.
Rock/Review Sheldon Mashugana - Monster Mash
Sheldon Mashugana is the comedic alter ego of Dallas-based performer Dean Morgan, a multi-talented artist who has built an impressive catalog of 18 slapstick comedy films on YouTube. Known for his goofy, feel-good persona, Sheldon Mashugana represents everything joyful and lighthearted in entertainment, offering audiences a much-needed escape from everyday stress. Recording primarily at Justin Pierce Music studio in Dallas, Texas, Morgan has cultivated a strong creative partnership with producer Justin Pierce, who handles the mixing and production duties.
Rock/Review Steven Luke - Seasons (To Be Human)
Steven Luke is a Lancashire-based independent singer-songwriter creating classic rock and pop-rock with heart and honesty. Drawing on classic rock ballads and melodic influences, his music pairs warm, powerful vocals with lyrics that explore love, loyalty, friendship, faith, and the quiet courage of staying close through hard seasons. Songs that feel personal, relatable, and timeless.
Blues/Review Stefano Jeff Blues - THE SUITE
Stefano Jeff Blues is an independent artist whose music begins with the blues but refuses to stay within its boundaries. Blending blues, jazz, blues-rock, gospel, and contemporary R&B with cinematic atmospheres and electronic textures, he creates a personal language built around guitar, piano, synthesizers, space, and silence.
Classical/Review Sergiy Bolotny - Little Dutch Rhapsody No. 3 Capriccio Amsterdam
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.
Electronic/Review Sienná - Ema
Born in the ancient city of Kyoto, Japan, and currently based in Oslo, Norway. Sienná's electronic music typically represents a distinct cross-cultural blend often marketed as East-meets-West sound. She actively avoids typical copycat music trends. Her avant-garde soundscapes fuse experimental, house, jazz, classical, and traditional-contemporary Japanese music.
Pop/Review SEGANA - Midnight Masquerade
SEGANA is a Sydney-based pop duo redefining nostalgia for a global audience. The brainchild of Joshua and Derrick, two distinct artists who share an appetite for music that spans genres and generations, SEGANA seamlessly blends 1970s and 80s melodic richness with a sleek, modern pop edge. The result is a sound that feels both timeless and bracingly current.
Folk/Review Sean Hopkins - Shadows & Light
Singer-songwriter Sean Hopkins, rooted in the arts community of New Hope, PA—situated between New York City and Philadelphia—is known for his evocative folk and indie guitar work. Before launching his solo career, Hopkins was a key member of several indie bands, gaining traction along the East Coast with notable commercial and college radio success.
Hip-Hop/Review Splitzide - 2 Sides Of The Story (20th Year Anniversary Edition) [SLOWED+REVERB]
Minneapolis-based artist Splitzide embodies the multi-dimensional creative spirit of Ye, seamlessly blending roles as singer, rapper, producer, poet, and songwriter. Drawing inspiration from Tupac's relentless work ethic—having locked himself in the studio to create up to 40 songs in a day—and Master P's business acumen, Splitzide has refused to let industry labels box in his artistic vision.
Classical/Review Ståle Kleiberg, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Peter Szilvay - Kleiberg: Across the Ocean towards a Higher Firmament – Orchestral Works
Ståle Kleiberg is an acclaimed Norwegian composer known for his distinctive and warmly expressive musical language. Born in 1958, Kleiberg has built an international reputation through large-scale orchestral, choral and chamber works that explore themes of identity, memory, history and human experience. His acclaimed compositions include Requiem – for the Victims of Nazi Persecution and David and Bathsheba. Kleiberg is Professor Emeritus of Music at NTNU in Trondheim and has maintained a long-standing artistic relationship with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.
World/Review Sidiki Camara - Ankaben
Sidiki Camara is a Malian-born, Oslo-based percussionist and musician whose career spans more than five decades. Rooted in the Manding musical traditions of West Africa, Sidiki has developed a distinctive sound through collaborations across jazz, folk, contemporary and African music. His international work includes collaborations with Boubacar Traoré, Bill Frisell, Ali Farka Touré, Mamady Keita, Karpe and Esperanza Spalding.
Pop/Review Sandy Martin - Ice Candy
Sandy Martin, a multitalented American singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, captivates audiences with her ability to craft heartfelt lyrics and infectious melodies that resonate with listeners of all ages. Her music exudes a sense of authenticity and sincerity, drawing inspiration from personal experiences and emotions. Sandy's soulful voice and dynamic stage presence have earned her a loyal following, establishing her as a rising star in the music industry.
Electronic/Review SERAh - Going Nowhere
SERAh is an American electronic music producer and DJ blending melodic bass, trap, and cinematic sound design. Her tracks combine dark, emotional depth with high energy, created for both long drives and festival stages. Every release comes with a music video that's part of a larger sci-fi/fantasy narrative told via the Lyra's World saga, as well as its future sequels and spinoffs.
Country/Review Scott A. Flaxman - The Love of Strangers
Scott A. Flaxman is an American songwriter, audio producer, and video director who bridges analytical precision with expansive creative world-building. Based in Northern California, Flaxman has spent decades mastering the art of the written word. By day, he navigates the complex, structural landscape of legal writing as an attorney; by night, he channels that same meticulous attention to detail into crafting narrative-driven indie rock and cinematic music projects.
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.
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.
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.
Rock/Review Saline Grace - Weeping Wounds
Established in 2005 by Ricardo Hoffmann and Ines Hoffmann, the Berlin-based band Saline Grace is known for their ability to create pictorial synaesthesias. On the one hand they raise nightly panoramas from imaginatively enraptured road movies or evoke wild and near-natural sceneries of wide forests and barren wastelands as well as fathomless oceans, but on the other hand there is Ricardo Hoffmann’s outstanding lyricism—unique, philosophical poetry and uncomfortable social criticism.
Rock/Review Savannah Lightning - Fadin Spark
Michael Bozzo and Michael Kurtin are Savannah Lightning. Born and raised in Queens, NY, the cousins turned years of casual collaboration into a serious musical partnership, blending folk and country roots with strong indie, rock, and alternative influences. Inspired by artists like Radiohead, My Morning Jacket, and The War on Drugs, they craft atmospheric, introspective songs with dynamic instrumentation.
Rock/Review Shapes - Planet Android
Toronto-based jam band Shapes reflect a shape-shifting, dynamic force that is carving an atmospheric path for themselves. Led by Bryan Silverberg (guitar) and Dave Hollingshead (keyboards), Shapes was born out of their mutual love for abstract ideas mixed with a deranged sense of humour. Notable for their constant touring presence and live gravitas, the group sees music as a form of escapism and a deeper, immersive experience worth inviting listeners and audience members into.