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When an artist wins an award such as the Chicago Reader’s Best Pop Artist, it’d certainly be easy to coast on that forever. However, Sacha Mullin did the complete opposite. He used the moment to push his art-rock songwriting in a more pop-forward direction, and the result is “Social Touch,” his fourth album that just released on October 19th, 2026. Trust us when we say it’s an absolute blast of a record and worth enjoying untouched from start to finish. You’ll notice very quickly that the heart of it is in Mullin’s voice. The Chicago-based singer songwriter and educator has long been known for a singing style that’s commanding and vulnerable at once, and this album shows off that duality in the coolest way. He moves from hushed, precise passages to sudden, soaring moments of intensity without ever losing control. His voice is incredibly soulful and it bends to fit whatever each song asks of it. His range is equally impressive, but what really lands is how he uses it.

Cami Rose has kicked the door open with a brand new record that absolutely took us by hold on the first listen. Detroit-born country soul vocalist Cami Rose has given the world her self-titled five-song EP which is a fun, big-hearted debut that sounds like the work of someone who’s been waiting a long time to share her voice. That voice is what drives the whole record. Cami grew up singing in church and leading worship, and you can hear that foundation in every note. There’s gospel in the way she builds a phrase, Motor City soul in her swagger, and country’s storytelling tradition in how she shapes each song. When she started pursuing music professionally, country felt like a natural fit because of her love of a good story, and that combination feels timeless while still being completely her own. It’s the kind of voice that makes you feel something before you’ve even processed the lyrics, which seems to be exactly what she’s after.

We think it’s a major compliment when you listen to a record and actually feel like you’re standing in the room with the band. “Sounds of Seance” from Super Love is exactly that kind of listen! It’s warm, organic, and completely unfussy, the sort of record that invites you to relax, turn it up, and sing along for the ride. For those out of the know, Super Love is an alt-rock band on 88th Street Records, formed in New York City in 2019 by Constance Watkins on lead vocals and Jared Watkins on “every instrument he can get his hands on”. They call their approach “autonomous indie,” and it fits. Rock, pop, hip-hop, punk, and jazz all drift through their sound, but nothing ever feels forced or like a challenging genre exercise. Each track lands somewhere unique yet familiar, which is a tough balance to strike and one they’ve consistently made look easy over the years of us listening.

There’s something so unbelievably honest about a song that admits love isn’t always easy, and “When We Kiss” from Texas singer-songwriter Kathy Ross is built on that honesty in a perfect way. It’s a candid, emotional look at heartache and the effort it takes to find your way back to each other after a relationship loses its spark. It’s also a gorgeous showcase for one of the most expressive voices we’ve heard lately! To begin, Ross’s vocals are absolutely sensational here. There’s true beauty and real emotion in every line and she sings with a vulnerability that makes the song feel lived in. You can hear how personal the subject is, from the rocky stretches of a long relationship to the memory of a first kiss that reminds two people why they came together. It’s both polished and completely open and it pulls you in right away from those memorable opening notes.

Having firsthand experienced this rollout, it’s been an absolute blast getting to experience this EP come to life! "Never Been A Smooth Ride" wraps up Paul Frazer Clarke's Five Coordinates EP in the perfect way. We've been waiting on this final chapter for quite some time, and it absolutely delivers. It's an exceptional closer, one that feels like a celebration of everything that made this whole project so enjoyable in the first place! Throughout 2026, Clarke has paired himself with a different international collaborator on each track of this EP, and for the finale he's brought in Canadian artist Elle Sorren. Her vocals are outstanding here, sweet and angelic in a way that fits the vibe and groove of the song perfectly. There's a lightness to her delivery that floats right over the production and it 100% gives the whole track a dream quality that makes it easy to float right into.

After loving his debut single “Aim High”, we're thrilled to be back with Mike Denardo for round two, and "I Won't," released August 28th, 2026, continues to show off exactly why he's an artist worth following closely. This is a heartfelt, melody driven love song that wears its Beatles influence proudly while still carving out something distinctly his own. There's a really charming story behind how this track came together. The melody actually arrived long before any lyrics did, sitting on the shelf for months until inspiration finally struck during one of Denardo's yearly themed recording projects, past ones having included tributes to bands like The Rolling Stones. This time, the spark came from a playful twist on the Beatles' classic "I Will," and that little bit of wordplay eventually grew into "I Won't," a song that flips the sentiment into its own timeless declaration of devotion.

Hearing a band successfully bridge two eras without ever feeling stuck in either one is beyond impressive! Lyons Lane just pulled it perfectly on their debut EP, and after listening multiple times, we’re not surprised in the slightest. Released September 25th on vinyl and streaming platforms, "You'll Talk About It!" is genuinely so much fun, a blast from the past filtered through a distinctly modern lens. This Michigan based five piece, founded by Mark Leo and Thomas "Tomcat" Thompson, has built their sound around blending rockabilly, doo-wop, and mid-century Americana with a dash of alternative rock. They've described their approach as vintage without nostalgia or modern without abandoning the past. That's exactly the sensation you get listening to this EP. It never feels like a straightforward throwback, but it also never abandons the warmth and character of the styles it's pulling from. Instead, Lyons Lane finds this really exciting middle ground that feels familiar and completely fresh.

Five albums into an awesome career built on real connection rather than pure entertainment, Marc Ambrosia continues to prove why his music resonates so deeply with listeners! His latest album, "Living For The Thrill" might just be his most emotionally honest work to date. This is a record that celebrates resilience without ever ignoring vulnerability, and it does so with real warmth and genuine intention throughout. Ambrosia has always approached songwriting as an invitation rather than a performance, encouraging listeners to examine their own lives, confront their fears, and embrace real transformation. That same spirit runs through every track here, offering reassurance that growth and healing are possible even amid life's harder moments. "Living For The Thrill" stands out within his catalog because of just how uplifting it feels in its overall tone, plus so much more.

After reviewing and loving so much of his music, we finally got the opportunity to sit and speak with Hilary Cousins! Having freshly released his latest single “The Well”, we dug into everything surrounding the song, but also really got to know this artist who’s an endless “well” of creativity. Known mostly for indie, folk, and rock arrangements built around drums and guitars, Cousins takes a slight departure here, delivering a stirring piano and vocal ballad that feels both intimate and quietly monumental. What makes this song so compelling is how it manages to feel deeply personal and completely universal at the same time. On the surface, "The Well" reads like a song written from a very specific place of grief, and in a lot of ways it is. The narrator wrestles with the loss of someone important, holding onto their memory and continuing to search for their guidance even while learning to move forward without them. But Cousins has been thoughtful about keeping the meaning open ended rather than locking it into one specific story.

Within the first 30 seconds, there’s a serious infectious energy to "Freedom," and it hits you right up until the closing moments. The Wilmington, Delaware born singer-songwriter Courtney Elle has crafted a song here that feels made for exactly the moments you'd hope, kicking back, pouring a drink, and letting the party naturally build around it. Elle has always had a gift for blending genres, pulling contemporary pop together with the timeless spirit of funk, disco, and classic R&B, and "Freedom" is a fantastic showcase of that instinct. There's a real theatrical sensibility running through her music too, and it shows up here in how vividly the song comes together, expressive vocals paired with rhythms that feel effortlessly fun.

This artist has quite literally pulled from an entire lifetime of influences and somehow made it all feel completely cohesive. Nath Tavares has accomplished a seemingly possible feat on her new album, "See Attachment." This is an absolute blast of an album, one that comes together to create an incredible range of sounds and stories into something that feels both sprawling and deeply personal. Tavares has lived a genuinely global life, shaped by her time spent across Brazil, Mexico, China, the United States, France, and Portugal. Her borderless upbringing shows up all over this record! Pop and “urban” production collide throughout with Brazilian funk, salsa, mariachi, and merenguetón, while glimmers of musical theatre give the whole project a wonderful narrative. There are moments here that genuinely feel Broadway-esque, especially the opener of the same name as the record. The whole thing is full of storytelling flair and that theatrical feel gives the album plenty of drama and momentum as it moves through its different chapters.

There are tribute albums and then there are albums that feel like a genuine spiritual homecoming, and "Forever Muscle Shoals" from Chrissi Poland is unmistakably the second kind. Out now on all platforms, this record is a deeply personal love letter to one of the most important sounds in American music history, and Poland delivers it with the kind of intensity and heart that makes the whole thing feel completely alive. The story behind this album makes it even more special. Poland's inspiration took root back in 2022, when a stop in Florence, Alabama during a tour led her to visit the legendary FAME Studios. Standing in that room, where so many of the most influential soul recordings in American history were made, sparked something immediate and visceral in her, and that emotional connection clearly stayed with her all the way through the making of this project. Recorded live at both FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, the record carries a real sense of place, honoring the songs and musicians who shaped that late 60s and early 70s Muscle Shoals sound, drawing from icons like Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Cher, and so many more. Believe us when we say though that this is still 100% an original record.

There's infinite power in a song that takes something as vulnerable as self-doubt and transforms it into something resolute. Catlea has accomplished exactly that on their newest single, "Someone's Got To." Released worldwide on July 17th, this track is a beautifully crafted anthem of self-discovery, and it makes a genuinely strong case for why Catlea's music continues to resonate so deeply. Even better, we got to interview the artist and learn a ton about what makes this song great. It’s built around intimate acoustic guitar and cinematic strings striking a really lovely balance between poppy accessibility and real emotion. The instrumentation pops in a big way throughout, giving the track a lush feel that never overshadows the vulnerability at its core. That refrain, the simple but devastating idea of loving yourself when someone else won't, lands instantly.

There's such an immense amount of fearlessness running through "MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE," and it makes sense once you understand where Gabe Aree is coming from as an artist. The singer, songwriter, and producer has been writing music since he was just 9 years old, starting with a song called "Lonely," and that lifelong devotion to putting words and feeling into music comes through powerfully on this sophomore effort. Grab your nicest pair of headphones and sink into an outstanding album experience.

There's something really beautiful about a song that comes from a place of genuine, hard won belonging, and "Airport Road" captures exactly that feeling. Violet Love, the solo project born out of years spent moving through punk scenes in Las Vegas and Denton, an indie folk band in Arizona, and now a life built in Michigan, has crafted something here that feels like a real step forward, both personally and artistically. That sense of movement runs through Violet Love's whole story. Originally from South Orange, New Jersey, they've spent a lifetime chasing music across the country, playing since the age of 8 and writing and performing in bands since 13. That kind of restless, ever evolving path makes "Airport Road" feel especially meaningful, because at its core, this is a song about finally landing somewhere. Specifically, it's about the belonging they found in proposing to their fiancé and becoming part of his family, a beautiful, specific kind of love that anchors the whole track in something real and deeply felt.