Each Friday, Atwood Journal’s workers share what they’ve been listening to that week – a music, an album, an artist – no matter’s been having an affect on them, within the second.
This week’s weekly roundup options music by Ray and Paul Holmberg, Evan Honer, Leah Nawy, Ren Martinez, The Stamps, MOSAICS, Adrian Lyles, Levi Robin, Cinema Stereo, Tara Nome Doyle, Zoé Basha, The Transferring Stills, August Royals, Sone, SPACE&AGES, Roman Alexander, Virgins, Staci Gruber, Peaceable Faces, San Jose, Glenna Jane, The Pedals, Candice Hoyes, Jefferson Pitcher, & Blue Monkey!
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observe WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify 
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:: “Scars” – Ray and Paul Holmberg ::
by Anthony Kozlowski, Los Angeles
The newest single from Bay Space sibling duo Ray and Paul Holmberg unfolds like a weathered postcard, frayed on the edges however scribbled throughout with nostalgia. Layered guitars weave a delicate however insistent melody that seems like tracing outdated scars – generally painful, generally proud – carrying the load of classes discovered and the hope of shifting ahead. It’s music that honors each the shadows and the sunshine, the solar sinking into the ocean solely to rise once more from the chilly and the darkish. Beneath the surf and storage rock haze, Ray and Paul wrap the listener in an intimate embrace. A gradual tempo simmers with vulnerability, whereas textured guitar layers and earnest vocals paint a portrait of attempting to maneuver ahead when the guts nonetheless trembles from loss. It’s a sonic journey the place every be aware seems like a rigorously positioned sew in a tapestry, giving life to the generally harsh means of letting go with out dropping oneself.
The story behind “Scars” stretches again years to an unfinished piece that lastly discovered life by way of the hand of producer Jarvis Taveniere, whose contact brings out the music’s textured heat and emotional depth. Ray penned the lyrics throughout his freshman 12 months of faculty as a mirrored image on the depth of younger relationships and easy methods to decide up the items as soon as they shatter.
As a lot because the wistfulness drips closely from the music, it continues the brothers’ penchant for crafting music that’s as straightforward to hearken to as it’s to be consumed by. Identical to the picture on that fading postcard, it will possibly convey us again to brighter days even when its floor is riddled with scars.
by Julius Robinson, California
Younger love is difficult to recover from. There’s a lot emotion put into it, and that may be laborious to maneuver previous. Indie rock duo Ray and Paul study the lasting results of younger love and the load of that have with “Scars.” The serene, melancholic piece comes collectively superbly with glistening guitars and heat, passionate vocals. Ray wrote the lyrics throughout his freshman 12 months of faculty, and it’s a observe we will all hook up with.
Brothers Ray and Paul, hailing from the San Francisco Bay Space, began their band collectively on the ages of 17 and 13. Relocating to Santa Barbara for school introduced a surge of surf and storage rock vitality into their music, giving them the proper atmosphere to hone their sound. They constructed their chops enjoying gigs all through Isla Vista and rapidly turned a part of the native band scene. In October 2023, they dropped the observe “Pelican,” which has since grow to be their hottest music on Spotify. “Scars” is equally intoxicating.
:: “lead position” – Evan Honer ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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:: “Mixing Patterns” – Leah Nawy ::
Sophie Severs, Boston, MA
As people, we get caught in cycles, at instances discovering stagnancy to be extra comforting than uncertainty. It’s fairly straightforward to fall into monotony and depend on outdated habits to get us by way of — it’s the breaking of stated habits that poses a better problem.
Leah Nawy is a Taiwanese-American songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and masterful pattern-breaker. In her newest single, “Mixing Patterns,” Nawy parses by way of her thoughts, decided to redefine and reclaim the particular person she is from the habits which have inhibited her development. True to the observe’s title, Nawy expertly mixes patterns throughout the observe’s three and a half minute run time; oscillating between fuzzed-out indie rock, jazz-infused pop and a drum machine-driven outro with bona fide nonchalance. Like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, Nawy finds herself made anew and shining brighter than ever.
With its multi-genre sonic palette and themes of rebirth and renewal, “Combined Patterns” is the proper soundtrack for the approaching spring months.
:: “The First & Final of the Excellent Events” – Ren Martinez ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
In her luminous new single “The First & Final of the Excellent Events,” Ren Martinez captures the precise second a reminiscence turns right into a delusion. Set towards a backdrop of driving guitars and power-pop shimmer, the observe recounts a chaotic faculty evening – full with a home present, a kiss, and pizza on the garden – as each a celebration and an elegy. Martinez’s voice, heat and wistful, threads by way of the music with the intimacy of a diary entry, providing up snapshots of youth that really feel without delay particular and universally bittersweet. It’s the type of songwriting that invitations you to recollect your personal model of the evening she’s singing about.
Produced by longtime collaborator Brian Robert Jones, the observe is a standout preview of Martinez’s upcoming debut album Fingers Crossed, due this fall. Previously often known as Ren Farren, the L.A. native blends Laurel Canyon storytelling with the emotional punch of early-2000s indie rock, touchdown someplace between beabadoobee and Taylor Swift’s folklore. With sync placements already below her belt and a transparent knack for turning lived expertise into lush, emotionally resonant soundscapes, Martinez proves she’s not simply reflecting on the previous – she’s carving out a daring new chapter within the current.
:: “jamie’s music” – The Stamps ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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:: “Late To The Get together” – MOSAICS ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
MOSAICS surge again into the highlight with “Late To The Get together,” a fiery, emotionally-charged anthem that cements their place among the many UK’s most fun new acts. Recent off a whirlwind tour and a standout run to the finals of the Isle of Wight New Blood competitors, the four-piece channel that momentum right into a observe that’s as uncooked as it’s razor-sharp. Produced by Matt Cotterill and mastered by trade heavyweight Nigel Heath, the one hits laborious from the primary biting riff, with seismic drums and frontman Owen Castillo’s arresting vocal capturing the unravelling of a relationship with unflinching honesty. Echoes of Sam Fender’s anthemic grit and INHALER’s urgency swirl by way of the combination, however “Late To The Get together” is unmistakably MOSAICS – tight, daring, and brimming with coronary heart.
:: “Someplace to Go” – Adrian Lyles ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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:: “Therapeutic Is Coming”- Levi Robin ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Tright here is lots of strife in in the present day’s world. With all of the negativity, it may be laborious to see the sunshine. Levi Robin’s profound folk-pop single “Therapeutic Is Coming” is about constructing bravery within the midst of many difficult hurdles. His earthy, soulful vocals atop picked guitar strums weave collectively right into a extremely compelling mixture. This beautiful, soul-stirring observe is steeped in bittersweet emotion.
The Orange County native took a considerably unconventional path. Robin confides, “From being a runaway to encountering Japanese spirituality, from psychedelia to unearthing my very own historic Judaic roots, songwriting has been a uniquely integrating fixed.” In all the pieces he does, he lets his deepest emotions seep by way of. “Therapeutic Is Coming” is the proper, poignant piece of daring give up.
:: Can’t Get Shut Sufficient – Cinema Stereo ::
Julius Robinson, California
Cinema Stereo are a singular rock group oozing with pure innovation. Their edgy, rugged model is fascinating and uncooked. Their music channels rock legends like Aerosmith and AC/DC, however provides a private fashionable twist. The band not too long ago launched their new EP, Can’t Get Shut Sufficient, and followers love its hard-driving thrill.
The providing commences with “Acércate a mí,” which interprets to “come nearer to me.” The illuminating launch possesses a jungle-like sonic high quality that attracts listeners in. The sleek, passionate tone suits the music seamlessly. The title observe, “Can’t Get Shut Sufficient,” is a punchy rock piece that’s deeply infectious with a rhythmic radiance. It begs for weak intimacy—and we really feel that intense need. “Why Does This All the time Occur” has a heavy sound and is the best approach to conclude. The EP’s finisher is an elevated explosion that ends issues with a bang.
Cinema Stereo is an electrifying different rock band recognized for crafting catchy, unique music with a daring, dynamic sound. Initially hailing from Orlando, FL, and now calling Nashville, TN house, the band blends a wide selection of musical influences into their evolving model. Famed for his or her emotionally charged performances, highly effective rhythms, and compelling lyrics, Cinema Stereo pushes inventive boundaries to forge a sound that’s unmistakably theirs.
:: “Heaven in Disguise” – Tara Nome Doyle ::
Will Yarbrough, Philadelphia, PA
Even when blessed with the voice of an angel, the music trade nonetheless places you thru hell.
Regardless of her youth, Tara Nome Doyle has scored hundreds of thousands of streams, status TV and arthouse movies in her born-and-bred Germany. And but, regardless of inking a take care of fashionable indie FatCat Data, after two well-received albums, someplace alongside the way in which, the enchanting Norwegian-Irish songstress misplaced her voice (metaphorically talking). However whereas quiet on the floor, her new album rings as loud and clear because the thunder on Mount Olympus.
Whether or not boiling down medieval chemistry or unpacking Jungian philosophy, Tara Nome Doyle tends to work with a heady idea in thoughts. Ekko isn’t any totally different. Besides this time round, her guiding mythos wasn’t so preordained. Monitoring was already midway completed when she occurred to uncover the album’s overarching theme whereas studying Metamorphoses. “I appeared down on the water / And the water appeared up at me“, begins correct opener “Heaven in Disguise”. Her tear-streaked runs by no means rise above a ripple, as if misplaced in a pool of reflection.
Having firsthand data of the folly in trying to others for validation, Doyle may relate all too nicely to the age-old, cautionary story of Echo and Narcissus. Nevertheless, in contrast to Ovid’s accursed nymph, Ekko reclaims her voice by way of the powers of repetition. Like several true miracle employee, she will be able to do lots with little or no, however this album strips her minimalist chamber pop to the naked necessities: acoustic plucks, quivering strings, wordless harmonies, a piano that scatters melodies like creation’s mud.
“Heaven in Disguise” reveals the depths of its magnificence one rigorously peeled layer at a time.
Whereas its opening line clearly references the album’s supply materials, the music is definitely Doyle’s retelling of Eve within the Backyard of Eden. A synth slithers into the second verse as if born from darkness, however as an alternative of everlasting damnation, consuming from the Tree of Information fills her with nothing however revelation. Eyes opened, out of the blue, her acquainted environment tackle the glow of paradise.
“Nothing extra, nothing much less / That is all that we get“. In anybody else’s palms, these phrases would spell doom. However when sung in Doyle’s breathless, sleek falsetto, they sound like an answered prayer.
:: Gamble – Zoé Basha ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Zoé Basha’s debut album Gamble is a uncommon and radiant arrival – a self-produced assortment that pulses with uncooked emotion and fearless honesty. With roots stretching from the U.S. and France to the backroads of rural Eire, Basha’s music attracts deeply from her nomadic life, and the result’s an album that feels lived-in and unshakably human. Mixing folks, jazz, blues, Americana, and Irish conventional music, “Gamble” defies straightforward categorization. Her voice – smoky, aching, and soulful – floats by way of every observe like a reminiscence, paying homage to classic greats like Billie Vacation and Edith Piaf, but unmistakably her personal.
What makes “Gamble” so compelling is the sense of place and passage it carries. Every music seems like a postcard from a special chapter of Basha’s journey – some tender and nonetheless, others charged with momentum. Tracks like “Touring Footwear” and “Similar Swallows Swooping” strike an attractive steadiness between storytelling and emotional launch, whereas “Dublin Road Corners” is an ode to the grit and style of road efficiency. The album is a quiet triumph of self-trust and artistic freedom, signaling the arrival of an artist who isn’t simply discovering her voice – she’s reclaiming it. In a world filled with noise, “Gamble” is a courageous whisper that lingers lengthy after it ends.
:: “Phone” – The Transferring Stills ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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:: “Skintight Loopy” – August Royals ::
Chloe Robinson, California
It’s troublesome letting go of a relationship. Oftentimes, we take into consideration all of the what-ifs and marvel what may have been. August Royals’ single “Skintight Loopy” is a pop/rock piece detailing the lingering results of a partnership as one appears again with rose-colored glasses. His daring, intoxicating vocals atop a uncooked, gritty backdrop make the observe actually addictive. Lyrics like, “I type of wish to let go, however you bought me on a tightrope child, such a fairly woman,” present simply how a lot of a wrestle it’s to interrupt free. The video shows his hopeless romantic facet as he and a woman spend time collectively within the metropolis.
August Royals swiftly began making a reputation for himself in 2021. His debut single “Blue Soccer” gained a lot crucial acclaim. In 2022, August Royals dropped his debut EP Inhaler – a nine-track, genre-blending challenge that dives into his private experiences and challenges. After parting methods with RCA, August took a step again to mirror and refine his inventive identification. Collaborating with artists like Kevin Summary of Brockhampton, Ryan Beatty, and Dominic Fike helped him reassess his inventive course and additional his journey of self-discovery.
After spending a 12 months off the grid and immersed within the studio, August Royals makes his return in 2025 with a set of tracks he describes as his “most genuine and greatest work but.” You’ll be able to hear that highly effective sincerity in “Skintight Loopy.”
:: “Rollercoaster” – Sone ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
“Rollercoaster” is a full-blown emotional odyssey strapped to the heartbeat of cinematic pop, the place operatic vocals meet uncooked, journal-born honesty by rising songstress Sone. Blurring the strains between vulnerability and energy, this genre-bending anthem surges with the highs of glittering self-acceptance and dives deep into the lows of interior turmoil, all whereas refusing to apologize for the journey. Assume Gaga-level drama with Billie Eilish-level intimacy, stitched collectively by a voice that would shatter glass or soothe a storm. It’s daring, theatrical, and unfiltered – a fearless ode to feeling all the pieces, and loving your self anyway.
:: “Puzzle Piece” – SPACE&AGES ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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:: “Tying One On” – Roman Alexander ::
Julius Robinson, California
Roman Alexander’s single “Tying One On” is about elevating a glass to regrets and letting go. The twangy observe offers with drowning your ache in a number of drinks—one thing many can relate to. Emotive nation vocals skate atop highly effective guitars and pounding percussion. Alexander shares, “It’s for the nights that shifting on feels inconceivable, so that you accept numbing the sting, one spherical of drinks at a time. We’ve all been there—telling the bartender we’re fantastic whereas the jukebox performs all of the incorrect songs.”
Using excessive on the momentum of over 86 million streams and a breakout debut that caught the eye of NBC’s Immediately Present, Roman is proving he’s no one-hit marvel. With a signature sound that blends a retro vibe with fashionable storytelling, the unbiased nation artist has carved a lane all his personal—and followers are right here for the journey.
Now, Roman kicks off 2025 with “Tying One On,” a toast to misplaced love and errors alongside the way in which. It’s the primary style of his upcoming third EP, and it’s clear he’s leveling up.
:: “blooms” – Virgins ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
With “blooms,”, Virgins crack open a deeper, darker vein of their shoegaze soul, delivering a observe that feels each cinematic and visceral in equal measure. Constructing on the ethereal promise of Nothing Harm and The whole lot Was Stunning, this newest launch swells with stress and launch – an intoxicating fusion of shimmering guitars, tight percussion, and swirling reverb that seems like being swept right into a storm and discovering solace at its heart. Produced by Simon Francis and mastered by shoegaze royalty Simon Scott of Slowdive, blooms pulses with a brand new type of vitality: moody, majestic, and unapologetically uncooked. As siren-like vocals drift above the sonic haze, Virgins show they’re not simply refining their sound – they’re blooming into one thing braver, bolder, and totally unforgettable.
:: “No One Is Alone” – Staci Gruber ::
Chloe Robinson, California
In in the present day’s world, it may be straightforward to really feel remoted and alone. Staci Gruber reminds listeners that, although we might really feel lonely, all of us have somebody. Whether or not it’s a father or mother, a good friend, or your canine, there are connections in our lives which can be particular and impactful. Her heat, comforting vocals really feel cozy, like a blanket being wrapped round you. Her music video showcases the facility of togetherness, depicting folks superbly bonding with others. Watching, you possibly can’t assist however smile.
Gruber, a dynamic artist from Boston, captivates audiences along with her outstanding musical talents, heartfelt songwriting, and emotional resonance. Her music weaves collectively her personal life experiences with the poignant tales of others, forging a robust connection that delves into themes of solitude, longing, and optimism. Music has been woven into the material of Staci’s life since childhood. What began as a quiet, private escape—singing alone within the privateness of her closet—quickly reworked right into a assured expression of self when she carried out her first solo, “12 Days of Christmas,” in elementary college. That second marked the start of her discovering her true voice, and he or she hasn’t appeared again since.
Whereas Gruber rose to fame as a vocalist, she additionally made outstanding strides in a completely totally different enviornment—as a revered professor at Harvard Medical Faculty and a trailblazing neuroscientist at McLean Hospital. Her pioneering analysis on hashish explores the long-term results of cannabinoids throughout quite a few well being circumstances. Her new music serves as a honest meditation on the human experiences she observes each day, by way of each her scientific pursuits and private journey.
:: “Freee” – Peaceable Faces ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Brooklyn-based chamber-rock collective Peaceable Faces has dropped their newest single “Freee” a observe that strikes an ideal steadiness between simplicity and complicated texture, delivering a robust exploration of freedom each private and inventive. Opening with a gritty, distorted guitar riff that quickly offers approach to pulsating drums, the music evolves right into a dynamic journey, shifting from high-energy crescendos to intimate, stripped-back moments the place the male vocals and poignant lyrics take heart stage. The repeated chorus, “How may you ever be so free,” is underscored by refined brass, including an emotional depth that enhances the music’s cathartic transitions. An exciting bridge of brass and drums supplies a second of complexity, earlier than the observe bursts right into a remaining, explosive vitality. Reflecting on the music’s theme of freedom and its potential pitfalls, band founder Tree Palmedo captures the essence of each the private and inventive wrestle, in the end liberating himself from musical constraints to simply “rock out”. With its multi-layered preparations and considerate exploration of freedom, “Freee” confirms Peaceable Faces as a particular and compelling drive in fashionable rock.
:: “I’ve Bought You” – San Jose ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
San Jose, a theatrical post-punk poet, returns with a tempestuous new single, “I’ve Bought You,” a six-minute masterclass in avant-garde vitality and unapologetic emotional launch. Produced by Christopher McCrory (Walt Disco, Catholic Motion), the observe opens in a blaze of biting guitars and feedback-soaked chaos, brimming with uncooked theatricality. Vocals ship angst with razor-sharp urgency, threading by way of a wall of pounding drums and eerie choral textures, all coalescing right into a fever dream of chantable anarchy. This isn’t post-punk enjoying by the foundations – it’s a visceral efficiency, a confessional screamed into the void and wearing velvet.
What elevates “I’ve Bought You” past mere punk catharsis is its deliberate descent into sonic surrealism. Simply because the noise turns into virtually insufferable, the music folds in on itself – melting right into a warped lull of woozy saxophone and ornate orchestration that’s extra dreamlike than deranged. However this transient second of magnificence is a ruse: the band hurls us again into the fray with renewed fury, constructing to a climax that feels each chaotic and triumphant. San Jose don’t simply make music – they create theatre, poetry, and full-body experiences disguised as songs. With “I’ve Bought You”, they’ve cemented their standing as fearless boundary-pushers on the bleeding edge of contemporary post-punk.
:: “Juno” – Glenna Jane ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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:: “Spitting Feathers” – The Pedals ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Indie newcomers The Pedals come out swinging with “Spitting Feathers,” a vibrant burst of indie-rock vitality that captures the uncooked depth of their stay reveals whereas providing a stunning emotional depth. Constructed on a basis of biting guitars, thunderous drums, and a good, grounding bassline, the observe thrums with urgency, but by no means loses its melodic focus. What actually units it aside is the distinction at its core – melancholic, effortlessly managed vocals ship introspective lyrics that reduce by way of the punchy instrumentation with quiet drive. It’s a observe that wears its coronary heart on its sleeve whereas preserving its eyes firmly on the stage, marking The Pedals as a band to observe.
:: “Far Away Star” – Candice Hoyes ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month, Candice Hoyes shares her vibrant single, “Far Away Star.” The horn-fused launch is an ode to Duke Ellington and bridges traditional sounds with modern taste. Hoyes’s heat, deep vocals elegantly glide over hypnotizing New Orleans horns. The bellowing, bluesy observe oozes with timeless magnificence. The extra you hear, the extra you can’t assist however be enchanted. The piece’s refined nuances are straightforward to get misplaced in.
For many years, Black American artists of the twentieth Century have journeyed overseas searching for new types of self-expression, typically discovering inventive communities in Nordic nations like Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. There, they found progressive, intellectually wealthy areas the place music served as a unifying drive throughout cultures.
Impressed by this legacy, vocalist Candice Hoyes presents a contemporary interpretation of a Swedish folks music famously recorded in 1978 by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, that includes vocalist Alice Babs. Hoyes’s rendition, organized for soprano and jazz octet by GRAMMY Award-winner Ted Nash, consists of unique lyrics by Hoyes that discover the important position of Black ancestral historical past in 2025. Reflecting on the piece, Hoyes reveals, “‘Far Away Star’ is each an homage to Ellington and a celebration of free expression and justice—timeless and fixed, just like the North Star.”
:: “Cartpushers (and Crows)” – Jefferson Pitcher ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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:: “Widespread Enemies” – Blue Monkey ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
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