Raquel Rodriguez has gifted us with sage advice in the most soothing way with her latest single, “Nobody Else.” This song is a love letter to self-care. It’s the perfect anthem for today’s trying times, as Raquel encourages her listeners to nurture their mental health. She has an everlasting gift for articulating the authentic human experience and transforming her lyrics into soulful hip-swaying jams. Sam Brawner’s production is clean, thoughtful and supportive of the track’s message. The drums hit home with funk flare and hints of 80s drum machine, which is a staple of the Blue Dream Studio sound. This track is the beginning of a cathartic new chapter for Raquel Rodriguez, as she prepares to release her next full album. Raquel is an artist who shows up for her community. During COVID times she has been a consistent source of strength and optimism, hosting high-quality live streams, and providing Q&A conversations with her collaborators. “Nobody Else” is a promising glimpse at what will be a heartfelt album full of hits.

Aaron Maine, AKA Porches, is back with an emotional, swoon-worthy new track fit for late nights and the last dance. “Do U Wanna” is catchy and cool with a soft, sweeping melody that revels in the disparity between how people want to act and how they actually act. That disparity is mirrored in the arrangement, which combines intimate elements like atmospheric synths and Maine’s lovely vocal with grander, more distinct percussive sounds to exemplify the perception of joy. The instrumentation is easy-going and surprising, with a nostalgic, 90s-inspired bass and reverberating cowbell sound adding fun and whimsy to a song that, lyrically, veers in a much heavier direction, including the lines “I just wanna watch you live / But I never wanna do anything.” The clear, reverberating production gives the track a dreamy, weightless feel, and solidifies “Do U Wanna” as one of Porches’ best songs ever. Stay tuned for his new album, Ricky Music, due out in March from Domino Records.

Today, Berkeley folk artist Maya Elise premieres her newest song, “Side of the Road.” The track tells the story of a summer road trip, which makes it especially fitting that it’s perfect for singing along with. In the first verse, as Maya describes all the people she is picking up along the way, her rich vocals fill every crack between guitar and drums with a friendly warmth. Though she gives us only a few details on each person she meets, you can almost see each of their faces: the woman in Portland making jasmine tea, the Washington man she learned to trust, the brave woman from Alabama, and the South Dakota man looking for a home all look somewhat familiar. The song gradually builds to a transcendent scene in which the car full of new friends go skinny-dipping in the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps the ultimate symbol of the trust they have built along the way. On “Side of the Road,” Maya reminds us that making friends doesn’t have to be as complicated or awkward as we often make it out to be. Sometimes all it takes is two people going in the same direction and choosing to not be alone. The rest, perhaps, will figure itself out.

In 2017, the 5 member group Easy Life was born in Leicester, UK and they’ve been gifting us alternative r&b grooves ever since. Their newest mixtape Junk Food is full of hitters, but “Sangria” stands out in particular with its feature from our beloved vocalist and poet, UK-based Arlo Parks. By combining the vocals of Parks and lead singer Murray Matravers, “Sangria” takes the listener to lyrical places of confession and awareness of a dependent relationship. Smart and silken lines describe the nature of the relationship as “euphoric but unbalanced / like two top-heavy fractions,” revealing that the singer is aware of the turbulent state of their relationship, but continues to linger in it for the highs. With mellow production driven heavily by steady bass, Easy Life brings a fresh sound to your typical song about troubled love.

With their long musical hiatus finally over, London band Bombay Bicycle Club brings us back to days of nostalgic indie with their latest album Everything Else Has Gone Wrong. After a barrage of singles like “Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)” and “Racing Stripes,” the band released their fifth studio album this past January. Included in the mix is the track “Let You Go,” a somber song that bleeds for the end of a relationship–the act of letting go of someone you once loved. The future of the lovers is eminent, holding on to one last try as singer Jack Steadman croons, “Well, can we stay here longer? / Burn our embers down / Glowing bright for one last moment / Just to fade somehow,” as if this last attempt will surely change nothing. Then the production builds into a distinguished Bombay Bicycle Club bridge full of yearning vocals, longing, and loss–perfect for your indie romance montage scene or reliving emotions of a relationship long gone.

Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada are the two geniuses behind the Brooklyn-based band Salt Cathedral. The two both grew up in Colombia, but met while studying at Berklee School of Music. Now, the duo provides us with hits like their most recent release “Te Quiero Olvidar.” Soaked in a light, breezy production and backed with a catchy drum kit and tropical dance-inspired rhythms, Ronderos tells a story of one-sided love and the attempt to break off all contact with that person for her own sanity. While it’s hard enough to leave the life of someone you love, it’s even more difficult if that person keeps lingering around. “Te Quiero Olvidar” is a catchy track full of reliable frustration and impending liberation. In anticipation of Salt Cathedral’s first full-length album release this April, you can check out their other singles like “CAVIAR” and “tus ojos.” You can also catch them at Welcome Campers this year!

Trading in bitterness for joy has never been better encompassed than by Oh Wonder's new track "Happy," the fourth single leading up to their third record, No One Else Can Wear Your Crown. "It's good to see you loved / Let's call it even," they sing in earnest, echoing the levity of true release. The London-based duo, composed of Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht, wrote the track in response to West's ex-girlfriend getting married. “I saw a picture of her in her wedding dress and I was like, ‘Wow, what a feeling,'" said West. "[It’s] so cool that she’s met someone else because I could never be the guy next to her.” That epiphanic moment of knowing they're better off without you translates into peace with oneself with ease. No One Else Can Wear Your Crown is due for a February 7 release via Republic Records.

Like a gentle breeze or a soft sunset glow, “Golden Days” is a sweet song that feels comfortable and familiar. The quietly emotional new single reminisces about the golden days of early love while maintaining a pleasing lightness that exposes indie rock band Plastic Picnic’s softer side. The instrumentation is lovely and lush, invigorated by light, uplifting guitars and distant, pulsing drums that give the track a subtle energy, like floating purposefully through time. Singer Emile Panerio’s voice sounds vulnerable and sweet over transient synths that bathe it in warmth and add a layer of nostalgia, while a heavy, hazy reverb makes everything sound like it’s happening inside a dream. The perfect antidote to the January chill, “Golden Days” is subtly psychedelic, enormously cozy, and even better than a dream because you can play it on repeat.