Slow Dress is the Boston-based duo of Katie Solomon and Bredon Jones. Together they craft contemplative indie-folk songs. Their latest single, “Butterfly,” promises a life saturated with feeling. It is a commitment to experience everything fully, no matter how uncomfortable. “I don’t want to follow their feet. I want bare toes even in the snow and the sleet,” Solomon sings, dedicating herself to the necessary discomfort that comes with open awareness. Better frostbitten than oblivious, she insists. In a statement accompanying the release of “Butterfly,” the band wrote, “...it’s about watching people, especially those with money and privilege, close their hearts and minds to what is happening in the world.” The song illuminates the possibilities that emerge when we turn our focus outward. The butterfly in question isn’t taking flight; its body is fixed to the kitchen wall, like a pressed flower in a frame. “Admire,” Solomon urges, and for a moment, you pause to do just that. “Butterfly” is available for purchase and streaming, with half of all proceeds going to National Bail Out, Black & Pink, and mutual aid funds.

Frankie Cosmos are back and vibrant as ever as they tease the release of their fourth record with a glittering new single. "Wannago" tells the story of two distant lovers through rose-colored harmonies and sugary lyrics. "It's been forever but it's whatever / I'm here for you and I would never forget you" sings lead singer Greta Kline, who said she once "found some of the lyrics embarrassing," but later "accepted the cheesier lyrics as part of the youthful glow of the song." The track captures the serendipitous joy of two humans "with eyes and ears / and dreams and science and love and fears" connecting in an absurd world, being driven apart by life, but earnestly finding their ways back. Fans have bassist Alex Bailey to thank for pushing the band to finish the older tune, and the result showcases the band's collaborative synergy. Close It Quietly will be released on September 6 via Sub Pop Records.

Born in the suburb of Oshawa, Ontario, Dizzy is the indie dream-pop band composed of brothers Charlie, Alex, and Mackenzie Spencer and their frontwoman Katie Munshaw. “Twist” is the follow up to their debut album Baby Teeth—the single is a breezy heartbreaker that you won’t know whether to dance or cry to. The band members describe Dizzy as a means to cope with small-town monotony. However, “Twist” is a testament to how far the group has come since their suburbia beginnings. The track is atmospheric and swirling, grounded in a rhythmic, smacking drum loop. Small, incremental movements in the vocals and sweeping synths add a glittering texture to the song's bass-heavy foundation. Dreamy elements are weaved throughout via Munshaw’s serene but sincere voice, delicate, twinkling piano, and an entrancing guitar solo. “Twist” navigates the post-break-up, with lyrics like “I beat myself up for feeling let down” showing Munshaw grapple with wanting to see someone while chastising herself for the impulse. The chorus swells around Munshaw’s voice as she sings the tragic lines, “there’s a hole that’s inside of my chest in the place of a heart in the shape of your fist” and as the band grieves, we all feel the pang of our past heartbreaks. “Twist” is the lead single off the Heavy/Twist EP, which will have to hold you over while Dizzy works on their next record.

Big Thief’s music has always had an unearthly, ethereal texture to it and the band’s newest single “Not”, the first offering from their forthcoming, fourth record Two Hands, is no exception. The track is an examination of what is bigger than all of us and a look at what people often fail to appreciate. Lead singer Adrianne Lenker makes a heartfelt delivery with her poetically haunting words, “It's not the energy reeling / Nor the lines in your face / Nor the clouds on the ceiling / Nor the clouds in space.” The conviction in her voice and the cruising, confident production further relay the central verdict of the song. The Brooklyn four-piece make existential ideas more easily digestible and appealing to explore. They send a message of clarity—suggesting that we all take a moment to breathe and focus on the bigger picture amidst all the chaos of this world. Two Hands is officially out October 11 via 4AD.

Pensive and soulful, Yianna's latest, "If I Never Left" joins both "Heavy Waters" and "Hard Pill To Swallow" as her latest single before the heavily anticipated release of her debut EP. With a hopeful and emotional tone, this introspective track looks back at how the experience of a broken and unhealthy relationship can build one into an even stronger person than before. The titular lyrics "If I never left / I would be a different person than I am today" certainly evoke a feeling of triumph from a familiar pain. Powerful vocals and writing take this track to the next level and its R&B undertones make for a smooth sound that certainly has us excited for her next release.