The passionate question on the chorus of "New Mercies" asks both the singer herself and the listeners “Is it too late for me to believe in the morning’s new mercies?” 19-year-old Taylor Janzen’s latest single gives a voice to her skepticism about the things of heaven and earth. "New Mercies" is the Winnipeg singer-songwriter’s first single recorded in a studio with a full band, which captures all the frustrated energy that brought the song to life. The song was written in a moment of disequilibrium between the feelings of Taylor's energetic soul and the faith she was raised to believe in, a discordance she has always felt but was unable to explain until now. Asking about the mercies conceived in the morning to those who believe in the Biblical God, she questions if it is too late to believe and be saved but she answers herself and her cynicism along the song. Taylor is set to perform in several festivals including SXSW and release her new EP in 2019.

After the passing of her dear friend, Pam, Jocelyn Mackenzie sought out to write a song to Pam's grieving husband. "Love Begets Love" is the beautiful product of Mackenzie's efforts, a song about the consistent readiness and availability of love. As if an echo of Pam's heart, Mackenzie spreads a personal and universal message about how love can grow and foster in the midst of hardships. Mackenzie's voice has healing elements in and of itself, but it reaches to new levels when accompanied by the colorful background vocals which in a way sound like a united band of caring friends reaching out to a loved one in a time of need. While the pain of loss will never be truly erased, this song is a reminder that there truly is consolation and hope in love. "Love Begets Love" is featured on a compilation album dedicated to Pam's memory called Songs for Pam which can be found on Burst and Bloom Records's bandcamp. New Yorkers, be sure to see Jocelyn Mackenzie during her residency at C'mon Everybody in Brooklyn on August 11, September 16, and October 13! 

Wild Pink’s “Lake Erie” is full of all sorts of meaningfully mundane details one has no choice but to notice while growing up in a small town. “Your body looks impossibly small when you hang your head and cry / Meanwhile people on Tumblr unpack neuroses,” singer John Ross observes. He is unable to shake the tiny details once so familiar to him — a particular intersection or the smell on a rainy day. It is as much a song about leaving as it is a song about home. “You thought you’d never get out,” Ross reminisces in the chorus before finally flipping to the first person to marvel at his own growth. The song has an Americana sound tied more to the road than to any particular place. A wistful pedal steel guitar pines over the old days on top of a rhythm section as unrelentingly steady as the passage of time, declaring that there is no going back.

Although Lucy Dacus believes Richmond band Spooky Cool should be renamed “Stupid Good,” the band currently has the perfect name to describe their haunting indie pop vibe. The newest single “Old Hair Mine” off their upcoming debut EP “Every Thing Ever” is full of nostalgic lyrics and vocal harmonies mixed with the instrumentations dis-harmonization and a constantly changing rhythmic backdrop. The product is an entertaining, intricate piece that feels timeless and futuristic. At the end of the song, the vocalists question over and over again “is anything real?” Not sure about that, but we'll keep wondering as we listen to this song. 

With a highly anticipated new record on the way, Odetta Hartman releases her last single off of the album. "You You" is the epitome of short and sweet, showcasing Hartman in all her old school charm but with a feel-good twist. While an Odetta Hartman track is usually embedded with experimental and genre-bending sounds, "You You" finds its strength in its sweet simplicity. Opening up with a hard-hitting electric guitar, Hartman's voice is a contrast of sorts with it's quiet strength and colorful timbre which remains the centerpiece of the song. "You You" is the kind of love song that doesn't feel crowded with frivolous emotions but rather heart and soul. "I want to run / to edge of the earth with you / it's perfect with you," Hartman repeats in the chorus, giving us a glimpse of her desire for an adventurous romance thats more about togetherness and less about the frills. Catch Old Rockhounds Never Die out on August 10! 

“La Cienega”, referring both to a famous street in LA that stretches out from Sunset Blvd and the Spanish term for desert marsh is a clever play on words that explores the pitfalls of the “glamorous” lifestyle many of us daydream about. The vocalists, two established Asian artists, Joji and NIKI, imply that waking up hungover after a rough night of heavy drinking and shenanigans might perhaps get old after a few weeks, months? As per NIKI's experience, it’ll have you singing, “Party’s over / Thank the lord”. “La Cienega” is one of the many bangers off of the international collective and record label, 88rising’s newest, collaborative album, Head in the Clouds. 

The song was produced and written by Joji and NIKI, who each supply their own distinctive sound and interpretations of the Hollywood lifestyle, and how to potentially escape it. Joji and NIKI's syrupy vocals are carried by the electro-dance inspired production filled with slightly gritty synths and a subby kick/ trap bass . As the track progresses, it bursts with glitchy samples ranging from buffering computer and telephone noises to what sound like bicycle bells. “La Cienega” paints a sloppy romance, glitter-puke picture that perfectly captures what it might feel like to wake up on a shallow, dry slow-moving body of water or an arid LA sidewalk…

Allow us to introduce you to rising Chicago singer-songwriter, KAINA. Not only is she making waves in the Windy City, but she's also caught the attention of big names like Jamila Woods who she opened for last year. In her three track EP released early this year, KAINA explores the richness of her sound with three songs that showcase her multi-layered talent. "Happy" is a song that is full of playful instrumentation and background vocals that are reminiscent of old 90s R&B hits. KAINA sings of the emotions she experiences when she's around a special someone and the moments she goes back to in her head when she thinks of their happiness. While the tone of KAINA's voice is smooth and confident, you can't miss the fact that she's singing of a happiness that is the color of blushing cheeks and giddy smiles. There's no doubt about it, KAINA is on our list of artists to watch out for and we're pretty happy about it. 

A slow-moving scene of a pair of lovers dancing idly in a pale lit bar. A warm picture of a group of friends sitting and singing on a porch while drinking scotch and smoking one too many cigarettes. Bermuda Triangle’s  most recent country-gospel ballad, “Till the End of Days,” distinctly evokes settings like these. The Nashville-based trio’s track is a sublime combination of rich, tight harmonies balanced with distinctive vocal timbres and lean, airy acoustic guitar.

Jesse Lafser, who wrote the song, leads the track with an infectious, no-nonsense vocal line that is nothing short of pure magic. The gentle guitar unhurriedly moves forward as Lafser tenderly sings, “Maybe God / Maybe God / Maybe God does exist / Cause the way you look at me on mornings like this.” Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes) and Becca Mancari pour into the song in equal measure allowing each of them plenty of time to individually tug on your heartstrings reminding you that sometimes the greatest loves — both romantic and platonic — involve the greatest amount of growth and support. For all you atheists or agnostic leaning dissenters, “Till the End of Days” will incidentally lead you the closest you may have ever been to believing. You might even find yourself praying to a God after your first listen…maybe.

When you are hurt by the person you love, it’s a hard fall. As you shatter it can be easy to run back to that love, mistaking artful sadism for the comfort you seek as you begin to pick up the pieces. Mark Bucci, who leads his own bedroom-pop project, Brewster finally strings his pieces back together on the single, “Kiss Me While I’m Down,” the second song on a double cassette single being released through Great Grief, a new NJ label from Matteo DeBenedetti of the band Toy Cars. Drummer, Tom Devinko, supplies the tracks’s delicate dynamics to Bucci’s idiosyncratic guitar and synth melodies, fitting together music that lives on the axis of Wilco’s indie-instrumentation and the tittering electronics of the new Half Waif record. Bucci sings, “I can’t help myself/ I’ll let you twist me around sharing pronouns/ and kiss me while I’m down,” swirling around in his thoughtful guitar space and by the end, in the light, seeming to be emerging as whole. 

San Fran native, Nick Perloff-Giles's — otherwise known as Wingtip — coastal upbringing has deeply influenced his music. His moderately electro vibes mixed in with an acoustic-pop feel display remnants of his former beach life.  "Pavement," the first single to come off of Wingtip's upcoming EP, Ghosts of Youth, captures these sounds. Starting with light synths and a gentle acoustic guitar line, "Pavement" builds as the story it tells unfolds. Tasteful electronic elements also paint it with a sense of character and youth. The nostalgic themes of lost love, getting older and being a little reckless capture the quintessence of growing up. Ultimately, "Pavement" is a song about the good ol' days and the hope that they're not all behind you. Just one listen and chances are you'll be taken back to that one summer that made you want to live forever. 

Full of honesty and grace, Hayley Gene Penner's brave new single, "Smaller," speaks to the deep desire to be loved and the fear that it may be easier if you were someone else. Honing in on the struggle of body-image, Penner sings, "If I'm smaller and I'm different / Just a little less / Would you love me?" These words cut to the core and find you in a place you know all too well. "Smaller" shines with a quiet boldness. Penner refuses to hide behind metaphors or similes as she sings her truths with such sincerity and vulnerability. Like most toxic thoughts, it's easy to hear the danger in them when you yourself are not thinking them — it's a lot harder to recognize their toxicity when they're in your own head. Smaller" lets you connect with Penner as she sings of her battle with self-image while also allowing you to notice the lack of self-love you may have been showing yourself for longer than you realized.