I lay comforted by the sounds of a meandering country ditty, imbibing the questions being posed lyrically. How did you become the stranger you sought to escape? How will you escape the ghosts coming for you? The upbeat twang of Will Rainier’s guitar contrasts his dark lyrics which resemble a poem by Poe, in new single “Dance With the Dead”.
Expands Rainier: “I like the sadness in country music—it’s just raw emotional music to me—but I don’t want to recreate anything to the letter. I want the music to be my style, and I like unexpected instruments, like the trumpet, and I like blending styles. I don’t think about any of this when I write—I just let the music come out.”
While the video is, admittedly, reminiscent of a middle school iMovie project, it would be the best one in the class. Filmed across beautiful landscapes in Olympia, Bow, and Lopez Island, Washington, and Bend, Oregon by Jen Garrett, Will Rainier, and Chad Yenney, the video itself was created by Will. The beauty chosen and recorded by Rainier ropes you in to an almost fantastical existence. You can sense the intended darkness behind the song without acquiring it, a true feat.
“Dance with the Dead” is a mixed bag, and Will Rainier is extremely talented. On his new album Smoke ‘em If You Got ‘em, which is available in full soon, he plays most of the instruments, creating his own band from raw talent. He will undoubtedly fuel you with more of his funky bar goer stories and genre breaking combinations.
Conan Gray has always made heartbreak sound cinematic, but in the music video for “This Song,” he leans fully into visual poetry, backdropped by small-town Texas skies, the nostalgia of youth, and the ache of something left unsaid. Shot on film and directed by Moon Shynin, the video stars Gray and actor Corey Fogelmanis, both playing lovers locked in a quiet, unresolved orbit. From stolen glances across dimly lit diners to an emotionally loaded first on-screen kiss, it’s a haunting introduction to Wishbone, Gray’s upcoming album, due out August 15.
The music video doesn’t tell a story in linear terms. It floats. Much like the song itself, the visual narrative exists in memory and metaphor more than clear chronology. It’s nostalgic without being kitschy, romantic without requiring words. The intimacy between the two characters feels lived-in… gentle, familiar, and quietly devastating in its mundanity. These aren’t grand cinematic lovers; they’re real people in the in-between, suspended in the echo of something that might have already ended.
Then, the kiss. A moment fans have buzzed about as Gray’s first on-screen kiss, it lands with more sadness than celebration. It’s not a moment of passion, but one of acceptance. A soft surrender to everything left unsaid. That’s the power of “This Song.” Nothing explodes. Nothing resolves. It just lingers.
Produced by Ethan Gruska, “This Song” doesn’t rely on sonic spectacle to hit hard. It simmers in longing, filled with slow, pulsing instrumentation and restrained vocals that unravel like a late-night journal entry. The lyrics linger in that liminal space when memories start looping louder than reality. Fans are already calling it Gray’s first true love song, and in many ways, it is. It’s vulnerable without being self-pitying, romantic without being grandiose, and devastatingly honest in how it captures the feeling of being left behind.
Gray’s reflections on the track (shared via Instagram) make the video all the more poignant. He compares relationships to a wishbone ritual: two people making a wish, pulling until something breaks, and only one person walking away with the long end. That metaphor shapes the emotional palette of “This Song.” There’s no revenge arc here, no triumphant solo glow-up. Just the ache of an ending you didn’t see coming until it shattered in your hands.
What makes this video stand out in Gray’s visual catalog is how understated it is. There’s no high-concept drama, no surreal worldbuilding like in some of his previous videos. Instead, it’s the color of Corey’s sweatshirt, the distant look in Gray’s eyes, the awkward space between their hands in the car. Director Moon Shynin lets us sit in the discomfort of things unsaid. Combined with the grain of the film and the dusky, warm palette, the video feels like something found in a box years later, watched with a lump in the throat.
“This Song” marks the beginning of Gray’s Wishbone era! An album born from 300 unreleased tracks, written in basements and between tour stops, in hotel sheets and long cab rides. And if this single is any indication, Wishbone might be his most personal work yet: disillusioned, self-aware, and softly soul-searching. A story of choosing people who are already halfway out the door and finally asking why.
Watch the video and prepare yourself for the August heartbreak. This is Conan Gray not as the heartbroken teen pop star, but as a young adult sifting through what it means to trust, to lose, and to love anyway.
La Raca Flaca taps into a new-age pop nostalgia on her most recent track “Peaks and Valleys.” “Peaks and Valleys” is an earnest pop track that explores love’s staying power, and its resistance to outside forces.
The song begins with a string arrangement that leans into the romance and allure of the track. La Raca Flaca’s voice then takes charge and with it comes a backing full of bass and synthy beats.
Her lyrics are conversational and are delivered as such, as she speaks to her lover directly, letting them know that outside barriers will not inhibit her love.
“Peaks and Valleys” chorus uplifts the narrative of the song as she further enforces her love’s staying power, and her confidence towards her relationship and its longevity. Her voice becomes stronger, and her message becomes even more powerful when she sings, “This special love will find a way.”
Throughout the verses, La Raca Flaca calls out to her lover creating an intimate bond within the song, and letting us in on her romance and its vulnerability. The song speaks to a greater union and alliance as she emphasizes the power that is created when her and her lover come together. The simplicity of the backing track gives La Raca Flaca the chance to speak to her lover with no distractions, and keeps the focus on her lyrics which are a declaration of unified love.
La Raca Flaca also released a music video which emphasizes the song’s title, “Peaks and Valleys”, as she walks through and exists within nature.
“Peaks and Valleys” is a testament to love and devotion, and La Raca Flaca’s lyrics capture the importance of the human ability to trust in love completely. This song is perfect for long distance relationships, reconnecting with a former flame, or really any relationship that’s ever had some sort of barrier. If you love emotional pop ballads, this one’s for you.
The American alt-pop duo Cafuné, made up of musicians Noah Yoo and Sedona Schat, have released the single “e-Asphyxiation” off their upcoming album, Bite Reality. If you’re unaware of Cafuné, you may recognize their 3x Platinum song “Tek it” which went viral on Tiktok and was sampled in Lil Uzi Vert’s song “Red Moon.” With this online success, it’s unsurprising that Bite Reality finds the band questioning our current cultural moment where AI and social media encompass our lives.
“e-Asphyxiation” is an expression of how exhausting social media can be, especially once fame is factored in. The lyrics describe the frustrations of our modern generation, where you have to display a certain persona online all the time. It’s definitely relatable for anyone who’s spent a little too long hovering over the post button on Instagram. You can see this in the chorus of the song:
I’m tied down too tight, by all these Phone screen obligations, e-Asphyxiation I can’t close my eyes with all these Phone screen obligations, e-Asphyxiation
The music video’s focus is split, choosing to focus on both Noah Yoo and Sedona Schat performing the song simply, and hazier outlines of the musicians. The camera flashes back and forth between this more authentic performance and a foggy, distorted reality of Yoo and Schat. Cafuné’s music video is a reflection of this split persona that social media demands. And as the video comes to an end, we’ve lost the two musicians to that hazy reality.
If “e-Asphyxiation” is anything to go by, Bite Reality might signal a different sound for Cafuné. While the song still fits the band’s alt-pop genre, there’s something more raw from the production side. More drums, more guitar, more straight vocals. We’ll have to wait for the rest of the album to see if it follows this pattern, but based on the lead single alone, this grit might be here to stay.
Bite Reality releases via Soundon on September 12. If you want to see more of Cafuné, the band recently announced upcoming dates for their North American Tour Alive Online.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES September 19 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis* September 20 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore – The Foundry* September 22 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall* September 23 – Montréal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB* September 24 – Toronto, ON – The Great Hall* September 26 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall* September 27 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon* September 30 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall* October 2 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge* October 5 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios* October 6 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile – Madame Lou’s* October 8 – San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s 365 Club* October 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom* October 12 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge* October 14 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas – Cambridge Room* October 15 – Austin, TX – The Parish* October 17 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade – Hell* October 18 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle – Backroom* October 22 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg* *with support from crushed All tour dates here
Quickly rising indie pop/rock artist Michigander just put out a new single entitled “Giving Up”, attached with a music video and a B-side called “Breaker Box”. Michigander, led by singer-songwriter Jason Singer, has been releasing music since 2016 and has been gaining traction through singles like “Misery” and engagement from popular playlists by Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. As of now, Singer is the face of Spotify’s “The New Alt” playlist, which promotes new and popular alternative music, placing him alongside artists like The Killers and Hozier. Before the release of “Giving Up”, Singer had put out 2023’s It Will Never Be The Same EP and a live performance and EP for Vevo’s online DSCVR series.
“Giving Up” absolutely appeals to fans of Michigander’s previous songs and features his trademark sound. His alternative pop sound with hazy synths and electronics that still capture honest emotions, all sung with Singer’s distinctive Midwestern twang. It’s cutesy and very likable, and Singer has a charm and earnestness to him that makes him appealing. The backing band assembled for this single is also very good, composed of Jake LeMond on guitar, Connor Robertson on bass, Chris Koo on keys, and Aaron Senor on drums. Lyrically, it’s about desperately trying to make someone happy to have minimal success and having to be assertive about getting nothing in return. It’s a relatable sentiment and very genuine. The music video, directed by Tyler Appel, is shot well with beautiful cinematography. It features multiple scenes of Singer playing with his band, as well as aimlessly driving his truck amongst other things. It’s fun and matches the song well enough, and Singer has a good presence in music videos.
The B-side, “Breaker Box”, matches the A-side in its similar sentiments and seems to be from the same narrator and addressed to the same person as before. It’s another song about a crumbling relationship and wanting the other person to put forth more effort into maintaining it. The song has a wonderfully lush production, with a more piano-driven melody and some wonderful-sounding horns. Like “Giving Up”, it balances being catchy as well as intimate and personal.
Michigander continues to be an inspired presence in modern alternative music, and “Giving Up” is an excellent example of why. As for the future, Singer and his band have a headlining tour beginning Oct 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio, going into 2025 with support from multiple artists including Cece Coakley and Sydney Sprague, as well as solo acoustic performances with Band of Horses.
Who doesn’t love “Weird Al” Yankovic? Seriously, it’s impossible. The Grammy award-winning comedy/parody musician has brought joy to the hearts of millions for five decades and continues to be a singular presence in music. Al has spent a decade-long hiatus from new releases, with his last being 2014’s smash hit album Mandatory Fun. Though this hasn’t stopped him from touring and working on new projects unrelated to music, such as 2022’s parody biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. However, he’s finally made a return to recording with his new single and animated music video, “Polkamania!” The track continues a long-time trend for him, as almost all of his studio albums have contained a medley of then-popular songs covered in the style of overly jaunty polka music.
Let’s face it: you should already know if this is something you’ll enjoy. “Weird Al” Yankovic is so iconic and beloved to where you’ll likely be on board before even knowing what the song is. And “Polkamania!” is as gleefully silly as “Weird Al” has ever been, showing that he’ll always stay true to goofiness and idiocy no matter what. The songs chosen to cover were big hits from the past ten years. These include: “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish, “Hello” by Adele, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” by Lin-Manuel Miranda from Disney’s Encanto, “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X, “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran, “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars, “WAP” by Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, “thank u, next” by Ariana Grande, and “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. Phew!
The track is continuously jaunty and upbeat polka music, featuring Al’s signature accordion playing as well as a brass section for authenticity. It should appeal to fans of the songs covered or just fans of Yankovic in general. “Polkamania!” had its release coupled with an accompanying music video, which is completely worth watching too. It features several animators styling each part of the medley and has just enough sight gags and quirky humor to be a total delight. The animation is super dazzling, ranging broadly in style from 2D animation, CG, puppetry, stop-motion, and work I don’t even know how to describe.
All in all, this is an entirely satisfying comeback for “Weird Al” Yankovic, even if this is just a one-off single and not leading into a new album. Any amount of silliness from him is needed at any time or place, and he remains a massive icon in both the worlds of comedy and music.
Up-and-coming rap artist Lexa Gates just released an incredible new single “I Just Can’t Be Alone.” The song, produced by Billy Lemos, is a beautiful blend of self-awareness, embarrassing frustration, and somber acceptance common in unhealthy relationships. Gates, the Queens NYC native, has a long and rich history with music; her mother taught her music theory and composition as a child and eventually used music to get her through tough times as a young adult.
The harmony of this song is what makes it special. Gates’ voice is as deep as Amy Winehouse and blends beautifully over the rhythm and blues melody. The background vocals add tremendously to the jazzy, old-fashioned feel of the song.“I Just Can’t Be Alone” is very relaxing to listen to, especially on a slow morning or romantic evening alone. For lack of a better term, it is finger-snapping good!
The meaning of the song is exactly as the title insinuates– Gates cannot be left alone. She relies on a lover but hates the emotional turmoil of being in a relationship. She can’t make up her mind…does she want him (or her) in her life? But can she even live without him? From the verse:
“I’m so sick of sleeping in, putting you above everything. Let myself down everyday, I just can’t stay away…”
You can clearly tell she feels suffocated by him and is tired of always putting him first. Later in the song she compares her relationship with him to that of a chess game: she will always lose to him and willingly too because of the unspoken power he has over her thoughts and emotions.
The accompanying music video is downright charming. Gates is seen swaying to the music, wind blowing through her hair, and glancing at the camera every so often. Her background visuals and rose-tinted filter reinforce the vintage feel of the song, as Gates is seen sitting on a queen-sized motel bed, laying on a cream-colored sectional couch, and crouching down in a large soaking tub throughout the video. One impressive fact is that this music video is Gates’ single-handed masterpiece: it was directed, produced, edited, and styled all by herself.
Chamber-rock indie band Cloud Cult from St. Cloud, Minnesota has just released their newest song “The Universe Woke Up As You” and it is a philosophical masterpiece. The song consists of Craig Minowa as the band’s lead vocalist and songwriter, Jeremy Harvey on the drums, Shannon Frid-Rubin on the violin, Sarah Perbix and Aurora Minowa as backup vocals, and Daniel Zamzow on the cello. Minowa recorded the song in the midst of a divorce, in the Wisconsin woods. Minowa was able to process his grief through music and regain control over his perspective on life with this song.
“The Universe Woke Up As You” came out as part of their Alchemy Creek album, due to come out on August 8th. This full-length studio album is made possible by Earthology Records, the band’s own record label created by Minowa himself. A really interesting fact is that Cloud Cult’s efforts to create music, advertise their band, and tour in the most sustainable ways possible have earned them a spot in “Top 10 Green Bands” by Rolling Stone in 2009.
Both the melody and lyrics of the song are melancholic and very reminiscent of the past. The feminine background vocals provide wonderful harmony to Minowa’s soft-spoken singing. In the end, a beautiful violin solo pulls the song to a close. In my opinion, the musicality of this song reminds me of Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”, mirroring its soothing vocals which convey a surprisingly depressing message. This 5-minute song is a great way to wind down after a long, hard day.
At the beginning of the song, Minowa can be heard whispering the intro, which makes the intended audience and all who listen feel small. The lyrics tell a story of hopeless nostalgia. Minowa reminisces about simpler times when he was a kid, and implies that things are much more difficult now as an adult having to deal with this “skull-sized hell.” Personally, my favorite verse of the song is:
Gonna draw myself a picture of the way things were What is real and what is fantasy? Well, I really can’t be sure There’s so much here to feel, well, it’s all just a blur Gonna draw myself a picture of the way things were
By the end, Minowa explodes into something bigger as he yells the title of the song “Today the universe woke up as you!” This piece depicts an interesting message of how one can control one’s own perception of time, space, and reality.
The accompanying music video starts with Minowa in front of a camcorder. It is apparent that the set takes place in some type of storage unit, giving the video a quickly-made unplanned feel. Behind him is the back of a garage door; on the camcorder screen, however, it is clear that the video editors have added a green screen to the background. The family-friendly vibe of the song is enforced by children acting as a film crew. For what seems low-budget, this video is a perfect visual for the song. “The Universe Woke Up As You” can be watched on YouTube here.
You can follow Cloud Cult on their own well-cultivated website. You can also subscribe to their Patreon, where they rank as one of the top content creators on the platform. Cloud Cult will be touring later this summer, headlining at the People Fest in Yuba, WI on August 9th. Be sure to catch them live before their last performance on September 28th at the Palace Theater in St. Paul, MN.
Considering the band members that comprise psych-tinged alt-rock quartet Liily – Dylan Nash (Frontman), Sam De La Torre (Guitarist), Charlie Anastasis (Bassist), and Maxx Morando (Drummer) – are all artistic in a variety of ways, it comes as no surprise that the video for single “Swallow” off their fresh drop Liily was so fully ideated and realized by the band, who directed it. The song – which is very specifically about their disdain for trauma porn – is, according to the band, “a pretty simple rock tune, we wanted to keep it straight forward along with the rest of the EP, no bells and whistles! We saw it as our chance to be musical vs over-intellectualizing something that is meat and potatoes.”
About the composition, they are correct. A little bit of a dirty edge to it, with a steady rhythm most can get into, the song is more catchy than one would assume when they think of the subject matter. With both vocals and a video that are sprinkled with the stereotypical bored demeanor of a true rock outfit, the build of energy in the song is almost unexpected, but equally welcoming.
“Swallow” was shot by members of Liily in 2022 with a little help from Keegan James Hurley, Justin Billings, and Andie Jane. Guitarist Sam De La Torre edited it, giving it an admittedly engaging finish.
