“What is New Music Friday?” you ask.
Each week, Young Entertainment Magazine’s talented team highlights the best new releases in alternative, indie, and beyond.
Here are the top releases you need to know for the week ending July 21, 2023.
1. “Glimpses” by Fox Jackson
https://www.instagram.com/foxjackson/
https://open.spotify.com/track/6AxWd0MWRX4wlqJUYWg0EE
Are you ready for a joyful summer anthem? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Fox Jackson dropped a dreamy single “Glimpses” as a follow-up to his previous two-track single titled “Side A”. Jackson, a London-based singer-songwriter, took a happy buzzing feeling that a young adult gets on their first few dates before getting to know someone else and falling in love and turns it into an awesome song.
When talking about this track, Jackson told CelebMix: “So many times in life, you catch a glimpse of someone and you never really know them, especially living in a world with endless possibilities, and never enough time. This song is saying ‘hey, get to know me cause I really wanna get to know you’. Life would be a little better if you chose me and I chose you, and we ended up knowing each other better than the back of our own hand.”
2. “King of Wands” by Housewife
https://www.instagram.com/housewife_band/
Housewife reclaimed a woman’s intuition on “King of Wands”.
Housewife, also known as Brighid Fry, is a Toronto-based indie rock singer. Housewife’s “King of Wands” is a song about the Patriarchal attempts to diminish women’s confidence in their own intuition and women’s intuition, spirituality, and solidarity are things that keep women safe and thriving.
Housewife’s music usually touches on their experience of being a young, queer, assigned female at birth (AFAB) person working in a male-dominated industry. Housewife is also an advocate of 2SLGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, and environmentalism.
3. “Chlorine” by Jean Ryden
https://www.instagram.com/jeanryden_/
Los Angeles-based music artist Jean Ryden has been in love with music for a long time. Ryden began studying music and taking cello lessons at age three. Ryden’s family has always loved music.
Ryden self-wrote and co-produced her debut single “Chlorine” before releasing it to the general public on June 30, 2023. “Chlorine” uses imagistic lyrics and a string-laden arrangement to examine a person’s grief and Ryden’s longing for an alternate timeline to take hold.
When speaking of the track, Ryden told Broadway World: “During the process of writing this project I spent a lot of time in solitude, playing my piano in my apartment, going on a lot of walks in my neighborhood. On these walks, I would hear dinner parties — the clanking of dishes and silverware — or kids playing, thrashing around in a pool I couldn’t see covered by hedges. I would get whiffs of smells that transported me back to my childhood: fresh cut grass, the blooming of flowers, and the smell of chlorine.”
4. “Hyperdrive” by Birthh
https://www.instagram.com/woabirthh/
https://open.spotify.com/track/4uSa5FEquJTsmd9nqtQCuR
Birthh kicked our anticipation into “Hyperdrive”.
Born in Italy and based in Brooklyn, Birthh captured the public’s kaleidoscope feelings with her alternative pop single “Hyperdrive” that feels like something from a dream. “Hyperdrive” offers an energetic and hopeful peak into Birthh’s heart on her upcoming album “Moonlanded”.
Birthh told Glasse Factory: “This is my journey into what it feels like to be a sensitive human in their 20s in the 2020s, through all the pressure coming from within and from the world we were left with. Landing is finding a way to stay present and to love the process, it’s about creating space for ourselves and realizing that each of us is the protagonist in our own story.”
5. “7 AM” by FRND CRCL
https://www.instagram.com/frndcrcl/
https://open.spotify.com/track/1gJ9ZGU5D94xPb7HNMJXa5
FRND CRCL (pronounced Friend Circle) is a pop punk band from New Jersey.
FRND CRCL’s new single “7 AM” contains a relatable take on the classic emo-esque storyline of growing up. “7 AM” brings a familiar and nostalgic feeling back to the surface as a profound pop punk anthem, thanks to fresh and catchy melodies and anthem-like choruses and guitar breakdowns.
FRND CRCL shared to NewJerseyStage.com: “‘People ask us all the time what FRND CRCL means’ … You’re the realest version of yourself when you’re with your friends; this albums for those who relate to their friends more than the life around them… whether that be their home life, society, in their newsfeed or on TV.”
6. “The Crown” by Iglu & Hartly
https://www.instagram.com/igluandhartly/
Hey, guess what? Iglu & Hartly’s new single “The Crown” is an ode to strength and perseverance. “The Crown” is also an anthem in the making.
Jarvis Anderson told Rock ‘N’ Load: “I wanted to capture the moment when the dust settles, after an epic showdown. That moment where you live to take on and embrace another day.”
The music video for “The Crown” is equally as special. According to Rock ‘N’ Load, the Los Angeles-based indie pop duo emphasized the importance of relentless determination, rising choruses, etc. “Oh, we shut them down, took the crown” was one of the rising choruses.
7. “Good Love” by Cocktail Slippers
https://www.instagram.com/cocktailslippers/
https://open.spotify.com/track/0FpXM9DMke43eQDrKPbvig
Oslo, Norway’s The Cocktail Slippers released their new single “Good Love” on June 30, 2023.
“Good Love” was a highly-anticipated release by The Cocktail Slippers. The Norwegian rock band proved the public that they can take the music world by storm once again.
Rolling Stone’s David Fricke said: “The Cocktail Slippers sound a lot like The Go-Go’s, but with gats instead of L.A. cheer, and a mule kick in their high heels.”
8. “Mood Ring” by Grave Secrets
https://www.instagram.com/grave.secrets/
Los Angeles’ Grave Secrets shared their new song “Mood Ring” and accompanying music video via Wiretap Records.
“Mood Ring” combines melodic punk and hardcore influences, nostalgic touches, and a modern touch. The early version of “Mood Ring” was simple, as the LA-based trio brought it to Alex Estrada at the Pale Moon Ranch in Juniper Hills, California.
Grave Secrets’ vocalist and guitarist Viny Morales told Rock ‘N’ Load: “We set out to write a song with a little bit of everything. We wanted something fun, with meaningful lyrics and imagery, and heavy/high energy. ‘Mood Ring’ is a song I actually wrote about my girlfriend. She was expressing to me how she feels sometimes, and no joke – after we were done talking, I picked up my acoustic guitar and wrote the whole song in like 10 mins.”
9. “overkill” by Sydney Sprague
https://www.instagram.com/sydneysprague/
Hot off her return single “Smiley Face”, Phoenix-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sydney Sprague released her new single and music video for “overkill”.
Sprague will release her upcoming sophomore album “somebody in hell loves you” on September 15, 2023. “Smiley Face” and “overkill” are two of the tracks off Sprague’s highly-anticipated album via Rude Records.
Sprague explained the album’s recording process in an interview with OriginalRock.net: “When I started writing songs for this record during COVID lockdown it felt like the movie had ended and the credits had rolled on life, but we were all still here for some reason.”
“Everything was just floating in this void and because of that I felt like I had all the time in the world to just do whatever I wanted. It was weirdly the freest I’ve ever felt. Writing became a way to entertain myself and make myself laugh instead of a way to wallow. I spent a lot of time reflecting on the past and the people around me and processing things I’d never been able to. I was able to be more honest than I’d ever been in my songs. The fact that I’m able to share them now feels a little scary because when I was writing them they were really just for me, but I hope they can bring people the same sense of escape that they brought me.”
10. “Where Are You Now” by Andrew X
https://www.instagram.com/andrewxmusic/
Andrew X is a singer-songwriter based in North Carolina.
Earlier this year, Andrew X announced that he’ll release his new album “Driving At Sunset” on September 20, 2023. “Driving At Sunset” was produced by Matt Goldman, mixed by Mark Needham, and mastered by Ted Jensen. His new album’s lead single “Miracles” was announced in his initial announcement.
Andrew X recently released his new single “Where Are You Now” to the masses. He wrote “Where Are You Now” after coming across an old picture of an old friend in a box of old pictures.
In an interview with Substream Magazine, Andrew X said: “Seeing the picture instantly took me back to how she made me feel when we were together. It also made me feel a fair amount of guilt about how I treated her, and a fair amount of regret due to the fact I never told her how I really felt about her, and how great of a person I really thought she was.”
“I don’t know where she is now, but I wish her the best, hope she doesn’t hold hard feelings, and hope that she has found love and is living a great life.”
11. “Head To The Sky” by Joy Anonymous
https://www.instagram.com/joyanonymous/
https://open.spotify.com/track/1qx0YqBNlRlqJAB4w3PjQo
London’s Joy Anonymous shared their latest “Head To The Sky” in recent weeks.
“Head To The Sky” can be described as a summer-ready song that embodies the euphoria from the duo’s live sets as hard-hitting house rhythms interlace with a rising hook. The duo previously teased the track at Glastonbury in June 2023.
The duo explained: “We started this tune with our friends Barney and Fred in the basement of Imogen Heaps’ house … Barney had this sample of ‘Optimistic’ by Sounds Of Blackness and we took it from there. We started playing it out in different forms over the past year and it quickly became the Joy Anonymous anthem. We use it as the moment we introduce new members into Joy Anonymous as we raise our hands in salute.”
The duo added: “The original sample expresses overcoming problems by keeping on, and keeping your head up. We wanted to keep that feeling in this record and by its reaction, people get that same feeling when hearing it today.”
12. “Ms Haha” by Kristin Hersh
https://www.instagram.com/kristinhersh/
Are you looking a new singer-songwriter and guitarist? Look no further than Kristin Hersh.
Kristin Hersh made recent announcements about her new single “Ms Haha” and her new album “Clear Pond Road”. “Ms Haha” features strings and ambient field recordings with a close-up of intimacy and a sensory nature.
Hersh said: “Some records demand to be made … And you know this is the case when the songs function as systems in a body. I octavized an acoustic baritone as the skeleton, cellos are the lungs, a Nashville-strung Collings and glockenspiel were the fingertips feeling around in this weird-ass dark space, and drums are always your heart, of course … but the vocals are a strange narrator here. A narrator lost in the story, of all things, more like eyes.”
13. “Gold” by Angel Sigala and Janet Dacal
https://www.instagram.com/_angelsigala/
Would you like to watch a new music in-person? If you answered “yes”, you’ve arrived at the right entry.
“Gold” by Angel Sigala and Janet Dacal is one of the many songs in the record of the Broadway musical “New York, New York”. “Gold” focuses on social issues in old-school New York while showing listeners — like you — how to have a good time.
Sigala was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, but calls Philadelphia home. He’s a 2018 alum of Temple University’s Musical Theatre and Acting programs. Meanwhile, Dacal was born in Los Angeles, California, to Cuban parents from Havana, Cuba. At age 17, she moved to Miami, Florida, and attended Florida International University as a theatre major before majoring in communications. Both Broadway performers are great at what they do on-stage.
14. “We Must Prevail” by The Venomous Pinks
https://www.instagram.com/thevenomouspinks/
The Venomous Pinks never shy away from a fight.
The Arizona-based punk band recently released their new single “We Must Prevail” in an attempt to rally for reproductive rights and rage against abortion bans.
The visualizer for “We Must Prevail” depicted the Statue of Liberty’s grip on a coat hanger with scenes of uprisings and protests. The visualizer was created by The Venomous Pinks with the help of Eternal Film Productions.
Eternal Film Productions declared: “The right to choose is a human rights issue at its core … We stand vehemently against oppression in all forms and appreciate the opportunity to voice our dissent using art. When we first conceptualized this video, we based it on a series of photographs we had created when Roe was initially repealed depicting Lady Liberty, bloodied from a coat hanger abortion to represent the current tidal shift of our society. The images, although disturbing, represent the reality that with abortion bans healthcare has been pushed back decades. Combined with images of the Supreme Court house cracking (a blatant metaphor for the disintegration of the ‘highest law in the land’ who’s building is emboldened with the phrase ‘Equal Justice Under Law’) and the electric music of The Venomous Pinks, this video is a protest to abortion bans and the assault of women’s rights.”
15. “Seriously?” by Guardrail
https://www.instagram.com/guardrailsucks/
https://open.spotify.com/track/1s14pEnLtG2wYOsWCtBFgs
Chicago-based diet punk band Guardrail was excited to share their new album “Content” through Open Your Ears Records. Guardrail’s new single “Seriously?” was listed as the first track of “Content”.
“Seriously?” can be described as a not so traditional punk type of track. Guardrail was heavily influenced by punk rock though. Oh, and Guardrail’s other influences include positive energies and Jeppson’s Malört.
Guardrail has worked with Open Your Ears Records since 2020. After signing with the Richmond, Virginia-based record company, Guardrail has attracted attention from Substream Magazine, The Noise, Chorus.fm, etc. Stay tuned for more updates from the band!
16. “Glastonbury” by Jo Hill
https://www.instagram.com/joohill/
UK-based musician Jo Hill is a rising star for a reason.
Jo Hill released her new single “Glastonbury” and premiered an accompanying music video. The music video for “Glastonbury” contained footage of Hill and her friends at this year’s Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, England.
Of the music video, Hill shared: “I wanted to create a video that captures the raw madness, happiness, trippiness, and mystic vibes of the best festival in the world…Glastonbury. I’ve been going since I was 12 with my dad so it’s a very sacred space to me! I hope that this video brings a kind of smack-you-in-the-face summer vibe of festival joy and that you feel like a fly on the wall (or even better) that you feel like like you’re at Glasto with me and my pals, drinking Wilkins and loosing yourself in the healing fields or at the fire stage.”
17. “Solid Gold” by Miles Miller
https://www.instagram.com/themilesmiller/
https://open.spotify.com/track/0ybslccHSw49duSgROYbck
Chances are, you’re wondering who Miles Miller is. Here’s an answer for you.
Miles Miller is a former drummer for country singer-songwriter and actor Sturgill Simpson. Miller left the drumming life to pursue a solo career in country music.
Miller went solo in his new single “Solid Gold”. “Solid Gold” contains a lot of Southern-style soulful moments less indicative of Kentucky and more similar to Muscle Shoals or Brent Cobb sounds.
Miller’s debut album “Solid Gold” is more of a mood album than a lick one. Despite gloomy songs like “A Feeling Called Lonesome”, you’re still left with a soothing and pleasant delivery, thanks to Miller’s delivery. “Solid Gold” can be the next album you’ll leave on repeat.
18. “Poison the Well” by Surprise Baby
https://www.instagram.com/surprisebabymusic/
https://open.spotify.com/track/1y3OhOdZQh7chPw5YRgdoj
Surprise Baby wondered what could’ve been in their new single “Poison The Well”.
In case you didn’t know, Surprise Baby is a self-described “rock and roll cowboy meets indie pop” duo based in Los Angeles, California. Sarsten Noice, a singer-songwriter, and Claire Morison, a producer, are originally from Montana.
Surprise Baby’s upcoming EP contains the No. 1 single “Poison The Well”, which narrates one facing the consequences of their actions and their desire to change the reality of their situation, but ultimately having the realization that they can’t.
Noice confided: “At the time, I was involved with someone who was in another relationship and we were both a part of a tight knit community. At a certain point, it appeared to me that the toxicity of the relationship had permeated our ability to operate in our social scene without causing disruption to our lives and those around us. I was faced with confronting the morality of my own actions as well as some heartbreak because I knew I was never going to be able to fully be with this person.”
19. “Afterlife” by COASTCITY
https://www.instagram.com/coastcity/
Did you know? COASTCITY redefined Latin R&B with their emotive single “Afterlife”.
Hailing from Puerto Rico, COASTCITY — a R&B duo — collaborated with rising Venezuelan music artist FABRO in “Afterlife”. “Afterlife” showcases both parties’ synergies as they navigate bilingual verses, deliver seamless flows, and enhances the song’s emotional depths together.
PURPLE MELON mentioned: “Afterlife” is the continuation of our last song “Futuro”, it’s the new Latin R&B sound that bilingual, rhythmic and emotional. It’s COASTCITY’s first time collaborating with FABRO, who is an up and coming artist out of Buenos Aires, Argentina.”
20. “Best of Me” by Me Nd Adam
https://www.instagram.com/mendadam/
https://open.spotify.com/track/0i1OljcakY2I1BaTnpdtud
Do you want to learn something new today? Here’s something you most likely didn’t know.
Me Nd Adam are more than just a trash-wave duo from Austin, Texas. Adam Walker and Vince Winik are also friends that found each other through death, alcoholism, and breakups.
Me Nd Adam’s latest single “Best of Me” comes from their new upcoming album “American Drip Pt. II”. “Best of Me” emerged from a songwriting session as Walker, Winik, and George Gekas (of The Revivalists) lost stream and prepared to close up shop for the night.
