The Rocket Summer has returned with his new single, Stuck Inside Your Light today. Extracting bits of trip hop, electro and shoegaze, the track swirls around like a cyclone around his trademark epic chorus. The track arrives alongside an abstract, VFX heavy music video. Watch it now clicking on the image.

"Stuck Inside Your Light started with a burst of auditory illumination in my studio," says The Rocket Summer brainchild Bryce Avary. "Within minutes of picking this simple, darkly-ominous-but-happy melody, I played a quick swung groove on an MPC drum machine and my Minimoog bass synth, and blasted it on loop… I felt like I was being pulled upwards and hovering in this multi-colored spaceship of positivity."

Capturing similar earthy soundscapes that were featured on previous single M4U and injecting rhythm-based trip hop textures, Stuck Inside Your Light showcases steady, hip-hop tinged drums and sparse looping guitar patterns that give Avary's vocals room to breathe during the verses and soar during the uplifting chorus. This all coalesces into a sudden symphony of psychedelia guitars in the bridge, before finalizing with one last chorus as the synths and guitars squeal louder and louder. "I hope this song lifts people. It was fun for me to create a story within the instrumentation that sounded like the chain of events of being abducted and beamed up in flight. Living within the bright sparks of writing a new song has always been my main vice," says Avary.

The accompanying mesmerizing music video depicts a mercurial being witnessing prismatic lights and kaleidoscopic displays explode into desert blooms. The hypnotizingly gorgeous video complements the music's circular melody. "Originally I had been writing fictional stories to release as short films and/or comics and it was a massive catalyst for the music I made for this season," says Avary. "I was essentially making soundtracks to these unreleased films stuck in my mind. While ultimately the music became the king for me, that practice of writing completely separate fictional stories really opened creative floodgates musically that I'd never really experienced before. Last year I met Seth Ringger, a visual artist, and asked him if he wanted to make a video. I lightly touched on some of the themes of the stories I was originally working on and I was amazed at what he came back with on his own. It was life giving for me to see some hints of those original ideas that informed the sonic nature of this music come full circle with this project."

Singer-songwriter Eric Sleeper has released his hard-hitting single Son Of A Gun today. Bending genres, the new track features bright guitar riffs contradicted with impactful lyrics.

Referencing the path of an aspiring artist finding their way and conquering trials and tribulations in the process, Son Of A Gun is Eric Sleeper's memories and personal story of being an up-and-coming musician himself. Taking pride in writing music that listeners can relate to, fans are encouraged to apply the lyrics to their own stories and hardships. "This song was written as a reflection of the internal struggles of an unknown artist, chasing a path of uncertainty, yet being completely content with it and accepting of whatever is to come," explains Sleeper.
Inspired by underdog stories, Sleeper expresses the feeling of those around you not believing in your potential in his line, "I chase the dreams I'm after; you say it's suicide." Continuously offering encouragement and opportunities to reflect, listeners are left feeling motivated and optimistic for the future.

New York-born and New Jersey-based Eric Sleeper began his musical journey at 14. Starting with guitar, immediately after, he picked up songwriting and quickly found his passion for expressing thoughts and feelings through lyricism. Later learning the MIDI keyboard, Sleeper has proven himself to be a well-versed musician, both instrumentally and vocally. Taking inspiration from the likes of Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Elliot Smith, Nirvana, and Bon Iver, Sleeper values their minimalistic approach to songwriting.

With a goal of making his debut album in the near future, Son Of A Gun is his third single. Making his debut with Junkie followed by Emily, he's earned the attention of Music-News.com and XS Noize. Fans have much to look forward to with an album in the works and a goal of bringing new music to the stage in the near future.

Son Of A Gun is now available for streaming or download.

Modern Rock powerhouse Messer are sharing their defiant new single Unfvckwitable, the follow-up to their Top 40 Active Rock song Hope In This World.

Known for their catchy hooks and high energy live performances, they continue to build their career as a truly independent Rock band.

The band says Unfvckwitable is a state of being. It's the conscious decision to be unfazed and unaffected by the storms around you. It's a commitment to strength of character. Having the clarity to not back down from your goals no matter what life throws at you. Strive to be Unbreakable, to be Unstoppable... To BE UNFVCKWITABLE.

They continue: "To bring the visual message for this song - it was clear there was only one choice when it came to directing the video: Matt JC (director) of 1307 Productions. He and Aaron Fariooz (Director of Photography) and their crew brought their award winning cinematography to this 6k, Super Hi-Def video. The location was also a key element - it was filmed at Grace Point Media in Dallas, Texas, which features a high definition 10 foot tall x 40 foot long L.E.D. wall. Our guitarist Jonathan Simmons created the "video within the video" to act as the backdrop to the high energy performance we put out. The message the video tells is one from inside the diamond and is meant to be a reminder to be strong like a diamond – which is what we are trying to get across with this song".

The band recorded Unfvckwitable with long-time Los Angeles based producer Chad Gendason. More new music and an EP will be released in 2023, and the band will be supporting it with more touring.

Watch the video for Unfvckwitable clicking on the image.

Vanessa Vakharia (vocals, keytar) and David Kochberg (vocals, guitar) of Canadian rock band Goodnight Sunrise speak about their just released new album Against All Odds.

Against All Odds is a poignant mantra: hard times come and go, but persistence and resilience can pay off when you believe in something deeply, including yourself. We worked with producer/mixer Brian Moncarz, who helped us define a new heavy, dynamic sound as we embraced our love of both classic and modern rock music. Duncan Coutts (bass) and Jason Pierce (drums) of legendary Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace helped us achieve our goal of capturing the energy of our live show on record.

We honestly can't believe that almost three years after we started writing and recording these songs, working on them through the darkest of days and wondering if they'd ever see the light, we are finally about to share our new album with the world. The feeling of playing these songs live on stage this year has been euphoric, and the album title is a testament to our band emerging from this period the same way we've taken on every challenge since we started in 2011: Against All Odds.

Lyrically, our new single Footsteps In The Dark, is about living in the past at the expense of the present and future, so we tried to push ourselves musically to be adventurous and experimental in the studio. It ended up sounding like if Florence + the Machine went back to 1987 to collab with U2 and brought Trent Reznor along to produce – it combines all our influences and experiences and is honestly our favourite song we've ever made.

Footsteps In The Dark is complex and cathartic, reflecting on how we can sometimes coast through life confused by, or oblivious to, our direction. We try to find our way and define a path for ourselves that means something profound, when maybe that’s not what we actually need to reach balance and happiness. It's the perfect final track for an album that explores our search for meaning and belonging, and contemplates how we cope with isolation and grapple with identity vs. social pressures to conform. We don't have all the answers by the end of it, but at least we've started asking the right questions.

One thing we know for sure: between these songs we've poured our hearts into and the all-star production team we were fortunate to work with, Against All Odds is the best record we have ever made.

Stream/download Against All Odds clicking on the image.

Funhouse Mirror, the fifth full length album release by Danish rock band Vinyl Floor (formed in 2007), sees the band returning to the experimental and symphonic expression as found on the earlier albums Peninsula (2012) and Vaudeville (2014).

The band, together with the Swedish producer Emil Isaksson, recorded the basic tracks live at Studio Möllan in Malmö, Sweden during the summer of 2021 and did all the overdubbing and vocals at their own studio in Copenhagen, Denmark. The album was mixed at Studio Möllan during the final months of 2021 and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, Nashville, USA in early 2022.

With this album, Vinyl Floor has opted for a warm, vintage sound with a clear and nuanced modern production of songs with a strong emphasis on melody and lyrics. The 10 songs featured here were all written by Daniel Pedersen & Thomas Charlie Pedersen and the two brothers share the lead vocal duties equally. 

The band handled most instruments themselves but invited three additional musicians to play on several tracks - adding different flavors and colors to the songs. The Swedish multi-instrumentalist Bebe Risenfors contributed a selection of horns, percussion and organ to most of the album. Bebe Risenfors has previously played with Tom Waits and his work is featured on the Tom Waits albums Alice, Blood Money and Orphans. Bebe Risenfors has also worked with Elvis Costello.

Bob Dylan's former bandleader and bass player, the New York native Rob Stoner, is featured here playing bass on 3 songs. Rob Stoner has played with diverse acts such as Joni Mitchell, Chuck Berry, Don McLean, Link Wray, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen and many more. Finally, the Danish violin player Christian Ellegaard, who is a member of the national Danish symphony orchestra, recorded strings for 2 songs.

Lyrically, the songs touch on different themes and aspects surrounding the state of the world today and most lyrics were written during lockdown.

Check Funhouse Mirror now clicking on the image.

Charles and Kaylie Caswell – the pear behind the pun-filled outfit Berried Alive – have been egg-tremely pear-ductive since they announced their next album, Our Own Light, a little over a month ago. Peaching maximum speed as they race towards the record, the duo have released four tracks in the last thirty days, including today's single Icy Hot, streaming now on all digital platforms.

Alongside the launch of each new track, Berried Alive have revealed a handful of correlating streetwear pieces, including limited-print items like "Hawaiian Punch" Hawaiian shirts, "I H8 GTR" beanies and tie dye shirts for "Barberryans," which are already apple-solutely sold out.

Each of the four singles is taken from Berried Alive's forthcoming September 9 full-length Our Own Light, available now to pre-order.

From the earliest blueprints of Our Own Light, Berried Alive approached the project with the intention of expanding the pear-ameters of their genre. Best known for their ability to shred – a skill that caught the attention of both Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello –  the duo realized they wanted to prove they could push themselves sonically and emotionally, by expanding their sound beyond the signatures of a metal band. "We personally listen to a lot of different styles of music," the band admits, addressing their explosion of sound. "We like different things about each style, so we've incorporated some elements of our favorite styles into one sound."

Simultaneously, the band defected from their hard rock genre's angry and insensitive songwriting style, leaning into a more transparent and candid approach to storytelling. Reinforcing that nothing is im-popsicle if you refuse to cake your eye off the prize, Berried Alive use Our Own Light to remind their listeners that you shrimply have to do whatever it takes to overcome the obstacles that may be in front of you.

The reception to the band's musical maturity has been egg-cellent. Meanwhile, many publications have zoomed in on Berried Alive's focus on mental health. Both Poisonberry and Melon-Choly use their introspective lyrics to discuss the necessity of healthy boundaries and structure, mirroring the decisions that Charles and Kaylie made early in their relationship, when they were craving a butter life for themselves, and refused to cave to the pear pressure to follow the standard industry blueprint. Ditching studio time and traditional tour routings, the duo decided to relish their time together and build a life intended for healthy living.

Taking matters into their own hams has been the best path for Berried Alive to dill with the workload that comes with being a creator. The results have been considerable. As Charles writes, produces, mixes, and masters the outfit's music, which has gathered nearly 50-melon streams globally, and spawned five studio albums featuring 30 pun-based singles, Kaylie contributes lyrics and the occasional basslines, while creating and designing the band's clothing brand and streetwear line, which was recently spotlighted by Lil' Pump, who supported the Pearasite Collection. Their unique line includes wearable art like bomber jackets, a varsity jacket style sweater, sneakers, joggers, and hoodies, which all feature the band's adorable strawberry and crossbones logo.

Like their music, which they've created with the intention of helping people feel connected and less alone in the world, they hope that by creating in a way that is accessible and impactful for the everyday person, they can provide some encourage-mint to help people choose to juice be themselves.

Dark Below is a hard-hitting heavy rock band that brings intense energy in their music and live performances while providing rhythmic songs that people can sing along to. Formed in Columbia, MO, the band signed with Nashville based JPS Productions in 2014.

The band has previously released their self-titled EP in 2017, and the single Halo in 2019. They have toured for the past 5 years, opening for Buckcherry, Saliva, Pop Evil, Smile Empty Soul, The Veer Union, and more.

Their new single Tense was produced by Jason Schrick and award-winning producer Malcolm Springer (Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul, Fear Factory). After years of preparation, the band is ready to vault to the national scene and beyond.

The song features driving riffs and thunderous percussion backing smooth vocals that offer comfort amid the chaos of existence. Explaining the genesis of Tense, vocalist/guitarist Josh Campbell says "The song is about health anxiety/hypochondria and describes the feelings and struggles that are associated with the condition.  We want people to know it's OK not to be OK, and that we all have periods of stress, doubt and worry. We're lucky to have this creative outlet of music to help express those emotions and we hope it resonates with fans."

The video was directed by Juan Ibanez (Ashland, The Many Colored Death) and it was filmed at his studio in St. Louis, MO. Performance videos are commonplace these days, but Dark Below wanted to make Tense special. Here's Campbell take on the experience of making his first music video: "I think the main thing that stood out to me is how hot it was. Once everything was set up and ready to go, we had to wait a bit because it was so humid that it was actually foggy in the room. Going into production, I was pretty nervous since I hadn't been part of making one before, but Juan was really great to work with and helped put us at ease by just being laid back and telling us not to worry about making mistakes. I'll admit that making the video was a hell of a workout. With the heat and just having to play the song over and over, giving it everything I had, it was definitely not easy!"

A new full-length album is currently being recorded, which is also being produced by Schrick and Springer. The band is currently booking dates to begin playing live to support the new music in the fall.

Blues-rock artist Freedom Heartsong has released his newest album, The Humane Experience. The 11-track album combines the soulful lyrics of blues and the upbeat energy of rock to inspire listeners to find strength amidst intense suffering, to not only survive, but thrive and create the life they have always dreamed of living.

The Humane Experience intertwines themes of emotional vulnerability and optimistic persistence. Freedom Heartsong wrote the album as a response to immense tragedy. He had lost all of his livelihood and income simultaneously due to the pandemic. He spent a year fighting for his daughter and his rights as a father. His best friend and bandmate was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away three months later. A massive storage unit full of his tools and instruments needed to create his music and art was stolen. Through all of this, he kept writing the album as a way to stay alive, tell his story, make it through one more day at a time, and to ultimately create the life of his dreams. And he did, as he confidently states today, "I went through the most painful and beautiful times while creating this album, but I made it through and I am stronger, wiser, and happier than I have ever been in my life. The songs on this album are for anyone who has ever gone through or is going through intense suffering."

The tone of the album is set by previously released singles: Evil Grieves, an inspiring song about letting go of the bad to savor the good, and Warrior of the Light, an upbeat account of harnessing positivity and unity to overcome life's obstacles. Blending strong guitar riffs and upbeat drums with vulnerable and soulful lyrics, The Humane Experience "is a journey from darkness to light, a message of inspiration, courage, perseverance, and optimism to help make the human experience a little bit more humane," Freedom Heartsong confesses.

Freedom Heartsong's music is honest about both the good and the bad, infused with uplifting sentiments gleaned from both joyous and difficult times. The Humane Experience, is an authentic reflection of his journey through loss and rebuilding, and offers inspiration to anyone struggling to overcome life's challenges. The album was mixed by Benjamin Cunill of Left Coast Recording and mastered by four-time Grammy award-winning engineer Gavin Lurssen and is available to stream and download on digital platforms worldwide.