Emily Edrosa is getting through a seemingly endless year via the throbbing beat and sharpened guitar riffs of her new indie rock single “Wade Thru.” Channeling the very best of Los Angeles’ ever-present garage rock scene, Edrosa vents feelings of longing for someone or something familiar. “Wade Thru” may be short, but its point is not dull: we all feel like we are getting through, not gracefully, but with lots of resilience, and the single embraces that. “Wade Thru” announces the rocker’s upcoming album Another Wave Is Coming Out out November 20th. Stream “Wade Thru” below and keep on moving forward. – René Cobar

California may be filled with the smog and fumes of a state—and world—on fire, but there is always room for soulful appreciation of loved ones and devotion to better times. Rhye debuts a velvety R&B single titled “Helpless” that pays tribute to that devotion, and within the track’s groove exists all of it. Rhye uses his fine falsettos to evoke a positive outlook driven by the intimacy he shares with his partner Genevieve Medow-Jenkins who also directed the music video streaming below. Rhye offers us a song and theme that are both long-lasting and cooling, reminding us that falling in love is still a cure sought after and that its best delivery method is music. Stream “Helpless” below for music soothing enough to inspire a better outlook. – René Cobar, photo by Emma Marie Jenkinson

Joni Fatora, or simply, Joni offers us a world filled with luminescent memories that peek through a haze of upbeat indie folk in her new single “Orange.” Using elements of synth-pop and folk, Joni recalls her days living in New York City, or rather the feeling those days evoked, how the light of those times glows within her still. “Orange” is the perfect track for nostalgic nights and daydream-filled mornings: the subtle electric guitars, sustained synths, and dreamy vocals of Joni all move like waves to a rhythm sharp and penetrating. The dramatic shift in direction that “Orange” takes during its midsection is as memories that come to life: one day, we remember them one way, and the other another, but all the same, they remain beautiful. Stream Joni’s “Orange” below for something worth remembering. – René Cobar

Now residing in Long Beach, California, Raye Zaragoza is spreading her sonic wings and taking flight. The new music video for her latest single “They Say” is a beautiful tribute to folk music’s power of unity that is evermore needed during these divisive times, and that through sharp harmonica leads and a rich vocal delivery is easy to understand. Zaragoza, Indigenous on her father’s side and a first-generation Japanese-American on her mother’s, rejects any type of segregation in music and pushes for an inclusive world via a song that embraces and rejects politics at the same time; the music can exist calmly in all hearts, inspiring reflection. The music video filmed with director Matthew Freiheit in Los Angeles on March 17 (a day after the city’s lockdowns took effect) is a walk through a cityscape bare of bodies but not of souls yearning for a better tomorrow. Stream the new music video for “They Say” below for something heartwarming and real. – René Cobar, photo by Caleb James

Jennifer Pague has found a cozy home in L.A. for her synth-pop project Vita and the Woolf, her new album Anna Ohio chronicling just that mixture of emotions seemingly arising and consuming the city like pastel blue smog. Each track in the new record has a distinct character to it: where a song like “Paris” uses swelling synths and string instruments to dream up fantastic voyages, “Confetti” lets crisp-clean electric guitar leads accompany Pague’s on-target vocals for a song with hints of nostalgia and acceptance. Such emotions are followed up and further explored in  fierce songs like “Home.” Strong beat-driven songs like “Feet” ooze Pague’s confidence as synth flourishes gush flowing colors from the track. You also get songs like “Auntie Anne’s Waitress,” which are light in theme but full and exquisite in composition. Anna Ohio is a story of new and old surroundings, big dreams, and a new rosy way to look at them both; stream “Home” below for a taste of the adventure and the memories. – René Cobar, photo by Erica Snyder

Today it’s easy to view the Nineties how people then viewed the Sixties: A magical era of colorful pixels, modern fashions, and hope for a better future. But as Luna Shadows reflects in her new single "The Nineties", the decade had its fair share of insecurity, violence, disease, and despair. Shadows uses that roller coaster of anxiety to explore her past as well as her present fears, balancing her uneasiness against the poppy electronic music that seems ripped straight from the sound banks of a Super Nintendo. The retro game aesthetic makes a big appearance in the music video, which — in keeping with her DIY brand — Shadows filmed in her home in front of a green screen. "The Nineties" will appear on Shadows’ upcoming debut album "Digital Pacific". Take a look at the music video for "The Nineties" below. – Will Sisskind

We covered Sadie Belica’s single "Bad Girl" earlier this summer; now, under her moniker The Waking Point, she’s released a cover of Nirvana’s "Something in the Way". Faithful to the original, Belica echoes Kurt Cobain’s darkness and the urgency of his voice, while adding her own touch to the classic grunge track. Layers of sound and reverb give the song new depth without muddling it, so that Nirvana fans will recognize and accept the cover as a suitable homage to Kurt’s vision. Take a listen to "Something in the Way" below. – Will Sisskind

The summer’s half over, and yet with the world as it is, it may feel like the summer hasn’t even begun. Costa Rican pop artist Michelle Gonzalez a.k.a. MishCatt comes to us with her new single "Goofy", which she bills as "therapy for mood elevation". The electric blend of pop and jazz mixed with Gonzalez’s sultry voice makes it a song of the summer contender, and the team behind it (Carl Falk, Albin Nedler, and DYO) have produced pop hits for artists such as Madonna and Ariana Grande, giving "Goofy" the power to rise up the charts. For anyone thinking that MishCatt sounds familiar, she performed an acoustic version of "Fades Away" at an Avicii tribute concert last year in Stockholm; fans of the departed EDM artist may have heard her there. Take a look at the sunny video for "Goofy" below. – Will Sisskind

There’s no real song of the summer this year, given the limitations upon any sort of activities where someone might blast said song of the summer from a car radio or a boombox or a beachfront DJ setup. But that’s not going to stop musicians of all kinds from trying to make one. Disco Shrine, aka Persian Barbie, has a new track out called "Future Memories", and it’s a crunchy track that mixes dream pop with headbanging rock to create a tasty summer cocktail of a song. The accompanying music video gets its vintage look from being filmed on a Nineties-era camcorder in locked-down LA. For anyone looking for a fresh addition to their summer playlist, even if that playlist won’t leave the confines of their own home, "Future Memories" is one to pick. It’ll appear on Disco Shrine’s upcoming debut EP xoxo, disco later this summer. Take a look at the video for "Future Memories" below. – Will Sisskind

Aalok Bala‘s sophomore single "Moon Juice" defies explanation, but Bala seeks to create music that helps people transcend any earthly reason. A blend of synths, Andean flutes, and effected percussion and vocals, Bala toys with sound to create hypnotic melodies and arrangements. The video for "Moon Juice" shows the kind of psychedelic visions Bala seeks to create with her music. Whooshing 3D environments of breathing alien landscapes, temples to unknowable deities, and windows into alternate worlds accentuate the spiritual inspiration that feeds Bala’s artistic vision. "Moon Juice" follows Bala’s debut single "Sueño", and will appear on her debut EP Sacred Mirror. Take a look at the video for "Moon Juice" below. – Will Sisskind

After eight years since their last release, alt-Americana group Atta Boy will release their sophomore LP Big Heart Matters on September 11th. Following the surprise success of their debut Out of Sorts in 2012, Atta Boy’s members pursued solo projects on both the West and East coasts, all the while coming up with ideas for a possible second record. They reconvened earlier this year to put together Big Heart Matters, and while times have made creating and releasing music difficult, Atta Boy have already put out two singles from the upcoming album. The first, "Devoted", hit streaming services in May, and the second, "Shade", came out in June. Both singles retain the folk feel of Out of Sorts, having the mood of the dog days of summer and the uncertainty of not just these past several months, but of life in general. With a big fan base behind them now, Atta Boy look forward to sharing the record with many more years of experience under their belts. Take a listen to "Shade" below, and look out for Big Heart Matters on September 11th. – Will Sisskind

At the beginning of the month, multi-instrumentalist Junior Mesa celebrated his 21st birthday with the release of two singles, "Losing My Grip" and "Creep". Junior broke out in the scene with his 2019 EP Peace, and was set to play SXSW and hit the road with fellow LA band Inner Wave this past spring. Though the performances never happened, the musical output remains steady; Junior’s two new singles show two different emotions that have bubbled up during the past few months. "Losing My Grip" gets into a groove that fights off the quarantine blues, and the video shows Junior and his housemates jamming out together to keep up their spirits. "Creep", on the other hand, locks into a melancholic beat and has Junior singing about lost love. We’ve featured the video for "Losing My Grip" below; take a look. – Will Sisskind