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Zhonk Drop Horn-Driven Bass Heat On ‘SoulSmack’ EP

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

Zhonk Drop Horn-Driven Bass Heat On ‘SoulSmack’ EP

Grand Alliance Music announces the release of ‘SoulSmack,’ the new EP from Austin-based brass-bass duo Zhonk. The three-track project captures a year of underground shows, late-night experimentation, and steady online growth, distilling their live energy into a tight studio statement built around saxophone, trombone, and heavy low-end production.

Formed by Patrick Donaghey on saxophone and Sawyer Green on trombone, Zhonk fuse live brass performance with glitch-hop grooves, funk bounce, and halftime bass pressure. ‘SoulSmack’ centers on improvisational horn lines that cut through thick beats, with rhythmic interplay designed for packed dance floors and festival stages.

The EP features three originals, “SoulSmack,” “Funk Your DnB,” and “Saucy,” the latter featuring electronic artist Willdabeast, known for horn-forward bass production and national touring. “This project represents what we do live — high-energy horns and unapologetic low end,” Zhonk share. “It’s loud, it’s playful, and it reflects the ‘dirty brass’ sound that’s become our identity.”

As the brass-driven bass movement continues to expand, with artists like GRiZ and Big Gigantic helping pave the way, Zhonk carve out their own lane through performance-first intensity. ‘SoulSmack’ positions the duo for a wider reach while staying grounded in the DIY ethos and community roots that built their sound.

Coroner Announce “Dissonance Over The West Tour” With Heathen

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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Coroner Announce “Dissonance Over The West Tour” With Heathen

Technical thrash pioneers Coroner are set to hit the road for a West Coast North American headlining run, bringing their precision and intensity to stages across the U.S. and Canada. The “Dissonance Over The West Tour” launches February 4 in Las Vegas and wraps February 22 in Mesa, with Heathen joining as direct support throughout the trek.

The tour arrives in support of Coroner’s latest album, ‘Dissonance Theory,’ released via Century Media Records. The ten-track record spans 47 minutes and leans into the band’s trademark blend of surgical riffing, shifting time signatures, and dark melodic undercurrents. It marks a focused return from a group long respected for pushing thrash into more technical territory.

‘Dissonance Theory’ was recorded by Tommy Vetterli at New Sound Studios in Switzerland and mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, whose credits include Opeth, Kreator, and Amon Amarth. The production balances clarity with weight, giving space to the intricate guitar work and rhythmic shifts that define the band’s sound.

Tour stops include San Diego, Los Angeles, Pomona, San Jose, Berkeley, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Billings, Butte, Salt Lake City, Denver, Albuquerque, and Mesa. With Heathen on the bill and a new record in rotation, the run lines up as a direct showcase of technical thrash delivered loud and live.

Tour Dates (with Heathen):
02/14 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
02/16 – Billings, MT @ Pub Station
02/17 – Butte, MT @ Covellite Theatre
02/18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Ace’s High Saloon
02/20 – Denver, CO @ HQ
02/21 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
02/22 – Mesa, AZ @ Rosetta Room

Brassroots District Ignite The Floor With Fearless Funk Burner “Aim High”

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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Brassroots District Ignite The Floor With Fearless Funk Burner “Aim High”

Los Angeles interstellar funk collective Brassroots District fire off “Aim High,” a bold new 45 released via For The People Records. This is not background music — it is sweat-soaked, horn-blasted, bass-driven propulsion built to shake a room loose. From the first downbeat, the groove locks in and refuses to let go.

Ursa Major and Copper Jones trade lead vocals with preacher-like intensity, pushing the song’s message forward with grit and conviction. “Aim High” is less suggestion and more challenge — a call to step up, believe louder, and move with purpose. The bassline does not ask politely. It pulls you in and keeps you there.

The single sets the tone for the forthcoming LP ‘Brassroots District,’ a record already generating serious anticipation. Known for shows that feel communal and combustible, the band brings that same urgency to the studio. Every note feels lived-in and deliberate, sharpened across desert sessions, street festivals, and packed dance floors.

Next up, the group takes over Jewel’s Catch One for an eight-night album release residency, turning the Koreatown landmark into ground zero for their expanding movement. With a history that includes opening for Sly & the Family Stone and standing firm against industry pressure, Brassroots District operate on loyalty, fire, and rhythm. “Aim High” hits exactly where it’s meant to — straight at the heart, and squarely at the hips.

Nia Perez Turns Unsent Letters Into Indie-Pop Confessions On ‘Things I Wish I Said’

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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Nia Perez Turns Unsent Letters Into Indie-Pop Confessions On ‘Things I Wish I Said’

Venezuelan-born singer-songwriter Nia Perez introduces her debut EP ‘Things I Wish I Said,’ a five-track project that reads like a stack of unsent letters pulled from a bedroom drawer. Blending indie-pop with bedroom-pop intimacy, the release pairs polished production with lyrics that feel handwritten and personal.

Each track functions as a chapter. “Shapeshifting” explores identity loss inside a relationship, tracing the slow erosion that happens when you bend too often to meet someone else’s expectations. “Not Her,” now her most-streamed song, captures the sting of betrayal while observing an ex who keeps searching for familiarity in someone new.

“Oh Sweet July” revisits a breakup that fell on her seventeenth birthday in New York, turning a private memory into a shared ache through the repeated line, “how could you do this to me?” On “Cognitive Dissonance,” she leans into the psychology of toxic attachment, mapping how fear and desire can circle each other. Closing track “Little Old Flame” offers release, threading lyrical callbacks through the EP and landing on a pointed question, “Do you like you now that you’re all alone?”

Beyond the music, Nia extends the project’s concept into real life. Her website hosts an anonymous space where listeners can submit their own unsent letters, while her newsletter, Get My Letters, arrives three times a month. With more than 20,000 Spotify listeners and over 50,000 YouTube plays, she is building a community drawn to emotional precision and unfiltered storytelling. “We’ve all got those unsent letters,” she says. “Maybe hearing mine will help others send theirs.”

SAHAJi Storm Ahead With Soaring Debut Album ‘Don’t Touch My Soul’

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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SAHAJi Storm Ahead With Soaring Debut Album ‘Don’t Touch My Soul’

After their debut single rocketed to No. 8 on the UK charts — the highest-charting debut by a Japanese band — SAHAJi step forward with their full-length album ‘Don’t Touch My Soul’ on Flip Flop Records. The record builds on that breakthrough moment with towering choruses, melodic hooks, and a widescreen rock sound aimed straight at packed rooms.

The Sahaji brothers have shaped their sound since their early songs were recognized at a YAMAHA music audition in Japan, leading to magazine covers and placements in TV campaigns across Asia. Now signed to legendary Britpop producer Nick Brine’s Flip Flop Records, the band channel influences like Oasis, Tom Petty, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix into something bold and immediate.

‘Don’t Touch My Soul’ leans into 90s Britpop spirit while keeping its footing in modern rock drive — soaring vocals, chiming guitars, and rhythm sections built to move a crowd. The album carries both ambition and muscle, the sound of a band intent on carving space in the UK scene.

SAHAJi are currently tearing through a sold-out UK tour with The Skinner Brothers and have released a collaboration track with REN and the Skinner Brothers’ frontman. With sold-out shows across Japan, including appearances at Fender Japan and Tower Records Japan, SAHAJi arrive with momentum already in motion — and no signs of slowing down.

RYDER Charge Forward With Debut Single “Broken Footsteps”

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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RYDER Charge Forward With Debut Single “Broken Footsteps”

Sunderland band RYDER step into the spotlight with their debut single “Broken Footsteps,” a sharp, stomping introduction to their upcoming album ‘Only The Brave.’ Rooted in the melodic drive of Britpop and the grit of indie rock, the track delivers big hooks, ringing guitars, and a rhythm section that hits with confidence.

“Broken Footsteps” captures the band’s songwriting instinct from the first bar. Featuring Zak Starkey on drums and striking cover artwork by Gareth Halliday, the single feels immediate and purposeful. It is raw without feeling loose, anthemic without overreaching — the sound of a young band locking into their identity early.

Signed to producer Nick Brine’s Flip Flop Records and managed by Kyle Dale of Bittersweet Home, RYDER have moved quickly. Formed less than a year ago, they spent four months recording their 12-track debut album ‘Only The Brave,’ shaping a record built on direct lyrics and driving melodies.

Across ‘Only The Brave,’ RYDER channel the spirit of classic Britpop while carving out their own lane. It is a debut that lands with weight — full of ambition, energy, and the kind of choruses built to echo back from a packed room.

Irène Schrader Crosses Languages And Constellations On ‘ECLIPSE’

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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Irène Schrader Crosses Languages And Constellations On ‘ECLIPSE’

Multilingual singer-songwriter Irène Schrader unveils her trilingual EP ‘ECLIPSE,’ a six-track release that moves fluidly between English, French, and Mandarin. Rooted in themes of love, change, and identity, the project unfolds like a late-night sky — luminous, reflective, and quietly vast. Each song feels connected by motion, both emotional and geographical.

“ECLIPSE is about movement — geographically, emotionally, and spiritually. I wanted to explore how we navigate love and identity when everything around us feels in flux,” Schrader shares. Written during a transitional chapter in her early twenties, the EP captures the push and pull of a nomadic life shaped by travel, study, and shifting relationships.

The bilingual opener “Éclipse” explores the ache of right person, wrong time, shifting from delicate ballad to pulsing groove. “Ladida” leans into chill beats and soft renewal, while “2062” offers a stark meditation on heartbreak and environmental collapse. “Nomade 游牧,” sung in Mandarin and French, captures the feeling of perpetual transition, and “Written In The Stars” pairs orchestral sweep with electronic tension. Closing track “Cosmos” lifts the mood with playful rhythm and existential wonder.

Influenced by 70s and 90s Mandopop, classic French chanson, and modern electro-pop, Schrader’s songwriting carries both intimacy and range. ‘ECLIPSE’ feels borderless — a project that drifts between cultures and sounds while staying grounded in personal truth.

KEELEY Unveil Dream-Pop Rush On “Who Wants To See The World”

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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KEELEY Unveil Dream-Pop Rush On “Who Wants To See The World”

Anglo-Irish dream-rock trio KEELEY return with “Who Wants To See The World,” the first glimpse of their forthcoming third album, ‘Girl On The Edge Of The World.’ Produced by Dublin-based sonic architect Alan Maguire, the track delivers a radiant sweep of classic dream-pop textures — shimmering guitars, layered harmonies, and a sense of lift that feels immediate and immersive. The single arrives with a video commissioned by their new label, Definitive Gaze.

Fronted by Dublin-born singer, guitarist, and composer Keeley Moss, the band captures a fuller sound than ever before. For the first time on record, touring bandmates Lukey Foxtrot on bass and former Morrissey drummer Andrew Paresi contribute to the studio sessions. “This record is the first time we’ve managed to capture what I call ‘the sonic swirl’ in our sound, the sound I’ve had in my head all along,” says Moss.

“Who Wants To See The World” opens the album with confidence, leaning into euphoric momentum while maintaining the band’s signature emotional undercurrent. The production balances clarity and atmosphere — guitars glow, rhythms pulse, and Moss’s vocal threads everything together with calm intensity.

KEELEY recently wrapped a run of shows supporting The Primitives and now prepare to open for Babyshambles at Bristol O2 Academy before launching their own UK headline tour. Dates include stops in Newport, Winchester, London, Coventry, Bristol, Bournemouth, Brighton, Hull, Huddersfield, Glasgow, and Newcastle — a stretch that carries their expansive sound across the country.

My Side Of Paradise Team With Jaret Reddick For “All My Exes”

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

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My Side Of Paradise Team With Jaret Reddick For “All My Exes”

My Side of Paradise return with “All My Exes (feat. Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup),” a sharp, tongue-in-cheek single that shows a lighter side of the band. After the high-impact drive of “I’ve Got Time,” “Roulette,” and “Lost and Angelless,” this release leans into humor and self-awareness without sacrificing punch.

“All My Exes” flips the breakup script, admitting what most people avoid saying out loud, sometimes we are the problem. The track pairs early-2000s pop-punk bounce with tight modern production, landing somewhere between nostalgia and now. The chorus is built for shouting back at the dashboard on a late-night drive.

The single features Jaret Reddick, the unmistakable voice behind Bowling For Soup, whose presence ties the song directly to the genre that shaped the band’s roots. “This song is us having fun and embracing our more poppy roots,” the band shares. “We’ve released heavy songs and emotional songs, but ‘All My Exes’ shows that we can also laugh at ourselves. Having Jaret Reddick on it is surreal.”

The music video matches the track’s chaotic charm. Set inside a therapy session spiraling out of control, the waiting room transforms into a live performance space while exes appear out of thin air. With Reddick appearing via video call from a tropical getaway, the band used AI-driven visual tools to seamlessly integrate his performance into the narrative. The result is playful, self-aware, and packed with personality, a fitting companion to a song that refuses to take heartbreak too seriously.

Nina Ann Nelson Levels Up With Confident New Single “Just A Little”

Music

Eric Alper

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Feb 14, 2026

0

Nina Ann Nelson Levels Up With Confident New Single “Just A Little”

Following the breakout response to her debut solo single “Two Truths and a Lie,” Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Nina Ann Nelson returns with “Just a Little,” a sleek pop and R&B-infused statement rooted in self-worth. Produced by Symphony, whose credits include ZAYN, GOT7, and Kehlani, the track sharpens Nina’s sound while keeping her soulful vocal front and center.

“This is the first time I’ve released a song while I’m still living the story it’s about,” Nina shares. “Just a Little came from a recent romantic encounter that woke me up to what I’d been accepting for way too long — counting the bare minimum as something meaningful when it just… isn’t.” The song captures that turning point with precision and attitude. “At the end of the day, half-assed is still ass. And I’m done with the bare minimum.”

Built on lush production, controlled grooves, and layered harmonies, “Just a Little” carries both heat and restraint. It sits comfortably alongside artists like Kehlani, RAYE, Cleo Sol, Kali Uchis, and Leon Thomas — balancing emotional honesty with polish and rhythm. The hook lands with quiet authority rather than volume, giving the message room to breathe.

Nina’s path to this moment has been expansive. She first gained attention as a member of Citizen Queen, the Pentatonix-created group that toured arenas and went viral with “Evolution of Girl Groups.” As an independent artist, she has stepped fully into songwriting, vocal production, and engineering, while building a massive TikTok following and earning recognition from artists like Rosalía and Leon Thomas. With “Just a Little,” she claims her space clearly and on her own terms.