"Look to the East, Look to the West," the new album by Camera Obscura, is a revelation. The Tracyanne Campbell-led outfit, reuniting with producer Jari Haapalainen ("Let’s Get Out of This Country," "My Maudlin Career"), have crafted an album that simultaneously recalls why longtime fans have ferociously loved them for decades while also being their most sophisticated effort to date. It is also the most hard-fought album of Camera Obscura’s career. Following the 2015 passing of founding keyboardist and friend Carey Lander (to whom the penultimate track “Sugar Almond” is addressed), the band went into an extended hiatus. They remained in contact, but their status was uncertain until they announced their return, having been invited to perform as part of Belle & Sebastian’s 2019 Boaty Weekender cruise festival, along with a pair of sold-out warm-up shows in Glasgow. Donna Maciocia (keys and vocals) joined founding members Kenny McKeeve (guitar and vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson (drums and percussion) for those shows and has since become a regular songwriting partner of Campbell’s. Recorded in the same room where Queen wrote “Bohemian Rhapsody,” "Look to the East, Look to the West" feels big, a widescreen reframing of Camera Obscura’s sound that, paradoxically, saw the band go back to basics—there are no string or brass arrangements, with more emphasis placed on piano, synthesizers, Hammond organ, and drum machines, and, perhaps most strikingly, the group have dropped the veil of reverb that characterized their previous albums. The tinges of country and soul that give Camera Obscura’s baroque take on pop music its bittersweet edge have never been more apparent—guitars shimmer into the distance, keys haunt, and Campbell’s voice searches for the heart, reflecting on love, loss, and the passage of time. Lead single “Big Love” relishes in the space between country rock and prog, a pining break-up anthem featuring the soaring pedal steel of Tim Davidson. It’s a Nashville Sound heartbreaker, tackling the complexity of wanting to rekindle a bad relationship with Campbell’s uncanny ability to render the past: “It was a big love, she said / That’s why it took ten years to get her out of her head,” she begins. “We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World” was co-written with Maciocia for filmmaker Margaret Salmon’s 2021 film "Icarus (After Amelia)". (Salmon, in turn, shot "Look to the East, Look to the West’s" cover photography featuring Fiona Morrison, who was on the cover of Camera Obscura’s debut, "Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi.") Ironic and sincere, the two navigate the reality of being women in the music industry, somehow floating over Davidson’s pedal steel and Maciocia’s keys. “The Light Nights” is a swooning song propelled by a western shuffle and killer guitar, striking a balance between a particularly good honky-tonk joint’s jukebox and a lost gem of California pop music waiting to be discovered in a 7-inch bin. Camera Obscura’s uncanny dexterity in juxtaposing genres, moods, and emotions is most keenly felt in opener “Liberty Print,” an elegy that breaks itself open over a crushing synth line. It’s a daringly constructed song, showcasing Campbell’s command of lyrical narrative that allows space for grief within the structure of pop music. "Look to the East, Look to the West" is the sound of a band that has grown more confident in its sound and purpose than ever. It is Camera Obscura at their best and most evocative, an album that completely rearranges the listener’s emotional core, leaving them sad and exhilarated at the same time. Camera Obscura’s catalog is replete with songs people point to as life-changing, songs that will stick with them all their lives. "Look to the East, Look to the West" has 11 of them; take your pick.

The origin story of indie-pop icons Ivy resembles a musical fairy tale set in the vibrant cultural setting of early 1990s New York City. Guitarist-vocalist Andy Chase decided to start a band and placed a classified ad looking for musicians. One of the people who responded was a talented songwriter named Adam Schlesinger. When Chase and his girlfriend Dominique Durand decided to record some original tunes to give as Christmas gifts for friends and family, they enlisted Schlesinger to play bass—and Ivy was born.   From their 1995 debut "Realistic" on forward, Ivy specialized in chic pop music brimming with empathy and gorgeous textures. Their six studio albums featured exquisite arrangements and influences: 1997’s "Apartment Life" was an indie-pop classic; 2000’s "Long Distance" incorporated trip-hop and a Stereolab-esque electronic sheen; and 2005’s "In the Clear" was a glowing synth-pop opus. Along the way, Ivy dabbled in the film world, contributing a cover of Steely Dan’s “Only a Fool Would Say That” to the movie "Me, Myself & Irene" and scoring the film "Shallow Hal," among others.   Ivy last released an album in 2011 and despite the members being busy with other endeavors, the group never broke up. Over the years, a new generation of artists discovered Ivy, citing them as a major inspiration and influence, recognizing the cinematic nature of Durand’s vocals, and the band’s airtight arrangements and airy dreampop sound. These include some of indie’s biggest names (Snail Mail, Beach Fossils) and emerging artists who are making huge waves in 2025 (Momma, Slow Pulp, Wishy, DJ Python). Sadly, Durand and Chase assumed that Ivy was in the rearview after Schlesinger tragically passed away from COVID-19 in 2020. But somewhat unexpectedly, here in 2025 comes a new Ivy album, "Traces Of You." Built from the ground up using demos and song fragments dating from between 1995 to 2012, all of these new songs feature contributions from Schlesinger, with the blessing of his family. The resulting music possesses the twinkling magic of Ivy’s classic work, paired with the kind of emotional wisdom gleaned from surviving life’s most challenging moments. Chase and Durand planted the seeds for "Traces Of You" while prepping reissues of Ivy’s back catalog. Their now-label, Bar/None Records, suggested including some unreleased tracks for these releases. As Chase and Durand started digging through Ivy’s storage locker, sifting through painstakingly restored reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives from studio sessions, they kept uncovering hidden gems. After giving some bonus tracks to their label, Durand and Chase realized they still had dozens of unfinished songs, ranging from mere musical ideas all the way to tunes that were nearly complete.   The duo knew they would only consider working on Ivy demos featuring Schlesinger, but they were overwhelmed by deciding which songs to finish. In response, they reached out to Ivy's backing keyboardist and guitarist, Bruce Driscoll, to help go through the archives and work on the music. “It's like a messed-up fairy tale to collaborate with people who are some of my closest friends, under these weird circumstances without Adam being there,” Bruce says. “These guys are instrumental in me doing music; they were a big reason why I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I can do this music thing’ and moved to New York when I was just starting out.” Chase and Durand trusted Driscoll’s instincts and perspective completely, and in the end, Driscoll ended up co-writing all the lyrics and melodies on "Traces Of You," with the bulk of work spread out in 2022 and 2023. “Bruce is probably the only person that Dominique and I could think of that Adam really would have blessed for this job,” Chase says. “He really led the charge. He had this objectivity that we really needed.”  Lead single “Say You Will,” an oceanic synth-pop song featuring drums from Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.), was built from a 2009 demo where Schlesinger played bass and keyboard. The flute-augmented French-pop gem “Mystery Girl,” meanwhile, dates from circa "Long Distance," and incorporates an acoustic guitar part he was working on, while the introspective “Fragile People” grew out of an idea that featured Schlesinger on bass as Chase handled guitar and Mellotron. And the waltzing orchestral-pop swirl “Wasting Time” features Schlesinger repeating the word “duotone”—an idea once deemed too silly that now feels poignant. Chase notes they were sticklers about making sure Schlesinger’s contributions fit in seamlessly. “Inevitably, there were songs where we liked the direction they were going, but they didn't work with the old parts Adam had put down,” he says. “So we had to make it work—or else we couldn't use the song.” That egalitarian way of making music was always very much how Ivy worked with Schlesinger; in fact, Chase notes that the songs on "Traces Of You" emerged in many different ways, just like the Ivy records they made with a more traditional process. With the record, the band isn’t trying to simply recreate the past, but rather place Ivy into a distinctly contemporary context. Driscoll encouraged Durand—who hadn’t recorded music in nearly a decade—to sing in a fuller voice. “It was very strange for me, because I felt like, ‘No, I can't do that.’ I felt naked,” she says. “But Bruce insisted, ‘Just go ahead. You just have to try.’ That was really inspiring for me.” Understandably, recording without Schlesinger was often an emotional experience, with Durand citing “Fragile People” especially as a tune that brought her and Chase to tears in the studio. “Unintentionally, the song stirred up something really melancholy for us— in a very specific way—about Adam,” she says. She notes that Ivy didn’t want to lean on cliches about losing Adam when writing lyrics. “It's influenced by the loss of someone like him, but we did it in a way that's very subtle,” she says. “There's a ghostly feeling in the meaning of the lyrics.” Poignantly, "Traces Of You" ends with “Hate That It’s True.” An aching pop song about the pain of unresolved grief and the power of eternal love, it’s dominated by a melancholy Schlesinger acoustic guitar and Driscoll, Chase and Durand whispering incantations of affection. In the end, the album honors Schlesinger’s musical talents and creativity—but just as much magnifies the magic of Ivy, and the indelible chemistry and spirit that can’t be broken by space or time. “You can imagine how terrible it's been to lose Adam,” Chase says. “The only silver lining is that we could breathe life into these songs that he contributed to and it was a great experience making this record happen. It was some of the most fun I've ever had, working on music with Dominique and Bruce.” “It was also bittersweet,” he adds. “But what was nice about the bittersweetness was that I wasn't alone in feeling that way. We all did. We were like a school of fish— three little fish, missing that fourth fish, all swimming in perfect union with each other, going through both the highs and lows.”

Dummy — the Los Angeles band comprised of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, and Joe Trainor — announces its new album, "Free Energy," out September 6th on Trouble In Mind Records, and shares the lead single/video, “Nullspace.” Pop has always been a big part of Dummy’s sound, but it manifests differently on Free Energy. Sometimes it’s quite literal (and funny), such as the bubbly synth sequence made with a Korg EM1 popping all over lead single “Nullspace,” which features a melody written by O’Dell and is the song the band calls the record’s “sonic mission statement and really influenced by Mark Van Hoen, especially the cut-up dreamy dance-pop he was making on the Locust record Morning Light.” Dummy’s debut full-length "Mandatory Enjoyment" arrived in late 2021 and quickly became one of the year’s sleeper hits. Pitchfork, Bandcamp Daily, Stereogum, Aquarium Drunkard, and other publications praised Dummy’s mix of ambient and twinkly guitar pop, their deep musical references, and the intentionality with which they patchworked it all together. Fans bought copies of Mandatory so quickly that Trouble in Mind couldn’t keep it in stock. Sub Pop Records also invited the band to contribute to their legendary Singles Club series. Bands loved Dummy, too, and the group were asked to open for Horsegirl, Botch, Black Country, New Road, Luna, Spirit of the Beehive, Dehd, Snooper, Sweeping Promises, Snail Mail, and more. Where "Mandatory Enjoyment" was cerebral and lo-fi, the product of a lot of time inside, "Free Energy" is all movement, presence, and physicality. A creatively restless band, Dummy felt like they had done the best version of motorik pop that they could do, and wanted to get harder, dancier, a little more psychedelic. Ewell and Trainor began experimenting with home recording, using DAW as kind of an instrument for composition rather than simply a tool. O’Dell dug deeper into instrumental/sample composition, in addition to contributing more guitar leads. Maatman also steps into the spotlight in a big way, her vocals noticeably foregrounded and confident, adding to the live performance feel that forms the foundation of "Free Energy." The result is a record that celebrates music’s ability to move the body, whether that be through a teeth-rattling wall of MBV-esque noise, a sticky pop chorus, or a joyous drum machine—or, if you’re Dummy, maybe all of them in the same song. Additionally, "Free Energy" features guest appearances by friends Dummy has played with on tour, including Oakland-based saxophonist and electroacoustic artist Cole Pulice and Jen Powers of Powers / Rolin Duo, along with a series of field recordings the band made while on tour: the rushing of water, the rumbling of the van, indistinct voices, chirping birds; the sounds of mundanity rising to cacophony before petering out, treated no differently than the ecstatic rhythms, explosive hooks, and blissful ambient stretches that came before. If there is any key to understanding what makes Dummy such a compelling band, perhaps it is this: it’s all music to them.

After vaulting to fame as a founding member of the beloved indie pop collective Belle & Sebastian, Isobel Campbell enjoyed success as a solo artist, recording lush and elegiac chamber pop under her given name, under the moniker the Gentle Waves, and with longstanding duet partner Mark Lanegan. On 1998's "The Boy with the Arab Strap," Campbell delivered her first lead vocal, "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" With her ethereal voice and striking, Jean Seberg-inspired looks, it was inevitable that she earned much attention from fans and media alike, and in the spring of 1999 she released her first full-length solo project, the Gentle Waves' "The Green Fields of Foreverland" .... A second and final Gentle Waves release, "Swansong for You," followed a year later, but Campbell nevertheless remained a full-time member of Belle & Sebastian through mid-2002, co-writing the Top 20 U.K. hit "Legal Man" before finally exiting just prior to the release of Ghost of Yesterday, a collection of Billie Holiday covers recorded in collaboration with jazz musician Bill Wells. After 2003's "Amorino," Campbell kept a low profile for several years, finally resurfacing in the spring of 2006 with "Ballad of the Broken Seas," a collection of duets with former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan. The two again collaborated on 2008's "Sunday at Devil Dirt" and 2010's "Hawk." Isobel's studio album "There Is No Other" was released in 2020.

Tyler Ramsey is a singer-songwriter and guitarist known for his evocative, genre-blending sound that fuses modern folk, rock, and alternative influences. Based outside of Asheville, North Carolina, Ramsey gained recognition as a key member of Band of Horses, contributing to their soaring indie-folk sound across three studio albums, each of which included Ramsey originals including Grammy-nominated "Infinite Arms" (2010). As a songwriter and guitarist, his intricate playing and introspective lyricism became a defining element of the band's music. With masterful guitar work and a gift for storytelling, Tyler Ramsey continues to carve out his own space in the world of folk and indie rock. He has released a series of critically acclaimed albums, including "For the Morning" (2019), which showcased his signature blend of fingerpicked guitar, pedal steel, and atmospheric rock textures. His latest album, "New Lost Ages," marks a new creative milestone, produced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Father John Misty) and recorded in Seattle’s Avast Recording Co. The project captures Ramsey’s evolution as both a songwriter and musician, balancing moments of quiet introspection with grand, sweeping arrangements. Ramsey’s music is deeply rooted in nature and personal experience, with much of "New Lost Ages" inspired by his life in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Seeking solace during a tumultuous period, he retreated to a secluded cabin near his home, channeling his reflections on change, fatherhood, and artistic perseverance into a collection of deeply resonant songs. The resulting album, with contributions from musicians like Morgan Henderson (Fleet Foxes), Sean T. Lane (Ann Wilson), and Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket), captures both the intimacy of his songwriting and the expansive sonic landscapes he crafts. Tyler’s music, praised by outlets such as Relix and NPR, resonates with listeners seeking depth, honesty, and a connection to something timeless. "New Lost Ages" stands as a testament to his journey — one that embraces both the uncertainties of life and the enduring power of song.

UK native Fonteyn spent her formative years pursuing Musical Theatre and acting in England, but it wasn’t until she started making music that she felt able to express herself authentically. Writing songs provided a home for her idiosyncrasies to coexist. Bewitched by the sound of the 70’s, Fonteyn draws from her musical idols, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Paul McCartney, to name a few. Her debut album “Trip the light Fantastic” offers music centered around rainbow chords and melody. The songs are playful, sentimental, and offer a sense of the theatrical. Fonteyn wants to take you by the hand and sweep you into another time and place. "Trip the light Fantastic" is an introduction to Fonteyn's songwriting and musical soundscape. Drawing from a rainbow of influences in 1970's pop, the album is a hedonistic exploration of melody with each song in  pursuit of a particular musical feeling.

MYLO BYBEE is a high-voltage rock band from Boise, Idaho, turning raw emotion into tightly-wound songs fueled by restless rhythms, sharp guitars, and vocals balancing grit and vulnerability. Since forming in 2020, they’ve carved out a reputation for music that doesn’t ask permission — it grabs you, shakes you, and leaves you charged. Known for sweat-drenched, high-octane live shows, the band has grown from local stages to major festivals, building a name as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most dynamic acts. With releases like singles "Time Machine" and "Run, Run," MYLO BYBEE continues to evolve, pushing their sound forward while staying true to the raw spirit that defines them. MYLO BYBEE doesn’t follow the formula. They light the match — and run straight into the fire.