Singer – RCRD LBL

February 9, 2026

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 Mew Zikwryder

Plain Mister Smith Delivers Hazy, Personal New Single, ‘Dream To Be Free’ with Jordan Klassen

Plain Mister Smith has released ‘Dream To Be Free’, his new single featuring Jordan Klassen, now available via Amelia Records/Symphonic following its February 6 release. The track is the fourth single from his upcoming album, due in spring 2026. The artist, a long-time guitarist in Canadian darkwave outfit Moev and current cellist with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, has built steady momentum as Plain Mister Smith with coverage from NPR Music, Wonderland Magazine, CLASH Magazine, NOTION, Under The Radar, Earmilk, METAL, Noctis Mag, and Atwood Magazine.

Split between Vancouver and London, Plain Mister Smith works where indie-folk clarity meets psych-rock drift, threading sharp lyrics through quieter reflective stretches. ‘Dream To Be Free’ connects directly to the worlds of Death Cab for Cutie, The War on Drugs, and Pavement. It moves between inward pull and lighter whimsy, built on bright, repeating keyboard lines over gently syncopated drum work. Layered instrumental shifts frame the direct, plaintive vocal exchange, evoking blurred images of cities rushing past in recollection.

Across this run of singles, Plain Mister Smith shows a clearer hand at the controls. He keeps dynamics tight, letting percussion breathe under melodic fragments while vocal lines overlap to heighten the emotional weight without overstatement. Bringing in voices like Jordan Klassen adds natural harmonic depth that fits into the arrangements rather than standing apart. The tracks cohere through deliberate choices, such as subtle tonal bends and careful negative space, rewarding close listening and pointing to an album with real structural unity, grounded in personal detail yet precise in execution.

Plain Mister Smith shared: “Dream to be Free’ is a mesmeric reflection on a decades-old trip to Kyoto, where memories came flooding back – how such a trip to a faraway place can seem like an ultimate act of freedom, or it can be a more subtle escape from home. This trip took place during Daimonji time, when locals light giant bonfires on hills around Kyoto to guide the spirits back to the spirit world. In a way, this trip felt like a return to a source of rebirth.”

Stream ‘Dream To Be Free’:

Follow Plain Mister Smith:

Instagram – Facebook – X – Soundcloud – TikTok – Youtube – Spotify

January 19, 2026

January 19, 2026January 19, 2026 Mew Zikwryder

Mitski Returns With Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, Set for February 27 Release

Mitski has confirmed her eighth studio album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, arriving February 27 via Dead Oceans. The Japanese-American artist has spent the last decade establishing herself as one of indie rock’s most incisive voices, turning personal unease and cultural displacement into sharply observed songs. From the raw urgency of Puberty 2 and the conceptual precision of Be the Cowboy to the orchestral sweep of 2023’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, she’s consistently balanced intimate confession with ambitious production, earning a reputation for records that feel both private and universal.

The lead single ‘Where’s My Phone?’ arrives with a video directed by Noel Paul that pulls directly from the paranoid, claustrophobic atmosphere of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Mitski appears as a withdrawn figure holed up in a decaying gothic estate, watching as outsiders force their way in. The visual setup leans into isolation and violation that are recurring themes in her work, while keeping the tone controlled and unsettling rather than overdramatic.

Several players from the band that backed her on the The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We tour contributed to the new recordings. Last year also saw the release of a concert film and live album documenting those shows. Meanwhile, Mitski continues work on the stage musical adaptation of The Queen’s Gambit. With Nothing’s About to Happen to Me on the horizon, another close examination of solitude and intrusion seems to be taking shape.

Watch ‘Where’s My Phone’:

Nothing’s About to Happen to Me:

01 In a Lake
02 Where’s My Phone?
03 Cats
04 If I Leave
05 Dead Woman
06 Instead of Here
07 I’ll Change for You
08 Rules
09 That White Cat
10 Charon’s Obol
11 Lightning

Follow Mitski:

Spotify – Instagram – Facebook

November 7, 2025

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025 Mew Zikwryder

Seth Tabatznik Drops Intimate Indie Folk Single ‘Shining for Love’

London-raised indie folk talent Seth Tabatznik kicked off a fresh chapter with the release of his new single, ‘Shining for Love’, out now via Moth Music. Just a year into releasing music since 2024, Tabatznik has already pulled in more than 100,000 streams worldwide, thanks in part to buzz around his last release, ‘Choose To Be Alive’, which caught ears at major publications like CLASH Magazine. On the stage front, he’s no slouch either—his first-ever gig at Boschendal Estate in Cape Town, South Africa, sold out fast. He followed that with another packed venue at Green Note in London’s Camden area. With a second full-length album slated for 2026, Tabatznik is staking a solid claim in the indie folk scene.

‘Shining for Love’ unfolds as a gentle acoustic piece, layering guitars and subtle string swells over light beats to frame Tabatznik‘s clear, devoted vocals. The track leans into subtle ways of seeing expressions of love in nature, keeping things lofty and afloat yet pulling you right in with its steady emotional pull, like the sway of leaves in a cool summer breeze.

Seth Tabatznik had this to say: “This song came to me in a forest, spoken by the elements around me. It was like nature took my pen and transcribed the lyrics into my notebook, accompanied by a simple 4 chord progression. I love how the song builds and accelerates as a celebration for life, love and nature. This song is all about nature and how her every action comes from a place of love. Every sound, every movement, is her way of expressing herself, as she is one being, of which we are a part, not apart.“

Stream ‘Shining for Love’:

Follow Seth Tabatznik:

Website – Instagram – Facebook – Soundcloud – TikTok – Youtube – Spotify

September 26, 2025

September 26, 2025September 26, 2025 Mew Zikwryder

Three cities, one strike: the forward drive of ZOCO’s debut “Restless”

The appeal of “Restless” is its engineering of momentum. ZOCO plots a straight line from idea to impact: write a song about killing routine, gather a cast that can play it with feel, and record it where the energy lands on tape. Sessions rolled through Los Angeles (Licorice Pizza Records) and Milan (Massive Arts Studios), with vocals produced and recorded in Nashville—three cities, one coherent picture. Gunnar Nelson produces (and sneaks in harmonies), Kerry Brown oversees, and Stephen DeAcutis mixes for punch and headroom; Howie Weinberg masters with the kind of top-end confidence that survives playlists and broadcast alike.

Players matter: Carmine Rojas’ bass lines are fluid and song-serving; the drum chair is shared—Slim Jim Phantom brings brush finesse, London Hudson adds modern weight—giving the track its dual character of glide and thrust. Marco Zocco’s baritone sits center, guitar work drawing clean lines rather than monuments. The chorus—co-written and sung with brothers Paolo and Matteo—is engineered for participation, the “whoa”s cueing the room.

“Restless” reads as a mission statement for LUMANISTA (Part 1) (January 2026): alternative rock with cinematic side-lighting, pop-scale hooks without the plastic. It’s independent music with professional torque, and that combination tends to travel.

Stream ‘Restless’:

Follow ZOCO:

Website – Instagram – TikTok – Youtube – Spotify

RCRD LBL

Tag: Singer

Plain Mister Smith Delivers Hazy, Personal New Single, ‘Dream To Be Free’ with Jordan Klassen

Mitski Returns With Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, Set for February 27 Release

Seth Tabatznik Drops Intimate Indie Folk Single ‘Shining for Love’

Three cities, one strike: the forward drive of ZOCO’s debut “Restless”

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