Today I’m highlighting some really cool upcoming artists who just started releasing music and are primed for huge success. I hope you enjoy these tracks as much as I do.
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Punching Darts - Ruff Hunter
This song is from my little brother. He’s not actually my blood brother, but I view him as one. We’ve known each other for almost six years at this point and met because I used to manage his first project, The Polar Boys. Unfortunately, they disbanded back in 2022—which I’m still not over—but he’s been quietly working on his solo project, Ruff Hunter. His new music embodies this raw, lo-fi authenticity and emotional punch that hits without trying too hard.
His new single, Punching Darts, is one of those tracks that lingers. Shoegaze grit meets indie melancholy, hazy guitars, thick distortion, a chorus that cuts through. It feels like sitting on a curb in the mid-‘90s, watching time slow down. If Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 had a baby with God, this would be it. Love the melody too.
Ruff wrote it during late-night FaceTimes with his friend Lolo, reflecting on how temporary everything is. In his words:
“There’s this dull ache in realizing how much just drifts by while you’re stuck in the same loop, trying to feel something different. It’s messy and a little unresolved, but so was the headspace I was in when I wrote it.”
This one’s for anyone caught in the cycle…searching for clarity, meaning, or just a moment that feels real. If you want to check out the visualizer you can watch it here.
Ancients - RIO KOSTA
If Tame Impala vocals floated over Khruangbin grooves in a Mediterranean dreamscape, you'd land somewhere near the sound of RIO KOSTA. The LA-based duo—Mike Del Rio and Kosta Galanopoulos—came out of the gate strong with this debut release.
What makes this track hit even harder for me isn’t just the mood or the groove… it’s that the entire song is anchored by a loop sampled from Galanopoulos’s father’s 1970s Greek band. There’s something beautiful about legacy woven into the soundscape. It makes the whole thing feel timeless.
I tried to dig up his father’s band, but I’m not sure if they ever released music or have much of an internet presence. If you want the music and visual experience at the same time, click here to watch!
One Way to Be - lucky break
There’s something about One Way to Be that just hits deeper than your average coming-of-age song. Emma Gerson (aka Lucky Break) captures the weird pressure of growing up in a hyper-digital world, where every moment is content and being “somebody” starts way too young.
Musically, it's soft and raw, but still punchy. Gerson's voice cuts through unfiltered and is perfectly complemented by anthemic rock production from upcoming producer Elliot Woodbridge. The guitars are so crispy and really bring the song and its energy to the next level.
This is one of those songs that makes me ask, “Why isn’t this a smash?”
Quote of the Day
Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.
Video of the Day
Shot at Le Bar Fleuri in July 2023, this intimate session captures Mac DeMarco and his band playing a spontaneous acoustic set for a few lingering locals. It’s loose, warm, and full of charm — mixing new songs, fan favorites, and off-the-cuff banter, all with the mellow vibe of a hungover afternoon.
Part of Blogothèque’s new Fin de Service series—the next evolution of their legendary Take Away Shows. I’ve watched almost every video on this channel. In my opinion, it’s the greatest live performance series on the internet. Their format and direction have a way of pulling out unique, never-before-heard performances from artists across the world.
Photo of the Day
I’m back with another Jim Marshall photograph. This image is from The Grateful Dead's last free concert on Haight Street in San Francisco before they moved to Marin County, 1968.
There’s so much I love about this image. First, the perspective is incredible. You have the band in the foreground and then an endless sea of people that looks like it stretches forever. The way the buildings frame the crowd and the band is spectacular.
Second, I could spend an hour looking at the faces in the crowd. Look at the beautiful woman in the front row checking out one of the band members… and the guy to the left seemingly checking her out. There’s so much awesomeness captured in one moment and that is why Jim Marshall will forever be one of the greatest music photographers ever.
RIP Jimmy.
See you on Friday!