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TODAY’S POP ROCK BOP // ADAM WEDD

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This edition of Pop Rock Bops blends heartache, hope and raw emotional clarity. Today’s pick is a Christmas release that carries more weight than cheer, offering a story that feels lived in, honest and quietly uplifting.

Adam Wedd – This Christmas (drinking 42)

Adam Wedd delivers a heartfelt pop rock moment built on candid storytelling, emotional grit and a message of resilience for anyone who finds the holidays difficult.

London based artist Adam Wedd returns with This Christmas (drinking 42), a poignant seasonal single that leans into vulnerability rather than sparkle. Instead of polished festive gloss, Wedd offers a raw, open hearted take on Christmas, shaped by emotive vocals and lyrics that sit somewhere between sadness, reflection and quiet determination. It is a song about getting through, holding on, and finding meaning when the season does not look the way you hoped.

The track blends pop rock warmth with a stripped back honesty that feels instantly relatable. Wedd’s delivery carries a weight that fits the subject matter, allowing the emotions to sit at the front of the mix.

Drawing inspiration from artists like Weezer, Frank Turner and Blink 182, Wedd brings a melodic edge and subtle grit to the arrangement, creating a sound that is both familiar and deeply personal. This Christmas (drinking 42) stands out as a thoughtful and moving pop rock moment, perfect for anyone seeking something real to hold on to during the festive season.

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TODAY’S ALT-ROCK BOPS // HIGHROAD NO. 28

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This edition of alt-rock Bops floats into hazy moods, deep bass warmth, and the soft emotional glow that sits in a alt-rock atmosphere. Today’s pick is slow burning, cinematic and full of feeling.

Highroad No. 28 – Ache

Highroad No. 28 offer a moody, atmospheric al-rock moment that blends brooding bass, emotional vocals and a cinematic sense of space.

Australian outfit Highroad No. 28 return with Ache, a track that leans into simmering intensity while remaining smooth, steady and hypnotic. Built on deep grooves and low rising energy, the song unfolds like a late night drive through memory, its heartbeat shaped by raw vocals and quietly powerful instrumentation. The band describe this as a darker and more mature phase, and that depth comes through clearly in the slow building tension and the reflective tone of the lyrics.

Recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne and mixed by James Taplin, Ache marries intricate melodies with clean, atmospheric production, giving the track a driven but emotionally charged feel. It sits in a sweet spot where house influenced rhythm meets alternative mood, creating the kind of track made for headphones, night windows and empty roads. The ache in the title is present throughout, captured in the cinematic guitars and the lingering sense of longing that threads through its core.

As the first single from their upcoming album The Will to Endure, Ache marks Highroad No. 28’s evolution into something more layered, more moody and perfectly suited to the alt-rock landscape.

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TODAY’S INDIE ROCK BOP // SCOTT SWAIN

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This edition of Indie Rock Bops drifts into dark atmosphere, cinematic tension and the slow build of a track that feels like a storm gathering on the horizon.

Scott Swain – There’s Something in the Wind

Scott Swain delivers a brooding indie rock moment shaped by noir ambience, haunting vocals and the slow rising pressure of a story caught between safety and danger.

London based artist Scott Swain returns with There’s Something in the Wind, a shadowy and atmospheric single inspired by the world of Stephen King’s Misery. The track leans into uneasy calm, layered vocals and a gradually intensifying pulse, mirroring the feeling of being trapped between comfort and threat. It is a song built for listeners who like their indie rock with cinematic edges, where mood and meaning move together.

Recorded with drums handled by Jack G Wrench, the production gives the track real weight, blending haunting ambience with a low simmering energy that never fully lets the listener relax. Swain’s storytelling is central here, channelling themes of delusion, obsession and the fine line between imagination and reality. The influences are clear, pulling from Queens of the Stone Age, The Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead, while still carving out a space that feels personal and distinct.

There’s Something in the Wind stands out as a tense, immersive indie rock release, full of atmosphere and emotional depth, perfect for late night listening when the world feels a little strange and the air has a charge to it.

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TODAY’S ELECTRONIC BOPS // JEHIAHSAX AND STOMP BOX CHOIR

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This edition of Electronic Bops spans two very different corners of the electronic world, from bright dance floor uplift to deep late night introspection. Today’s picks showcase how electronic music can carry warmth, emotion, and real human connection.

JehiahSax – Coalesce

A glowing, heartfelt dance track that blends electronic drive with live instrumentation and a story anchored in reunion, unity, and belonging.

New York artist JehiahSax arrives with Coalesce, a vibrant and emotionally rich dance single that marks a milestone moment in his career. Built from sessions in NYC with co producer Ken Fitzpatrick and completed over video call with Miami based vocalist James Delisco, the track captures a spark of creative reunion after twenty six years apart. Electronic beats meet live musical textures, creating a sound that feels both modern and warmly organic.

Inspired by artists like Ed Sheeran and Justin Timberlake, Coalesce aims to deliver both uplift and message, weaving themes of connection, love, and togetherness into its rhythm. Delisco’s expressive vocal brings soulful lift, turning the song into an anthem of unity that invites listeners into a world where emotion sits at the centre of the dance floor. It is catchy, confident, and full of colour, a track shaped to leave listeners glowing long after it ends.

Stomp Box Choir – Magnifier

A rich, textured electronic piece driven by deep bass, melodic guitars, and a warm, melancholic atmosphere that feels both intimate and expansive.

London based collective Stomp Box Choir debut with Magnifier, a genre defying track that blends soulful songwriting with modern electronic production. Led by producer Howsie and songwriter Joe Stratton, the project thrives on freedom of expression and the joy of transforming simple musical sparks into emotionally layered pieces.

Magnifier is built on deep bass lines, melodic guitars, resonant synth textures, and the expressive vocals of Burcu Bahar Aydin, which bring cultural nuance and vivid energy. The track carries a soft, brooding ambience while still feeling warm and inviting, drawing influence from Massive Attack, Daft Punk, Air, and Maribou State. It is music shaped for late evenings and quiet thoughts, full of emotional depth and carefully crafted detail.

As a debut, Magnifier sets the tone for Stomp Box Choir’s world, one defined by authenticity, collaboration, and a commitment to sound that moves beyond strict genre boundaries.

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TODAY’S SYNTHWAVE BOPS // COLOUR OF THE SKY

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This edition of Synthwave Bops dives into neon glow, late night mood and the emotional pulse of retro inspired electronics. Today’s pick blends cinematic tension with warm disco shimmer, creating a track that feels both nostalgic and sharply modern.

Colour Of The Sky – Only Answer

Colour Of The Sky shape a dark electronic dream that twists into bright disco lift, offering a synthwave moment full of emotion, momentum and unexpected colour

Czechia based artist Colour Of The Sky returns with Only Answer, a track that moves with the cool confidence of retro synth textures while opening into something warmer and more euphoric. Built on electronic tones and acoustic touches, the song shifts from brooding mood to groovy 70s inspired disco energy, creating a journey that feels alive with late night atmosphere. Its simplicity is part of its pull, drawing listeners in with clean lines, soft tension and a melodic hook that lingers long after the final beat.

Entirely written, recorded, produced and mastered by Michael Marek in just three days, Only Answer highlights his instinct for blending styles without ever losing cohesion. The track carries the feeling of driving out of a job on a cold winter evening, headlights reflected in rain and the sense that something new is beginning. It is emotional, relatable and shaped by lived experience, which is why its soundscape hits with real depth.

With its sleek transitions, glowing synths and cinematic rise, Only Answer stands out as a captivating synthwave release from an artist who continues to infuse electronic music with honest storytelling and atmospheric flair.

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TODAY’S INDIE FOLK BOPS // THE STORM WINDOWS

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This edition of Indie Folk Bops leans into slow warmth, timeless storytelling and the soft glow of a winter evening. Today’s pick feels like a well-loved blanket, a familiar voice, and the gentle hush that settles when family gather close.

The Storm Windows – Santa Goes to Space

The Storm Windows deliver a slow, cosy Christmas moment, carried by warm vocal grit and the kind of homely charm that feels like sitting beside the fire with people you love

Upstate New York and Vermont trio The Storm Windows return with Santa Goes to Space, a tender Americana leaning Christmas single that trades flash for feeling. It is slow, glowing and quietly humorous, built on soft folk roots and a warm, well-worn vocal that feels lived in and comforting. The track leans into the simplicity of gathering close during the holidays, offering a story that is playful on the surface, yet grounded in the gentle sincerity the band have made their signature.

The Storm Windows, built around brothers Rob and Don Mathews with Erik Anderson on drums, have long carried a musical ethos shaped by road trips, nostalgia and the small details that make ordinary life worth singing about. Their sound blends folk, rock and Americana into something homely and familiar, described by critics as “new Americana”, and by the band themselves as part travelogue, part reflection, part hope.

Santa Goes to Space continues that tradition with a holiday twist, offering a cosy fireside moment that is warm, slow and beautifully understated, a song that invites you to gather the family round, breathe in the season and let its soft glow fill the room.

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TODAY’S SINGER-SONGWRITER BOPS // LEE FEATHER AND THE NIGHT MOVERS & SAMUEL CARRANCHO

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This edition of Singer-Songwriter Bops dives into humour, honesty and emotional grit. Today’s two picks move between playful storytelling and heartfelt reflection, showing how singer-songwriters can turn lived experience into something warm, sharp and unmistakably human.

Lee Feather and The Night Movers – Drugs for Christmas

Lee Feather blends wit, chaos and tenderness into a winter love song that is equal parts mischievous and strangely moving.

Lee Feather and The Night Movers return with Drugs for Christmas, a tongue-in-cheek yet unexpectedly heartfelt December single that offers a refreshing detour from glossy Christmas standards. Beneath the cheeky title and glockenspiel sparkle is a genuinely charming story of two people wandering the city with nothing but each other’s company to keep them warm. Feather’s signature half-spoken, half-sung delivery captures late-December chaos with sly humour and poetic detail, from “blood in the sink” to angels drinking outside a takeaway.

The track swells with layered harmonies, trumpet and violin interplay and a cosy, pub-singalong energy that wraps the whole thing in warmth and hope. As noted in the press release, it stands as a celebration of those messy, memorable holiday nights that sit somewhere between chaos and comfort.

With an eclectic, instinct-driven approach to songwriting, Lee Feather and The Night Movers build each release as its own sharp, characterful left turn. Drugs for Christmas continues that pattern, offering humour, depth and a very different kind of seasonal glow.

Samuel Carrancho – Ghosts in a Glass

Samuel Carrancho channels longing, doubt and vulnerability into a powerful acoustic-leaning pop-folk moment full of emotional clarity

South African-born, UK-based songwriter Samuel Carrancho brings a raw and heartfelt edge to Ghosts in a Glass, a track that deals with the fear of not being enough and the desperate hope for something you worry you’ll ruin. Sung with striking honesty, the song leans into vulnerability and emotional openness, reflecting the confessional storytelling at the heart of Sam’s craft.

As detailed in his bio, Sam is a one-man creative force, writing, singing, producing and recording his work while blending pop-funk brightness with folk and country undertones. His breakout tracks like Never Fade Away and Beneath Your Eyes have earned growing global attention thanks to his relatable lyrics and lively, soulful delivery.

In Ghosts in a Glass, Sam strips things back to let the emotion breathe. The result is a striking singer-songwriter moment, carried by lived experience and delivered with the intensity of someone who feels every line they write.

Follow Singer-Songwriter BOPS for more great artists like this ❣️

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TODAY’S ROCK BOP` // SOUR BLOOD

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This edition of Rock Bops leans into introspection, raw feeling and the shifting edges of progressive alternative rock. Today’s pick captures a moment of emotional reckoning, pulling softness and weight into the same breath.

Sour Blood – Elegy

Sour Blood reveal their gentlest side on Elegy, shaping a thoughtful rock ballad that glows with vulnerability, doubt and quiet resilience.

Poznań-based alternative rock band Sour Blood return with Elegy, a tender, reflective single that steps away from their usual darker, heavier edges in favour of something more spacious and emotionally open. Built on simple acoustic chords and a steady strumming pulse, the track unfolds like a slow exhale, tracing the journey from fear to clarity. Themes of change, uncertainty and the fragile nature of hope sit at the heart of the song, capturing the moment where anxiety softens into acceptance and a new path begins to form.

Elegy feels like a contemplative chapter within the band’s growing series of genre-shifting singles, each one expanding their sonic identity while keeping the human core intact. The lyrics linger on doubts, years of adaptation and the quiet tension between possibility and loss, echoing the emotional landscapes explored by artists like Steven Wilson, Riverside and Blackfield. Yet the approach remains unmistakably Sour Blood: raw, honest and anchored in the belief that there is beauty inside pain.

With its gentle instrumentation and introspective mood, Elegy adds a new emotional contour to Sour Blood’s evolving sound, proving the band’s commitment to exploring fresh textures without sacrificing depth or authenticity.

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TODAY’S POP BOPS // HANNE LELAND AND NOVA WHITE

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This edition of Pop Bops brings together two striking releases shaped by emotion, storytelling and glowing pop craft. From festive warmth to late-night heartbreak, today’s picks reveal the breadth of what pop can hold when artists lean fully into honesty and feeling.

Hanne Leland – The Christmas Songs

Hanne Leland brings tenderness, nostalgia and a soft festive shimmer to pop, reshaping Christmas classics with sincerity and crafting originals full of warmth.

Norwegian pop artist Hanne Leland unveils The Christmas Songs, her first full holiday album and a heartfelt collection spanning beloved classics and emotional originals. With expressive, crystal-clear vocals, she moves between cosy, stripped-back moments and bright, joyful arrangements, delivering a seasonal record that feels both classic and personal. Tracks like It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Blue Christmas and Winter Wonderland carry her distinct pop sensibility, while originals such as This Time of Year and Snowflake highlight her talent for emotionally sharp, gently aching songwriting.

With more than 17 million Spotify streams and praise from outlets like CLASH, The Line of Best Fit and Norway’s national press, Hanne has shaped a career defined by independence, resilience and heart. The Christmas Songs stands as a warm, glowing milestone in that journey, turning holiday tradition into something beautifully her own.

Nova White – Split Personality

Nova White channels teenage heartbreak, late-night doubt and quiet catharsis into a pop track that aches with vulnerability and sharp emotional bite.

Rising English artist Nova White returns with Split Personality, a standout single from her EP Hard Fool and a raw portrait of missed connections and almost-love. Written during a sleepless night, the track captures the messy, fragile tension between wanting to reach out and knowing you shouldn’t. Haunting vocals, sharp pop instincts and a touch of emo-tinged intensity shape its core, drawing influence from Sugababes, Pink, We Are Scientists and the kind of emotional grit an alt-Taylor Swift might have explored.

The song digs into unspoken feelings, self-protection and the lingering ache of what might have been, delivered with Nova’s signature mix of honesty and melodic clarity. As her press release notes, it is the “standout track” of the EP, and it marks her as a rising storyteller with a deeply personal edge.

Split Personality is a compelling reminder of how pop can hold complexity, heartbreak and self-discovery all at once – and why Nova White is one to watch.

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TODAY’S DREAM POP BOPS // STILL RUINS

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This edition of Dream Pop Bops drifts into shimmering nostalgia, cinematic warmth and softly glowing emotion. Today’s pick takes the elegance of the 80s and filters it through a modern haze, creating something timeless and quietly transportive.

Still Ruins – Our Penance

Still Ruins turn longing into light, crafting a sophistipop daydream that feels both vintage and vividly alive

Los Angeles trio Still Ruins return with Our Penance, a lush and transportive track that folds 80s sophistipop into dream pop’s soft-focus glow. Built on aching vocals, warm guitars and a cinematic atmosphere, the song carries the elegance of a lost classic while opening the door to something strikingly present. Touchstones like Choir Boy, Tears for Fears and Prefab Sprout echo through its edges, yet the band shape these influences into a voice distinctly their own.

Formed in 2020 by Frankie Soto, Jose Medina and Cyrus Vandenberghe, Still Ruins have carved a sound rooted in emotion and refinement. Their blend of sophistipop, dream pop and post-punk subtlety gives Our Penance its distinct pulse, capturing both longing and clarity in equal measure.

With its glimmering textures and modern take on 80s romanticism, it’s one of my favourites of the year, and a radiant showcase of what Still Ruins do best, marking another luminous step towards their full-length album arriving in 2026.

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