KATIA POJIDAEVA – Tantalizing meat
KATIA POJIDAEVA's 'Tantalizing Meat' is a stunning, blood-chilling slice of cinematic dark rock from Moscow, a visceral, unflinching statement that demands to be heard
This one doesn't ease you in. 'Tantalizing Meat' opens with heavy, hypnotic rhythms that lock you in place, then KATIA POJIDAEVA's vocals arrive and the temperature drops. The track is a fierce commentary on violence against women, the silent scars it leaves, and the rage that builds underneath. The midsection breaks open into raw, unfiltered screams that hit hard, and it's a brilliant confrontation, not a listen. The production is dense and cinematic, industrial riffs grinding against darkwave textures, and the whole thing moves with real menace. Uncompromising art rock, visceral and absolutely fearless.
KATIA POJIDAEVA is an independent artist working out of Moscow, crafting dark, noir-inspired alternative rock under political isolation. Her earlier single 'Capitalism' earned a feature in EARMILK for its sharp corporate satire and industrial-rock aesthetic, pulling in nearly 42,000 views. Before that, 'Inherited Scars' secured official radio rotation in both the US and UK. The visual production for this release is entirely self-made, which feels right for an artist this fiercely self-sufficient. A powerful new voice in dark indie rock, and one we'll be watching closely.
Lourdes Rising – Love That 4U
Lourdes Rising's 'Love That 4U' is a stunning '80s-hearted rock ballad from Texas, an evocative build into something genuinely powerful
There's a slow burn to this one. 'Love That 4U' opens restrained, piano and vocal holding back, then the guitars arrive and the whole thing opens up. It's a letting-go song, and the arrangement knows it: the verses stay close, almost confessional, before the chorus lifts into full power-ballad territory. I love to hear big tunes like this, and thelyric is about loving someone enough to walk away is sold by Lourdes Rising perfectly. No irony, no distance, just the thing itself. Gorgeous '80s rock balladry, emotionally direct and convincing.
Lourdes Rising is an independent singer-songwriter out of Texas, making music rooted in vulnerability and lived experience. There's a cinematic streak running through her work, drawing on '80s rock and contemporary pop-rock in equal measure. Her songs sit in the complicated spaces between love and letting go, and she writes them with real clarity. Deserves to do well this one, a real vibe.