Ava Valianti captures the agonizing, beautiful purgatory of sixteen on her new single, "Sophomore Slump". The Newbury, Massachusetts songwriter has tapped directly into the crushing gravity of adolescence, a phase where a trivial misstep somehow fractures your entire psychological reality. https://open.spotify.com/track/20fIdhi8sFspbb6FAzHXCr?si=27a8aa904ccb4a5b There is a distinct, humiliating vulnerability in breaking down in front of someone else. You desperately crave the safety of their connection, yet you burn...

There is a specific kind of betrayal reserved for the morning of December 25th, and with Jamie Alimorad releasing "Santa Sucks", that indignity finally has its proper anthem. We are often force-fed audio syrup during the winter months, tracks that insist upon peace on earth while you’re stuck in gridlock traffic. Alimorad, however, chooses violence. Or at least, a very catchy form of neon-lit...