When 7Z MAXI released his latest single, "Back From The Dead", the collision between the unforgiving pavement and the holy pulpit feels surprisingly organic. The Philadelphia-based solo artist, sometimes operating as Holy Boy Maxi, is tunneling straight back to the gritty, nostalgic energy of 2012 underground drill music. He is handing down a heavy, paradox-laden survival guide directed at the youth navigating treacherous environments...

The Austin-based songwriter Alex Winters turns the terrifying act of emotional surrender into a towering alt-rock confession. There is a specific kind of silence that occupies a room right before a heavy truth is spoken aloud. It is thick, suffocating, and entirely self-imposed. We build fortresses out of our past traumas, stacking bricks of deflection and mortar of avoidance to guarantee nothing can ever hurt us...