Hotel Mira's new album, "Pity Party," makes an immediate, striking impact. Across twelve tracks, the collection delves into the turbulent world of intense relationships—the kind that feel essential one moment and dangerously volatile the next. Frontman Charlie Kerr, alongside guitarist Clark Grieve, bassist Mike Noble, and drummer Cole George, crafts a dynamic alt-rock soundscape filled with both emotional debris and moments of bright, sharp...

Helena May’s new single, “Side Effects,” doesn’t just enter a room; it strides in with the kind of confident, hip-swinging swagger that makes you instinctively check your own posture. This is Brit-Funk with a capital F, built on a groove that feels less like a rhythm and more like a wry, talkative companion. It’s got that specific, indefinable warmth of an old analogue recording,...