Flavor Wave’s single, “The Optimist,” arrived less like a declaration and more like someone tentatively drawing back a dusty curtain on a grey afternoon. From West Chester, PA, these five lifelong friends – Kyle Loedel (vocals, lyrics), Matthew Stretch (lead guitar), Patrick Blair (rhythm guitar), Noah Montgomery (bass), and Joshua Speaker (performer/drums) – typically tread alternative rock paths nodding to influences like The Strokes....

Headmaster recently delivered "Seasons Autumn Vol. 2", the expansive second act of his ambitious four-part tetralogy exploring the cyclical, heavy machinery of human existence. You genuinely have to marvel at the real-world context grounding this record. The London-based multi-instrumentalist happens to be the actual CEO and Executive Headteacher Designate of the Hertswood Academy Trust. He channels his meticulous craft into this dynamic, thundering soundscape,...