There is a specific, illicit thrill in turning off your alarm clock on a Tuesday just to watch the dust motes dance in the sunlight, and John Nicholas captures that exact frequency of rebellion in "Today With You". It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from him, and this return feels less like a polite knock and more like a friend throwing a pebble...

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....