Check out Secret Weapon by Nashville based singer songwriter Laney Jones. Think Andy Shauf and Sharon Van Etten. Recently landing on Spotify’s Fresh Folk and recorded with Alabama Shakes collaborator Andrija Tokic, the track comes off her just released album Stories Up High via AHPO Record. Several of her songs garnered millions of streams and can be heard in movies and commercials for Pixar, Google, Netflix, Paramount, and Toyota.

Laney Jones says “Secret Weapon is a mantra. Whenever life gets overwhelming in my little world, I find it’s very powerful to do the hokey pokey and turn it around on the thoughts. It’s like lucid dreaming. You can let the dream rule you if you like it, or you can own it. With life, we can ‘take the fast train out’ at any time but that’s no fun. I choose to be on this ride and by golly, I’m gonna enjoy the shit out of it for as long as I can”.

I just wrapped up a discussion with celebrity masseuse Dr. Dot, a name given to her by musical virtuoso Frank Zappa.

We both love music, and I discovered Def Leppard happened to be her first client, while The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts instructed her to go pro with her hands cementing her as the go to massage therapist for biggest rock stars.

And the pandemic topic came up and how it effected business and that’s when the discussion erupted and went deeper and harder than a deep tissue massage.

Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ648CkdmdQ&t=2165s

It’s hard not to like the vibey Everything We Want by Rya Park. You’ll love if you’re in the mood for a romantic indie-pop track. Think Adele meets Billie Eilish. The track comes off her forthcoming debut EP Generational.

Having landed on Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Pop, the Australian artist explores themes of mental health, heartbreak and “being an idiot in your 20s”.

She peformed this year’s St. Kilda Festival alongside Baker Boy and George Alice, supporting Jack River at Peaks and Sounds Festival, and performed her first headline show.

Rya says “This song is about Nick and our little love story. We’ve done so much in the time that we’ve been together; travelled the world, had multiple coffee hang outs at the cafe near the psych hospital I was staying at, lived together, lived apart, but mostly have been each other’s biggest support and best friend throughout it all. You change so much through your 20’s and we both have grown so much since first meeting each other 6 years ago at Beyond The Valley music festival. Some of the stuff we’ve been through together has been challenging but has definitely united us and made us stronger. Fuck, I just love him lol”

Could TikTok take the place of the record label?

The social platform just rolled out their own distribution called SoundOn. This could spark trouble for popular distributors like Distrokid and Tunecore. Plus, everyone is on TikTok, the platform is eating up it’s rivals.

If the promise by major music labels is exposure and reaching an audience, well, TikTok has it all. “TikTok is music, without TikTok there would be no music” says music producer David Bendeth.

To further cement its role in the music industry, the company announced openings for A&R managers in Los Angeles, London, Sao Paulo, and Jakarta.

Ironically, 36% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 polled is using TikTok

Give I Think I Like Smbdy Else by Beach Of Diamonds a try. You’ll love if you’re in the mood for something fun and upbeat.

“I Think I Like Smbdy Else” is a pop-rock anthem made for for sunny days with your best of friends” says the duo from Oslo, Norway.

The newest released is the latest single from their new mini EP, that was released April 29th. Beach of Diamonds  created this uplifting, energetic, pop rock meets pop punk tune during the lockdown. Made for people who haven’t given up on vans and skinny jeans.

The duo is made up by Michael Markussen and Sondre Langli Paulsen, two 90´s kids who grew up with Weezer and Blink-182. The band has been supported by NRK P3, playlisting several of theirs songs.