After a six-year break, Los Angeles-based alternative rock outfit Maudlin Strangers is back with a new track “I’m Not In The Right Mind“. It’s a great alternative rock song, drawing influences from some of the best indie acts, ranging from Atlas Genius to Young The Giant.

The band says, “The track is about the moments where you realize you’re stuck in a habitual cycle of addiction, and finally wanting to break free from it. We use so many different things to distract and numb ourselves from the difficulty of life, whether it’s drugs, social media, alcohol, relationships, work, and it’s that distraction itself that becomes addicting. Recognizing what’s harming you and actually feeling the want to change it, is a far more complicated yet powerful feeling.”

Jake Hays, a Los Angeles native, started Maudlin Strangers in 2010 as a solo indie rock project. After releasing some independent music and forming a band with friends (Jeff Lehrer, Kenny Benson, and Richie Gonzales), they signed with BMG/Vagrant Records and released the “Overdose” EP in 2015. They toured with Bad Suns and LANY and supported Cold War Kids before taking a break in 2016. Fast forward to 2023, Maudlin Strangers is back with a new lineup (Richie Gonzales, Alexander “Schmorgle” Morgan, and Drew Bruchs).

Megan Rapinoe from OL Reign said leaving the NWSL championship early due to injury was the worst thing for her last game. She felt a pop in her leg during the sixth minute, feared it was an Achilles injury, and found it devastating to exit the final so soon.

It seemed like the injury was located in her right ankle area, towards the back of her leg, hinting at a possible Achilles injury. Upon reviewing the game footage, it appears that Rapinoe communicated to Rose Lavelle that the injury specifically involves the Achilles.

Megan Rapinoe has been accused of leading the USWNT in a “shameful” snub of the national anthem at the 2023 World Cup.

The Marvels,” the 33rd chapter in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, is hurtling towards an box office milestone, actually a disaster. Projections suggest its opening weekend may only yield $60-65 million from 4,000 North American theaters, marking one of the MCU’s lowest debuts. The current dubious honor belongs to 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk” ($55.4 million), closely trailed by 2015’s “Ant-Man” ($57.2 million), both figures not adjusted for inflation. Despite initial setbacks, “Ant-Man” rebounded to a trilogy-worthy $519 million global gross, showcasing the unpredictable journey of MCU films.

Keep your eyes open for Pompeya and their dancey new single “Cold.” Everything but, the track explodes with color in a hyper-present and tasteful approach to the group’s classic 80s revival sound. With their classic “90” seeing an eternal life on Tik Tok and Instagram reels, the band’s extended past has set up the perfect runway for their next cycle which begins here.

The band, which is revered in its native Russia, but also abroad, has previously been based as far away from home as Los Angeles. Having toured extensively, from North America to Europe to the Caucasus, the band will warm up this fall with a slew of gigs that includes Belgrade, Dubai, and Beijing, before really getting after it with more new music in 2024.

“Cold” itself is an ode to location, in what lead singer Daniil Brod calls a “peculiar” form of “sad travel.”

“’Cold’ is about a long distance relationship that has been constantly questioned due to uncertainties,” says Brod, before adding, “However, personally to me, this song seems to hold a bigger picture of what it feels like recently when a lot of people have to move away from their homes due to different circumstances… I think this storyline will run through most of the songs in our next album – a peculiar way of a sad travel.”

Catbear drops the infectious ‘Higher.’ It’s a song that makes you feel like you’re in space and finally waking up from a dream. The track could easily find a home on playlists like Indie Dream Wave Chill and “Chilled Indie Dreamscapes”

Zoe from Catbear, says “Higher is inspired by the era of telephone calls – before we could see each other on a screen, where our imaginations were able to get creative as we talk, and how looking back feels so nostalgic for that time. Our music is very much influenced by 80s styles and so it seems fitting we’d write a tribute song to the old-style telephone”.

Catbear has more than 23,000 Spotify monthly listeners, their music has been played on radio stations worldwide, and they recently supported indie legends The Subways during their UK tour in January and February 2023. In July 2023, they reached 1 million streams on Spotify.

This year, they received funding from both The Arts Council England and Help Musicians, a rare achievement. In May, they were invited to perform at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton. They have fans across the globe, from Brazil to the US and all over Europe.