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.

Tom McGeoch, who goes by the moniker Tomsy, has released a radio-ready pop track titled “321” along with a music video. Tom captures the best moments reminiscent of Charlie Puth and The Weeknd in one song. The song could easily secure a spot on Spotify’s “Pop Rising,” “All Out 80s,” “Pop Up,” and “Indie Pop” playlists.

Tomsy says about the song, “When crafting ‘3, 2, 1,’ the second verse found its inspiration in the midst of a hospital emergency room, illustrating that love’s most profound moments often spring from the unlikeliest of settings. This verse captures the raw and authentic emotions that define the essence of the song.”

Hailing from Columbus, Ohio and now based in Los Angeles, Tom McGeoch started playing the drums in pop-punk bands. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he moved to LA to pursue a music career. Although he began with drumming, Tom sees himself as a creative artist first. He’s supported more than 100 artists and bands through drumming, songwriting, and producing.

Check out Arden Alexa and her song “Petty Bitch.” It’s a catchy indie pop song with a big chorus, similar to the late 2000s pop music of artists like Katy Perry.

Arden says this about the song, “After a dramatic friend breakup left me feeling both sad and angry, I needed an outlet to help me get over the grief of losing my childhood best friend. My solution came in the form of this song. What began as just a joke (being mean to anyone is wildly out of character for me) quickly turned into a sort of therapy for me, a way to channel my anger into something so outrageously fun that I was able to work through my feelings about the situation. So, when listeners find that being the bigger person or wallowing in their grief isn’t working, I hope they can turn on this song, scream the lyrics (either privately in their room or directly at the person), and move on!”.

Arden is from San Francisco, and during her high school years, she started out in the local music scene and released her debut single “The Coast” in 2021 and in 2022, she released her first full-length project called “Day Dreams,” a six-song EP. Since becoming a full-time artist in June 2022, Arden has been working on honing her skills, defining her style, and has gained over 20,000 social media followers.