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Hi friends,
This Friday was supposed to be a celebration: closing the week with a special Indie Salon on the radio, and then heading straight to the stage with Dashbox. But my back had other plans. Since last Sunday, ankylosing spondylitis has been hitting hard. The pain is brutal, and when it flares up, everything crumbles.
I know my SPA, I manage it as best as I can, but sometimes it shows up without warning. And all I can do is rest, hoping it calms down. Last year, I even wrote a track about it, SPA, Je Te Hais, and sadly, it’s still as relevant as ever.
So today, I’ll need your energy during the Salon, and through the weekend too. But I’ve kept a spark aside to shout out a Happy Birthday to Ian from The Sanctity of Crows!
Stay tuned this Friday at 4pm CET on my radio show, Le Salon Indie de Mitxoda.
Love,
Mitxoda
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Aika Blue - But you loved halloween
This week, I need to share something heavier than usual. RedPrint highlighted the upcoming track But you loved halloween by Aika Blue, and behind this release lies a story that deserves our full attention.
On August 29, 2025, Aika Blue lost her boyfriend to suicide. He had been struggling with drug addiction, dysthymia, and other mental health issues. Despite fighting with all his strength, he couldn’t find the care he needed, not because his family or loved ones didn’t support him, but because the system failed him again and again.
In her words:
“He was a wonderful person with a terrible sickness and it's so unfair. He tried everything in his power to get better but care failed him many times…
Mind wants to change that.”
This track, But you loved halloween, is Aika’s way to process unbearable grief and to raise awareness about the urgent need for better access to mental healthcare.
💿 Pre-save the track now: every click is a way of standing with her:
👉 https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/aikablue/but-you-loved-halloween
❤️ Support the cause: Aika is also raising funds for Mind, an organization fighting for better mental health care. Even 1€ matters:
👉 Donate here
Please, take a moment to support Aika Blue. Share her message. Music is a lifeline, and sometimes it’s the only way to keep the light alive when everything else feels dark.
Quick Ind(ie)ustry News
The FTC has sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging illegal tactics in ticket resales. The lawsuit claims:
Ticketmaster misleads consumers with a "bait and switch" on ticket prices, which inflate by 30% or more at checkout due to hidden fees.
The company lets scalpers bypass purchase limits, allowing them to buy thousands of tickets, then resell them at huge markups, while Ticketmaster profits from fees at every transaction stage.
These alleged actions violate the Better Online Ticket Sales Act.
The FTC estimates Ticketmaster charged $3.7 billion in resale fees between 2019 and 2024.
This suit joins an ongoing DOJ antitrust case aiming to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster's market monopoly, which critics say drives ticket prices up.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster haven't commented. The FTC and several U.S. states want fair access and pricing for live events.
Indie Artists Demand Fair Play from Spotify - Please sign this petition if you believe in fair play and due process within our digital music ecosystems.
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Weekly Interview: The Demogorgon’s Midnight Wrap, Inside the Sonic Lair of The Shadow’s Gone Out
There’s something in the shadows of Tours, France. No, it’s not lurking in the castle corridors of the Loire Valley, and it’s definitely not in the tourist brochures. This creature hums with distorted bass, pounds with double-kick drums, and drapes itself in the flickering neon haze of a cyberpunk skyline.
Its name? The Shadow’s Gone Out, an instrumental rock-industrial duo who’ve somehow convinced the Demogorgon to trade in the Upside Down for a bite of their… wrap.
Yes, you read that right. If their music were a dish, it’d be a wrap, heavy or light, depending on the filling, depending on the mood. And in The Shadow’s Gone Out’s kitchen of sound, fillings range from roaring industrial basslines to synthwave crunch, all marinated in cinematic atmospheres worthy of The Crow and Blade Runner.
Before the creature took shape, The Shadow’s Gone Out was a trio: guitar, bass, and drums.
From Trio to Duo: Survival in the Urban Jungle
Before the creature took shape, The Shadow’s Gone Out was a trio: guitar, bass, and drums. Then the pandemic came, and like so many origin stories, the lineup shifted. Instead of replacing their guitarist, drummer-vocal-sample-sculptor Julien and bassist Anthony stripped the sound to its essentials: just bass, drums, and a vault of carefully curated samples.
Their first EP, Final Alarm (2022), was a siren in the distance, urgent, metallic, and ominous. Then came Whispering Ghost (2023), where one of the drummer’s own students provided the eerie vocal textures. In 2024, they unleashed John Doe, a track that asks: aren’t we all anonymous citizens drowning in a flood of data and tech? All three releases now live together on vinyl, with a cassette edition via Bitume Production for those who still like to rewind.
No Lyrics, Just Voices from the Ether
The Shadow’s Gone Out is refreshingly free of a frontperson shouting into your face. Instead, they deploy samples like sonic graffiti, short, impactful phrases more like slogans than verses. A whispered warning. A clipped threat. A fragmented story. They’re voices that seem stolen from dystopian billboards or intercepted transmissions, stitched into pounding rhythms and shadowy bass riffs.
This absence of a lead singer frees the music to be about movement, texture, and momentum, a headlong rush through rain-slick streets while giant holograms watch you from above.
The Creature and the City
If the Demogorgon had a favorite bar in the cyberpunk cityscape, The Shadow’s Gone Out would be the house band. Their influences? The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, form the bones of the beast. The synthwave sheen is the skin, pulled tight over muscle made of rock/metal rhythm sections.
They’re inspired by films where beauty and decay share the same alley, Dark City, The Crow. Places where the air smells like wet concrete and ozone. Their tracks pulse like the heartbeat of someone who’s being chased, but isn’t sure if they want to escape.
From Studio Wraps to Stage Feasts
In the studio, the duo is meticulous, layering sounds, sculpting atmospheres, chasing the perfect collision between organic drumming and electronic shadows. On stage, it’s the opposite: immediate, raw, alive. A gig is a single photograph in motion, beautiful if it works, messy if it doesn’t, but always real.
They don’t dream of chart positions or industry approval. They dream of staying free, making singular music rather than joining the sea of indistinguishable bands.
Why the Demogorgon Comes Back for Seconds
The wrap metaphor could be just a throwaway joke. But their music really is built to taste, sometimes stripped-down and lean, sometimes overloaded with layers until it’s a full-on sonic meal. It’s food for a creature that loves both the crunch of distortion and the soft chew of a synth pad.
And the Demogorgon? It doesn’t care if you call it darkwave, industrial rock, or synthpunk. It just knows that when The Shadow’s Gone Out plays, the air tastes like metal and electricity.
If the Demogorgon had a favorite bar in the cyberpunk cityscape, The Shadow’s Gone Out would be the house band.
Final Bite
If you’re an indie wanderer looking for something that feels like urban rain on your face while a giant neon eye blinks above, step into the shadows. Order the wrap. Let the Demogorgon sit next to you. And don’t worry… it only eats bad music.
Quick Indie News
Might by CousinRay & Drew Nold (feat. Steam Slicer), produced by Kevin Williams of Multivariate Outliers & Blue Grazer Records, drops today!
Big congratulations to Arcane Moon for winning Best New Band at the New Music Generator Awards! Their energy, authenticity, and connection with the audience truly made the difference, and it’s amazing to see indie talent getting the recognition it deserves. Keep shining, Arcane Moon!
Crowsilver new single, Remedy, is OUT TODAY on all streaming platforms!
This song is a departure from their usual darker material. Listen to it to understand why...
Hope is An Addiction is this week’s Mike Stollen new gem.. Listen now!
Hey, wanna be listed here?? help me get all that fresh indie news!
» Submit your latest songs here
» Share the latest hot indie news (email me back), and I’ll feature it in another edition!
🎧 The Shadow's Gone Out – Pills
📅 2022-09-23 🇫🇷 France | Alternative | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 4:28
From the EP Final Alarm, “Pills” layers post-rock darkness with an industrial edge. Haunting textures build an atmosphere both hypnotic and urgent.
🎧 WORLD5 – Just Another Night
📅 2024-05-10 🇺🇸 United States | Pop Rock | Single (Label) • ⏱️ 3:28
A catchy slice of pop rock with smooth melodies and heartfelt delivery, lifted from the album 3. Polished, bright, and ready for radio.
🎧 Esteban The Late Artist – Sur les traces de ses aieux
📅 2025-01-05 🇫🇷 France | Britpop Influence | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 4:32
A collaboration with Bribinvoile and Ze Scott, blending Britpop vibes with French flair. A reflection on middle age, memory, and roots.
🎧 HSeize The Suneavy – SHeavy
📅 2025-02-07 🇺🇸 United States | Rock (Acoustic) | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 3:52
An acoustic rock ballad carried by a powerhouse male vocal. Uplifting yet grounded, glowing with resilience.
🎧 Cul De Sac Kings – The Hum
📅 2025-07-15 🇺🇸 United States | Rock | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 3:43
A raw meditation on loss, inspired by Ozzy Osbourne’s reflection after Randy Rhoads’ passing: “all I can hear is a hum.” Heavy, heartfelt, and deeply human.
🎧 Alex Sitze – Anny
📅 2025-08-08 🇺🇸 United States | Alternative | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 5:29
Self-produced and recorded on live instruments, “Anny” carries existential threads inspired by Sartre’s Nausea. A patient, immersive journey.
🎧 Hours to Seconds – To Hell and back
📅 2025-08-21 🇧🇪 Belgium | Rock | EP (Indie) • ⏱️ 3:20
A turbulent chronicle of difficult relationships, fiery guitars and relentless rhythm mirror emotional struggle.
🎧 Split Vision – House Of Cards
📅 2025-08-29 🇸🇪 Sweden | Electronic/Dance | Single (Label) • ⏱️ 3:11
The second single ahead of Echoes of a New Spell. Analog synths and Depeche Mode-inspired textures mark the band’s 40th anniversary return.
🎧 Chillin’ – My New Mistake
📅 2025-09-12 🇦🇺 Australia | Folk | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 3:26
Lighthearted yet bittersweet, about repeating mistakes in love, knowing better but diving in anyway. Folky warmth with ironic charm.
🎧 Brother Dynamite – Get Up
📅 2025-09-18 🇺🇸 United States | Rock (Stadium Rock) | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 2:54
Big guitars, soaring choruses, stadium-ready rock that nods to the band’s musical heroes.
🎧 Bribinvoile – Presque là
📅 2025-09-19 🇫🇷 France | Pop | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 2:51
A minimal, introspective track about dissociation, being among others yet not fully present. Dreamlike and fragile.
🎧 J&M Band – The born tiny gig
📅 2025-09-20 🇸🇰 Slovakia | Autre | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 2:52
A quirky, compact indie moment. Playful energy packed into just under three minutes.
🎧 Bribinvoile – Orange valley
📅 2025-09-21 🇫🇷 France | Folk | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 2:22
A joyful yet melancholic folk sketch, born from Christmas guitar chords with family. Messy, dreamy, and personal—titled by a brother-in-law’s instant response.
🎧 Bribinvoile – Natural feelings
📅 2025-09-26 🇫🇷 France | Pop | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 2:25
A meditation on emotions as natural protectors. Gentle melodies underline the message: feelings must flow.
🎧 Alix of Tomorrow – Alien
📅 2025-09-26 🇧🇪 Belgium | Pop (Electropop) | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 2:38
Space-inspired synthpop about difference and belonging. Futuristic rhythms meet heartfelt vulnerability.
🎧 The Beautiful Revolution – Tabula Rasa
📅 2025-10-05 🇬🇧 UK | Alternative | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 4:18
A rallying call to renewal. Urgent, bold alternative rock pushing for transformation.
🎧 Antonis Vlavo – Unexpected Expectation
📅 2025-10-10 🇬🇷 Greece | Alternative (Shoegaze/Electronic) | Single (Indie) • ⏱️ 3:09
A lush electronic shoegaze landscape, echoing M83’s dreamy soundscapes. Hopeful yet tinged with melancholy.
If you'd like to introduce your latest release, just click here to submit all the details. I’d love to hear about it! 😇 Submit your track here.
Historical Fact: Nirvana releases Nevermind
On September 24, 1991, Nirvana released their second studio album, Nevermind. Propelled by the explosive single Smells Like Teen Spirit, the album became a cultural milestone, pushing grunge and alternative rock into the mainstream.
Within weeks, Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson’s Dangerous off the top of the Billboard 200, marking a seismic shift in popular music. Its raw sound, rebellious energy, and Kurt Cobain’s haunting voice turned it into a defining record of the 1990s.
Keep the Historical Fact?
Nadine's Indie Treasures: Subtlety
Selected with precision by Nadine de Macedo
My first encounter with Sublety was the excellent collaboration on "Autumn" with Bärker. Since then, I’ve delved deeper into her discography and uncovered gems like "Landscapes of Your Life", "Requiem for Rosemary", and "Purple Circles". If you’re into mellow, melancholic pop with touches of trip-hop, you’ll definitely want to give her music a listen.
💬 Introducing Nadine’s Indie Treasures a new chapter where Nadine de Macedo handpicks and spotlights exceptional artists. Subscribe to her Bandcamp to support her work, enjoy exclusive singles, and be part of her evolving story!
Until Next Week: Carry the Light
This week has been heavy… between health struggles, Aika Blue’s story of grief, and the shadows of our indie journeys. Yet the music, the community, and your support prove that even in the darkest corners, light can break through. Keep sharing, keep listening, and keep believing in the strength of indie.
Take care,
🖤 Mitxoda
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