Whoop:
Whoop’s third album, Time to Talk, finds the genre-fluid North Carolina foursome maturing but still raw, evolving yet remaining hugely relatable. A nuanced, visceral mélange of nineties rock and indie-pop, sunny reggae, and earthy R&B, Time to Talk (Porcelain Records) marries innate talent and youthful joy to experience and eloquence, its rare emotive resonance free of studio gloss.
“We definitely tapped into something special with this one,” said effervescent vocalist Fal. “ It felt like we all were ready to experiment with our sound in a way we haven’t before. This record feels like we stopped guessing and started going for it.”
In an era of Auto-Tune and AI, Whoop remains defiantly organic and spontaneous. With their Grammy- and Juno-winning guitarist/producer Steve Bigas (Daniel Lanois, Ziggy Marley, Taj Mahal) at the helm, they recorded Time to Talk mostly live, at full volume, onto tape. No headphones or click tracks were used, and only tambourine and backup vocals were overdubbed. The results are refreshingly intimate and honest, with succinct song structures and sometimes stream-of-consciousness lyrics shaping a primal, disarmingly human experience.
Shelby Morgan
Shelby Morgan is an Annapolis-based pop-rock singer-songwriter blending ’80s-inspired synth-pop, indie-pop, and contemporary rock into emotionally charged songs that feel both nostalgic and refreshingly current. Since launching her project in 2018, she has independently released four EPs and two full-length albums while cultivating a vintage-inspired aesthetic influenced by Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks, and Pat Benatar.
IG. Linktree
AZUL
AZUL is a singer-songwriter whose greatest strength lies in her ability to create genuine human connection through music. Motivated by the isolation of the pandemic, she released her debut EP, The View From Here, in 2021, offering songs that resonated with listeners searching for hope and community. Her latest release, Death, Love & Disco, continues that mission, celebrating resilience, joy, and the belief that the future can be brighter than the past.
Drawing from her Argentinian heritage and shaped by jazz, Broadway, soul, gospel, blues, disco, Latin folk, and Latin rock, AZUL’s music is as vibrant and multifaceted as her background. Performing in English, Spanish, and French, she combines soaring vocals, trumpet, dance, and infectious stage presence into a live experience that’s equal parts emotional, empowering, and playful.
