Atwood Magazine is thrilled to present our Editor’s Picks column, curated and written by Editor-in-Chief Mitch Mosk. Each week, Mitch will highlight a selection of songs, albums, and artists that have captivated his ears, eyes, and heart. There is an abundance of amazing music waiting to be discovered; all it takes is an open mind and a willingness to listen. Through our Editor’s Picks, we aim to illuminate our musical findings and feature a diverse range of new and recent releases. This week's picks include Billie Marten, benches, Gatlin, The Happy Fits, BODHI, and quickly, quickly!
“Feeling” by Billie Marten is a song that exists in that fleeting moment just before dusk, where the world seems to take a breath. It’s a composition of subtle beauty and serene release, unfolding gently like a breeze whispering through the air. One of the most tender, gentle songs I’ve encountered this year, “Feeling” stunned me from the first live performance I experienced – just Marten, her guitar, and a collective of hearts quietly opening in Woodstock’s Bearsville Theater. She began her set with it that evening, and even two weeks later, the song continues to uplift me.
From Marten's upcoming album, Dog Eared (set to release on July 18th via Fiction Records), “Feeling” is a beautifully captivating track that resonates with warmth and emotion. Every breath, every lyric, every softly strummed guitar chord feels infused with purpose and depth. The chorus alone – "And you look so good / And you are so clean / I am on my way, hey, hey / I am barely breathing" – is enough to leave you breathless while simultaneously elevating your spirit.
Marten describes “Feeling” as a weave of memories and sensory details. “I have a very particular long-term memory, with vivid recollections from as early as two years old,” she relays to Atwood Magazine. “I used to outline roads on my grandmother’s patterned carpet for my dad’s old toy cars. I traced patterns in everything: fabrics, wallpapers, raindrops – the world was filled with patterns to observe.”
This sensitivity to nuance – light, shadow, and texture – resonates through every note of the song. “Another strong memory is the sensation of warm hands in childhood, along with the comfort and safety they bring,” she adds. "The feeling of age being a distant reality, yet knowing it's an unavoidable future. That indescribable 'feeling' of being aware of a world you don't yet fully grasp."
The intangible tenderness gives “Feeling” its form and spirit, enhanced by the entrancing guitar work of Núria Graham, whom Marten credits for providing life to the album and establishing a rhythmic benchmark.
“Feeling” is not merely an album opener; it's a gentle awakening, a delicate prelude to what lies ahead. It's a track to breathe with, to hum during languid summer evenings, to wrap around yourself in silence. The song drifts through the air like a warm breeze, lingering long after it fades. If it makes my list of the best songs of the year, I won't be surprised – it’s that remarkable, and with Dog Eared arriving in just a month's time, Billie Marten is merely beginning.
“Kill the Lights” by benches is a subtle powerhouse of a song that burrows under your skin and ignites your spirit. From my first listen in April, it captured my attention with its intense energy and has held it ever since. Two months and numerous plays later, I’m now ready to discuss it – and it is a breathtaking, sub-three-minute whirlwind.
This title track from the San Diego band’s recently released EP, “Kill the Lights” is a fiery, cinematic indie rock anthem: relentless, immersive, and packed with emotional weight. It’s not just catharsis; it embodies it. The song strikes like an anxiety-filled wave, then steadies you as it crashes towards release. Frontman Anson Kelley sings, “I still get that feeling that there’s poison in my heart,” his voice raw and longing. “In another life, I was almost me / On the coast, near the angels / Where the light can’t see me.”
At its core, the song explores fear, Kelley states – a common concern of making wrong choices leading to a life misaligned with one’s aspirations. “This song narrates an anxiety-driven worst-case scenario, where all decisions lead astray, and every glimpse of the past haunts you to accelerate escape.”
“The undercurrents of fear and existential dread fuel much of my creative process, often bleeding into my songs. I end up inadvertently writing about these consuming fears, and confronting what scares you often reveals something crucial.”
With unfiltered fervor, the band pours their emotions into the music, from distorted guitar tones to a driving rhythm section that gives the track its edge
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Calum Hood (from 5 Seconds of Summer) shares his thoughts on vulnerability, creative rediscovery, and finding his own path with ‘ORDER chaos ORDER,’ his reflective and cinematic debut solo album.
Maggie Szabo's "Boom Shaka" is an energetic and uplifting anthem filled with confidence and charm, combining striking beats with motivational lyrics to create an ideal summer playlist.
Fifteen years later, The Head and the Heart continue to grow – and with 'Aperture,' they achieve clarity through connection, resulting in their most emotionally rich and sonically bold album to date. Atwood Magazine chatted with the band about the process of creation and catharsis, as well as the hope and humanity reflected in their sixth studio album – a piece of work that embodies both a return home and a new start.
Indie band Keo has released their debut EP titled 'Siren' in its entirety. The group consists of the Keogh brothers, two small-town dreamers who relocated to London to
Steven Bamidele is set to launch his new album titled 'THE CRASH!' later this year. The artist, originally from Nigeria and now based in London, combines a natural talent for creating grooves – consider
This week's Editor's Picks, curated by Mitch Mosk, includes music from Billie Marten, benches, Gatlin, The Happy Fits, BODHI, and quickly, quickly!