HI Rock Stars! We have so many amazing albums and EP’s out right now that I wanted to do a top 5 list of some of the music I’ve been listening to and the ones I really vibed with, so let’s get into this review! And as always, please check out and support all these amazing bands and artists! Enjoy!
—-VMS
1. Band: jonetsu
EP:”jonetsu”
Release Date: March 14th, 2025
Standout Tracks: “oblivious”
Summary: jonetsu’s amazing four track EP self titled “jonetsu”, is a wonderful introduction to this amazing shoegaze band. From start to finish, jonetsu took me on an incredibly complex ride of joy, self reflection, and everything in between. I respect when a band chooses to have no lyrics attached to their music, lyrics have an importance sometimes, but for this band they leave the interpretation up to the listener, and I feel it makes their songs all the more special and impactful.
With their commanding drums, and guitars that take me into the jazz category, they take their time, telling a story so elegantly cohesive, magical, and unique that I wish this was a whole fucking album! It’s hard to pigeonhole jonestu into one genre, and honestly I am happy and hopeful they will constantly keep me guessing and evolving for years to come.
Listen to jonetsu on Spotify:
2. Band: Francia
EP: “Isle Of You”
Release Date: March 11th, 2025
Standout Track:”Black Dress”
Summary: Francia is back with an incredibly dreamy and melancholic but beautiful landscape of an EP called “Isle of You.” Last year we got a wonderful taste of what Francia had been up to with an amazing single called “Sleepwalk” and I’m happy to say that their new EP is an excellent step in the next evolutionary process for Francia and their sound. While their 2023 album was truly a breath of fresh air, this new 2025 sound feels a little bit more sad, and has a vulnerable honest quality to it.
What I’ve always loved about Francia is how they don’t limit their musical horizons and will always take the listener on an amazing journey. I appreciate the use of no lyrics, I feel it’s the same concept as any good piece of art, they want the listener to come to their own conclusions of what their music could potentially mean. What I found fascinating about them is every time I come back to their music I feel something totally different that I didn’t realize at first listen, or I find another piece to the musical puzzle on the third or fourth time.
Francia is raw, real, and has some truly moving moments on this EP and and I strongly encourage you to treat this music like one big story, please don’t skip around, just listen from start to finish, I guarantee you will be amazed by where they will musically take you. That is the beauty of music; how it always constantly evolves and shows more layers of itself on each listen. I personally can’t wait to see where else Francia will take me next on their next musical evolution.
Listen to Francia on Spotify:
3.Artist: Jag Gatz
Album: “Platinum Prince”
Release Date: January 29th, 2025
Standout Track: “Savior”
Summary: Jag Gatz brings an amazingly fresh perspective to life, love, the social climate, all while staying true to who he is as an artist, with his honest and real perspective on life. Lyrically, he brings an incredibly raw vulnerability that makes you instantly fall into his amazingly complex world. He’s not afraid to talk about his flaws, the life lessons he has learned and I feel if you truly want to get to know Jag Gatz the artist, it’s all in his lyrics for the emotionally confessional song “Savior”.
He’s not a perfect man, but a man who is not afraid to push the envelope of what music can be, to take those rises and falls in life, making it into beautiful art and not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve in the process. I truly felt everything in his soul when I heard not only this album, but “Savior” as well. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words how to fully describe music to someone, cause usually I just let the music take me on the emotional journey and that is exactly what I let happen with this album as well. It’s joyous at times, heartbreaking, thought provoking, incredibly fun and catchy as well and I know it will definitely be on repeat for my playlist for a long time.
Jag Gatz, to me, is an incredibly complex poet who is showing us so many beautiful layers to what he can do, and I feel this new music is a perfect progression from his previous songs. His is raw, real and poignant, and I cannot wait to see where he will take me and the listener next.
Listen to Jag Gatz on Spotify:
4.Band: Rise To Ruin
EP:”The Alchemy EP”
Release Date: April 4th, 2025
Standout Track: “Through Fire”
Summary: Metalcore band Rise To Ruin comes swinging out the mother fucking gate with this balls to the walls amazing metal journey that just went so hard, I didn’t want it to end. With lyrics about perseverance, depression, love and everything in between, unrelenting guitars, commanding drums that blow your ears off, that yell / growl in “Rise” it’s clear that Rise to Ruin is not fucking around (LoL).
Their music has a little bit of everything for the listener, catchy as hell melodies, vocals that are an amazing extension of this sick ass music, solid musicianship (those guitars!!) I feel this group is definitely one to look out for. Every song from start to finish has an amazing intensity, that I instantly found myself listening to them on repeat.
I’m excited to see the next evolution of Rise To Ruin, they have the whole package: Wonderful musicians, solid lyrics that feel incredibly raw, an amazing vocalist, I mean, what’s not to love. Now the only question being, when do we get a whole album!
Listen to Rise To Ruin on Spotify:
5.Band: Maybe You’re Right
EP: “When The Party’s Over”
Release Date: March 28th, 2025
Standout Track: “Our Moment (Dreams Can Come To Life) ”
Summary: Emo pop punk band Maybe You’re Right packs a huge punch in their EP “When the Party’s Over”, and just leaves me and the listener begging for more.
With their incredibly catchy melodies, solid musicianship, up against lyrics about relationships / lost love, self reflection, and living in the moment, they bring a classic throwback feel of 2000’s emo / pop punk mixed in with the modern version of that sound all while staying true to their voice and perspective on life. With vocals that range from longing to optimistic, I genuinely feel everything lead singer Jared Summers says, you can tell he has lived this and now luckily they have taken that heartache and turned it into one of the catchiest, and truly infectious EP’s of the year.
With their magnum opus “Our Moment (Dreams Can Come to Life)” that talks about seizing the moment, living those dreams and never looking back, I’m glad Maybe You’re Right has taken their own message to heart. I’m genuinely excited about what the future holds for this talented group of musicians. I know that if they stay true to who they are and never lose sight of that, I know they definitely will go far. I can’t wait to see the next evolution, I just know it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Listen to Maybe You’re Right on Spotify: