Alternative Pop

The Northeast Ohio songwriter, Liam Brock, on community, the live setting, and his most personal work yet.

The Legacy of East Coast Pop-Punk and Emo Lives On Turn Two band photographed | Photography by Steph Cincinnatti (IG: @ohiosteph3) Article Contributed by Konstantina Buhalis Turn Two, one of New Jersey’s latest bands, has been taking the Pop-Punk world by storm with their sound, melding the classic 2000s sound with modern touches. SoundCheck sat down with Shane Maziekien to talk about the formation of Turn Two, Third-Wave Emo, and how they developed their sound. Turn Two’s En

The singer-songwriter known as DeathbyRomy drops a striking music video to accompany her latest thought provoking song.

If you've been sleeping on Holly Humberstone, Tuesday night at the TLA was a very rude awakening. Holly Humberstone performing at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA. | Photography by Rebecca McDevitt (IG: @rebeccajeanlimitedphotography) The Lincolnshire-born singer-songwriter has been quietly building one of the most devoted fanbases in indie pop since her debut single "Deep End" dropped in 2020 and made it immediately clear she was not here to play it safe. A BRI

West 22nd made a stop at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on the tail end of their ‘to be or not to be” tour. The group was originally going to play at the 148-capacity Beachland Tavern, but due to high demand, they moved to the larger stage. Despite the cold and rainy spring weather in Cleveland, Beachland was warm and inviting. The crowd was buzzing with excitement and was ready to make some memories.

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt & Ilana Bornstein Some bands come together through industry connections. Others start because a group of friends simply never stopped playing music together. For Chicago-based alternative pop band Flwers, it’s the second story. SoundCheck first discovered Flwers the same way a lot of fans did lately… scrolling through TikTok. Between honest lyrics, hook-heavy melodies, and videos that felt more like friends sharing music than a careful

In an era of genre blending and algorithm driven listening, a new artist is stepping confidently into the glow of Tumblr era pop and its cultural revival. Sdoku creates music for the whimsical moments in this chaotic life. Through shimmering synth lines, jangle guitars, and punchy drum machines, he builds soundscapes that reflect both the accessibility and emotional immediacy of music in the digital age.

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano Photos Provided by Perk Agency The world of music is ever changing, no one would imagine 30 years ago that artists would become easily accessible through a hand held device. That is where we are today, we live in a time where artists can open doors for themselves and engage with potential fans on social media. The internet is powerful, we have seen labels and performers shift their marketing to become more appealing to their target audien

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Let’s say the quiet part out loud. The reason so many artists are living off nostalgia instead of putting out new music isn’t just an industry problem. Fans play a role too. Across the industry, nostalgia has become the safest option. Anniversary tours sell out instantly. Full album playthroughs move merch. Entire festivals are built around who we listened to in high school. It works because nostalgia is powerful and comforting, especia

Article Contributed by Rebecca McDevitt Photo Provided by Spotify Die To Fall is The Maine’s first release off their upcoming record Joy Next Door, and it already feels like a song made to be shared. It has that indie alternative glow to it, but with a beat you can still move to. The kind of song that turns into a group scream at a summer show, arms thrown over each other’s shoulders, yelling “I feel alive” like you mean it. There’s something really freeing about it. It feels

There is always something in the air when we find ourselves at El Club. Maybe it is the intimacy of the space. Maybe it is the way Detroit weather insists on being theatrical. On Saturday, February 28, 2026, winter decided to put on a show of its own, whipping up a full blizzard with icy rain slicing through the city. It did not matter. Bryce Vine brought his Let’s Do Something Stupid Tour to town, and Detroit showed up hungry.

Article Contributed by Konstantina Buhalis MGK has been a poster boy of the alternative and rap scene for the last decade, with 2020 making him a household name after the release of Tickets to My Downfall. Six years later, MGK is back with a single and music video for “Times of My Life,” off the album lost americana, to fan excitement. Photo: Sam Cahill Times of My Life Lore Fans have been patiently waiting for the official release of Times of My Life, which had been locked

Blackbear has created his space within the music industry through diving into different genres, collaborating with diverse artists, and musically expressing his journey through life. He started releasing projects under this name and creating a buzz through his alternative sound. He later transitioned into the artist he is today - Blackbear.

The Riviera Theatre was electric long before the night’s headliners took the stage, it was the kind of restless buzz that signals a crowd ready to fully commit to the night. Photos and Article Contributed by Ernesto Raul Aguilar Fans waiting in anticipation for the Runarounds and The Back Alley at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago, IL. Photo by Ernesto Raul Aguilar ( @blacksheepimagery ) By the end of the evening, both The Back Alley and The Runarounds had justified that anticip

The Fillmore Detroit has a way of making every show feel larger than itself, and on February 10, it became the gathering place for fans of Motion City Soundtrack, many of whom had carried these songs with them for years. Its towering ceilings and ornate gold detailing framed the room with a sense of permanence, a reminder that countless performances had lived and ended within those same walls.

The sibling duo lean into restraint, vulnerability, and unexpected sonic turns on their most exploratory project yet. There’s something quietly disarming about the way Nat & Alex Wolff approach this album. It doesn’t rush to impress, doesn’t clean itself up for easy consumption, and doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: emotionally lived-in, occasionally messy, and deeply honest. This is not a record that begs for perfection. It asks for patience.

Music festivals have become some of the most anticipated cultural events of the year. They create moments that launch careers, define summers and bring fans together in unforgettable ways. Heading into 2026, the continuation of these iconic festivals promises even bigger lineups, louder crowds and more moments that will be talked about for years after the fact. If the past few years are any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be nothing short of legendary.

If you had a MySpace back in the day, you already know the feeling. One click and suddenly a song was blasting through your speakers before the page even finished loading. That was how music entered your life back then. Loud. Immediate. Slightly chaotic. You’d land on someone’s profile and just sit there listening. Maybe scrolling. Maybe clicking through their friends. Maybe doing absolutely nothing except letting the song loop again and again while it slowly rewires your

From One Direction’s career launch to Ariana Grande’s mainstream singles, Savan is responsible for many fan-favorite pop hits within the past two decades.

Alex Ray has the kind of origin story that sounds like a dare. Manchester, Kentucky. A home shaped by faith and learning. A path that led her to law school, graduating valedictorian, and into commercial litigation. On paper, it looked like an arrival. In reality, it felt like an erasure. “I was losing my hair,” she told us, remembering her first year practicing law. “I was working constantly. I just remember thinking, something’s gotta give.”