Author: Ryan Rosenberger

2026 has been a hell of a year for Chicago’s indie rock community. With noted bands such as Friko and Rat Boys making waves with recent releases, it is only natural that some artists who deserve the same limelight will unfortunately fall to the wayside.

One such artist who has fallen under the radar is Sports Boyfriend, whose new single “Ringing” shows that their belongs in any conversation about the genre’s best artists.

”Ringing” follows a similar playbook as the band’s previous single “Crystal Ball,” fusing some weighty, slow burning guitars together with understated, evocative vocals and a slight country twang.

Despite the soft hum of lead vocalist Eileen Peltier’s voice, she delivers some raw, forlorn vocal lines that punch through:

”When I’m not with you, I sit around and miss you ringing on the slot machines,” she whispers.

”Ringing” is the second single off of the band’s upcoming debut album Slice of Life, due out June 9.

Listen to “Ringing” here: https://open.spotify.com/album/71PcIcCFh8JPx58ZxlGYxW?si=y0cGsXjbTyKgRVdVMaRxDg

Over pulsating drum hits and a dreamy set of strings, Sól finds herself at home. 

The Chicago-based R&B artist’s new single “Talk to Me” is a sensual, inviting slow burn of a track staged as an intimate conversation between lovers.

The plucky bass notes, quick guitar chords and breathy strings work in perfect unison to create a nocturnal, jazzy vibe.

Sol’s understated vocals sound as if she’s kissing the mic, or, better yet, whispering gently into her partner’s ear:

“Tell me your desires, whisper your dreams/Under the full moon, what does it mean to be alive?” She asks at the song’s halfway point.

On “Talk to Me,” Sól, who takes inspiration from artists such as Roy Ayers and Marvin Gaye, shows she can make love music with the best of them.

Listen to “Talk to Me” here:

Few artists I’ve encountered recently carry the same level of societal awareness as Chicago-based R&B artist Moyana.

On her new single “NON-FICTION,” which dropped Feb. 27, that awareness is on full display.

“NON-FICTION” opens with a thick, low-end grumble and icy synth chords before settling into mid-paced, head-bobbing drums and a hazy atmosphere.

Despite that cloudiness, a sense of urgency runs throughout the track, driven largely by those same synths.

Tackling heavy subject matter, Moyana’s lyrics are as kaleidoscopic as they are incisive:

“I don’t want to see another flag at half-mast from kids’ mass cut short by ‘stop and get down, class,’” she raps in the song’s first verse.

Even with its weighty themes, “NON-FICTION” remains a track with plenty to celebrate artistically. Most striking is how vividly Moyana captures the urgency of the current moment in her lyrics.

Listen to “NON-FICTION” here:

PLAYTÖ, an Arizona-based R&B duo, have landed on the pages of Roundhouse with their lovestruck, smoky new single “PEGASUS,” which dropped back on Feb. 25.

Producer JayRewind pulls together a minimalistic yet intoxicating production palette, fusing steady bass hits with feathery cymbal work and stretchy, watery synths that ripple and dissolve as the track winds down. It’s a sound that feels weightless but slightly disorienting, like floating just a little too far from solid ground.

Matching the hazy toxicity of the production, vocalists Z. Lew and Jonny Haze effortlessly trade verses, capturing the dizzying aroma of being in love with a kind of blurred, nocturnal clarity:

“Riding my high, like a white Pegasus, baby / Losing your mind while floating in time, babe / In love for the hell of it,” Lew sweetly whispers in the track’s first verse.

With “PEGASUS,” Lew and Haze pull together a moody, dreamy alternative R&B jam worth celebrating. They capture the hazy intoxication of love across the track’s instrumentation, lyricism, and vocal performances, their chemistry oozing through at every moment. It’s a feeling they never quite try to ground—and that’s exactly what makes it linger.

Stream “PEGASUS” HERE.

It’s not even mid-March, and it has already been quite the year for Kiran the Nomad.

In January, he released his latest project Nomad, a concise, inward-looking seven-track offering steeped in glistening pianos, soulful synths and chipmunked vocal samples.

In late February, he returned with the single “BANKROLL,” putting his lyrical dexterity on full display over a skeletal, kaleidoscopic instrumental.

Now he’s back with another new track, “HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN,” a slow-burning jazz rap cut built around a spacey vocal loop and a thick, menacing bass line.

Matching the laid-back energy of the instrumental, Kiran sounds right at home, delivering his bars with a patient flow and calm demeanor.

The stripped-back production lets Kiran’s cutting breath:

“On this highway to heaven, heaven is a metaphor for who you truly are / Will you reach your destination, will you see what’s wrong?”

“HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN” stands as another highlight for Kiran in a year already full of them. According to his Instagram bio, he’s currently dropping a new single every two weeks — meaning it won’t be long until we hear from him again.

Stream “HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN” HERE.

Chicago-based indie rock outfit Friko return with their new single “Choo Choo,” the second release from their upcoming sophomore album Something Worth Waiting For, set to arrive April 23.

In contrast to the slow emotional ascent of the album’s first single, “Seven Degrees,” the smooth yet weighty guitar lines that open “Choo Choo” establish tension from the outset, gradually cascading into a blissful catharsis of freedom and reckless abandon.

Lead singer Niko Kapetan’s fluttering vocals capture the boredom and restless angst of a young band chasing its dreams on the road—from racing across state lines to the less glamorous realities of a fast-food tour diet.

“Chili dog, Philly steak, feelin’ it in my gut / ’Cause Pepto, it don’t do it strong enough,” Kapetan muses in the track’s third verse.With “Choo Choo,”

Friko delivers a more explosive offering than “Seven Degrees,” yet the listening experience proves every bit as satisfying. The contrast in mood between the two singles highlights the band’s versatility, hinting that their upcoming album may prove just as compelling as its predecessor, Where we’ve been, Where we go from here.

Stream “Choo Choo” HERE.

Boston-based indie rock outfit Happy Just To See is back with a raw, cutting single, “Last Week’s Horse,” which dropped on Feb. 11.

Over heavy guitars and punchy drums, frontman Evan Benoit delivers an unfiltered confession:

“Sense of self-worth in the trash, you laugh it off but get real mad / How can I not see what you see?” Benoit muses, his words carrying the weight of a somber sigh.

The track also serves as the title song for their upcoming album, set for release on May 15.

Benoit explains: “The song captures the energy and statement of the album as a whole — an evaluation of the human condition and the battles we have within ourselves to love who we are, warts and all. Lyrically, I wrote it shortly after starting therapy. While on first blush it might seem like a romantic breakup, it’s really a break-up with oneself — a stubborn, necessary step toward self-acceptance.”

As the song winds down, the guitars fade, the cymbals shimmer one last time, and Benoit is left alone with the thoughts still trapped inside his head.

Listen to “Last Week’s Horse” here:

(Photo credit/Alex Ilyadis)

Chicago R&B artist Ro Moore doesn’t need an introduction. A staple of the local scene for years, he has collaborated with everyone from D2x to other Chicago hip-hop mainstays like Kayo and Ausar.

Now, Moore returns with his latest single, “SMBDY”, a silky-smooth love jam released just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Over a grumbling, bouncing bass line and sparse piano chords, Moore’s light yet commanding vocals glide effortlessly:

“Tell me you don’t need nobody, when everybody needs somebody,” he croons.

Clocking in at just over two minutes, “SMBDY” is short, sweet, and undeniably effective—a concise showcase of Moore’s signature blend of intimacy and groove.

Listen to “SMBDY” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVMtZZgXfaE&list=RDMVMtZZgXfaE&start_radio=1

Over dreamy guitars and misty, kaleidoscopic cymbals, singer-songwriter Chloe Jobin lays her pain bare.

On her new single “Licking My Wounds,” Jobin stages a quiet fight for growth and personal healing, set against an intense battle with grief and heartbreak.

“You and me, we weren’t built to last/Time moves slow, but also fast/Do you feel the love that I’m sending?” she asks with a hushed plea.

Across the track’s brief runtime (just under three minutes), Jobin keeps telling herself that everything will eventually be fine — even if she sounds only half-convinced.

The instrumentation leaves plenty of room for Jobin’s ethereal vocals to breathe. The guitars begin with a soft hum before cascading into a pronounced crescendo in the final minute, mirroring the emotional swell beneath her delivery.

“Licking My Wounds” pulls no emotional punches. There’s no sense of closure here. Instead, Jobin finds a fragile self-acceptance amid the wreckage:

“It’s okay that the world is ending,” she sighs in one of the song’s opening lines.

Listen to “Licking My Wounds” here: http://tinyurl.com/4be63z9u

(Photo credit/Abigail Mueller)

On the opening bar of her new EP black sheep, Chicago lyricist Brittney Carter refers to herself as, well — just that: a black sheep.

“Feelin’ like a black sheep, feelin’ like an outcast / And I ain’t got nothin’ to prove ’cause look who I’ll outlast / not to brag, just a simple observation,” she spits on the opener “pinksweater.”

It’s not entirely clear why Carter views herself that way, but one thing is obvious: she’s creating from a place of confidence and artistic control.

Across four tracks and a brisk 11-minute runtime, Carter delivers a heavy dose of butter-smooth flows and keen, self-aware lyricism over a series of mid-paced, sample-driven beats.

The second track, “doit4less,” is a perfect snapshot of that approach. Over swirling strings and prancing bass, Carter reflects on her headspace at this stage of her career:

“Might just go on a run, might just blow up tonight / I was focused on a show and they was focused on likes,” she rhymes in the song’s first verse

The final two cuts bring more of the same. “urgency” leans into dramatic strings and heavy bass, while closer “untitled” rides an echoey vocal loop and descending piano line.

Carter’s lyrics remain potent throughout:

“And when I step outdoors, headphones on, I’m just tryna block that noise / Tryna filter out the things that I’ve seen so I’m still pure,” she raps on the EP’s closing verse.

Listen to black sheep here: https://tr.ee/AsIVldPRFQ