There’s always something good hiding in the submissions inbox.
This week’s Radar runs all over the place, from indie and rock to electronic, soul and some harder-to-pin-down stuff.
Here are 13 artists we reckon are worth a listen.
DearQuinton – ‘SKOOP (MELT IN YUOR MOUTH)’
DearQuinton is a Florida-born, NYC-based artist working in the R&B and hip-hop space, with soulful falsetto at the centre of the project. ‘SKOOP (MELT IN YOUR MOUTH)’ has that same intimate quality, smooth without feeling overly polished.
Ev Jones – ‘Would Another Day Do Me Wrong’
Ev Jones is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer, and ‘Would Another Day Do Me Wrong’ sits firmly in the soul/R&B world. There’s a proper songwriter’s touch to it, with the production leaving enough room for the vocal to carry the feeling.
Earn Money, WAVY WATERS – ‘THE MACARONI SONG’
The title alone deserves a click, but ‘THE MACARONI SONG’ has plenty going for it beyond that. Earn Money’s catalogue stretches back years, and this latest one feels like a deliberately left-field addition to the project.
The Sixteenth – ‘Tocyme’
The Sixteenth has made an entire album around the old seasonal calendar, moving between ambient orchestral pieces and progressive house. ‘Tōcyme’ is one of the latter – a six-and-a-half-minute electronic track with a lot more going on than its title initially suggests.
YONNAS – Cass
Cass is one of those releases where the best approach is probably to stop trying to work out exactly what shelf it belongs on. YONNAS leaves plenty of room for atmosphere and experimentation, making this an intriguing listen for anyone who likes their music a little harder to categorise.
Luke Francis – Anyway
Melbourne’s Luke Francis has been steadily moving around the indie, rock and electronic space, but ‘Anyway’ is a clear step towards guitar-driven indie rock. It’s an independently written and produced track with a bit of that big, familiar indie rush without completely sanding off the rough edges.
Palo Sopraño – ‘shooting stars’
Palo Sopraño has been releasing music for years, with the catalogue stretching from 2017’s Flower Girl through to a stack of 2025–26 releases. ‘shooting stars’ is a short, easy-moving listen, and a nice little entry point into a much bigger catalogue.
was permanent – ‘O Freedom, My Freedom’
There’s a particularly good reason to have was permanent on this week’s Radar: the Wollongong project is celebrating the release of ‘O Freedom, My Freedom’ with a show at La La La’s tonight. The track also marks a new beginning for the band, following their rebrand from Kylan Daffy.
Laeky – younger
‘younger’ is a quiet little indie number that doesn’t need to overcomplicate things. Laeky keeps the focus on the song itself, which makes this an easy one to come back to.
Good for Nothing – ‘Want It All’
Good for Nothing is another submission where the name gets you through the door and the song keeps you there. ‘Want It All’ has that loose guitar-band energy that feels better suited to a small, loud room than a pristine studio environment.
Morphia Slow – ‘Everybody’s Girl’
Morphia Slow is the project of Arizona songwriter Allene Dugan, who describes the sound as “Murder-Folk-Pop”. That gives you a pretty good idea of the strange little world she’s building, but ‘Everybody’s Girl’ is better evidence: folk songwriting, darker edges and a personality that refuses to stay completely tidy.
Hot Dress – ‘Show Me The Part’
We’ve actually come across Hot Dress before, and ‘Show Me The Part’ still holds up as a particularly fun bit of scrappy indie. It’s jangly, restless and has exactly the sort of sweaty, late-night energy we tend to want from this inbox.
blocked – ‘Radish’
blocked closes out this week’s Radar with ‘Radish’, another wonderfully difficult-to-file-away submission. There’s a raw DIY quality to the track that makes it feel like you’ve wandered into something rather than been formally introduced to it – which is often half the fun.
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