FRESH WAX RECAP: The Week in New Music – April 27, 2025

BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF

It’s been a busy months for artists across the board, and particularly so for emerging acts and rising stars in the independent sphere. It’s time for the final FRESH WAX RECAP for the month of April 2025.

MILENA CASADO – “SELF LOVE”

Trumpeter, composer, and songwriter Milena Casado has quickly gained attention as one of the new faces to watch in contemporary jazz. Casado’s newest single, “SELF LOVE” precedes her forthcoming full-length record, Reflection of Another Self.

The track finds Casado exploring the inner-self, navigating notions of doubt, uncertainty, and acceptance in one of the most complicated relationships an individual can attempt to decode: the relationship with themselves.

CANYON LIGHTS – “BREATHE EASY (MUSIC VIDEO)

Rock trio Canyon Lights have released an accompanying performance music video for their single “Breathe Easy,” which was recently highlighted as part of a recent FRESH WAX RECAP showcase.

The performance video was shot during a break in the band’s tour with iconic blues rock outfit, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, and features the newest addition to the Canyon Lights lineup, bassist Heather Gillis.

SAWYER HILL – HEARTBREAK HYSTERIA

Songwriter Sawyer Hill recently what is being lauded as his most personal project, Heartbreak Hysteria, this month.

The Indie artist has delivered seven songs, three of them never-before-heard, by way of the new EP, which is sure to satisfy current fans and new listeners alike.

JON CLEARY – THE BYWATER SESSIONS

Legendary New Orleans musician, Jon Cleary joins Bootsy Collins as one of the established veterans of the game to come through with a brand new, late-career project this month.

Backed by his sharpshooter ensemble of New Orleans musicians known as the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, The Bywater Sessions continues New Orleans’ proud musical tradition and serves as a gateway to the craft for future generations of players.

BOOTSY COLLINS – ALBUM OF THE YEAR #1 FUNKATEER

In a sea of emerging stars, the legendary funk-master Bootsy Collins has issued his 23rd full-length album release, Album of the Year #1 Funkateer.

Featuring fellow iconic figures such as West Coast hip-hop mainstays Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg among others, Collins – now 73 years old – sees the release as an opportunity not to detract from the array of young talent currently on the scene, but to bring attention to their notable talents, which the legendary figure says fuels his own creativity.

”It’s about getting the energy from people around me,” he says of his approach to creation. “It’s important to me to see who the universe brings for me, and I’ve been really blessed that every time I want to do a record, I get these incredible musicians around me, right on time,”

KELLY FINNIGAN – “KEEP ME IN MIND”

Joined by Chicago blues legend Renaldo Domino, singer Kelly Finnigan channels the 1960s with a take on the 1967 soul tune by the same name by Samson & Delilah.

GOGO PENGUIN – “FALLOWFIELD LOOPS”

Veteran Manchester unit GoGo Penguin is establishing the framework for a brand new era in their history with the release of the single “Fallowfield Loops.” Despite the new beginnings for the group, which recently welcomed drummer Jon Scott to the fold, the newest track finds the band harkening back to their roots.

Rolled out alongside an accompanying music video directed by GoGo Penguin members Nick Blacka (bass) and Chris Illingworth (piano), “Fallowfield Loops” incorporates sonic elements of jazz, classical, and electrinic music, and has been released in promotion of an upcoming album, Necessary Fictions.