MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 4/15/2026
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Jammaz “Enamored”
The new single from Jammaz (March 2026) is a gentle rock-pop/pop punk ode to falling for someone who you don’t think has your best interests at heart. What does it mean to come to that conclusion? “I will never feel sorry for giving you my all… / I laid down in the mist of your thunder … / I never wanna feel this way again / And if I ever feel this way I know to phone a friend…” Learning lessons in love and examining what it means to be “enamored” by someone, a claim made by the speaker’s ex-lover, they own their passions and best attempts at making things work. The gentle instrumentation, pop punk vocals and steady tempo channels and emphasizes their feelings of withdrawn romance and self-reflection. On Instagram, Jammaz says she wrote this in her car — that’s raw songwriting — and mentions that it was one of her favorites to record.
Indigo Onyxx, Reed Benjamin “Message in a Bottle”
With an electronic, R’n’B style beat by Indigo Onyxx, “Message in a Bottle” uses digitally deepened vocals from the get to double Reed Benjamin’s sentiments and add an extra ‘oomph’ to their style. Benjamin’s flow is smooth and his words starkly honest - “…feel that self hatred in the morning… / I’m addicted and need to get some help / Try to keep it a secret but you kiss and tell.” A frank look inside the headspace of someone caught in their cycles of indulgence and sexual release while avoiding romantic commitment, “Message in a Bottle” (released on Onyxx’s ACROSS ATLAS album in January, 2026) keeps it real. “I don’t wanna know what love is if this is what it feels like … / Can’t tell you what I want but I can tell you what I don’t / Feels like this ain’t it / Must let go but I just can’t quit.” The verses get pretty dark, and when they do, those lowered backing vocals deepen further, underlining the lyrics in which Benjamin reveals his worst tendencies. The pseudo-demonic voice pays credit to how negative these traits are, a representation of the devil on his shoulder as he continues to confess - “swervin’ and drink drivin’ / Spiraling … / You got me fucked up / Trying to keep it quiet, keep suffering in silence / Getting to the bottom of the substance of this bottle.” The “Message in a Bottle” title, then, sports a double meaning, the confessional nature of the song’s lyrics served to us as though they floated ashore, making us privvy to what someone chose to release; it also refers to looking for answers in bottles, to coping with these difficult personal experiences through drink or drugs.
Cut Rate Clones “Put the Bunny Back in the Box”
Rock’n’roll instrumentation breaks into a surfy jaunt and oscillates back and forth between those modes in “Put the Bunny Back in the Box,” the latest single from Cut Rate Clones that released in February, 2026. (On Bandcamp, the band reveals that this is the 2nd single from their upcoming debut album.) A playful battle cry that is part personal but most parts political, this song deserves your attention for its lyricism, an expression of their wants and needs for liberty in the larger sociopolitical environment. The need for dignity and freedom is exposed best in every chorus - “We’re not gonna back down, won’t give up the fight / We’re going all night / We are gonna be free / We swallowed the key, just leave us alone.” Lines like “keep self in line for the corporate masters” hint at class consciousness. “These United States are whatever we make them” is a rally call we can all get behind. Its title references an iconic Nic Cage line from the movie Con Air (1997).
XINA “indiviDuality”
XINA’s unique style shines once again on their latest single, “indiviDuality,” released in March 2026. Distinctive and busy while maintaining ethereal harmony throughout, XINA’s vocals stand out atop the well tuned production, exploring their wide, rich range and hitting their highest, cleanest notes to great effect. Up tempo electronic back beats threaten to burst forward and add elemental chaos but never truly contradict the musicality, where traditional instrumentation, soaring violin strings and bright piano, ring out beautifully. Bass notes kick in at times that sound like a rapid heartbeat. Individuality here means knowing your worth - XINA warns us that you can “miss your light with your head down,” and, optimistically, says “I know they won’t be able to digest it [your freedom] … let them choke.” About its meaning, XINA writes, “america is immigrants, mothers, artists, teachers. this is my love letter to you.”
Lost Evidence “Take My Phone Away”
From Lost Evidence’s latest album, Exhibit A (December 2025), “Take My Phone Away” is a cathartic making light of what many call a phone addiction. They run through their phone’s trivial, dopamine-inducing uses — “I stay up to date with the latest trends / … For every picture of a cute little cat, there’s another reason just to scream and shout.” The main hook appearing in every chorus is the song’s title, a call for some external force of accountability. This is an admission of how hard it is to quit doomscrolling and consuming media via cell phone, even when you’re aware (perhaps especially when you’re aware) it’s having a negative impact on you. I feel seen when they disclose, “I’m ashamed to say … [I have] 6 hours of screen time in a single day.”
Dead Ivy “Transformation of Things”
The first two words of “Transformation of Things” are “whisky sweat.” We’re clued in immediately, then, to Dead Ivy’s intentions for their latest single, a grungy track that brushes up against metal aspirations; the drumming, bass line, and guitar riffs stay dark and smothered in grit. The “transformation of things” is not a healthy metamorphosis, instead an acknowledgement that transformations occurring as a result of leaning on our vices are inevitable hindrances, where we can “[come] apart at the seams.” Lyrics like “broken bottles now lacerate, finger traps coming undone” seem to roll off the tongue and help paint a vivid picture. This song released in April 2026.
