Ratboys

Upheaval and change are themes spread throughout the songs on Printer's Devil, the latest Ratboys LP, out February 28, 2020 via Topshelf Records. But all the while, singer-songwriter Julia Steiner embraces moments of uncertainty as a necessary part of growing. Steiner recalls a David Byrne lyric, "I'm lost, but I'm not afraid" as inspiration for the transformative outlook, considering the line a personal mantra while writing Ratboys' third full-length record. "There's definitely a lot of uncertainty about what's next, but I like to think that, in the midst of creating a lot of vulnerability for ourselves, we're confident and becoming more self-assured."

Steiner wrote the record with guitarist Dave Sagan while she was experiencing a dramatic shift in her own foundations, demoing out songs in her Louisville, Kentucky childhood home, which had just been sold and emptied out. "Demoing there was almost too intense," Steiner says. "I kept writing in my journal that it feels like we shouldn't be there. I don't know if that feeling made its way directly into the lyrics, but to me the songs will always be connected to that sense of home and time passing."

With years of touring under their belts, Steiner and Sagan have welcomed a newly consistent four-piece lineup, after years of shuffling through drummers. The band's comfortable core - which sees Steiner and Sagan backed by drummer Marcus Nuccio and bassist Sean Neumann - is tangible across Printer's Devil. What started as an acoustic duo has finally transformed into a full-scale indie-rock band with a clear identity. The rhythm section brings the band not only consistency, but a jolt in line with Steiner and Sagan's growing sonic aspirations: Printer's Devil was recorded live at Decade Music Studios in Chicago and was produced by the band and engineer Erik Rasmussen. Big-chorus power pop songs like "Alien with a Sleep Mask On" and "Anj" sound massive and larger than life, while the band's dynamics beautifully thread together intimate folk songs like "A Vision" and devastating alt-country tracks like "Listening," showcasing a rare range that invites listeners to imagine the band blowing out a 2,000-cap room or playing quietly next to you in the living room.

Building off their previous albums-AOID (2015) and GN (2017), which feature bright, youthful Americana narratives centered around soft vocal cadences and fluid, melodic lead guitars-Ratboys captures the bombastic, electrified fun of their live show in a bottle on Printer's Devil and showcases their growing chemistry as a tight-knit group. Through all the change that fueled the record, Ratboys' latest album Printer's Devil finds a band that's truly grown into itself and is just getting started.

youbet

youbet is the project of Brooklyn-based musician Nick Llobet, whose tactile, lo-fi indie rock blooms with anxious energy, wit, emotion, and themes of self-discovery. They made their debut in 2020 with the charmingly offbeat Compare & Despair, then moved to the Hardly Art label for their 2024 follow-up, Way to Be.

Llobet moved from their hometown of Davie, Florida to New York in the late 2010s, seeking greater creative opportunities and an artistic breakthrough. It took a while, but they navigated through periods of despair and self-doubt and found their way into a songwriting group that was running a song-a-week challenge. Inspired by a chance meeting with Patti Smith and the support of the songwriting group, Llobet soon flourished as a writer, quickly building an imaginative and personal catalog of songs. They fell in with a crew of veteran artists (Julian Fader, Katie Von Schleicher, Adam Brisbin) who helped produce their debut album.