(Picture by Sam Bramble ) In July 2020, songwriter and Twin Cities staple Natalie Fideler was the first artist to record a live session with Ear Coffee. "Caffeine Headache" was one of the five songs she performed; now, the song is finally being released as the lead single for her forthcoming sophomore record Three Man Army , which will be out next month. This is the first of four singles. According to Fideler, "Caffeine Headache" was written while her partner was trying to quit smoking. It digs into the desire to control a situation that is out of her hands and understanding previous trauma stemming from a loved one's addiction.  The track plays into the increasing anxiety felt with each passing lyric. Verses build from a melodic guitar and bass riff to restless palm-muted power chords before exploding into each raucous chorus. It gives the single this sinking feeling that doesn't have any sort of resolution.  The music video for "Caffeine Headache...

Atomic Cafe - "Stranger" (self-released) We love a good charity single. Especially if it's as good as "Stranger." Atomic Cafe follow up their Flamingo  EP from May with this one-off; all proceeds go to the Battered Women's Justice Project . If I didn't know that this single came out last month, you could have easily convinced me it came in the mid-20th century. The folk-y guitar and vague sheen of psychedelia paint a vivid impression of what your dad listens to in the car (and I mean that in the best possible way). The only thing that might clue you in that "Stranger" didn't come out in the late 1960s is the recording quality - the song has a stellar, clean mix. From the idyllic cover to rollicking lilt in the rhythm, Atomic Cafe rest easy with a pure and classic tune. If only it had been released in August, it could have soundtracked the unhurried end of summer. Purchase the track below (c'mon, it's for charity) or stream i...