Originally Published May 8th, 2026
WAR
I don’t know if there is a more depressing word in the English language than war. What a concept, to disagree so much with someone that a decision is made to end thousands of lives. One of the most disgraceful places to navigate in these very real moments is social media. Social media truly possesses the reputation for exhibiting the absolute worst in humanity at times. I do not support the Iranian government. I do not support terrorism. However, I don’t agree that Israel has good intentions with their efforts to annihilate Iran. I do not agree that they are a good and trustworthy ally. I do not believe the United States have any reason to be involved in this conflict.
The result of the war has been, in a word, devastating. Loss of innocent life, tensions between nations that didn’t need help to be amplified, financial stresses on both a national and global level. Really, the list goes on.
For a moment, Americans had a small glimmer of hope in all of this as the result of these poor decisions has plummeted the approval rating of the President and the job his party has done while in complete and total control of the US government. President Donald Trump has operated unchecked for 15 months and Americans have rallied through record protests at No Kings rallies, and providing crucial support across the nation in special elections.
That hope has seemingly been decimated by the unprecedented ruling by the Supreme Court which claimed Louisiana’s 2024 election map was “unconstitutional racial gerrymandering,” which opened the door for the Republican Party to, you guessed it, racially gerrymander in states like Tennessee, where state congress redrew district lines to eliminate the one democratic congressional seat in the state. Simply put, it doesn’t matter how unpopular the President’s agendas are. When he starts losing, he continues to rig the game.
Time changes things; it often does. However, I would have never predicted the US would be where we are today 10 years ago. In fact, America was celebrating some monumental achievements across the nation under the leadership of President Barack Obama. The legalization of Gay marriage, the prospect of nationwide healthcare, not to mention our nation’s first black president. Sure, Donald Trump was winning in the primaries but he wasn’t being taken seriously as a candidate. He was the butt of every joke across every reputable news network and we were actually facing the prospect of having our first female president in Hillary Clinton. The point is, it felt like progress was winning and it had been feeling that way for a while.
Who would have guessed that America would be nonexistent in 2026?
Music in April
The first quarter of 2026 had a strong beginning in the music industry, from mainstream to independently represented releases, and April really proved to be a great start to quarter 2. New releases from artists like Robyn, Laufey, Tori Amos, and Bon Iver, we also received the announcement from global alt pop sensation, Olivia Rodrigo, of her upcoming third album, which was accompanied by her first single release, drop dead.
The independent circuit also showed incredible promise, with Campbell McKinzie releasing his project Misophonia, the 86-minute song that he has been teasing through the release of various self-produced music videos.
Independent sensation, SOFIA ISELLA, released her highly anticipated EP, Something is a Shell, as she continues to bring something new and very real to audiences across the world.
Artists like Menna, Amity, and more have released phenomenal singles; with Menna preparing to release her highly anticipated debut album in July. This sensational artist has garnered tens of thousands of monthly listeners over the years, with songs like Sex in Public earning more than 7 million streams on Spotify alone.
April Releases
In April, Fifteen Minutes of Fame featured releases from a number of musicians, including Mark Ward and Dakota Faye; artists from Alaska and North Dakota, which are both firsts for Fifteen Minutes of Fame. This now brings the tally to 41 states and Washington D.C, that are represented across this platform. Speaking of the FMOF platform, we are within 100 site visits from hitting the milestone of 10,000 since the website’s launch last year. This year, we are already near the 4,000 views mark which is more than half of all of 2025, and we are barely 4 months in. Not that I am trying to talk about the numbers. This is just a quick thank you to all those who have been loyal to the platform and its growth.
In April, we reviewed some great music, including releases from Circumstantial Saint, Savannah Campbell, and the first review of a Live Album by Lavender Fire.
Wordvomit by Circumstantial Saint
Greetings from a Southern Tinseltown, by Savannah Campbell
Live From the V.B. Garden, by Lavender Fire
In addition to the great albums released, there have been some remarkable singles as well! April saw new releases from both members of the Fifteen Minutes of Fame power couple, AiramFM and Jepz. I spoke briefly with Jepz who assured me that, in addition to his phenomenal new single, Feel, he has been working on some new music and there is even more on the way! Jepz and AiramFM have been together for well over a decade now and it is so lovely to see this couple be so supportive with one another as they continue to pursue their passions. Here is a fun collaboration between the two artists you should definitely check out!
Mark Ward, an independent musician out of the PNW, originally from Alaska, introduced us to his song Point Blank, a protest song that was written to honor the memories of Renee Goode and Alex Pretti. Well, Point Blank was actually the lead single off of a bigger release, Mark’s 4th LP, Godless Country, which actually released in early May (being as this article is so late). If you have a moment, go and give this album a listen! It is 10 songs and runs at 34 minutes!
Fifteen Minutes in the Necco Chamber Interviews Nigel Powell of Unbelievable Truth (Twice!)
In our third, and now MOST LISTENED TO, episode of Fifteen Minutes in the Necco Chamber, Daniel and I had the absolute privilege of sitting down with Nigel Powell, the drummer, rhythm guitar, piano, backing vocalist, and producer for the UK alt rock band Unbelievable Truth.
Unbelievable Truth are Jason Moulster, Nigel Powell, and Andy York, out of Oxford England. Founded in 1993, their debut album, Almost Here, released under Virgin Records in 1997 and would see Unbelievable Truth chart on Billboard, tour the word, and much more! Well, now, nearly 30 years later, due to popular demand, Unbelievable Truth have rereleased their debut on vinyl and it comes with a BONUS album of B-sides and rarities on this special edition LP. It is available NOW (as photographic evidence confirms below)
If you haven’t heard the episode, tune in here!
Collaborations!
One thing I love seeing is when the FMOF and CAN communities join hands, join forces, and put out some great collaborations! First, I want to give a shoutout to a couple of releases in April from a dynamic couple! I’ve been calling them the FMOF power couple for fun. AiramFM and Jepz have been together a little over a decade. I love both of these fantastic artists. Their music is always inspiring and It was really great to see a month where they both released music! Check out The Imposter by AiramFM and Feel by Jepz. Oh, and if you’re asking, “Have they ever released a song together?” well, you’re in luck!
Another duo of incredibly talented artists have collaborated on a song as well. Dame Fawn Denier and Jon Hopper have put together a wonderful rendition of the song Losing My Mind, from the musical, Follies. I recently had the privilege of reviewing Hopper’s debut album, The Green Fuse and I’ve really loved how Jon has jumped in with both feet, supporting the independent music community we’ve built here. Dame is a familiar face here with FMOF and CAN! She has always been a supportive figure and I’ve really loved seeing her evolution musically as well.
Speaking of being supportive, Dame has also begun reviewing new works by independent artists as well, with a clip called “The Daily Dose.” I wanted to be sure and share some of her reviews here!
And here is one about Dareen, another favorite of mine!
To read more of The Daily Dose, be sure to follow Dame on her Threads profile!
MAY
Well, we are already 10 days into May. I apologize for this post being so late. But, there is a LOT of content that is about to come out and a lot of great music down the pipe! I can’t wait to hear all of this new music and share my thoughts with everyone on it as well!
Go press play!
Fifteen Minutes of Fame Music Entertainment 
Leave a comment