What’s a better way to welcome Fall than falling back into our monthly Fresh Picks? For the month of October KSDT’ Media collectively came together to introduce some fresh, new tracks released in said month. So check it out, listen, read, and be awesome :P

Click HERE to stream our October Fresh Picks!

Cate Le Bon: “Something Fragile"

While recorded in 2023 (but released October 2026), in Mexican Summer’s compilation album Everybody’s Got a Song to Sing, Cate Le Bon’s art pop single “Something Fragile” evokes 4 minutes of heavy bliss, tricking the listener to think they can feel the weight in a breeze. While on the slower side, the refrain is overwhelming with her overlapped, repeated, and high and low lilting vocals, doubling down in power with her instrumentals: The layered synths, piano notes, and guitar strums in the background give one some feeling of an autumn-sun-soaked dream. My favorite part is the saxophone solo! This part really gives the listener time to linger with its spiraling low-to-high and high-to-low notes, with the sound almost coming from a distant room. Eventually, it brings the listener’s focus right back up in time for Le Bon to sing her refrain one last time, effectively letting the listener out from her bubble. If you like artists such as St. Vincent and Weyes Blood, then I think you’d really like this song! - Ella Malia Mendoza

Fonatines D.C. with Rosalía: "Where is Gone"

“Where is Gone?” is Fontaines D.C. 's very first collaboration, featuring Spanish singer-songwriter ROSALIA. The collaboration was a focal point of fans’ excitement ahead of the release of the band’s fifth album, Dopamine Chamber. “Where is Gone?” is a hauntingly beautiful ballad full of mystery and raw emotion, a stark contrast to the band’s typical upbeat, electronic style. The song begins and ends with soft, melancholic acoustic guitar, crafting an enigmatic, wistful melody that leaves listeners slightly uneasy, yet intrigued. ROSALIA’s soft and dreamy vocals pair well with Grian Chatten’s low, commanding voice, and the two trade off verses, adding a conversational aspect to their ballad. As the song progresses, swelling strings, drum fills, and background harmonies give a greater sense of urgency and longing, evoking an emotional response from listeners.

“Where is Gone?” is a beautiful product of a historically alt rock band dabbling in new genres, demonstrating the strength of Fontaines D.C.’s versatility. I highly recommend this song to those looking for mysterious, emotional music as we move into the darker winter months! - Kinsey Folsom

gongwon: "IRIJEORI“

Gongwon, a South Korean indie musician, released her fourth single “IRIJEORI” (“HERE AND THERE”) on October 27th, 2026, after teasing it at the 2026 Busan International Rock Festival. Steeped in rock and shoegaze, the track kicks off with crashing drums and a roaring electric guitar. When Gongwon’s vocals arrive, they’re surprisingly soft, almost as if the instruments are trying to drown her out. Then the chorus hits, and she finally matches their chaotic energy with a powerful range that makes you want to get up and dance. She keeps building from there, and after a guitar solo you can easily get lost in, her voice breaks into something close to a shout. That push and pull we hear throughout the song matches the lyrics about stumbling through youth and finding meaning along the way perfectly. If you need an escape from the everyday, Gongwon is the perfect place to start. -Nadia Royal

Guitarricadelafuente: "La Nieve"

Officially released as part of the original soundtrack for La Bola Negra, "La Nieve" was genuinely the cherry on top for this film. The song's naturesque allegory for the tragic and slow yet passionate and sensual queer love depicted throughout the film evokes emotions that can not be simply labeled as sadness, but something much more. The fact that this ballad was made and sung Guitarricadelafuente, who plays one of the film's main characters, it packs a stronger and more painful punch. The instrumentals, slow and gradually yearns for more; the vocals, perfectly enunciating each syllable like another arrow to the chest, I genuinely can not get enough of this song and the entire film's soundtrack as well. - Emma Cam

Jonah Yano: "Holding On"

“Holding On” is one of two singles from Jonah Yano’s upcoming album, Spin, set to release in January. The song opens with a steady drum, followed by a collaboration between acoustic and pedal steel guitars that ring throughout the course of the track. A haunting clarinet sweeps across the space created by the arpeggiating piano—the piano, light and lively in contrast. Although the song doesn’t feature any large instrumental breaks like his songs “Someone Asked Me How I’ve Been” and “Romance ESL,” found on his last album Jonah Yano & The Heavy Loop, Yano strategically maintains momentum across the four-minute track through the addition of a heavy saxophone and layered harmonies. Yano’s voice, even when layered, feels like a whisper in your ear, so delicate that speaking any louder feels illegal. “Holding On” follows Yano’s traditional alternative jazz sound, one that is established prominently in his earlier work. The release of this track, alongside “Spin,” is a curious first look into the development of Yano as he enters his fourth album. - Sarah Yoo

Lennon Stella: “I Still Want You“

Lennon Stella emerges as a Sleeping Lion, which is her newest album, as she make a come back from a 6-year hiatus, reconnecting herself back to music.

Put me in a disney movie because "I Still Want You" features some of most raw mundane language describing love to be so simple that it traverses all complexities, remaining clear with no misunderstandings left. I felt her grasping on to the remaining memories of her last relationship as I'm left with a bittersweet taste after each listen. A flowing acoustic rhythm accompanies her lullaby of a voice, layering her vocals as we get deeper into the song , laying the cherry on top with light accordion as the memory slowly drifts away.

I highly implore anyone to listen to the entirety of Sleeping Lion if you seek mature and intimate folk albums that feel so conversational on each listen, and start with "I Still Want You"! - Julian Gonzales

Lolo Zouaï: "5432ON"

Fresh off the release of her album “Reverie" in April, French singer Lolo Zoauï pushes her signature pop-RnB style into new, intriguing territory with “5432ON”. Short and sweet, this single manages to fit quite a bit into its 2-minute and 16-second runtime. Ominous strings swirl beneath a deliciously crisp, almost glitchy bassline and drums. Zoauï’s voice floats over it all, self-assured and sultry, as she describes a sense of freedom unlocked by a bit of alcohol in her system. My favorite part is the mini-breakdown at the very end of the track, where her calls to “mix the Henny with the pink lemonade" are chopped up, looped and set against pitched-up adlibs chanting, “back, back, back it up!” It’s all very fun and just a little weird, and I’m excited to see Zoauï experiment even more with her sound in the future. - Olivia Yuan

Petite Meller: "High Forever Marlon Hoffstadt Remix"

Released as a leading single for season 2 of the highly acclaimed Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, eurotrance icon Marlon Hoffstadt’s “High Forever” remix is hypnotic delirium. Blending the addictive pulse and acid soaked synths of 90s trance with french singer Petite Meller’s art pop sensibilities, Hoffstadt crafts a track that embodies a collision between sweaty dancefloor hedonism and a future in which technologically induced euphoria seems the only escape from horrors of a city, and world at large, that no longer cares. The track opens with subdued vocal chops layered upon a plucked synth bassline which quickly progress into a cascade of shimmer and rhythm lending the song an almost futile momentum towards a climax that may never arrive. Beneath the oppression of Hoffstadt’s relentless four on the floor pulse, however, Meller’s vocals suggest that there may still be something human remaining beneath all the chrome. “I just want to call you, I just want to say.... but we are high forever" she sings; a sentiment whose simple humanity provides a stark contrast to the synthetic excess which surrounds it. Thus, the act of being “High Forever” transforms from a pursuit of endless pleasure into an attempt to grasp something that the very nature of that pursuit renders fundamentally unattainable. - Julian Aguilar

Mei Semones: "2 Hands"

Verve records’ artist Mei Semones is no stranger to blending jazz and indie influences. Her latest release, “2 hands,” arrives ahead of her upcoming album, Howl, pulling listeners in with bright guitar licks and dreamy strings.

Written about her deep love for music and admiration for her bandmates, the track tells the story of Semones’ devotion through its instrumental arrangement. Her light, airy vocals draw listeners into the song before the electric guitar and string instruments become more impatient, building the track into a more expansive sound. Just as the instrumentation reaches its peak grandeur, the music pulls back, and the strings occupy the forefront for an ethereal closer.

Howl will be released on January 15th, 2027, and if “2 hands” is any indication, there’s plenty to look forward to! - Lola Dogat

Rockie Rode: "Concrete Cowboy"

This song is something that I can only describe as midwestern melancholy. The slow tempo drums and guitar sound like a rural road trip; the kind with asphalt interstate roads and endless green stretches of pasture. There is a sort of laziness throughout the song–perpetuated by both Rockie Rode’s easygoing, grounding voice and the prominent guitar–that remind me of a slow-going, midwest town (despite the lyrics alluding to New York). There are certain swells throughout the instrumental from what I suspect is a sort of brass instrument, giving a sort of southern gothic cinematic vibe like that of the 2025 film “Carolina Caroline.” If you want to escape the city for a day, I recommend listening to this song! - Maryann Bautista

Say Now: "Hot & Talking"

Released on October 16th, “Hot & Talking” by Say Now is a fun, vibrant mixture of synth and electronic pop. Co-written and produced by PinkPantheress, the production has the signature addictive snappiness that many come to expect from the singer-songwriter. The song itself sits at little over 3 minutes, perfect for replaying and long enough to make you feel like you’re being serenaded by princesses. It has a cheeky but sincere tone, with lines discussing frustration when casual friendliness is mistaken for flirting, accompanied by giggles and lines like “let's take it slow, I wanna make babies with you.” The combination of airy, glassy vocals against the electric, synth sound makes for a wonderful contrast of styles that combine to create a banger of a song. If you love artists like PinkPantheress, FLO, or just love playful British women singing, this song is definitely something for you! - Diego Cardona

Train Breaks Down - “Fall the Same“

Southern California post-hardcore, screamo, and Midwest emo band Train Breaks Down released their debut full-length album, Weight of the Reality Beneath, this October. The ten-track record features seven new songs and three reworked versions of previously released material. Among the new tracks is “Fall the Same,” the album’s ninth song. It opens with a gorgeously catchy guitar riff, characteristic of the band’s signature sound. Its lyrics confront environmental destruction and our tendency to evade responsibility for the damage we leave behind. Throughout the album, themes of corruption, exploitation, and disillusionment create a dark, melancholic atmosphere. Yet the band's intricate, infectious riffs make for an incredibly compelling listen. Their more polished production retains the raw intensity of their screamo roots, striking a balance between musical refinement and emotional grit that feels especially fitting for both their artistic growth and the world we live in. - Noelle Lee

Yves: "Hysteric"

This song feels like walking on the glossy black and white tiles of Forever 21. Specifically in a location where they happen to have a really good sound system that plays too loud. The intro starts with a crunchy chant, and then it transitions to Yves’s wispy voice. Her vocals over the deep and bouncy bass layered over low synth motifs really support the sultry evening vibe this song gives off. The repetitiveness and length of Hysteric make it a hit to keep on repeat. Yves has been playing around with this style for awhile, and she’s only improving. This single is part of her upcoming EP Cute & Anxiety, so keep an ear out! -Jaden Mehrdad