Psychedelic indie alt-rock outfit MESSINESS returns with “Feature With a Rapper”—a tongue-in-cheek anthem skewering the chase for clout and credibility in today’s algorithm-driven music industry. Following their March single “Previous Life,” this track teases their highly anticipated debut album, arriving late 2025 via Tarla Records and StoneFree Records.

Driven by a raucous baritone sax riff, the song blends Mediterranean textures with hard psych rock, flower-punk grit, and infectious vintage rap energy. It’s both unhinged and purposeful—channeling the chaos of the modern music landscape into an anthemic, genre-bending ride.

Frontman Max Raffa delivers a sharp, satirical performance that captures the absurd hustle of indie life, where hustle often outweighs talent. It’s playful. It’s scathing. And it absolutely slaps.

The Spill Magazine raves:

“A brilliant smorgasbord of Balearic psychedelic pop, swaggering rap verses, and Britpop-tinged indie rock guitars… dig deeper and you’ll find art pop flourishes, hazy textures, even a touch of space rock.”

Psychedelic-Indie Rockers MESSINESS Drop Infectious New Single “Feature With a Rapper”

FOR FANS OF: Space, Elephant Stone, Kula Shaker, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Black Angels, Flaming Lips, Of Montreal, Lemon Twigs, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Spiral Drive, Jacco Gardner
INFLUENCES: Primal Scream, Soft Machine, Gong, early Pink Floyd, Brian Wilson, Pulp, The Doors, Can, Talking Heads, Brian Eno, Mediterranean Folk

MESSINESS returns with their second single, “Feature With a Rapper,” a swaggering, satirical ride through the modern music industry. Following March’s debut “Previous Life,” this latest release previews their upcoming full-length album, arriving later this year via Tarla Records and StoneFree Records.

Built on a ferocious baritone sax riff, the song blends hard psych rock with Mediterranean textures, laced with flower-punk spirit, folk instrumentation, and head-nodding old-school rap. What starts as a tongue-in-cheek story about chasing a feature for clout unfolds into a razor-sharp critique of creativity, legitimacy, and visibility in the age of algorithms.

Fronted by Sicilian vocalist, composer, and sociologist Max Raffa, Messiness is a product of his travels and fieldwork across Europe’s cultural underground—from sun-soaked Balearic islands to foggy British coasts—culminating in Milan’s gritty outskirts. The band includes Rosario Lo Monaco (guitars), Filippo La Marca (keyboards), Giovanni Calella (bass), and Luca Anello (drums), creating vibrant, melodic psych-rock with Britpop leanings and Mediterranean soul.

With absurdist flair and biting wit, “Feature With a Rapper” critiques a system where “who you know” outweighs raw talent, and where authenticity is often manufactured. As Max puts it:

“The music industry, as portrayed here, is a closed circuit—where legitimacy is not earned but granted through prior visibility. This dilemma is amplified in the anonymous sprawl of digital platforms, where ‘Who are you?’ becomes an existential challenge.”

Rather than lament, Messiness responds with bombastic energy and self-aware humor, creating a piece that is as fun as it is ferocious—a disillusioned yet exhilarating manifesto on modern artistry.

CREDITS

Words & Music: Max Raffa
Produced by: Ivan A. Rossi & Max Raffa
Recorded at: 8brr.rec Studio, Sartoria 57 Studio, and Diabolicus Studio (Milan)
Mixed & Mastered by: Ivan A. Rossi
Performers:

• Max Raffa – vocals, guitars, Mellotron, synths, oud, shawm, FX
• Rosario Lo Monaco – guitars
• Giovanni Calella – bass
• Filippo La Marca – keyboards
• Luca Anello – drums, percussion
• Beppe Scardino – baritone sax
• Lucci – additional vocals
  Cover Art: Güne? Akyürek
  Label: Tarla Records & StoneFree Records
  PR: Shameless Promotion PR

“Feature With a Rapper” is out now on all major streaming platforms.