Jarina De Marco’s sound might be hard to categorize, spanning from Brazilian and Dominican folk to modern jazz and hip hop, but one thing is for certain: her talent is unequivocal – check out the video below if you have any doubts in this regard. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Jarina got her big break at the age of 12 opening for the Fugees. Now, 16 years later, she’s based in Williamsburg, working hard to foster her music career.

Workout is that epic rock band that was bound to take the world back to where Queen and Meat Loaf left off – what you didn’t know is that that band was going to be a Brooklyn one! With vocals by hyperactive wildman Jack Killen, and a band that acts like the bastard lovechild of Mick Jagger and David Bowie, the quartet may have indeed brought their brawling rock n’ roll here to save us all. Join them for the release of their sophomore record ‘Rockit Science’ this evening at Rubber Tracks Studio (more info here), and get ready for the show by checking out their amazing, spaghetti western-themed rocker ‘If You Touch Me You Might As Well Kill Me’ below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

It’s always a good sign when a band sounds better live than on record, and it is undeniable that this rare circumstance happens more often with folky bands than with rocking ones. Jus Post Bellum (from Latin, "Justice after war") is a Folk band based in Brooklyn, influenced by artists such as Bon Iver and Bob Dylan. I’ve had their new album “Oh July” on repeat on Spotify for a while, and was bummed to miss their record release show at Rockwood last month, so I made sure to be at the following one last Tuesday on stage 2. Groomed in a very “Brooklyn folkster” style, Hannah (vocals) and Geoffrey (vocals and guitar) created beautifully intimate and sparse songs, enriched by precise and tasteful harmonies, while Daniel at the double bass added a subtle groove to the set with his parts and movements. This is an unpretentious band focused on moving its audience with good songs – if that’s your thing, check them out when you get a chance. – Anna Chalon

The female-fronted indie pop-punk quartet and Brooklyn’s own Chumped are another reminder that punk rock is witnessing a resurgence in NYC. The band released a self-titled debut EP in October that’s at once well-rounded, in-your-face, raw and catchy. The band takes heavy influence from punk rock legends Superchunk and riot grrrl bands from the 90s, but make that sound their own. As an added bonus, they don’t take themselves too seriously in a good, unpretentious way, and are very keen on supporting and promoting their friends active in other local Brooklyn bands, which is something we think all bands should do – believe it or not, it’s a key to succes! Check out their song “Union Square” from the new EP below via Bandcamp! – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)