Humans should always be appreciative of how lucky they are to have pop music, with its ability to lift spirits and create invisible suns of hope – even in the middle of this insane NYC winter. Today, pop music itself didn’t shy away from reminding us of this, when a few minutes ago it unexpectedly showed up in our speakers in the shape of this gem by lo-fi Brooklyn band Baifan, entitled "Running in Slow Motion." A few carefully chosen chords and an airy melody neutralize the grittiness of the recordings, while a wailing, distorted guitar note, following the alternating chords, adds that droney element that’s always a plus for true indie addicts. They’ll be playing at Silent Barn tomorrow (02.10) on a bill put together by 1989 Recordings, check them out!

Sunshine Subconscious is the progressive neo-soul child of drummer and bandleader Tommy Whiteside the IV. Taking the grit from Daptone records and the musical dexterity of Roy Ayers, I’d be surprised if everybody didn’t love this sunshine. On Rewrite the Pages, Tommy describes an existential journey through “pain and pleasure,” disarming himself to natures duality while still questioning and expressing disbelief in the laws we have been told to believe. The result is a song that lays in-between the coolness of jazz subtlety and the hostility of spiritual anarchy.

To realize his vision of utopia, Tommy has amassed an impressive cast of Cornish cats to lend their services; Bret Gardin (of Newaxeyes) makes waves as lead vocalizer, while Phinehas Nyang’Oro searches for the lost guitar chord, and Jackie Sandberg drives the songs down the dirtiest Rhodes you’ve ever been on. Together, with Tommy on the skins, the make up is a unique blend of psychedelic aesthetics and honed jazz chops. So if you ever wanted a crispier, dirtier Steely Dan or a less cynical Eugene McDaniels, then sit back and let your Sunshine Subconscious take control.

Sunshine Subconscious plays at the Triple Door Musicquarium on Tuesday, February, 10th, at 8PM

Recently featured on the Village Voice’s music blog for her new video ‘Broke Up, Broke Down," NYC songwriter Carrie Ashley Hill will be playing Baby’s All Right tonight (02.09). Inspired by the fortuitous meeting with NYC stylist April Barton (who saw her perform live), the video was shot in Suite 303 of Manhattan’s legendary Chelsea Hotel, which was April’s apartment and – we assume – salon, and was conceived as a swan song for the "old version" of the Hotel, which recently evicted all its tennants and should be reopening later in 2015 after a full renovation. The song actually pre-dated the video’s concept, which recycled (very effectively) the emotions of loss and uncertainty the songwriter went through when she wrote it, while stranded in Trinidad, Colorado, which obviously resonated with the stylist.

This artist submitted their music for coverage here.

Reuniting this past summer after a four year break to work on other projects, Massachusetts and Brooklyn based The Jaguar Club prepare to release their latest EP “Close” on March 3rd. Currently hosting a weekly Wednesday night residency at Pianos, the band has recently released digitally some new tracks that continue to expand on its signature sound. “Heat Of The Sun” (streaming) pairs crooner vocals with distinct guitar lines, echoing the Morrissey/Marr relationship. The lyrical mood is more positive, however, as heartache goes “bouncing off the ceiling,” giving way to the appreciation of the light (and heat) produced by the sun. Spacious instrumental interludes emphasize ambient keyboards, jingly tambourine and brightly strummed guitar chords. The Jaguar Club’s residency show on February 11 also features Leave The Planet, Mariko, Cosmonaut & Night Squirrel. – Dave Cromwell