As a followup to their article "New York City’s Hardest-Working Bands of 2017," indie music site Oh My Rockness will be hosting a concert in which 6 of the 10 bands that made the list will be performing. Headlining the event will be the group that earned the no. 1 spot, post-punk jangle rockers Big Bliss, with support coming from Fruit & Flowers, Darkwing, Sic Tic, Grim Streaker, and Thick. The show will take place at the venue Baby’s All Right, and will be 21+ with tickets going for $10. – Alexander Beebe

NYC indie pop-rock band RANN is back with a new single after the release of their 2014 debut album Yellowgun. The track develops the quartet’s sophisticated sound in a darker direction, supported by ambiguous lyrics with vague political overtones. The band’s ’80s pop influences – think INXS and Peter Gabriel from the post "So" years – are brought to life by the deft production of Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer). 
RANN’s EP "Renegade Holiday" will be out on February 23rd.

It seems rather appropriate to open the day after a divisive State of the Union speech with this video by sister duo Hegazy celebrating the values of family and friendship within racial diversity (by the way, how did it happen that one of the very few New Yorkers that don’t get tolerance and inclusiveness ended up in the White House?). Leila & Omnia are also New York born, and decided to join their musical careers as solo artists back in 2015 after the death of their father, who always insisted they were stronger together. They’ll be celebrating the release of their debut EP at Mercury Lounge on Friday February 9th. Check out their video for single "Here To Stay," streaming below.

There’s a certain cosmic energy that strings together the scenes of the newest music video for the track “Upside 85” (streaming below) by Oakland trio Milk For The Angry; the randomness is reworked into a psychedelic reality quite easily, through flashing images of thrashing, glitter-soaked bodies, a live performance, and lone motorcyclist on the freeway. The grunge-soaked garage rock is heavy with psychedelic influences, riffing off of the surf-sensibilities of the scene. Listening to “Upside 85”—or frankly, any track by the Cali natives—feels like stepping into a wonderfully gritty postcard of the Golden State. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the band, founded by Dana Windstorm and Matt Kerslake after a chance encounter in a Bay Area drum shop, is essentially a living mythologization of what it means to be a musician in California. Or maybe it’s just something about the reverb. Regardless, it’s difficult to listen to this track without stepping back afterwards and thinking, “there’s something special here.” Milk For The Angry is playing a string of local shows soon, with the next announced date being February 28th at Bottom of the Hill. – Lilly Milman

There’s something decidedly midwestern about Dougie Poole. It’s not so much the love for heartland country that Poole wears proudly on his sleeve, but the odd ways he stretches out those influences. Poole’s take on country sees mainly the sappy sentimentality at its core and embellishes that with generous reverb and synth-heavy arrangements. It’s definitely not country, but alt-country would be a major misnomer too… it owes far more to ‘80s synth-pop and new wave. There’s not much else like it, you really have to hear it to understand. You can experience this intriguing blend of influence in person next February 4th when Dougie Poole opens for Paul Bergmann’s record release show at Baby’s All Right. – Cameron Carr