Split between NYC and Minneapolis, Nadine is a band that freshen the mystery of how a band can function when its members live far apart (hey, it worked for Pavement!). This is a collaborative project involving singer Nadia Hulett (part of the collective Phantom Posse) and Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez (both of Ava Luna). Their recently released debut LP is a playful and extremely enjoyable take on avant-pop, with jazzy overtones. The band celebrated the album’s release at Baby’s All Right on February 8th and will travel to SXSW in March.

It’s easy to call to mind artists similar to Crosslegged, but it’s not easy to think of artists that actually sound like Crosslegged. Behind the music made by Brooklyn artist Keba Robinson under the Crosslegged name is a sense of invention and adventure. There’s something in common with the delicate songwriting of folk, the melodic ease of pop, the precise arrangements of electronic music, but Crosslegged fits neatly into none of these categories. There’s more in common here with the innovative work of artists like Bjork, Sufjan Stevens, or Kate Bush. The excitement of originality is what makes Robinson’s work worth following. You can see the next performance February 16th when Crosslegged opens for Hovvdy’s record release show at Baby’s All Right. – Cameron Carr

Originally hailing from the small mountain town of Lee Vining, east of Yosemite, Bocat Rob Armenti can now be found among the Santa Cruz Mountains. Armenti’s songs are as upfliting as they are haunting, drawing on visceral truths and common threads to weave captivating tales. From quiet to loud, reserved to explosive, each song carries its own weight and settles deep into the listener. The band, known as the Nightly Howl, recently released a video for a brand new song. Titled "On Sunday Morning," the video (streaming below) was recorded at Coonrad Studios in Santa Cruz. A mountain man full of musical prowess, Armenti is gearing up to release his second full length album later this year. In the meantime, the usual solo performer has scheduled a full band gig on Friday, February 16 at The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz. – Joshua Huver

02.23 marks the day that Strange Names release their sophomore album, Data, through Frenchkiss Records. To celebrate this milestone, the self-described "next wave" group will be playing an album release show at Baby’s All Right on 02.24 with glitch pop project NOIA opening. The event is presented by LPR and is 21+. Doors will open at 8 PM, and the show is slated to start at 9 PM. Tickets are $10 in advanced and will be $13 on the day of the show. Data can be pre-ordered from either iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play here, and "UFO" can be streamed below. – Alexander Beebe

Get hyped.  Handsome Hound will be hosting Andrew Grossman of The North Country, Nefra Faltas of Humble Fire, Kelly Servick of Near Northeast, and Kate Taylor Mighty in an epic night of covers and originals at Union Stage this Friday.  Featuring some of the biggest names in DC folk backed by a horn section, this event is guaranteed to be lit, or rather, in the words of the organizers, a “full-blown hullabaloo”.

Tickets available here.

-Mike Dranove