Oakland singer-songwriter Emily Brown’s LP Bee Eater is larger than life, featuring baroque arrangements and her own powerhouse voice. Wide in scope, the album moves from the vibrato-filled opener “That’s Not Me” reminiscent of the quirky vocal stylings of Regina Spektor to the heartbreaking “Beautiful Baby” (streaming below,) where Brown’s vocals swell over perceptive lyrics like “I was not your manifold lover / I was your miracled world / You and I weren’t made for each other / I’m not that beautiful girl.” Bee Eater is triumphant in its honesty and transcendent in its genre, showing there’s a lot more to the singer-songwriter than meets the eye. – Lilly Milman

Paco Cathcart lets his evocative storytelling ride backseat on his 2018 release, Bag of Holding, his illustrious world-building a secondary component to the lush instrumentation that characterizes each defiantly quiet track. That’s not to say that Cathcart, who records under project name The Cradle, doesn’t have something to say – rather, the sparse anecdotes of past people and places are shared in a way that feels dreamily distant, accented best by a swell of chamber pop orchestration that embeds the entirety of Holding with a sense of pleasant nostalgia and good times. Memories of last year’s New Years Eve, of driving along the eastern seaboard, the long strange trip that lead Cathcart to the present-tense, are presented in a way that feels hazy and bright, the sonic equivalent of looking at an aged photograph of old friends – to speak those memories into the present too aggressively does a disservice to the contemporary, albeit slightly faded context that gives them meaning.

You can catch The Cradle speak truth to memory at The Glove on 11.19, performing alongside Floury, Privacy Issues, and No One & The Somebodies – in the meantime, stream Bag of Holding below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Craig Zirpolo

Williamsburg’s National Sawdust is kicking off the fall season up a notch this month with another date of The Revolution – a Deli sponsored event. The lineup will include more NYC-based artists that showcase the emerging and wide-ranging talent of our city’s local scene. Volume 32 will feature live performances from Ayoinmotion, Apex Sky, and the brand new sounds of recently formed project LADY BUG. Ayoinmotion’s electrifying Afrobeat is expected to bump this venue with beat-heavy dance jams and the energetic backing of live performers. Having an experimental and ethereal style, Apex Sky’s live show has been noted for its cinematic presentation, driven by meticulous instrumentals and rich melodies. Debuting her soulful new material, singer/songwriter LADYBUG will open the show with her smooth and sultry performance. Come check out some of New York City’s favorite artists, both well-known and on the rise, on October 27 – click here for tickets and more information.

The release of duo Nalani & Sarina’s third full-length LP The Circle (May 2018) has brought these NJ-bred twins to the forefront of the DIY indie pop scene. As young songwriters, their masterful fusion of soul, rock, and mainstream pop combined with their familial ties has given their music a reputation for being both impressive as well as deeply personal. Their hit single “Young and Inexperienced” off their latest record has gained huge popularity due to its catchy folk rock influence, and has grown to be considered a representation of the millennial voice for its enlightened lyrics on post-college employment. Many of their songs have a witty storytelling charm that reflects on coming-of-age contents, supplementing their multi-faceted genre blend with meaningful and relatable lyrics. Their collaboration has fused their unique individual tastes to create music that has both traditional and contemporary roots, while gripping audiences with their appealing and accessible young flair. Check out Nalani & Sarina’s newest album The Circle on Spotify and stream their earlier recordings on Soundcloud. – Rebecca Carroll