Brooklyn’s post-hardcore trio I.O.U. demonstrates that it means business with a visceral display of sonic anger in the opening track of their newly released EP I.O.U. ONE. “Captain Howdy” cleaves its way into the eardrums of the listener with the ferocity of its guitar riffs, a fuzz-infected bassline, and dauntless drum fills that may leave you in a feverish state of thrill. The group’s four-track record starts at a high intensity and never lets up the energy, without giving up the opportunity for sonic experimentation given by slower tempos, like in second track "My Maytag." The vocals of all three members shred through the entrails of “Swamp,” while in “Bossy” the trio lets everyone know that “cannibals are people too.” I.O.U. is a feral band in all the right ways, check it out below. – Rene Cobar

On Thursday, May 16 the Ivy Room will host an evening full of lovely music, all from queer artists. Performing will be Rob Jamner, indie rock storyteller and poet, who will be releasing his EP Holding Stones and playing short films from independent filmmakers Jesse Israel, Sair Goetz, Marica Petrey, Jared Swanson, and Andy Strong. Americana guitarist and songwriter Briget Boyle will be playing some sweet tunes from her new album The Next Line. We’ll also have Kristen Ford who’ll be touring from Nashville and playing her soul meets electropop jams, and Oh The Nerve, a queer feminist pop/R&B band from Berkeley. Check out all their music below and come on out! – Lucille Faulkner

Alecia Renece‘s Matter EP is simply superb. Renece has a tremendous voice, commitment to poetic lyricism, songwriting versatility, a sweet, sweet penchant for harmonizing with herself, and, to top it all off, professional quality mixing and mastering on her tracks.

The voice is probably what makes this release so satisfying. The voice is good. Like, really good. Renece moves seamlessly through notes, mostly hitting them spot on, giving them love and attention. And really, the voice says it all about what’s going with the release in general; it’s saying, very simply, Alecia Renece’s “The Artist” LLC is not the real estate equivalent of some dirty groundfloor unit with paper thin walls in a building built before they discovered lead was bad; rather it’s a woven vinyl floored penthouse with marble countertops right next to that Italian place I went to on Valentine’s day at Waterfront.

And let’s talk about the poetry here, can we talk about the poetry? There are some great lines, like, “Premium cut, you’re favorite slice, I break myself to pieces baby baby so that you can have whatever you like.” And the diversity of songwriting styles, Renece brings the energy up on the eminently pleasing track, “You’re Welcome,” and brings it back down to feature those sweet vocal harmonies on “Longest End”. That’s all to say nothing of the opening track itself. Seriously folks, clench your bowels before listening, it’s that good.

This reviewer wasn’t hot on every track, but overall a great release, plain and simple.

Notable tracks: "Why you gotta go", "You’re Welcome", "Longest End".  

-Mike Dranove

NYC indie dance duo argonaut&wasp lay down vintage sensuality on new release “Composure,” a smooth, sample friendly ’80s vamp. Described by some as “the perfect soundtrack to New York City,” the Burlington-via-Brooklyn outfit captures vibes emblematic of the Big Apple’s past and present; their latest single is as much Oliver Stone’s Wall Street than it is Katja Blichfeld’s High Maintenance, a synth-heavy midnight interlude that’s neither old nor new. What makes “Composure” such an engaging listen lies in argonaut&wasp’s ability to round out the track’s more treble-heavy components – there’s jangly guitar riffs and pitch-shifted samples abound, but they never distract from the urbane quality of its keyboard backbone. It gives the song a dark, almost muted quality, marked by a palpable energy that lies just beneath the surface, the type of tune you could jam to both start and end your night. Listen below, and catch them at their Rough Trade on May 22nd. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)