Lo-fi synthpop artist Grace Ives released her second album — appropriately titled 2nd — this past April. It received critical acclaim from sites like Pitchfork, where writer Sasha Geffen compared Ives’ music to LCD Soundsystem for its tracks’ electronic backbeats and succinct length. The album could attract resonate with the fans of James Murphy’s band, but also folks into Ariel Pink, or Slingshot Dakota — or any artist or band with a knack for sharp songwriting and explorative musical arrangements. Ives will perform on July 18th at Elsewhere on a bill with UK-based soul artist Tirzah; go discover both artists for yourself if you haven’t yet. Take a listen to Ives’ "Icing on the Cake" below. – Will Sisskind

Combining elements of pop, jazz, soul and heavy rock into an appealing progressive mix, Brooklyn’s Kleptokrat is a band intent in expanding the parameters of alternative rock. Their newly released sophomore EP “Momentarily, to Grace” boasts five impeccably recorded, genre-twisting tracks. Soulful horns and sweet, jazzy female lead vocals establish the mood on opening song “The Great Leap Forward.” Over the track’s four minutes, precise, angular structures give way to floating ambient interludes that merge together with beguiling charm. “Jumping Ship” applies those light and airy vocals to a lyrically dense story of relationships coming undone, punctuated by heavy bass, sax and drums. “Kleptocito” further adds touches of latin rhythms to what becomes an over five minute instrumental tour-de-force. Final cuts “The View at Bethlehem” and “Body in the Room” bring back those engaging, honeyed vocals over alternately dreamy-to-frenzied compositions. The band kicks off their summer tour at Rose Gold on 7/9, followed by a stop in Philly on 7/11. Full tour dates can be found here. – Dave Cromwell

Maisy McVicar’s music is not of this time, and possibly not of this terrestrial plane. Recording under the project title Milky Maze, she creates haunting, beautiful folk, lyrically reminiscent of turn of the century Dust Bowl music, accentuated by echoing, distant instrumentation that places the final product somewhere between Dave Van Ronk and the Elephant 6 Recording Company. At times on her latest effort, hank, guitars and banjos become so gain-heavy they attain an other-worldly quality, becoming monoliths of sound that, alongside McVicar’s ethereal falsetto, deliver a final product that is both somber and spiritual. It’s necessary listening for fans of experimental folk, and promises a celestial performance at The Glove on July 12th, alongside Joanna Stemberg, Liam Kirby, and Michael. Listen below. -Connor Beckett McInerney