While Brooklyn shoegaze newcomers Minaxi gear up for the release of their debut LP Khwab, last year’s similarly monosyllabic Zidd is a heavy, pedal-friendly extended play, a release that doesn’t eschew melodic, alt rock sounds and the muted, introspective vocals we’ve come to expect of the subgenre. EP standout “In The Blur” hits all the right notes; grungy vox, heavy effects, and the right amount of somber sweetness to induce a healthy degree of ennui. A good tune for an evening M train commute, give it a spin below ahead of Minaxi’s Alphaville show on January 15th.

Today Oakland’s The Saxophones released the second single off their forthcoming, sophomore album Eternity Bay (out March 6 on Full Time Hobby). The song is a fusion of jazz, quiet pop and folk. Vocalist Alexi Erenkov says of the album, "While this record was influenced by a broad range of music the through line seems to be conveying a strong mood or sense of place. I love music that transports listeners to another space, whether it’s Jonathan Richman making you feel like you’re walking the streets of Boston in ‘I Love Hot Nights’ or Arthur Lyman transporting you to a Hawaiian hotel lobby in the 50s." Erenkov and wife Alison Alderdice create songs that live up to that transportive feel. Catch their latest single here and be on the look out for upcoming tour dates and Eternity Bay. –Lucille Faulkner

Emerging five years after the joint release of double albums ! and ?, Sean Cronin’s Very Good bursts back onto the New York scene with the timely release of new record Adulthood. The ragtag band of banjoleles, clarinet, plectrum resophonic guitar and tuba belie Cronin’s New Orleans jazz background, superimposed over contemporary indie-inspired songwriting, freak folk gang vocals, and forays into the theatric; in short, there’s no shortage of disparate threads Very Good has weaved into this impressively diverse nine track offering. As so much of this LP was inspired by the “several musical lifetimes” lived prior to its release, Adulthood very much lives up to its namesake, a sonic memoir that represents differing influences that magically congeals into a cohesive, functioning album, a smattering of eclectic folk and chamber pop that delights and surprises the listener at every turn. Stream it below, and catch the band at the Ace Hotel on January 19th. —Connor Beckett McInerney

A persistent sense of dread dominates “Gracie,” the latest music video by Brooklyn-based indie outfit LAPéCHE. Perhaps it’s the synergy of outdated televisions and a 1950s costume aesthetic that seems inherently Lynchian — alternatively, the track’s dramatic vocal performance by Krista Holly Diem and esoteric lyrics create for a somber listen external to any aesthetic accompaniment. Regardless, “Gracie” is a compelling visual, seemingly existent in a universe of its own, that showcase the New York four piece’s ear for harmonically minor melodies and engaging, interweaving guitar work, a track that will immediately resonate with enthusiasts of darker post-punk. Watch it below, and see LAPéCHE at Gold Sounds on January 30th.

NYC and Iowa-based musician Pictoria Vark is fresh off her first 2020 show at Muchmores — as she hits the road for her ongoing winter tour, her self-titled remains a collection of sad and predominantly quiet tunes inspired by feelings of inertia, a soundtrack for quiet contemplation and personal crossroads. Written around the experiences of “being home, being young, quitting music, and falling out of love,” the EP is a venerable endeavor, punctuated by the artist’s dedication to radical honesty and a minimalistic instrumental approach, a succinct release for those seeking a fresh voice. Stream it below. Photo by Kevin Jiang