Brooklyn-based indie rock quartet (and presumed tomato-enthusiasts) Marinara provide charismatic lofi indie rock on I Feel Like Dog, a fresh LP evocative of early-2010s college radio rock and their erstwhile 90s slacker compatriots. Tracks like “Desert Schtick” and “Ugly Sleeper” wouldn’t be out of place on a Double Double Whammy compilation, with Nick Cortezi’s plainspoken vocal performance interweaving between warm riffing and a progressive pace. This isn’t to say the entirety of the album is a sunny romp — the band leaves space for downtempo moments of respite on “Marie,” “The Orchid,” and “The Wasp,” the last of which characterized by an unpretentious, six-minute build to one of the record’s best instrumental performances; Cortezi’s season-spanning recollection and quiet vox leads to epic shreds and an energetic percussive breakdown. These various highs and lows help to make I Feel Like Dog the very, very good record that it is — listen to it below ahead of their show at the Footlight on February 16th. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Demo is a cursory, two-track offering by Brooklyn-based five piece Oil Bay, one that despite its short nine-minute run time firmly establishes the band’s ear for enchanting garage and tactile synths. A-Side “STRANGERdemo” builds mystery with its noir-inspired melodies and instrumentation, rife with lurid allusions to late night tales and heavy-compress guitars, opening with equal measures of disorienting keys and screaming strings, this downtempo energy fading with the introduction of “SpacesuitDEMO” and its accompanying breakbeat pace. With no shortage of reverb and a flexibility to incorporate experimental electronic accents into their lofi sound Oil Bay is tailor-made for listeners looking for gritty, noisy Indie rock — listen below, and catch them at C’Mon Everybody on April 7th.

Did everyone have a good Saturday? Because High Waisted certainly did. Their recently dropped “Boys Can’t Dance,” the first single off the upcoming Sick of Saying Sorry is a triumphant ode to the weekend, a power ballad on jumping headfirst into the frenzy, inhibitions-be-damned — and it’s accompanying video further emphasizes this hedonism en force. Frontwoman and guitarist Jessica Louise Dye’s powerful vox, proclaims how cutting a rug and letting loose is the perfect panacea to “[being] stuck inside [your] own head,” atop visuals of a wild bachelorette party and body positive male stripping. Massive riffs and danceable melodies abound, indicative of the garage and surf-infused energy we can expect from their new record, out May 22nd. Until then, watch their new video below, and catch High Waisted at Mercury Lounge on February 22nd. —Connor Beckett McInerney, Photo by Michael Todaro

The average temperature in Italy can swell to 80-plus (Fahrenheit) during the summer, producing a sweltering heat that puts New York’s warm season to shame. One can imagine these dry months played into the creation of “Fratello Gemma” by New York-based, Italian born musician Nico LaOnda — the track’s accompanying visuals feature a sweaty tennis match, but the music itself is a lurid, downtempo new wave bop, one that immediately evokes feelings of a hot August afternoon, spent (ideally) in the shade sipping Campari. LaOnda’s vocal performance and Italian lyricism lend to the track’s sweet electronic components in creating a forlorn energy, a recollection of summers past. Watch the video below ahead of LaOnda’s performance on February 12th at Our Wicked Lady.

Kickass is perhaps the most apt name for Brooklyn-duo Venus Twins debut offering, a white knuckle punk drum and bass EP that thrills and chills over the course of five short tracks. Introductory “Addition” sets the tone for this release, wherein repetitive, sludgy bass licks and tightly wound drumming throw listeners into the pit, with later tracks “Meet is Murder” and “DOOM // CRUCIFY” introducing more melodic elements to the band’s sound, the former indulging in occasional math-y rhythmic breakdowns and a joint vocal performance by bandmembers and brothers Jake and Matt Derting. Closer “Vile” is the EP’s most unhinged and industrial effort, filled with dooming breakdowns and screaming vox, showing that while minimalistic hardcore may be Venus Twins bread and butter, they’re not afraid to get really, really weird with it. Stream Kickass below, and catch the band at Trans-Pecos on February 10th. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Brooklyn-based duo and recent Color Station signees Laveda craft shoegaze-influenced indie, with their most recent single “If Only (You Said No)” a lush encapsulation of their pedal-friendly, upbeat sound. Acoustic guitars quickly segues to a hazier, more ambient instruments in the track’s first act, quickly transitioning into 808s-driven synth pop as band members Jake Brooks and Ali Genevich sing in unison, their hushed vocals a somber foreground to the track’s swirling instrumental backing. A far more hushed single in comparison to the band’s previous efforts (“Better Now,” “Dream. Sleep”), “If Only (You Said No” demonstrates Laveda’s ability to creating energetic tunes with an experimental rock influence, perfect for fans of groups such as Slowdive or Japanese Breakfast; give them a listen below, and catch the duo on February 28th at Rubulad. Photo by Andrew Segreti