“Opulent Field,” the latest video by NYC experimental quartet JOBS, feels simultaneously complex and minimalistic. Utilizing repetitive instrumental elements (namely guitar and cello), in tandem with a tightly-wound electronic percussive overlay, JOBS’ sound is hypnotic yet never overindulgent, relying upon precise interweaving of acoustic and synthetic parts to craft dreamily distant indie rock. Moreover, the band’s give-and-take approach to performance and the decision to keep their sound grounded makes for an intrepid-yet-quiet listen — stream it below, and keep an ear out for the band’s forthcoming endless birthdays, out August 7th.

The music of Brooklyn-based indie pop duo Tallbird is a consistent blend of idiosyncratic and sincere, marked by joyful subject matter expressed in a manner that’s warm and, occasionally, fluorescent. Take new single “Battery” as an introductory smattering of the band’s colorful approach to sound collage — bombastic horns, a marching rhythmic core, and sweet vox by Erica Marchetta-Wood converge in maximalist fashion, yet the sound is never overwhelming and feels ever-familiar. It’s fitting then that the song’s subject matter deals with having an extremely extroverted friend who can be, in a sense, a “bit much” at times; give it a listen below and keep an eye out for Tallbird’s forthcoming record Lost Pet Poster Temple out September 25. Photo by Erica Marchetta-Wood

There’s something endearing about nakedly bearing one’s heart on your sleeve, and Jonathan Something captures a bygone 80s pre-sadboy bravado in new video “I Tried To lose You But I Don’t Know How.” Forlorn melody and plucky Yamaha synths bring a vintage aesthetic to the forefront (as does the quasi-VHS grain of the visuals), but Something really sells it in his panache, both in physical movement and vocal prowess; his pop vocal delivery occupies the liminal space between camp and classic, equally evocative of both James Murphy and George Michael. Tongue in cheek and deceptively catchy, watch the video below, and stream his new record Cannibal House Rules, out now via Solitaire Recordings. Photo by Mike Boyle

Despite our best efforts over the last four months to remain connected (virtually) with friends and family, it’s not uncommon to feel a looming loneliness, a sentiment at the center of new Monograms track “LINES featuring Kat E.” “It’s a song about feeling like an outsider everywhere you go, which is common… given how dystopian, alienating and backwards the entire world kinda feels right now,” says frontman Ian Jacobs of the track, and said alienation transcends to the listening experience — dark filtered vox and phaser-laden keys create a foreboding energy evocative of New York’s collective psyche during those deserted, early April 2020 days. Perfect listening for gazing forlornly at the world at large from your bedroom window, stream this “nuke wave” jam below, out now via PaperCup Music, and keep an ear out for Monograms’ forthcoming LP Only A Ceiling Can Stay Inside Forever dropping later this month. Photo by Michelle LoBianco

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Love songs tend to be fairly focused in their subject matter, yet Queens-based folk songwriter Ian Wayne takes an eagle-eyed approach on new track “Baby,” penning a ode on an “imagined longview of life in love” that speaks the universality of the emotion. Sweetly sparse and consistently grounded, Wayne’s vox glides over a downtempo indie, almost Americana saunter, offering a plainspoken view of adoration that accepts both the good and bad in equal measure. With an economy of language and an ear for balance between the track’s winding guitar solos and a softer central voice, his capacity to render emotional intimacy in terms comprehendible to any warrant praise and a careful listen. Stream it below, and keep an ear out for Wayne’s forthcoming record Risking Illness, out September 18th on Whatever’s Clever.

It’s easy to find joy in the unbridled drive of My Son The Doctor, whose latest single “Blue Tank Tops” is an indie rock vamp tailor-made for our recollective summer. Between vignette one-liners about “East Side women talking blue chip stocks” and “local pool boys” triumphant garage rock shreds with a healthy mix of discord and polish. While such seasonal non-sequiturs seemingly endow the song with a nostalgic energy, there’s a forward-focused outlook present in Brian Hemmert’s lyrics, a quasi-implication that, with each summer to come and go,there will always idle pool party chit-chat and blue tank tops — and maybe that’s something worth looking forward to. Give the track a listen below, and keep an eye out for the band’s upcoming EP Dad Time, out later this year. Photo by Elizabeth Lopiccolo

Your guess is as good as the next person’s in terms of whether the American Dream is still a tenable prospect in 2020 — though NYC synthpop duo Satellite Mode’s new video “Dream, American” provides a hazy meditation on what America means, exactly. Home movie visuals and dreamlike arpeggios underscore uncomfortable axioms, how we’re “all longing [for] that good American green,” how antiquated conceptualizations of comfort like “milk money” seem odd by contemporary standards, and how it might be better to set aside old visions and just “let it burn.” During a time when ideas of national identity and success seem increasingly more outdated and convoluted,Satellite Mode’s evenhanded, electronic approach feels centering, a soft-spoken critique for our shitshow year. Watch it below, and stream their new EP Robots vs Party Girls, out today.

The sauntering, somewhat singsong nature of the Icebergs is a terrifyingly brilliant thing to behold, one that through experimental, frequently cello-centric instrumentation upends expectations at every turn. Their new record Add Vice condenses the songwriting of poet and songwriter Jane LeCroy into winding scenes of weird Americana, propelled by tactile instrumentation and a strong bent towards jazz. LeCroy’s cynical tone and weaving vocal performance make Vice perfect listening for fans of Fiona Apple and Tom Waits — give it a long, ruminiative listen below.

The overdriven, jangling nature of “No Light” immediately evokes nostalgia for a cramped performance at Trans Pecos or Babys All Right, yet the breakbeat energy Gawn bring to their performance keeps things forward focused. “Don’t sit around and find out, just get out and go,” sings bandleader and erstwhile touring musician Zach Koenig, an apt sentiment for a period plagued by constant inertia, though the track’s amp-straining guitar and condensed vox a la King Khan and the BBQ show make it difficult to sit still while listening. Sunny dispositions and slight discord make this single just the right amount of rough-hewn, and recommended listening for Friday nights indoors — watch the video below.

 New York experimental indie pop artist Zaliza reemerges on the scene with new single “Below,” a chilled, somewhat hushed recollection of intimacy. A track centered around the experience of “wanting vultnerability with someone, and knowing neither of us could give that to the other,” Zaliza explores thematic and sonic dualities, melding warm, centered vox with dark, tactile instrumentals texturally reminiscent of jungle and dub electronic music. Such qualities play well into this exploration of separation and togetherness, creating a pervasive sense of familiarity and alienation — the perfect soundtrack for emotional turbulence and the fear of truly being known by another. Give it a listen below, and keep an eye out for companion single “Little Raptures” out next month. Photo by Alexx Duvall

It’s not uncommon during periods of stress or uncertainty to regress, or at the very least, imagine some sort of hypothetical bygone age viewed through rose-tinted goggles. Such feverish daydreams are the center of Local Nomad’s new single “Summertime,” a sweltering electro-pop jam that recalls the childlike joys of playing baseball during the warmer months. With synth leads evocative of 80s new wave paired with contemporary, progressive songwriting, multi-instrumentalist Michael Desmond is certainly looking towards the past — though the groove is never overwhelmed by a perverse sense of nostalgia. Rather, Local Nomad’s recollections stay grounded and realistic, letting the track’s vivid memories play off its colorful keys and dynamic vocal performances, in the end crafting a misty, escapist banger for what feels like a ‘lost’ summer — give it a listen below, and be sure to stream the project’s self-titled EP, out tomorrow.
 

While partially rooted in past trauma, “Horrible Person” by Brooklyn-based avant-pop performer Caitlin Pasko resonates as a step onto new ground — a “reconfiguration [of an] internal compass” in the artist’s own words, wherein from a minimalist soundscape and untethered vox she constructs a path forward. Building from an abiding minimalist vibration that underlies the track’s nearly six minute runtime, Pasko (in collaboration with ex-Zula polymath Henry Grant) draws in sharp filtered strings, crafting tense synthetic elements which counteract a dulcet-yet-raw vocal line, one that with steely resolve serves as a lyrical takedown of psychological abuse. Such an approach serves as the foundation of Pasko’s forthcoming LP Greenhouse — the idea that such pain can serve as a centerpiece around which a musical safe space is created, one that fosters healing, regrowth, and personal transformation. Give it a listen below, and be sure to keep an eye out for the full album out August 28th on Whatever’s Clever.