A pleasant mix of folk’s old and new trajectories, Brooklyn seven piece Dirty Bird’s new single “Eventide” seems tailor-made for periods wherein time surreptitiously passes. “Behind the shadow of the day’s final thoughts, I walk, still I’m endlessly searching for dawn,” echo the track’s vibrant refrain, a mix of soft percussive fills and an interwoven tapestry of guitars, banjo, and baroque-like vocal accents. Lush and inviting, it’s ironic that “Eventide” would make prime listening for a walk through an idyllic meadow during a period wherein we should all (still) be staying inside — for the time being it provides an acoustic reprieve that’s perfect for fans of bands like San Fermin or the Decemberists. Download it below (all proceeds go to the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund). Photo by Anthony Mulcahy

Emergent experimental electronic duo Glass Salt bill themselves as “the product of friendship, musical chemistry, and unmediated collaboration,” which well explains the delightful characteristics of debut single “what would you say.”Johann Diedrick’s soft twinkling synth waltzes upwards as Caylie Staples vocalizes seemingly three rooms away, endowing the project’s soundwith a distant yet accommodating atmosphere, something akin to the disorientation you might feel waking up from a pleasant afternoon nap. Furthermore, it’s easy to imagine Staples and Diedrick noodling about when listening to this effort; their relationship really shines, coloring this track in a warm, fuzzy glow. Give it a listen below and preorder their forthcoming release greetings ahead of its drop July 3rd.

There’s a bubbling defiance at the center of “The Fighter,” the new single by NYC-based art punk outfit Rich Girls. Against a forward-facing, march-inducing beat and heavy reverb electric guitar, bandleader Luisa Black’s vox maintains a steely defiance, embedding the track with an energy that’s both haunting and invigorating for the listener. Regarding the song, Black stated her inspiration came from the continued intolerance that preoccupied her thoughts throughout 2020: “Fuck bigots, it’s all I thought about this year. If it’s about anything, it’s about that.” As such, consider adding “The Fighter” to your direct action playlist, and purchasing a digital copy on Bandcamp — all proceeds of the track’s sales will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center — and give it a listen below.
 

 For those finding themselves feeling adrift amidst the various, simultaneous historical epochs we’re currently living through, the indie pop of Miserable Chillers might provide some necessary respite. New chilled bop “La nave del olvido” draws inspiration from a deep sea voyage that revealed plastic bags and trash among previously undiscovered marine life. In this sense, the track, which borrows its name from Jose Jose song that bandleader Miguel Gallego’s mother used to play frequently in his youth, feels like an oasis hidden from the outside world’s prying eyes; dulcet baroque pop meets the relaxed attitude of 80s yacht rock, congealing to a final product that feels both dreamy and present, music perfect for poolside listening and internal reflection. Stream or download it below — all proceeds from digital Bandcamp purchases of any Miserable chillers release today will be donated to Bed-Stuy Strong — and keep an eye out for Miserable Chiller’s debut LP Audience of Summer out August 7th (via Baby Blue).

Writer, filmmaker, and musician Rohil Aniruth penned his latest single “CITRUS” while “sitting on a fire escape in New York,” a backstory that immediately colors the single’s somber, wandering narrative in terms relatable. In between lyrics sporadically examining the artist’s precarious psyche (“I’m all alone again, this time don’t feel the same”), Rohil’s electric guitar stumbles forwards in a dissociative manner. Paired with a growling, soft-spoken baritone, it becomes easy to imagine Aniruth quietly noodling about on a lurid summer night, recounting details of past love in a bittersweet manner. Such qualities make“CITRUS” is a track for those up far later than they intended, turning over the people who’ve “stained [their] brain,” wishing well to those who’ve moved on while maintaining hope to do the same one day — stream it the next time you’re feeling ruminative after midnight.

Burlington-by-way-of-New York outfit J Bengoy pivot towards a more synth-forward sound on new single “Stick Up Kids.” Keeping the same anthemic approach to songwriting that characterized their 2018 LP Dogwood Winter, the new single finds the recently relocated Brooklyn group centering their sound around cool keys, though some nice syncopation between strings and synth lends some energy to the song’s wistful, somewhat dreamy chorus detailing bygone days of “dumb teenage fun.” Regardless of the pivot, J Bengoy retains their consummate approach to crafting earworm indie bops — stream it below ahead of their forthcoming sophomore album American Camp, out later this summer.

It seems like as businesses and restaurants reopen in many American cities that the last three months have been rendered a blur — just time in-between stopping and starting that’s quick to be forgotten. “Home,” the latest video by New York songwriter Mae Krell, helps render some of these post- and inter-pandemic moments visually and musically, recalling the hopelessness of March’s last weeks. “I walk the streets with nobody besides me,” Krell croons, their voice floating above somber reverting piano and minimalist beat, as lofi snapshots of city life pass lazily before our eyes. While we’re in no way out of the woods yet, “Home” acts as a contemporary time capsule reminding us of collective despair and uncertainty, simultaneously serving as a reminder of the people who may have helped us weather the storm (emotionally). Watch it below, and maybe send it along to your quarantine buddy.

The psych-surf sound of “Mind Reading,” the new single by Long Beach-based outfit THESE PEOPLE, evokes memories of strange summers of years past, wherein tall tales become so exaggerated that you can’t tell where the facts end and the fiction begins. Swelling heatstroke guitar lines in tandem with an echoed-out vocal performance add to the track’s distant and foggy nature, and its quick transitions between major and minor modes prevent the track from ever finding solid footing. These elements combined make for an engaging listening experience, one that evokes a bit of Surfer Blood, a bit of Grateful Dead circa Blues for Allah, and a whole lot of Timothy Leary. Dip out for a bit and stream it below.

Drocan!, the latest offering by New York-based experimental electronic composer Dan Drohan, is billed as the B-side of the forthcoming You’re A Crusher — in this sense, it fulfills its purpose as the dark underbelly of Drohan’s explosive, percussion-driven visions. Tracks serpentine between elements synthetic and tactile in rapid fashion, executed in a Futurist fashion that leaves little space for the listener to catch their breath, yet despite this seemingly unstoppable energy, the entire record feels joyous; from the refrain of “Tokyo” to the stumbling fluorescent “Passwords,” Drohan, in collaboration with Mike Cantor, provides an experimental pop vamp that delights and surprises. Stream it below, and keep an eye out for the record’s A-side, dropping June 26th. Photo by Emile Bertherat

Perhaps the most entrancing element of “The Dead,” the latest video by New York songwriter Lila Blue, is the way in which it maintains a mellifluous air despite its various dark parks. Pervasive drone dominates the background as images of the artist somberly half-submerged in water inform the track’s visual component, yet Lila Blue’s lilting vocal performance, and lyrical defiance of looming death, endow the production with a celebratory energy.“If we don’t wake up in the morn, we’ll know that we passed boldly, fearless… rather than life whittling us down until we’re worn,” she sings, embracing both the end’s inevitably yet stressing the importance of a life well-lived. In this sense, “The Dead” resonates as a triumphant indie folk release, one that proposes a counterargument to the somewhat depressing conclusion to James Joyce’s novella of the same name, while maintaining a cooled atmosphere few within the genre can replicate. Watch it below, and stream the rest of Lila Blue’s recently released LP Leave Me Be, out now.

The electronic compositions of New York artist David V. Britton have a two-pronged effect, inclining listeners towards focus and meditative relaxation at the same time. Such is the case for new video “Silk Null,”directed by Jeff Mertz, which consists of Britton’s calming-yet-intense sound work against processed 360 degree footage of Mertz’s neighborhood, creating what he dubs a “virtual reality landscape.” Deep hues and a glitch-like quality well fit the at-times overwhelming nature of the track, creating an audio-visual experience that washes over the viewer in waves of varying intensity, never too lush but always hyper-stimulating. These qualities make “Silk Mull” recommended viewing for fans of abstract expressionism or long-form ambient music — think Brian Eno meets Mark Rothko. Watch it below, preferably with a VR headset if you’ve got one on hand, and be sure to check out Britton’s recent LP Qualia as well.

One could view Brooklyn-based outfit Career Boy as the natural successors to last decade’s garage rockers — their white knuckle guitar work, marked by a slightly discordant sound, combined with frothy, fast and loose vox evoke the sound of predecessors like Jay Reatard and Harlem. In a different sense, however, new track and video “What’s Next” finds the band lyrically situated in an uneasy rut, pondering personal flaws of excessive drinking and “waiting for what’s next to come,” bounding outwards without a sense of personal direction. Moreover, such songwriting encapsulates the sentiments of our current age, capturing the energy many of us feel to do something, literally anything new, while feeling woefully uncertain as to what the first step is. Regardless of when whatever’s next arrives, Career Boy will be ready to start — stream the premiere below.