Jersey City songwriter and producer Amy Rage debuts her maximalist sound on new anthem “Doin’ It Right,” a dazzling showcase of synth-driven indie pop with nods to 80s femme forerunners such as Madonna and Blondie. A singular product of the artist’s existential crisis earlier this year, induced by the slog of the 9-5 and feelings of office-bound inertia, Rage turned to a small MIDI controller and a makeshift home studio to craft a vibrant sonic escape from the malaise. Hammering synthesizers and a strong emphasis on larger-the-life vocals, alongside emotional lyricism stressing how the right person can render the world’s sanity inane, propel this saturated electronic bop forward, delivering a single evocative of pop’s past and present stylings. Recommended for fans Charli XCX and Perfume Genius, stream our premiere below, and keep an eye out for Amy Rage’s forthcoming debut EP out later this year.

The baroque-pop sensibilities of New York trio Bandits on the Run well make for cinematic music — with vivacious cello lines intertwining with acoustic guitar, and three part harmonies as a centerpiece, there’s a goosebumps-inducing element to their tunes, a plethora of hair-raising moments wherein the band’s distinct parts emerge from quietude into a full, sunny sound. It’s fitting then that their newest single, “Love in the Underground,” was released alongside a nine minute short film for which the track serves as score (and in which the band serves as background players), enabling listeners and viewers to become swept up by the band’s dynamic, driving performance. Visually charting two strangers (actors Jason Gotay and Michael Hartung, themselves a couple IRL) falling in love on the subway, their dialogue is told primarily through choreography and music, a conversation which spans several station stops along the L and the East Williamsburg streets, before settling in at an atmospheric speakeasy — where the film visually enters its second act. Transitioning from an upbeat, primarily string-forward approach to the tone of a piano-driven ballad, Bandits on the Run re-emerge in the bar to perform a slower, more somber rendition of the track, creating a visual and sonic B-side to the entire production that builds to this featurette’s heartfelt climax. An impressive endeavor by any metric, aided by production from veteran companies Chucklehead and Must B Nice and choreography from co-director Lane Halperin, it’s required, sweetly succinct viewing in a time where love might seem far away — though it could just be one train car over. Watch it below. Photo by Fletcher Wolfe

From 2016 to 2019, Jacob Levine toiled away at his new EP friends and a half, summer forever and ever on his iPhone, creating a loose conceptual record about a summer spent indoors — “because of depression and all,” in Levine’s own words. The end result is a crushing, intimate lofi release under the moniker jake or luca that’s filled with entrancing songwriting and melodious vocal performances, one that captures the dulling nature of mental illness in terms lush and bright. Charting the experience of untethered day-to-day living (“dreaming”) or the creeping feeling you’re letting someone else down (“bet you would”) through primarily acoustic guitar and the human voice, Levine’s craft is nuanced and meticulous, able to render malaise in a manner that’s both deeply personal and universal; snapshots of binging television and imagining the ghost of Zelda Fitzgerald find themselves situated within an ongoing internal monologue detailing an abiding hope things will get better, and the corollary fear that they won’t. Moreover, the record’s production, which features Levine’s layered vox front and center with occasional ambient synth, furthers its confessional qualities while lending a reassuring warmth to each of its six tracks. Recommended listening for fans of (Sandy) Alex G or Sufjan Stevens’ Carrie & Lowell, give it a thoughtful listen below. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Conventional wisdom dictating the world will end not with a bang, but with a whimper, seems to be playing out famously, but at the very least we’ll get some good music out of it. New video “Shells” by New York “pre-apocalyptic electro indie rock” project Thurlowood is the latest to cover Armageddon in a quiet, dignified, and incredibly catchy manner. With the cool keys of a Nord Electro 6 and a rudimentary drum machine backing, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Thurlow Wood sings Cold War-era instructions to schoolchildren on what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. Against a music video incorporating archive footage of a 1951 educational film, Wood’s haunting vocal delivery simultaneously emphasizes the futility of such directions were an actual tactical strike ordered on the United States, in addition to the fragility of our continued existence as a human species. Reminiscent of the Postal Service’s similarly depressive earworms and Ra Ra Riot circa 2013’s Beta Love, it’s a beautiful, harrowing single that’s a perfect soundtrack for our increasingly precarious times — give it a watch below, and stream new LP Discontinue Normal Program, out now. Photo by David Yang

Synthpop outfit Bottler describe their sound as music “full of electronic vitamin C,” an apt description of their uplifting new track “Nobody Likes Me.” Bolstered by a chilled downtempo beat and a healthy mix of piano keys and speaker-shaking bass, the Brooklyn-based duo employ a repeating sample of a children’s choir as the song’s centerpiece, creating a joyful, bright atmosphere over its succinct three minute run time. Moreover, Bottler’s approach to production, which incorporates maximalist, shimmering synth arpeggios alongside analogue components, evokes the late 00s / early 10s indietronic sound of groups like Passion Pit and Discovery sans vocals. Stream this sunny listen below, and keep an eye out for their upcoming EP Clementine, out May 8th.

Self-isolation-bred productivity can come in many forms, and whether it’s reading a good book or posting on Instagram about your sourdough starter, there’s really no wrong way to do it. Erring on the side of the creative is Brooklyn indie outfit Onesie’s new video for “Unsolved Mysteries,” which, through iMovie magic and a photo scanner, lovingly displays the mid-80s childhood drawings of bandleader Ben Haberland. Scoring these high resolution scans of Mortal Kombat (or G.I. Joe?) inspired illustrations is Onesie’s power pop inclined sound, albeit on the scuzzier side; Haberland’s winding vocal delivery modulates between the bright melodic quality heard on the band’s 2019 effort Umpteenth, breaking on the chorus to deliver some frothy sing-speak disharmony. Bolstered by driving, interlocking guitar work and lyricism drawing parallels between mental subjugation and sheltering-in-place, it’s a progressive bop for fans of 90s / early 00s alternative, or those seeking to enliven the feeling of being trapped — either way, watch and listen below.

It’s been an engaging (and exciting) experience to see the through-line developing on Capsules, the forthcoming debut record by New York-based folk soothsayer Hayfitz, something one could liken to reading sections from a diary non-linearly. New track “Kitchen” maintains a similar environment to previous single “Daylight,” as Brandon Hafetz’s quiet, impressionistic recollections of the past drift over evenhanded guitar chords and lush analogue synths, but while Hafetz’s last single detailed the harsh truth of being honest and having “sober conversations,” “Kitchen” feels like a fresh start. A repeating chorus of questions (“What’s your name? What’s your story?”) emphasizes the different kind of intimacy the single details, the terrifying prospect of knowing someone else and being known yourself. Once more, Hafetz’s focus on the vulnerable nature of the human condition, the pain inherent to our interconnecting lives, is rendered brightly, beautifully, and softly, through trembling falsetto and an intrepid blend of acoustic and electronic sounds. Give it a listen below ahead of his LP’s release on May 29th. —Connor Beckett McInerney

The aptly titled “Social Distancing” by Brooklyn-based outfit Monster Furniture captures the feelings inherent to our new lives indoors — a lofi metronome beat, anxiety-adjacent walking bass lines, and lyrics detailing our new “curious days” convey well the inertia of sheltering-in-place, outlining both the few joys of staying home (like feeding baby carrots to the dog [as a treat]) amidst the various long sighs that fill our impossibly long days. Moreover, Monster Furniture’s inclination towards occasional melodic resolves and sweet falsetto reprieves from a predominantly downtempo, minor offering embeds the track with a sense of yearning, which paired with a lyrical grocery list of indoor-friendly activities that occupy time as we wait for the pandemic to end, seems to cautiously look on the bright side, while accepting the less-than-ideal nature of our current, sickness-stricken reality. It’s a kind, deeply human tune, and recommended listening for days spent doing the same tasks, over and over again — stream it below, alongside the other thematically similar tracks on Shred City Presents’s Quarantine Compilation.

Synthpop multi-instrumentalist Christian Carpenter (a.k.a Trivial Shields) excels in the field of sad bops — tracks where the vibe feels lighthearted and dance-forward, yet marked by subtle, lachrymose undertones. Case in point, new single “For The Best” provides a groove-focused atmospheric jam, with a sensitive vocal performance from vocalist and producer Angelica Bess that adds a recollective, sometimes wistful energy. Such a pairing of melancholic lyricism with indie pop instrumentation isn’t new, but Carpenter and Bess’s collaboration enables to take in both sweet and sad in equal turn, laying down a bop well-suited for hopeless romantics and club kids alike, the type of jam that makes you cognizant of the friends (and possibly lovers) who are no longer in your life, but whose impact is still felt and appreciated in the present. Give it a stream below as you dream of your eventual return to the dance floor.

Listening to “Lay Out in the Sun,” the latest single by New York post-punk band Fair Visions, feels like a daydream had while staring out the window of a cramped three-bedroom apartment. Tightly compressed drums and hazy, analogue keys vibe alongside easygoing acoustic strumming, as singer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Work envisions a sunny afternoon in greener pastures, “away from everyone.” Avoiding getting caught in the claustrophobia of bedroom pop, the song expands outwards, providing a verdant, minimalist synth solo and lush chorus harmonies, pining lyrically for a new start, a contrast to the perpetually overcast nature of quotidian routines. While most of the city remains anxiously stuck indoors, Fair Visions encourages us to dream, if only for a moment, about a better life that’s just over the horizon — give it a listen the next time you find yourself requiring a brief escape. —Connor Beckett McInerney

The saturated image of a fleeing canine adorns the cover of Red Wolf, a recent release by New York experimental rock trio Spacer, a fitting image given the effort’s skittish, sometimes wandering internal monologue and its fight-or-flight inducing guitar work. Through sludgey drop tunings with a slight psych influence, Spacer impress on listeners a sense of indefinable external danger, or at the very least a mild malaise, over the course of six tracks, replete with an impressionistic approach to lyricism and distorted, heavy shredding. Visceral and anxiety-inducing, it’s evocative of Boris’ Akuma No Uta, the type of record for those seeking an experimental, noisy release from the city’s current quietude. Stream it below.

Brooklyn-based post-rock / jazz trio Scree best hone their sound in a live setting — their set opening for Ben Seretan this past February was, in my opinion, one of the more transcendent performances i’ve seen in recent years. Live at The Owl captures much of the unbridled, experimental aspects that make the group such a joy to listen to, brimming with noodling interplay between upbeat bass and live guitar, shuffling freeform percussion, and well-timed discordant segues that introduce a cerebral, melancholic break from melody. Unfortunately not present on the LP are guitarist Ryan Beckley’s inter-track spoken word interludes (which offered a nice reprieve from the band’s swirling, blue-toned sound in concert); until the dust settles on New York’s indefinite concert postponement and you can enjoy Scree IRL, stream this masterful instrumental effort below. —Connor Beckett McInerney, Photo by Jason Burger