Brooklyn-based psych-rock trio Good Time Mystery Vision detail the stabilizing quality of love and relationships on new track “Cala Lillies.” The band’s second single since their formation earlier this year, the song finds its footing through swelling instrumentation and vocalist David Jacobson’s dynamic vocal delivery; against forlorn guitar lines and various synth accents, Jacobson’s lyrics detail the turbulence of our modern lives, and the buttressing nature those close to us have as we contend with personal problems. While love songs are quick to venture into overtly sappy territory, Good Time Mystery Vision have a knack for maintaining sincerity and massive riffs in tandem. Listen below, and keep an eye out for the band’s next drop on December 4th.

NYC-based quartet King Jane incorporate a wide range of genre influences into their sound, a consequence of the band’s founding members Michael Sanders and Kenny Florence meeting while pursuing masters degrees in music composition at The New School. Equal parts R&B, jazz, and alternative pop, their most recent effort “Deep in the Garden” exudes the outfit’s consummate musicianship, weaving in and out of different time signatures and motifs—the track starts as a soft-bop, replete with meandering keys and crooning vox before shifting into an explosive, guitar-driven drama around the two and a half minute mark, before finally landing on a driving, noodling outro. “Deep in the Garden” places King Jane somewhere between 70s soft rock and contemporary synth-driven indie; stream it below. —Connor Beckett McInerney

“Blue Haze” is the latest “end-of-summer glassy groove” from New York synth outsider Tatum Gale, and while billed as a seasonally-apt slow jam when it came out in September, it’s spooky, dark drops resonate just as closely during these sub-30 November nights. Between its hazy chords and spacey percussive backbone, the track endows the listeners with a sense of distance, making it perfect listening for a small kickback among close friends or a dissociative episode in the club. Gale’s additional ability to inject indietronica into a future-funk bop gives “Blue Haze” a sound that’s accessible as it is groovy; stream it below to get your weekend started right. —Connor Beckett McInerney

United as a band for nearly two decades, New Jersey’s The Early November has released seven albums over their prolific career, with their most recent effort Lilac dropping in September. The album begins with “Perfect Sphere (Bubble),” a driving earworm of a tune with clear vocals that recount the experience of always being there for someone who is perpetually unavailable, described as remaining “up in the air.” This bittersweet piece creates a sense of comfort  as the vocals endow the listener with feelings of being kept close and safe—at an emotional distance. Generally, The Early November’s gentle vocals and easygoing instrumentation, combined with a harmonized vox creates a sense of forlorn melancholy, the outfit seemingly able to recall elements equal parts sad and sweet. Each of their records creates a different emotional environment, but every one is able to incorporate immaculate songwriting and fierce, driving instrumentals. Stream it below, and them at Anchor Rock Club (in Atlantic City) for their New Year’s Eve bash. —Karigan Wright

Few events embody the spirit of independent music in New York City than The Revolution, a performance series that highlights artists continuously pushing thefrontiers of innovative alternative pop.

This week, the series returns to Brooklyn’s National Sawdust on Thursday, November 14th for its 44th volume, featuring sets by local artists RINI, Jill Peacock, and Wayne Tucker. RINI’s strength comes from the outfit’s synergy of Carnatic music (a product of bandleader Harini Raghavan’s formal training at the Berklee College of Music and her own roots in the city of Chennai, India) with electronica, crafting a final output that balances and synthesizes two seemingly disparate genre influences.

Likewise, Canadian keyboardist and singer Jill Peacock crafts nu soul bops that echo trip hop and classic United Kingdom soul, creating grooves that transcend decades and continents; jazz trumpeter, composer, and vocalist Wayne Tucker similarly finds his footing in bridging the genre’s long history, incorporating soundscapes equal parts bebop and contemporary R&B.

Tickets are still available for The Revolution Vol 44—stream each of the artists here before you catch them this Thursday.

Alternative pop artist Halima is currently residing in New York City, after previously living in Lagos and London. Her most popular and recent single is “Ford Cardinal,” a smooth and catchy tune, one that touches on a complicated relationship wherein she wants nothing but to be with someone who appears to have left her behind. Halima repeats that she found loose change in the backseat of her Ford Cardinal, reminding her of a distant memory with a lover. On top of the lyrics, the melody is also catchy, a minimalist groove carrying Halima’s polished vocals. The highlight of the song comes at 2 minutes and 16 seconds, as she begins to lightly rap her feelings and thoughts aimed at the unrepentant lover who doesn’t think they fit together. This powerful bridge is refreshing against the repetitive-yet-heartfelt lyrics. Jam it below. —Karigan Wright

Off-kilter indie connoisseurs Drug Couple lay down a homegrown bop on new single “Be In 2.” A track off the Brooklyn duo’s forthcoming debut EP Little Hits, “Be In 2” finds its pace in the disconcerting give-and-take of modulating, granular synths and an acoustic percussive backbone, occasionally finding space for shimmering guitar riffs and cheerful vocal accents, endowing the final output with a sound somewhere between Animal Collective and Yo La Tengo. This call and response dynamic radiates through the track’s lyrical components as well, with band members Miles and Becca sharing the song’s central melody. Given that Drug Couple’s mythos comes from its two members “falling in love, micro-dosing LSD [together], and considering getting a dog,” it’s clear that the chemistry between its two members isn’t just limited to their joint desire to “find someone special to share the end times with.” Jam it below, and catch them at the Broadway on November 18th for their record release show. -Connor Beckett McInerney, Photo by Ed-Rocha Goncalves

New York-based songwriter Gabriel Birnbaum (of Wilder Maker) describes his debut solo LP Not Alone as “classic American music, suitable for everyday use,” and he’s not wrong. There’s something quotidian about his tunes in the way that he recounts daily adventures and the minutia of the minutes passing between the hours, offset by the easygoing nature of his backing band laying down classic folk rock soundscapes. This isn’t to say there’s anything boring about Not Alone; rather, Gabriel Birnbaum’s ability to craft plainspoken-yet-engaging narratives of everyday life resonates as good, honest work—his view of the world is well-used when accompanied by stuttering roots rock electric guitars and rhythmic, acoustic strumming, providing a contemporary example of the hardworking American musician archetype. Stream the first three tracks of the record below, and catch Birnbaum at Turk’s Inn on December 4th. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz form the dream-folk band TOLEDO. The New York City duo released their first EP, “Hotstuff” earlier this year, a collection of laid back, mostly acoustic tracks drawing airy pop melodies on a twangy background. Single “Qué Pasa?” perfectly sums up this Mazzy Star-inspired sound, in which smooth and dazed vocals perfectly complement the light and dainty melody. The other four song on the EP are consistently enjoyable, making this band a candidate for the post-Real Estate throne. TOLEDO will perform in NYC at Baby’s All Right on 11.02.

NYC based singer-songwriter Ava Heatley released her latest single, “Party,” a couple of weeks ago, a somber and reflective piece, depicting the thoughts of a girl at a party, having a conversation with herself rather than, well, fun. Heatley’s airy and gentle vocals take the listener through the character’s alienation, immersed in a sparse and droney arrangement that fits the melancholic melody. The single follows her previous track "Shitty Tattoo" released this past summer with an accompanying music video, and 2018 EP Beautiful/Terrifying. 

Brooklyn’s Jeanines specialize in ultra-short bursts of energetic but melancholy minor-key pop. With influences that run deep into the most crucial tributaries of DIY pop — Messthethics, the Television Personalities, Marine Girls, early Pastels, Dolly Mixture — they’ve crafted a style that is as individual as it is just plain pleasurable. Alicia Jeanine’s pure, unaffected voice muses wistfully on the illusions of time, while My Teenage Stride/Mick Trouble mastermind Jed Smith’s frantic Motown-esque drumming and inventive bass playing provide a thrilling rhythmic foundation. They have a new album coming out on Slumberland and they will be celebrating its release at Alphaville on 06.22, after a brief East Coast tour. Stream single "Either Way" below.

We’ve been huge fans of Arthur Moon for awhile. Admittedly, releases-wise things haven’t been moving at break-necking pace for the the avant-indie project of queer artist Lora-Faye Åshuvud, as it often happens with music that’s a little more sophisticated than the average. And Arthur Moon’s music is a lot more sophisticated – and complicated – than the average. But finally word is out that the project debut album, following their excellent 2017 debut EP Our Head and a few singles, is about to drop, and preview single Homonormo bodes well for an outstanding release. Subverting anything that can be subverted in the rhythmic, melodic and production realms, this vocoder and plodding drumbeat-driven song finds a perfect balance between experimentation and melody, with Lora-Faye’s vocals guiding us charmingly and confidently through an unexpected path of sonic twists and turns that never sound forced. 

Arthur Moon will be performing live at Elsewhere with Palehound on July 10th, with the debut record scheduled for an August 2nd release.