One of the most difficult tasks for a musical artist is to develop her project’s sound after a first, well-received album. Being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and a genetic joint disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, conditions that affect vocals and instrumental ability, certainly doesn’t make the challenge any easier. None of this prevented Brooklyn songwriter Thelma (aka Natasha Jacobs) from taking her music to the next level in less than two years. Her 2017 self titled debut LP was a collection of heartfelt and somewhat odd orchestral ballads. From the sound of the first single from sophomore LP "The Only Thing," Jacobs is upping the ante of her songwriting by amplifying the oddness and intensity of her chord progressions, lyrics, melodies and arrangements. A sparse and imaginative mid-tempo featuring acoustic drums, synths and harp, Take me to Orlando" is an ode to illusions, a poem dedicated to a yet-to-be-met lover to whom Thelma sings: "I love how you play with illusion / cause you know how badly we need them / But honey you’re so real / and you dance around fear […] and you don’t make me feel like I’m the woman I am not." Which sounds like a cleared-sighted expression of the healing power of art-making.

Don’t miss Thelma’s live show at Trans-Pecos on December 20th and look out for her new album, scheduled for a February 22 release.

Brooklyn collective Sloppy Jane is slowly but inexorably building a growing fanbase through a double-punch of theatrical post-punk delivered through a live performance that caters to widespread voyeuristic inclinations. At their shows you can expect an atmosphere reminiscent of pagan rituals, where noisy guitars, screaming voices, twisted lyrics and naked bodies concoct a performance that’s provocative at every level. 2018 album Willow sounds like a theatrical post-punk/DIY opera and – allegedly – tells the story of a “girl who existed inside of a strip club in Inglewood, who ran away to the desert to hustle pool with a lion, and who burned herself alive for [our] freedom.” It’s a powerful record filled with odd tracks that develop in unexpected sonic and vocal directions, without ever sounding disjointed or randomly assembled. Its manic energy well represents a band whose most noteworthy strength resides in a live show that is absolutely impossible to ignore. The band recently announced a short tour in the South and their participation in the 2019 SXSW Festival

We’ve been saying for years that female indie musicians have, on average, been producing a lot more interesting material than their dude counterparts, and L’Freaq, the project of bi-coastal electronic singer songwriter Lea Cappelli, is another piece in the truly beautiful puzzle representing NYC women’s musical output in the new millennium. After releasing the delicate yet edgy electro-soul ballad "Weird Awakenings," the artists has recently unveiled a darker (and even edgier) single/video combo with  "Moonlight" – streaming below. Channeling the experimental, noir ballads of Portishead, the track features a deceivingly sparse arrangement, blending a killer plodding and syncopated rhythm section with ever-evolving, ambient electronic soundscape. Lea’s vocals not only confirm her noteworthy pipes and silky tone, but also reveal her ability to convey character to a performance and "play" the song’s part, a trait only few musical performer possess. Don’t miss her next live performance at Rockwood on February 2nd.

Brooklyn dream pop duo Datachoir made its debut in late November with a three song EP (streaming below) and… a guitar pedal. For the stompbox-educated, the pedal in question is a reverse delay + modulation device built in collaboration with Old Blood Noise Endeavors – you can read and hear more about it in our pedal blog Delicious Audio. For those who only care about music, instead, Datachoir is comprised of guitarist Cathy Begien and keyboardist Summer Mastous, and their sound will resonate with fans of early dream pop and shoegazer artists like Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine.

Taking cues from Kate Bush, Bjork, and lugubrious 4AD artists like This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance, Brooklyn’s Tesha delivers a refreshingly anti-pop track to fight Christmas’ usual sonic banalities. The edgy, electronic artist is about to release a new EP and just unveiled single Funeral, a track about her mother’s funeral (Tesha lost both of her parents a few years ago). Otherworldly and minimal, the song is driven by a slow bass line and a plodding rhythm section, while almost unintelligible vocals seem to express a kind of thoughtful sorrow that sounds at once profound and alien. The EP is scheduled for a January 25th release. 

Curtis Lowe is a new electronic music project from NYC-based producer Conor Cook.  The debut EP, Sad Bangers Vol. 1, is due January 18 via the Spotify Direct program. The first single “Breaking Me” (streaming below) was unveiled today, unveiling a melodic house sound with the souful vocals of Naomi Wild. The EP was produced by Cook, who also plays guitar on every track. The songs were all co-written by Cook and the featured vocalists. 

Cook explains: “I wanted to create modern a sound that is based around classic house elements and good songs.  I’ve been writing with some great musicians and friends over the last year and am excited to begin releasing music under Curtis Lowe. The songwriting happened in a variety of sessions in NYC and LA, but most of the production was done alone in my apartment in Brooklyn over the last year. I drew a lot of the inspiration for the sonics of the project from 90’s/Chicago house music, married with modern production elements, and darker songwriting themes.

Former Exitmusic member Devon Church (whom we interviewed here) has released his solo debut album “We Are Inextricable.” While holding on to many of the dream-like qualities of his previous band, his material features a more intimate and introspective style of writing. His voice is slightly rougher now, bearing a world-weary storytelling approach. “Draw the knife of your beauty one more night – cut these fibers now that tie me to your bed.” The artist will be celebrating the album release show at Alphaville tonight (11.30), the record can be streamed and purchased at the Felte bandcamp page here. – Dave Cromwell

Currently based in NYC, Lucite Tokki is a duo that formed in Seoul in 2005 and had a pretty good run so far, releasing four full albums and six EPs. Their songs shares delicate melodies and a variety of instruments, from the acoustic to the electronic, that are the basis of their always sparse arrangements. Their latest album "L+" features both Korean and English lyrics and delivers plenty of charming pop moments. Our favorite songs is opener "every you" (streaming), which use a jazzy piano progression to build a sophisticated soul pop composition filled with nods to the masters of the genre from the early ’80s. Lucite Tikki will be performing live at Rockwood Music Hall on December 23rd.

Synthpop Brooklyn duo (via Atlanta) CLAVVS has been catching a lot of cyber-fan attention recently by topping the Hype Machine charts with singles Lay Back (streaming) and Slow Dive. The group has already two well received full length albums under their belt, but are showing no signs of slowing down. Atmospheric and easy on the ear without ever sounding banal, this year’s singles show a noteworthy growth in the songwriting department, which is a promising sign for a project whose songs aim at moving the listeners’ feelings more than their body, boosted by vocalist Amber Renee’s soulful and melancholic alto. You can catch them live with TEEN on January 16 at Baby’s All Right.

Brooklyn psych rockers Color Tongue are premiering here their new video for single Over the Moon, from their three-single EP Bealing Bell, released this past September. The track is (some kind of) love song for a passerby that’s at once sweet and borderline indecent, including lyrics like "I’d be over the moon, if you walk with me, we’d fork and we’d sppon." Blending a variety of genres in unexpected and psychedelic ways, the song is mostly based on a colorfully arranged reggae beat, although after minute four things change quite radically, with a slow reprise suddenly morphing into a wall of noise finale. The video itself is also a mix of different footage, where home videos depicting the band are mixed and faded with vintage B-Movies, creating a glittering stream-of-consciousness effect. Color Tongue will celebrate this release with a show at Sunnyvale on November 29 with OOX, Haunted Horses NYC, Castle Black and Private Siren.

New Jersey band Wyland offers an heartfelt blend of melodic rock and folk rock, and they have big plans for the upcoming months. They just unveiled single "Nowhere Now" (streaming) from their upcoming EP to be released in early 2019, and also announced a supporting tour with Universal Canada artist Valley. Our local readers will be able to see them at the Asbury Park Brewery on 12.08 and at Rough Trade on 12.15.

In the best synthpop tradition, Brooklyn trio Jaguar Dreams makes music that yes melodic, but features an aftertaste of mystery and darkness. Lead single "Mean Somethin" (streaming below), progresses seamlessly from a mid-tempo verse to a catchy, dance-inducing chorus, reinventing ’80s post-new wave electronic atmospheres supported by soulful vocals that conjure up an imaginary summer. Second single "A Real Woman" (video streaming underneath) is a more edgy tribute to that same decade, with references to Talking Heads, David Bowie and Depeche Mode.