Running the gamut from string-led slowcore to crunchy emo, Good Looking Friends have a pretty firm grasp on the world of emotional basement music. The group’s latest track, “Front Porch,” pairs twinkling guitars with sweeping orchestration before a rushing climax recedes into the swell of strings. It’s the first single from Good Looking Friends’ new album Settle In, Decay, out April 6th. The band recently played the release party at Bushwick Public House, but you can catch them again at Muchmore’s on April 20th. In the meantime, watch the video for “Front Porch” below. – Cameron Carr

On their newest release, Been Stellar’s Sam Slocum and Skyler Knapp take inspiration from the city of New York after moving from Michigan in 2017 to start college. “Everyone Smokes in the City” comes from an observation the two made about the prevalence of smokers in New York compared to their previous, more midwestern home. The single takes clear inspiration from bands at the forefront of New York’s music scene in the early aughts—The Strokes and Interpol, in particular, are cited as influences by the group—and keeps a naïve sort of charm with observations on the city like choosing between a smelly subway car or the unknown of catching a cab.

“Where we came from, everything was so safe and upstanding,” Knapp says. “Even though we still were in a really nice part of the city, we noticed that the people were a bit more jagged. The song is about this new type of personality we started to see: falsely jaded, pretentiously unpretentious. It’s about dudes who talk way too much about zines and Bushwick (both of which are cool for the record). The goal of it was to try to make the least hypocritical observation of these new people we found ourselves surrounded with.”

You can stream “Everyone Smokes in the City” below. – Cameron Carr

Slut Magic makes punk rock for a modern era—it’s covered in branded fashion statements, intimate like social media, and eclectic in its influences. New single “Adult Situations” plays as an unabashedly modern confessional where singer/violinist Emma Sky seems to lament over a lover unresponsive to text invites to see Star Wars. There’s a hint of riot grrrl intensity, made clearer by the band name’s reclamation of “slut” and the collage-style artwork, but Slut Magic pulls just as much from a Liz Phair-style lyrical openness and leans musically adventurous with cavernous violin and rumbling, phasey guitars—the violin also takes time to wittily paraphrase the Star Wars theme. The band’s debut album, In My Mouth was released on March 30th. ­­– Cameron Carr

The members of Toebow have been simmering around the city’s music scene for a while now, you might recognize some of them from projects like Zula and BOBBY, but Spirit Mane is the first release to come from the band. The EP’s four tracks are doused in kaleidoscopic arrangements and ethereal sounds, like a dream pop interpretation of the experimental musings of groups like Tortoise, Stereolab, or King Crimson—but the pop in dream pop is important here. While opening track “I’ll Be Gone” leans into jazz-inflicted chord progressions, “Starfucker” delivers heady electro energy, “Belong” swirls in odd-shaped melodies, and the title track closes with a slow-moving cloud of other-worldly effects, the band never shies away from the pop end of the spectrum. Spirit Mane introduces Toebow as a group keen on invention yet willing to bridge the gap between music that is arty and music that is accessible. The EP is out tomorrow, but you can stream it in its entirety below. Catch the band April 7th celebrating the release at Trans-Pecos alongside Balún and Floam. – Cameron Carr

The music of Dark Tea has all the intimacy of lo-fi bedroom recordings—acoustic guitar, casio keyboards, near whispered vocals—but manages to present it with the smooth sentimentality of folk. Gary Canino, the songwriter behind the project, weaves elements from the worlds of indie rock and twangy Americana together into delicate arrangements. The songs gain added emphasis from Canino’s choice to use accents sparingly, only occasionally letting in pedal steel guitar, a guest vocal harmony, or wash of keyboard. With a new tape on the way, Dark Tea will play a release show at The Glove on April 1st before embarking on a west coast tour. Though there are few details about the release, we’re hopeful this isn’t just an April Fool’s prank, get to the show to find out. – Cameron Carr

Under the Trace Mountains moniker, Dave Benton makes folky, lo-fi tunes that blend in synthesizers and post-production effects for quirky and occasionally noisy compositions. Benton, who’s also a songwriter in beloved indie rock quartet LVL UP, sings with a tender delivery fit to the gently building arrangements of his tracks while crunched up drum machines and softly strummed guitar propel his voice onward. On A Partner to Lean On, due March 30th on Figure 2 RC, he brings together recordings of new material and updated versions of previously released songs. The album release will coincide with a show at Alphaville where Trace Mountains will be joined by Operator Music Band and Spirit Was, which features Benton’s LVL UP bandmate Nick Corbo. – Cameron Carr

Last year’s Dada was a mission statement from B Boys, highlighting the group’s late ‘70s-early ‘80s art-punk influences and earning the band some well-deserved critical praise (ours included). It’s 30 minutes of sharply cut punk dressed in the disjointed musings of its titular dada philosophy. Since then, the Brooklyn trio has kept busy and, so far, 2018 looks to be no different. On March 23rd, B Boys will open for UK post-punkers Shame before heading west next month to play both weekends of Coachella along with a handful of dates around the region. ­– Cameron Carr

To make it into the crowd for Bodega’s set when they play Jonathan Toubin’s Soul Clap at Elsewhere requires a fair bit of effort, strategic movement, and patience. But it’s worth it. On stage the New York quintet is a fluid sea of movement darting along to pointed rhythms and shouted post-modernism. That was two weeks ago, when searching for the band’s music revealed only outdated links to its predecessor Bodega Bay. On Wednesday, the band premiered its first single under the shortened name, a staccato post-punk piece called “How Did This Happen !?,” produced by Parquet Courts’ Austin Brown. The art punk influence is apparent, with vocalist/guitarist Ben Hozie half-speaking half-shouting monotone lines like “this machine you know it don’t kill fascists, this machine just softens its heart. This machine it killed the dream of the ‘60s, this machine you know it’s just a guitar.”

What’s Yr Rupture? is set to release the group’s debut album this summer. To accompany “How Did This Happen !?” Bodega has released a 360-degree interactive video, describing it as “a simulacrum of a typical night at our favorite Brooklyn venue, ALPHAVILLE. Some audience members scroll on their phones, others half listen (waiting to play), [sic] and those with light to spread join the show.” You can watch the video below and catch Bodega at Union Pool on March 10th, before they head to SXSW to play Pianos’ SXSW party on 03.17. – Cameron Carr

With its first full-length album, Things I’ll Tell You When You’re Older, Brooklyn quintet Bodies Be Rivers shows itself as an entrancing force in the world of alternative rock. There’s a folk sensibility to Bodies Be Rivers’ songwriting but on the ten-track debut that’s been amplified with echoing guitars, tumbling tom drums, and lush vocal production. The slowly harmonizing voices of Lauren Smith and Summer Stephanos lead the way into slight ambience, giving an almost dreamy hue to the band’s sound, particularly on tracks like opener "None The Wiser" and the gently floating "Golden Child." To celebrate the debut, Bodies Be Rivers will play C’mon Everybody this Saturday with support from Lauren Balthrop and Caitlin Pasko. ­– Cameron Carr

On new single “Think of the Children,” Kodacrome make a dreamy home out of minimalist electronica. Building over a house beat, Elissa LeCoque slowly emotes with a determined bassline and waves of ambient synth flourishes providing support. LeCoque and musical partner Ryan Casey clearly have a careful ear for sound, choosing only vital elements that accentuate the beat established at the song’s beginning. “Think of the Children” is the title track from the synth duo’s new album, due April 1st, and their first release since 2016. Stream “Think of the Children” below. – Cameron Carr

The lo-fi pop group Triathalon will celebrate the release of its third album, “Online,” with a sold-out show at Baby’s All Right on February 28th. After establishing a sound keen on lo-fi aesthetics and jazzy undertones, the Brooklyn group is about to release a record that ventures further into pop territory with a heavy R&B influence. The recordings are cleaner, the tones deeper, and there’s a novel suave element to it that makes it a lot more playful than the previous releases. However, the band’s tracks maintain the band’s signature dark, late night intimacy. With “Online,” Triathalon shows its true potential in the pop realm. For those lucky enough to have tickets, the Baby’s All Right show will be the first performance since the album’s release. Watch the video for standout track “Couch” below. – Cameron Carr

When it seems impossible to continue its climb, the new track from pop group Kitten just keeps going, creating a prolonged sensation of being lifted up, while band leader Chloe Chaidez sings with buoyant optimism over already anthemic backing instrumentals. “I Did It!” shows Kitten as a pop force with a handle for ‘80s glitz and modern production tricks. Though Chaidez sings of past mistakes, its done with poise and confidence, ready to move forward as the sheen of smiling synth-pop propels her on. It’s the group’s first release since 2016’s “Heaven Or Somewhere In Between” and teases a new self-produced album slated for later this year. Listen to “I Did It!” below. – Cameron Carr