Few continue to “walk the walk” of the folk musician’s talk quite like Brooklyn transplant Fletcher C Johnson, and his latest single “Portland” makes this fact abundantly known. A nasal diatribe of crashing on couches (and stints on the street) comprise Johnson’s narrative of the years he lived in track’s titular city, interwoven amongst lazy, nostalgia-inducing slide guitar. The lyrics earnest and occasionally self-critical nature, paired with Johnson’s unique timber and penchant for bluegrass soundscapes evoke the proto-alternative country sounds of Jerry Garcia; it’s fitting given Johnson has certainly been on a Long Strange Trip before coming home to roost in Brooklyn, New York. Give it a listen below, and keep an eye out for his forthcoming LP Are You Feelin’ It, dropping October 14th. -Connor Beckett McInerney

Ahead of their forthcoming release Shiny New Model, New York garage heroes BODEGA headlined Brooklyn’s Market Hotel September 28th. The EP’s title track is a sunny and energetic romp, characterized by an uneasy sense of self—lead singer Bodega Ben riffs on the built-in obsolesce of technology (and people) while dropping metaphysical bombs, like “every woman and man is a microcosm of lust.” Watch the video below, and catch BODEGA’s wild, philosophical ride this Saturday alongside Native Sun, and Kahiem Rivera. 

NYC garage rock outfit Desert Sharks make a good case for the new subgenre—tentatively titled “armageddon punk”— on new song / video “I Don’t Know How to Dress for the Apocalypse.” Bolstered by anthemic guitar tones and breakbeat major-minor chord changes, the track (and their latest offering from forthcoming full-length debut Baby’s Gold Death Stadium) details the myriad of seemingly unlimited challenges humanity faces that we seem in no hurry to fix: the wage gap, global warming, that sort of thing. Against this macabre-yet-unavoidable subject matter, Desert Sharks hunker down to have themselves an apocalypse party; as lead singer Stephanie Gunther truthfully points out, “it’s ok, no one knows what we’re doing anyway,” raucous celebration in the face of the end of everything seems like a pretty good plan. Watch it below, and catch Desert Sharks on September 20th at Mercury Lounge. -Connor Beckett McInerney

“Bad In The Sun,” the newest offering by New York-based post-punk duo Water From Your Eyes, is a beautiful slow burn. Luring the listener into a false sense of trance-induced security through repetitive vocal samples and breakbeat 808s, the track eventually congeals into a harmonious vamp, wherein the chaos of their varied synth pop and new wave influences are slowly drawn back to reveal vocalist Rachel Brown’s mellifluous vocal performance and percussive, melodic guitar work. Clocking in at six minutes, it’s a wild ride that takes the listener through various musical themes incorporating IDM, folktronica, and indie rock, and demonstrates a bold vision for the group’s forthcoming LP Somebody Else’s Song. Stream it below, and catch Water From Your Eyes at Baby’s All Right on September 19th. -Connor Beckett McInerney

“Hit Me Up,” the most recent single by Queens based post-punk outfit WIVES, luridly stumbles into the spotlight at full force; its phosphorescent riffs and glammy vox (by vocalist/guitarist Jay Beach) are rife with a swaggering, confident showmanship that belies it’s status as a single from the band’s upcoming debut So Removed. Better yet is how WIVES are able to seamlessly transition from discordant, strung-out fuzz to a harmonious crescendo on the track’s chorus, in which shimmering, pedal-heavy guitar lines collide with massive percussive builds. It’s a disorienting-ly beautiful track that sets a high standard for the rest of the record, which drops October 4th via City Slang. Until then, stream it below, and catch WIVES at Rough Trade on October 3rd. -Connor Beckett McInerney 

Indoor drama is a central theme to Brooklyn indie trio Boot’s debut EP, finding both comfort and claustrophobia in the time spent at home. Each of the extended play’s four tracks set a scene with two players, with each performance a soliloquy that revels in the coziness of intimacy, or squirms under unescapable pressure. From opener “Heaven Is A Place In Queens,” which details the simple pleasures of suburban living over dreamy arpeggios, to “Let’s Go To Bed,” wherein the protagonist lands himself on the couch for things that should have remained unsaid, Boot has a talent for rendering the highs and lows of domestic living in a way that feels ubiquitous. The EP’s instrumental accompaniment feels equally homespun; bright, lofi guitar work and melodic syncopation lend a calm comfort to each track’s performance, breaking only for an explosive solo on “Tally Up” to close this effort on a high note. Stream it below. -Connor Beckett McInerney

“Wasted,” the sole release by “secret music project” Old Cob, expands the mythos of the anonymous Brooklyn performer through eclectic instrumentation and impressionistic lyrics. Interspersed between a recurring Dixieland banjo loop, shuffling percussion, and warped synthetic hits, Old Cob croons non-sequiturs that evoke feelings of repetition and tropes Americana. “Once upon a time, I would stand in line for the magic show,” Old Cob declares, before the chorus begs the question: “what am I doing here? I should be somewhere else making a living.” Deeply esoteric and impossibly intriguing, your guess is as good as mine as to what Old Cob’s intentions are—my working theory is that they are an early 20th century time traveler who’s unexpectedly landed in present-day New York, but I’m open to suggestion. Until we have more answers, stream “Wasted” below. -Connor Beckett McInerney

New York / Philadelphia band Field Mouse evoke internal conflict on their new single “Heart of Gold,” basking in lukewarm nostalgia against massive pop punk riffs and a breakneck percussive pace. With lyrics detailing dreams of car crashes and meeting one’s “evil self,” lead singer Rachel Browne’s vocal performance is rife with anxiety and a lingering sense of dread. Despite this apprehension, Browne still expresses a cautious confidence, stating she “still has a heart of gold,” which offset against melodic, explosive guitar work embeds the track with an enduring sense of optimism. Stream it below, and catch Field Mouse at Elsewhere’s Zone One on August 17th. -Connor Beckett McInerney

New York noise enthusiasts ESSi know their way around a busted Line 6 amplifier, and their newest single “Pines Ands Cones” demonstrates an aptitude for all the bells and hisses of an electric guitar. While the track builds its energy with a grimy driving four on the floor beat, it quickly transitions to a meandering, noodling trance; guitarist and singer Jessica Ackerly delivers an aggressive vocal performance against Rick Daniel’s doomsday percussion, resulting in a final cut that feels like an industrial fugue state. It’s disorienting, dissonant, and rough around the edges (in the best way possible), a hype-worthy teaser of what we can expect on the duo’s forthcoming debut, Vital Creatures, out October 11th on Ramp Local. Stream it below, and catch ESSI at Alphaville on October 5th alongside Upper Wilds, Russian Baths, and Wsabi Fox. -Connor Beckett McInerney

New York DJ and label boss Rissa Garcia knows how to strike the right chord between heavy nostalgia and classic sounds. Her recent drop “Baby I Can Feel It” demonstrates this aptitude, interpolating 90s piano house with more contemporary synthetic and percussive accents. It endows “Baby” with a feeling that’s as nostalgic as it is danceable, employing a vintage aesthetic that never feels derivative or pandering; rather, “Baby I Can Feel It” shows Garcia’s ability to recognize the electronic textures that are timeless, and utilize them in novel, groovy ways. Stream this bop below, and catch Rissa Garcia at Elsewhere on August 10th alongside Classixx, Young Franco, and Alejandra Sabillon. -Connor Beckett McInerney

“When you talk about a revolution, most people think violence without realizing that the real content of any kind of revolutionary thrust lies in the principles and the goals you’re striving for.” This excerpt from a 1972 interview with Angela Davis begins Rahill Jamalifard’s mix Songs of Dissidence, laying the foundation for an hour-long intercultural musical odyssey throughout the southern United States (as well as the Global South). Beginning with Dorothy Ashby’s “Soul Vibrations” before quickly segueing through international deep cuts such as “Funeral of a Worker” by Melia Barbosa and “Bravo” by Jacqueline Taïeb, Jamalifard (who performs under the name Radio Rahill) demonstrates a keen ear; not only for the ways in which she blends differing sonic textures into a cohesive project, but for her ability to curate songs of dissent from the world over. In doing so, Radio Rahill creates a portrait of resistance that spans continents and decades, painting a portrait of an enduring, continuing struggle for equality, justice, and respect. Listen below, and catch Radio Rahill spin at Soho Grand on August 7th. -Connor Beckett McInerney

New York synth duo So Sensitive swagger back into the limelight with new single “What’s A Girl To Do,” bolstered by its absolute-unit-sized keyboard hits and member Kira Clark’s breathy, intimate vocal delivery. Lyrically, the track finds a linkage between the death of a parent and the qualities we look for in a romantic partner, conveying sentiments of helplessness through glam-laden vox and dark, interweaving keys. So Sensitive arrive at no easy answers to these feelings, preferring to bask in uncertainty; in doing so, they impart an uneasy feeling upon the listener through both their lyrical honesty and sultry instrumental soundscapes. As such, it’s required listening for anyone who finds themselves looking towards an undetermined future, unable to find the necessary guidance as to what they should do. Listen to it below, and stream the rest of their new album, Bedroom Drama, when it drops August 2nd. –Connor Beckett McInerney, Photo by Spencer Hotchkiss