It’s hard not to fall in love with the relaxing, alt pop productions of Claud Mintz, whose recent single “easy in the morning” blends textures both electronic and acoustic, setting guitar arpeggios against swelling, muted synth and shuffling electronic breaks. The whole track is accented by field recordings of morning birds in the background, creating an additional layer of easygoing atmosphere to Claud’s already mellow vocal performance. Lyrically, “Easy” is an unapologetic vision of self-intimacy, of the still moments spent alone before the day breaks and the complications of modern life set in – Claud’s willingness to invite us into their world is a centering experience, one that imparts an unparalleled sense of ease upon the listener, and serves as a testament to the inner peace we can all find if we take some time, alone. 

Claud will bring their introverted, tactile pop to Baby’s All Right on February 15th, playing alongside Del Water Gap and Spud Cannon. Until then, cozy up and stream “easy in the morning” below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

New York’s Strange Majik had no intention of reinventing the wheel on last year’s Channel T, an acidic tour de force of vintage rock and roll. The record has its fair share of winks and nods to the titans of yesteryear, primarily Jagger and Hendrix, never straying into territory we’d define as “experimental” by contemporary standards. That being said, Strange Majik’s intentional decision to hone their guitar chops and produce something very AM radio appropriate is part of the reason Channel T is the kickass album it is. There are no bells and whistles, no indie gimmicks that have become increasingly common as a means of cutting through the noise; it’s just impeccable, classic musicianship from start to finish.

Strange Majik will bring their classic sound to Coney Island Baby on February 20th, supporting Kelley Swindall and Revel In Dimes. Stream Channel T below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Sam Watson

Josh Hwang started recording the songs that would become his second LP while living in Irvine, California, adding the final touches once he had finished relocating to New York. While a small factotum in the album’s liner notes, it helps to explain the nostalgia-laden, dreamy elements that characterize VHS, the most recent record Hwang has released under the CASTLEBEAT moniker. The album’s surfy, occasionally psychedelic garage rock is filtered through lofi production stylings and dream pop filters, creating a palpable distance that endows VHS with a sense of pleasant, albeit faded, memory. It’s a release that encapsulates the passage of time succinctly, with Hwang’s present tense lyricism contextualized by the lush, shoegazy instrumentation that surrounds it, a bittersweet LP for anyone who has sought a new start in a place far from home.

Castlebeat will play Elsewhere on February 3rd, alongside Hala and Been Stellar. Stream VHS below. –Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt) 

It’s hard to write about New York alt pop outfit Laundry Day without mentioning the baby elephant in the room; each of the group’s five members are still in high school. This isn’t to say that we should yield LD’s youth against them – rather, the band’s music is bolstered by their honest, adolescent songwriting, creating tunes that are contemporaneous to their own experiences and universal to anyone who has passed through the turbulence of teen years and lived to tell the tale. “Lighter / Time,” a standout from last year’s Trumpet Boy, is full of fluorescent imagery detailing young love after dark, set against brooding keys and a relaxed percussive shuffle. While I listened to “Lighter” keeping the band’s background in mind, it’s hard not to find an all-ages ubiquity in the track’s lyricism, especially given its focus on the earnest yearning and romantic fixation we all experience as “the night is falling down.” It’s a landmark effort from their first full length record, and serves as a testament to great things to come from Laundry Day in 2019 – stream it below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Veronica Habacker

New York’s Cloud Tapes describe themselves as “Daniel DeVito in the form of song," which pretty much tells you everything you need to know about their easy-going, occassionally abstract alternative rock. Their newest single, “Coast Is Clear!” is a Fender-heavy joyride, rife with paranoid dream visions of “abandoned coast [where] we were searching for the holy ghost” and “king and jesters… changing places,” wrapped up by a chorus in which frontman John Samaras states “we face the same old problems, day in, day out.” It’s hard to suss out the specificity of Cloud Tapes’ worries on “Coast,” but their melodic, carefree guitar work, against Samaras’ ‘whatever works’ lyricism evokes a philosophy of rolling with the punches and not sweating the small stuff, providing a much needed respite to listeners from the mounting anxieties of daily life.

Cloud Tapes will jam at Alphaville on February 3rd, supporting Tiger Oil, Vinnie Neuberg, and Seldomo. Until then, let your hair down and stream “Coast Is Clear!” below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

There’s a quote from Inside Llewyn Davis, a Coen Brothers film which details a few days in the life of a fictitious songwriter, where its titular character states, “If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it’s a folk song.” I thought about that quote a lot while listening to Blueberry Mountain, an LP by New York singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Erin Durant. The album, recorded entirely in analog, is split between piano and acoustic guitar arrangements, with Durant’s mezzo-soprano floating softly over minimalist instrumentation, all set against the warm hiss of tape in the background. It’s a verdant, welcoming record, reminiscent of the 1960s Greenwich Village scene that never feels panderingly vintage; rather, Erin Durant’s songwriting and its honest lyricism are rife with the timelessness inherent, and necessary, to good folk music.

Erin Durant will bring her classic soundscapes to The Park Church Co-Op on February 8th, lending support to Erika Spring and Stranger Cat. Stream 2016’s Blueberry Mountain below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Behaviorist is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Stephen Chen, best known for his dynamic saxophone work with Brooklyn chamber pop outfit San Fermin, and as an individual endeavor it carries some of the dramatic, art rock elements of his full band while expanding into more cerebral lyrical territory. Chen states that Behaviorist’s title is derived from “the psychological revolution that imagine[s] living beings as manipulable machines,” informing the songwriting channeled into the project’s four singles as lurid, experimental meditations on facets of the human psyche. “Hard To Please,” Chen’s most recent effort, is perhaps the most lush of these meditations, an at face, explicit presentation of sexual appetites against plucking, echoing guitars and synchronized baritone sax. It’s a track rife with dramatic tension, a consequence of its slow-building, orchestral instrumentation, and promises a climactic live performance when Behaviorist takes Baby’s All Right next month supporting Sean McVerry and Sulene. Until then, you can stream it below. –Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

A driving energy permeates the entirety of Weak Signal’s first full length, the aptly titled LP1, a product of the record’s rough, static laden guitar work and the simultaneous vocal delivery of members Sasha Vine and Mike Bones. The entire release relies upon an economy of sound over its nine tracks, where bass, lead guitar, and drums gel to create concise D.I.Y. indie rock. There’s no bells and whistles, and the LP doesn’t stray far from its consistent electric sound, but Weak Signal’s prowess in playing and songwriting rings true, proving the New York trio only need a few instruments and some tube amps to deliver a good time.

Weak Signal will play Union Pool on January 30th, lending support to Honey and Gong Gong Gong. Stream their debut LP1 below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

The catalog of Drug Bug, a New York recording project lead by Phil Anastassiou and pals, is sparse to say the least; there’s a few songs and demos from 2017 and 2016, one of which (surprisingly) is a cover of “Familiar Haunt” by R.L. Kelly with none other than gobbinjr. That being said, Drug Bug has a few cards up their sleeve, namely in the sheer number of shows they’ve played over the last few years, and the mesmerizing beauty of their limited discography. “Seeing Stars,” the project’s most recent single, is a sweetly discordant lullaby, with Anastassiou’s wavering falsetto crooning that he’s “followed by these ghosts of yours” against uneven arpeggios and noodling electric guitars. It’s a captivating, raw track that, ahead of Drug Bug’s upcoming debut EP, serves as an enticing promise of more enchanting music to follow.

Drug Bug will play Mercury Lounge on February 12th, supporting Bueno and Thick. Stream single "Seeing Stars" below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Mike Cicchetti

I’m hard pressed to find a more relatable, recent release than “High Waist Jeans,” the latest single by New York pop-punk trio Phil From Accounting. Perhaps it is vocalist and bassist Amanda Webster’s opening invocation, a demand that “someone pull this minivan over, I’m gonna pee in my neighbor’s yard” set against a homespun guitar riff, that feels as honest as it is hilarious. As the track explodes into its chorus and Webster decrees “I can’t make it that far” alongside vintage vocal accents and a concise percussive backbone, it’s evident that Phil From Accounting have an earnest energy bolstered by both their minimalist instrumentation and the humanity of their songwriting – and I can’t wait to hear what quotidian adventures they put to music next.

Phil From Accounting will play Arlene’s Grocery on February 3rd, supporting Long Neck and The Great American Novel. Until then, you can jam “High Waist Jeans” below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Cassie Doyle

Buzzsaws, the latest release by Brooklyn-based glam rock multi-instrumentalist Nat Brower, is an album soaked in acid and brimming with classic panache. From record opener “Real Girl” and its syncopated, raucous guitar work interwoven with tight percussive builds, Brower cultivates soundscapes reminiscent of The Kinks and The Stooges, channeling them through a DIY framework in terms of production. This gives the entirety of Buzzsaws a feeling that is both vintage and contemporary, an album built upon polished instrumentalism that is still raw, rock and roll to its core – a perfect blend of the genre’s old and new characteristics that is instantly jammable.

Brower will bring his classic-yet-contemporary soundscapes to The Gutter on January 24th, alongside The Glitch, Huh, and HARMS. Stream 2018’s Buzzsaws below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

There’s an immediate feeling of satisfaction when listening to the music of Oceanator, the Brooklyn-based grunge project of Elise Okusami, one bore in equal parts from the its crunch-heavy guitars as well as Okusami’s no-holds barred lyricism. Oceanator’s 2018 EP Lows is bolstered largely by Okusami’s unapologetic narrative as songwriter, where, over the course of five sun-drenched tracks, she broods over past pain on songs like “Not Around” and Mistakes.” Not all of Lows is an emotional catharsis however, with closer “Inhuman” being an open meditation on what it means to be human, providing a deeply essential ending to a short, albeit standout effort.

Oceantor plays Trans Pecos on February 9th, lending support to BRNDA, Maneka, and Patti. Stream their most extended play below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)