“On My Mind” is a song best listened to with the lights off. Kamilah’s voice reaches out to touch you in the dark like a lover’s hand grazes a cheek. The song is full of subtle guitar licks and rhythmic anomalies that make it incredibly sensual- at times I wondered if it was right to listen to it on the train. Unexpectedly, however, “On My Mind” builds from a simple kick and clap rhythm into an RnB-featuring-Rock’n’Roll type jam. The outro, a hefty conclusion punctuated by some pretty crazy distorted vocals and a percussive breaking point, might make you want to stop whatever you’re doing to get up and dance. Whatever this song makes you feel, I urge you not to walk but run in that direction. –Geena Kloeppel

I never thought there’d be a day where a country band could give me shivers. But A Valley Son’s newest single "Warm Mexican Beer" has succeeded in shattering this particular glass ceiling with a nuanced, brooding indie/alt-country tune. "Warm Mexican Beer" is atmospheric, soft and genuine. A Valley Son has clearly mastered their ethereal sound, with stunning harmonies reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash, and tasteful, twangy electric guitar solos. This is a tune for a rainy day, and when the weather gets warmer, it’ll sound great on a summer evening. We are very excited to hear what’s next for the band. Hopefully more tunes that carry us like a warm breeze and pull at our heartstrings. –Geena Kloeppel

Huck’s latest single "Does It?" is a trippy meditation on what hurts and what doesn’t. The song opens with a bell-like keyboard that floats in late-night thoughts and moments of longing, but the whole course of the song is changed with the drop of the first synth and the slow hits of a drum machine.  This song moves from a low-key tune to a synth jam in the space of three minutes, fading out with soft, re-pitched vocals, reminiscent of the ending of Frank Ocean’s "White Ferrari." Catch Huck live at Elsewhere on Sunday, 4/29. -Geena Kloeppel

Canadian songwriter Ben Caplan’s first single from his new album Old Stock (due out June 15th) is dark, witty, and energetic. Those are three adjectives that wouldn’t normally make sense together, but in context, "Widow Bride" is all three. There is a sense of mystery in the eastern European chordal structure, the lyrics are smart and interesting, and the driving arrangement ties whole track together. Dynamic and confident, "Widow Bride" shows Caplan’s songwriting talent and highlights a gorgeous assortment of textures. –Geena Kloeppel

Ed Pastorini has been around New York’s underground music scene for a minute- the multi-instrumentalist and composer is a member of 101 Crustaceans, who’ve been a band since the 1980s. Now, Pastorini is back with a new record as a solo artist, called Strange Lures, which is out today. His charming, eerie video for "Loss," a song about just that, is filled with clips of serene landscapes, houses being bulldozed, and ghostly couples dancing. There are also a few brooding images of the artist projected into parts of the video, making for an altogether haunting experience. The release show for the album is set for April 14th at the Owl Parlor in Brooklyn. – Geena Kloeppel

No surprise, SXSW 2018 was busy. With over 2000 acts from 63 countries performing this year, Austin was jam-packed with industry professionals and music fans all week. Downtown was a human ocean in the wee hours, the crowds were rowdy at venues like Dirty Dog and tamer at the Central Presbyterian Church. I waited in line for many of our favorite NYC artists at venues that were filled to capacity hours before they were meant to go on (I’m looking at you, Anna McClellan). Here’s a short recap of my favorite performances from this year’s SXSW. 

Beshken’s Ben Shirken adeptly took us far away from the noise of 6th street and into an ethereal world of eclectic dance music with a nifty setup and bassist/guitarist Ian White at Burnside’s Tavern on Wednesday. 

Jukebox the Ghost is currently based out of NYC recording their fifth album Off To The Races at Studio G in Brooklyn. The band put on a stunning show at the StubHub Stage on Wednesday night, playing old songs such as "Girl" and "Somebody," and also debuting "Fred Astaire" and "Everybody’s Lonely," two singles from their upcoming record. Their final song of the night was a cover of Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody" that had everyone, sober and not-so-sober, singing along every word.

Soccer Mommy played songs from her acclaimed new album Clean in a great set at Cheer Up Charlie’s on Friday, followed later that night at the same venue by Brooklyn’s Topaz Jones, whose soulful, crowd-pleasing performance had us laughing and dancing alike. "Has anyone seen Stranger Things?" he asked, introducing his 2016 song "Winona."

Finally, my absolute favorite performance of this year’s SXSW was Kitten’s at Mohawk Outdoor (pictured above). Originally from LA, the band recently moved to NYC and enrolled local musicians BITS (Blu and Rex Detiger) in the live lineup. Kitten’s frontwoman Chloe Chaidez was a delight to watch: an unusual burst of energy and incredibly agile gymnast, all without missing a note or a beat. She finished out the night with a 20-foot jump (more or less) into the audience and then sitting down at the drum kit, completely nailing the rhythm section of the last song and taking us all by surprise. -Geena Kloeppel

Kyle Duke and The Brown Bag Boys‘ psych rock will make you do a double-take. The band’s newest single "Ocean Waves" begs to be put on repeat because you’ll be hard pressed to get to the bottom of the charmingly weird, introspective lyrics or the grunge-y guitars and wobbly synths in just one listen. If you’re feeling angsty, or looking for a band that hints at Nirvana in a modern way, "Ocean Waves" will satisfy your needs. Catch Kyle Duke and The Brown Bag Boys live at the Knitting Factory tonight, 3/6. -Geena Kloeppel

Dirty Bird is back at it again – the folk-rock band has released a new song called "Fever Dreams" with a bubbly lyric video to match, curated by Stella Rosen. Complete with haunting three-part harmonies, gorgeous violin and horn arrangements, and thoughtful, evocative lyrics, Dirty Bird’s new song captures the chaos of everyday life, though with intermittent sunshine. Dissonant chords build into a sweet section that puts the whole song (and life) into perspective, singing: "Don’t worry for me / I’m alright." – Geena Kloeppel 

In 2015, the girlfriend of Lovechild‘s frontman Leo Liebeskind was living in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York- Ocean Hill, Brooklyn. Now, the neighborhood is the namesake of Lovechild’s latest single and music video, "Ocean Hill." Complete with twangy guitars and a breezily-paced rhythm section, the song reminds listeners that we are on the upswing headed out of winter. The music video, however, depicts an icy Coney Island boardwalk, and fellow band members Wyatt Mones, Daryl Cozzi, and Karl Markgraf VIII attempting to teach Liebeskind how to ride a bike. There’s still a bit of waiting to be done until beach season, but until then you can listen to "Ocean Hill" and dream of lazy summer afternoons.

Lovechild will be playing live at The Knit on March 8. – Geena Kloeppel

NYC chanteuse Odetta Hartman is more experimental than most, and in an endearing way, as demonstrated in the music video for her song "Dreamcatchers." It’s a compilation of home videos of Hartman as a little girl, doing various things such as playing the violin, swimming, and hitting a piñata, but the video is edited to move with the music, with a hazy, acid-trip-like manner. The songs on her last record 222 are short, sweet vignettes, led by banjo and textural vocals, infused with pentatonic guitars and experimental strings. Odetta Hartman will play at SXSW at the Townsend on 3/17. –Geena Kloeppel

 FOXTRAX is waking up the alt rock scene with their tight, nuanced arrangements and excellent songwriting chops. The trio embraces their music’s dark undertones but isn’t afraid to make light of a rainy day- or in this case, a "Grey Morning." Churning out consistently excellent vocal performances, guitar lines and all around vibes, this band is one of the most solid and compelling that I’ve heard for a while in the alt-rock genre. Be sure to check them out when FOXTRAX heads to SXSW, playing showcases at the Convention Center on 3/12 and Javelina on 3/14. –Geena Kloeppel

Ambient folk dads Justin Wilcox and Jeffrey Silverstein, aka Nassau, make some pretty sweet, evocative tunes. Their debut record, Heron, arrived last September to eager listeners on Bandcamp. Their songs are stripped down to twangy guitar, reverb-heavy vocals, and a little bit of drum machine, highlighting the duo’s great, old school songwriting chops. Nassau are headed to SXSW Music Festival in Austin, playing 3/16 at 18th Over Austin. –Geena Kloeppel