In his new single "How High," Nathaniel Bellows proves that a voice can be both hearty and delicate all at once. The song, with its sparse guitar/piano/vocal arrangement, is literally breathtaking. It’s no surprise that Bellows is also a poet and novelist – his lyrics are shimmery meditations on life, reflecting on the complexities of human existence in an unassuming yet outspoken manner. Bellows’ new album Swan and Wolf is out March 30th. – Geena Kloeppel

Ritual Talk’s newest single "More Than I Can Mention" is downright exciting. From the get-go, the sublime guitar hook is intriguing and has you hanging onto the end of each juicy note. The song builds into an old-school, everything-goes indie rock tune with a dose of soul to keep things groovy. This wall of sound is nothing like you’ve heard before- it’s carefully executed, properly funky, but most importantly: huge. "More Than I Can Mention" is a song you’ll want to put on repeat and rock out to, all day. The band plays Union Pool on 2/10 to celebrate the release. -Geena Kloeppel

"Things Are Clear This Morning" holds true to its title: it definitely is a morning song. Steve Shiffman & the Land of No‘s delicate, sleep-in-the-eye vocal gently guides you through the track, accompanied by a heartily strummed acoustic guitar.  There’s even a synth-like electric guitar at the end that gives off just enough of an atmospheric texture to suspend the song in mid-air. Steve Shiffman successfully transports you to a warm breeze on a clear morning. The band’s new record Double Life is out February 2nd on Later Records, with a release party at Club Berlin on February 10th. – Geena Kloeppel

"My head spins like Earth itself," sings Anna McClellan on her newest single "Flailing Orbits." She shows a wonderful, healthy amount of self-awareness, admitting to deep-rooted pessimism and a complicated, flailing relationship. An almost dreary-sounding vocal performance works surprisingly well in this song, but McClellan confidently admits towards the end of the track: "for the first time in a while / I’m not dying to see your smile." Who needs optimism, anyway? Anna McClellan shows that feeling a little bit of existential dread is just fine, too. -Geena Kloeppel

SHIMASHIMA Collective’s Abri makes hard-hitting retro soul-pop music (listen to her new song "Need to Know," and you’ll understand what I mean by "hard-hitting"). Abri’s unafraid and powerful vocals, combined with a dark, juicy Motown-inspired production make for a confident, pulsing track, and the songwriting displays an artist that takes ownership of whichever situation she’s put in. Abri is playing DROM on 1/24 with SHIMASHIMA, and the collective has more new music coming out this month. –Geena Kloeppel

Dirty Bird’s latest single, "Towers," will catch you off-guard.  "Towers" is a juicy, upbeat indie folk tune with a striking, purposeful arrangement and stellar vocal harmonies. Melodically, instrumentally, and vocally, this band is getting everything right. The recording is so delightful that I’m intrigued to hear them bring their music to life on the stage. You can catch them live as part of the #WomenCrush NYC showcase, an organization that provides opportunities for rising female artists in the music industry, at Rockwood Music Hall on January 31st. –Geena Kloeppel

Goodie (aka Phyllis Lee) is a breath of fresh air in the folk/songwriter scene. For one, the traditional acoustic guitar parts are all replaced with electric, and she’s not afraid to try out slightly avant chord progressions and go all out with supporting drums and bass. There’s a lightness to the songs, partly because the sparsity of the DIY arrangement, but there is genuine power and confidence in Lee’s vocals. "Shopping Cart" is particularly ethereal and lyrically wise, with ghostly background vocals perched atop bass and drums, proving that Goodie is one to watch. -Geena Kloeppel

Eyes wide open and hands in the air, I, Alexander brings back some of the best parts of numerous Justin Vernon projects in his new song and music video "Sturdy Thoughts." You can hear the Bon Iver and Volcano Choir influences right off the bat, in the sweet, tender vocals and lucid, folksy acoustic guitars. But unexpectedly and impressively, orchestral textures meander in, lifting the song into exquisitely stunning territory. A beautiful string and flute arrangement weaves through the song, helped by a gentle piano. The video itself is mystifying, with a haunting silhouette of the artist projected on top of leaves and sparks flying. I, Alexander’s self-titled debut is out January 12th on Susan Records. –Geena Kloeppel

Who has the guts to mash up Big Sean, Kendrick, and Chance the Rapper, AND perform said-mashup with an acoustic guitar? Anna Shoemaker does. The pop artist’s downtempo cover has garnered almost 700,000 plays, and she’s just released the VHS-filmed music video. shoemaker has quietly released covers on SoundCloud over the last 4 years, and the buzz surrounding her definitely isn’t undeserved. She recently signed with Steve Madden’s 5Towns Records, and plans to release new music next year. Anna Shoemaker’s striking voice holds its own even without production elements, but we are interested and excited to hear her with a fuller pop sound. – Geena Kloeppel

[Skip to 53" for music]

Counterintuitively, Anna Altman is a band of young musicians from Brooklyn with a female lead singer, not a one woman project. Their music brings back (or finally exposes?) adult angst with a bedroom-y, DIY palette of sounds. The indie/alt rock group’s dry percussive section (Christian Billard) and wonky guitars are brightened by chilled-out, conversational vocals by Lucia Arias. Two highlights from their album FREIGHTLINER are "Never" and "White Horse" which showcase the band’s sweet lo-fi aesthetic. Streaming below, opening track and single "The Interview." You can catch Anna Altman live at Alphaville on Dec. 22nd. – Geena Kloeppel

Abbi Press has released a stunning video for her song "Butterfly Effect," a danceable indie-electronic tune chock-full of whimsical synth textures and accentuated by lightly, sparse percussive elements. The video, gorgeously colored and filmed almost entirely in slow-motion is dreamlike and mysterious. The integral recurring motif of the lemon is both striking and haunting- though I can’t decide which feeling leaves more of an impact. One thing’s for sure: this video is seriously cool, and a real treat to watch. –Geena Kloeppel

Bodies Be Rivers’ newest single "None the Wiser" (streaming) from their forthcoming debut LP Things I’ll Tell You When You’re Older, is simply delightful. The listening pleasure begins with the ear-catching, nuanced arrangement which builds into a confident full band breakout. "Your weather never changes / your curtains always stay" sings singer and songwriter Lauren Smith, displaying wistful yet confident resignation. Her vocal timbre gives us a little more of this delicate self-assuredness, guiding the track and keeping us grounded. If the rest of the album is in line with this gorgeous first single, we’re in for a treat. By the time "None the Wiser" had ended, I didn’t want it to be over. – Geena Kloeppel