Calling their music "cumbia" would only scratch the surface of Combo Chimbita’s material. On their forthcoming album Ahomale, out May 3rd, the New-York-via-Colombia group turns the entire genre, and all its preconceptions, on its head. Weaving their fondness for psychedelia, metal and punk into a sound they call “tropical futurism”, this quartet creates a vehicle through which they explore the complexities of the Afro-Latin diaspora, and with which they imagine a stunning and prophetic destiny. Not only is their musical intent ambitious, Combo Chimbita has the musical chops to carry it through – the songs on Ahomale are driven, vivacious, and uncompromising. Check out their first single “Brillo Más Que El Oro (La Bala Apuntándome)” below, and don’t miss their show at Elsewhere on May 4th. -Sunny Betz

Flatbush’s Jacob ZL isn’t afraid to channel his own struggles through his music, toiling in smooth vintage-inspired beats and self deprecating lyrics as he rides the wave out of an intense breakup. In "Distance" is song about a romance gone wrong, that sees the MC delivering lines about the end of a tormented relationship with the ease of someone resigned to his fate. It might not be easy listening, but it’s definitely intriguing – check out the track below. -Sunny Betz

For these past few years, the conversational focus on mistreatment of women in entertainment has been in turns cathartic and grueling. It’s a long overdue conversation, and it was only a matter of time before it started to make its appearance as a focal point in music. Songwriter Emily Reo chooses pop as a medium to explore misogyny in the music industry and in every day life on “Strawberry”, the premiere track off her upcoming record Only You Can See It. Balancing sardonic lyrics with an anthemic instrumental, "Strawberry" features Reo’s voice front and center. After listing off a number of micro aggressions from patronizing men, she belts, “How many girls in this city are getting T-I-R-E-D”, and it’s easy to imagine a crowd screaming back in response. The track gives the clear impression of an artist coming into her own, ready to share herself with the world and not willing to take crap from anyone. Only You Can See It will be released on April 26th, and Reo will be celebrating the release that night at Baby’s All Right. In the meantime, mark your calendar, and stream “Strawberry” below. – Sunny Betz 

It might seem like the electronica genre is ever pushing forward into the future, but Brothertiger’s focus hones in on the past, specifically the 1980s, for his source of inspiration. That focus is more than just a passing interest, and it’s clear that frontman John Jagos knows his stuff. Listening to his moody new wave vocals and analog synths brings to mind bands like Duran Duran and Tears For Fears, who Jagos proudly claims as an influence (he even covered the entirety of the latter’s album Songs From the Big Chair in 2017). Luckily for Brothertiger, there’s some new tech to take advantage of – and with the help of more refined and modern production, his music showcases those influences with stunning and lush results. Brothertiger will celebrate the release of his new EP A Chain of Islands at the Knitting Factory on February 21st – you can check out its featured single “Shallow” below. – Sunny Betz

This past October, dream-pop trio Isla Invisible introduced us to their hypnotic sound through the release of their debut EP. On Thursday, the band gave us another peak into that world with the release of the video for single “Pillow”. Shaped by incandescent, shoegazey melodies and support from atmospheric guitars reminiscent of bands like Beach House and the Cocteau Twins, the track is strikingly complimented by surreal footage from Puerto Rico, where the group first formed before relocating to NYC. Faces warp, sunlight blurs the vision, and everything feels only half-real, like a mirage of a memory remembered in the present. The video captures the melancholic feeling of reminiscing about the past – but here, the “invisible island” conjured by Isla Invisible’s music becomes more than a memory, but a place to return to, and to reconcile with. Check out “Pillow” below. – Sunny Betz

Is it a paradox for playfulness and gravity to exist in the same breath? It might be easy to jump to that conclusion, but if we’ve learned anything from Kate Bush, it’s that whimsy can often be a great vessel for complexity. If anyone has taken that message to heart, it would be Natasha Jacobs, the brain behind Brooklyn based musical project Thelma. Her debut self titled album, an alt-folk meditation on chronic illness and loss, brimmed with unconventionality, whether it be from a surprising electronic breakdown or a yelping vocal performance. Jacobs writes songs that practically do dances around your mind, distracting you with baroque glitter for just a moment before pulling you back to reality again with a masterful lyric. Thelma is poised to release her second album The Only Thing on February 22nd (with release party at Secret Project Robot the day after) Below you can have a listen to single “The Only Thing”, a lyrical exploration of identity that practically saunters into your ears. – Sunny Betz

Way back in April of 2016, we picked Ghost King’s album “Bones” as our NYC Record of the Month. A lot of things have changed since 2016 (not just in the music world…) but we are still just as excited to hear new music from this band. Their new album, titled “Dunbar Swamp”, is a distillation of everything we love about Ghost King: the sludgy guitars bouncing between dissonance and melody, the ability to compensate dark moments with playful chords and lyric, the edgy but controlled psychedelic production. Ghost King proclaims this to be a “record about self discovery”, but it feels more like one of self actualization, one made by a band at the height of their powers. We hope they keep it up. Stream “Dunbar Swamp” below. – Sunny Betz

Songwriters working in Americana have to find a tough balance between influence and innovation, and Dark Tea’s Gary Canino does just that on his self titled debut LP. It’s almost impossible not to conjure Paul Simon and Elliott Smith (or the Lemonhead cover of "Mrs. Robinson") when listening to the album’s first single “Rolling Back The Dial”, but Canino is blessed with an ear for the unconventional, which allows him to forge melodies that are never banal in their deceptive simplicity. This is songwriting at its finest, and a fitting introduction to a truly versatile artist. Dark Tea will be celebrating the release of their forthcoming album at Union Pool on March 22nd – listen to “Rolling Back The Dial” below. – Sunny Betz

Sure, you could tweak your sound any which way to fit into the requirements of a genre… but why do that when you could make up your own genre? That’s what Future Punx, the Brooklyn based self proclaimed “post-wave” band, decided to do. Drawing on the oddball sound and stage antics of bands like Devo and The Talking Heads, Future Punx bring new wave to 2019 with a terse, yet energetic, sound that walks the line between synthpop and post punk. It’s a mix that can only be described as, well, “post-wave” – and it’s definitely addicting. Future Punx will bring their waves to Alphaville on March 9th to premier their album The World is A Mess – stream the single “Want To Be Wanted” off their upcoming LP below. – Sunny Betz

It’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security by first impressions – even as the painful truth is staring you right in the face. That’s what’s remarkable about the music of Pecas – behind tranquil synths lie words of fear and uncertainty so subtle they could easily get washed away, like a whispered confession to a friend after midnight. However, Sandy Davis, the mastermind of Pecas, holds command over the impact of her music, and lyrics like those from her 2018 track "Tuesdays" stick with you long after your last listen: “Do you ever just fall apart on Tuesdays after dark?” Pecas has been working on music with record label Broken Circles, and on Valentine’s Day, she will be premiering a new single and music video at Alphaville – but in the meantime, check out her 2018 EP After Dark, below. – Sunny Betz

While other genres toy with imaginary futures for sources of inspiration, those writing folk music today still find endless lyrical material in the traditions and sounds of the past. But more often than not, a "new" sound is simply a forgotten one, reimagined. Perhaps that is what makes the music of Nighttime so special: listening to her 2018 LP Hand in the Dark takes us back to a soundscape that’s vaguely familiar but almost entirely forgotten. In the record, Goodman relies on influences dating back to the middle-ages, with drum-less acoustic arrangements, droney harmonies (in a church choir kind of way), and a voice deepened with conviction and more than a little sadness. The results are mesmerizing.
Nighttime will play at Alphaville on February 6th – have a listen to the haunting Hand in the Dark below. – Sunny Betz