Drinker’s “Follow” is the train-riding, solo-walking, last-hour-of-a-long-flight soundtrack you have been waiting for. It has a transportative element, a mellow, continual feel of slowly traveling to an eventual goal. Producer and composer Ariel Loh achieves this by layering singer-songwriter Aaron Mendelsohn’s soothing vocals over looping electronic beats and synth pads you can get lost in. It’s a yearning, earnest, repeating plea by Mendelsohn: “If I can make you follow / I think that we might find our way.” “Follow” is the first single from their forthcoming album, and if this track is any way a preview of things to come, Drinker is definitely one to keep an ear on. – Lily Crandall

Although singer-songwriter Rae Isla has yet to release a debut album or EP, the video for her single “Just Because” has already made the rounds on MTV Latin America, making her an artist to watch. Her Ellie-Goulding-style vocals beautifully tell a story of a deep love: “Now I know why Lennon said / Love is all you need.” "Mexico,” backed by Latin-inspired guitar and drum beats, has a similar flavor and transports you to a summer night on the beach.  She is definitely one to keep an ear on, don’t miss her upcoming performance at Mercury Lounge on June 6th. – Lily Crandall

NYC singer Amy León offers a unique and powerful blend of spoken word and soul, through a delivery that fuses singing and poetry. She tackles social inequality and celebrates blackness in her most poignant track, “Burning in Birmingham,” which starts as a soul ballad and turns to spoken word: “Didn’t I die for them? / Didn’t we do this already? / Who let Jim back in the White House?” Her voice is soothing, her lyrics stop-you-in-your-tracks striking, and her music builds to a point where it sounds as if it might burst. The way she reaches a chaotic, bustling climax in both “Burning in Birmingham” and “Child of the Sun” seems to express some sort of catharsis for León, a form of healing through art. Don’t miss the chance to see her unique style on June 5th at Baby’s All Right. -Lily Crandall

In this new age of bedroom pop and DIY everything, Georgia’s band Triathalon, who recently resettled in NYC, offers a sound all its own, blending elements as varied as soul, pop, jazz, and electro. Attempting to label their music proves challenging – and that’s part of the plan, since they state that they "work towards a sound that can’t easily be defined.” Thriathalon’s first two EP sounded like rather unfocused takes on anything within the indie realm, from dream pop to slacker rock. Third LP Online, released earlier in 2018, sounds like music made by a different band altogether: the production is more mature, the sound more focused, and a newfound passion for soul seems to have shuffled the band’s sonic cards. “Hard to Move” is reminiscent of a lo-fi, "synthy" version of Michael Jackson’s “Blame it on the Boogie,” while “3” is backed with a thumping bass verse that cleverly transitions to a jazz-inspired keyboard interlude. This is a band with lots of potential, check them out live on June 1st at Mercury Lounge. -Lily Crandall

The lyric “Steppin’ on your toes I’m a big brown man” is just one way in which Sam Sundos conveys his personality through his solo project, Sabri. That declaration comes from his latest release, “FUCK IT MAN,” which, notwithstanding the harsh title, is a smooth, dreamy soul track built on a plodding, stretched hip hop beat. But don’t try to put this man in a box: the Brooklyn-based singer has proven his versatility through his first single “Oh, Honey,” a poppier, piano driven tune with a George Michael feel to it, and “Hot Tub,” probably his most mature track, featuring a timeless soul melody, and an arrangement enriched by brass and funky guitar and electric piano licks reminiscent of the glorious Motown years. Sabri’s ever-changing sound serves as a reflection on his identity through his work; he has described his music as “a celebration of identity and an embrace of modern culture and technology.” You can catch him live at Elsewhere on May 25th. – Lily Crandall

In the 27th installment of the Deli-sponsored “The Revolution”, a performance series featuring promising local artists, three female pop and soul singers will take the stage to showcase their unique sound. For this month’s installation, the selected artists are Rue Brown, a soul singer with intriguing tracks blending electro and jazz, as well as avant-pop artist Sirintip, and Camille Trust, a singer-songwriter with a passionate, emotionally-driven pop sound. See them all this Saturday 05.26 at National Sawdust, at 10:00 PM – check out the three artists in the playlist streaming below. – Lily Crandall

The electro-pop duo Kid Le Chat will make you want to groove. “Weatherman,” the lead single from their self-titled EP released last March, is a a fun synth-pop song with sparse electric guitar riffs and light percussion, making it a bop and a must for any 80s revival party playlists. Jam to the track below. – Nicolette Natale 

This artists submitted their music for review here.

Released earlier this month, Diary’s will-o’-the-wisp, is a refreshing mix of dream pop and drone rock. The three-song EP is filled with mesmerizing vocal reverb and electric guitar riffs, lulling you on “Contours” and then bolting you awake on “Fuchsia Gray.” You ca catch them at Muchmore’s on May 12th. – Nicolette Natale

In its new singles, NYC based quartet Kyle Duke & The Brown Bag Boys tosses aside the clean, ’60s inspired pop that characterized so much of their 2017 EP "Aquatic Pop," and takes up instead a more grating and edgy sound. Without losing their light-hearted approach, in "Ocean Waves" the band plays with quirky synthesized effects (including vocals transposed one octave down), referencing the psychedelic ’60s both in the melodies and the arrangement. On “Motivation,” Duke asserts his apathy in typical slacker-rock fashion, although the track is rooted in a droney rock’n’roll riff that’s in part reminiscent of The Jesus and Mary Chain. These guy’s rock’n’roll history hodgepodge is rather entertaining, check out the two singles below and see them at Sunnyvale on April 12th. – Nicolette Natale

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

Williamsburg venue National Sawdust is showcasing five emerging NYC based artists in the 25th monthly installment of "THE REVOLUTION," which coincides with the serie’s second anniversary. This is a local musical movement that empowers community, change, and activism through performance and unity amongst the arts.

The acts featured this time around are Manhattan via Philly rapper Dot Cromwell, singer songwriter with operatic influences beccs, soul pop acts Elle Winston and Meridian Lights, and contemporary jazz ensemble MAE.SUN – you can listen to all of them in the embedded playlist.

National Sawdust touts these artists as being at the center of innovation within their genres, and seeks to highlight them as such with this event scheduled for Saturday, March 24th. – Alexander Beebe

Donning an aesthetic drawn from the experimental side of runway fashion and new wave androgyny, the left-field tendencies of Alternative R&B newcomer Morgan Saint are on full-display in the music and video for "YOU." The video sees the singer performing her subdued brand of vibrant and forlorn synthpop amidst an empty stage; creating a barren, yet, intimate atmosphere to match the song’s crestfallen tone. Saint will be performing at this year’s South by Southwest Festival following the release of her debut EP, 17 Hero. "YOU" can be streamed below. – Alexander Beebe

Consisting of members of The Obits, Holy Fuck, Nation of Ulysses, and The Cops, SAVAK is a new super-group of sorts that sports an intriguing sound. By blending garage rock rhythms with saxophone flourishes and a presentation rife with hardcore punk energy, SAVAK put forward an indie rock variation that is as noisy as it is hook-laden and expresses an eccentric range of influences. "Reaction" and "Drop the Pieces" from their 2016 album Best of Luck in Future Endeavors can be streamed below. – Alexander Beebe