In 2015, Megan Mancini, Bettina Warshaw, and Justin Ferraro released a three-song EP entitled “No Parents, No Rules” under the pseudonym The Rizzos. Now, two years later, they’re back with a new member and a new approach to their music. In “No Parents, No Rules 2: Beneath The Planet of No Rules,” Josh Park joins on lead guitar, filling out their sound without taking away their fuzzy garage band roots. Despite the simple lyrics on songs like “Suckitude” (filled with interjections of “no duh,” and “you suck,”) the band has clearly grown up. Their coming of age is evident in the clean and energetic live recordings included on the album, as well as in the record’s cover — the “No Parents, No Rules” cover pictured four children, while on the latest LP the members appear as they are (with an intentional awkwardness to them). As if to say "We don’t want to grow up, but we are slowly resigning to the idea." You can see The Rizzos tonight at The Well with Lumps. – Lilly Milman, photo by Jeanette D. Moses

If you take issue with new music is that’s too clean and polite, then Butthole is the answer. With a self-titled album that contains a track called “I Went to High School and Graduated” ending in the repetition of “Bitch! Whore! Slut!,” it becomes clear that the band is not scared of pushing boundaries. This is what makes Butthole unique—they’re not one of those indie bands passing themselves off as punk. They’re the real thing, and they know it. Butthole is currently on a brief mid west tour. Check out our favorite song from last year’s "Secret EP," entitled "She Boop She Boo Thang," streaming below. – Lilly Milman

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

There’s more to Ryan Wu than meets the eye (and the ear). With debut EP ‘Wutasia,’ the multi-instrumentalist perfectly encompasses the experience of young adulthood through his stripped down vocals, the twang of his guitar, and plainly honest lyrics (“Changing thoughts can’t seem to go away / Not a thing stays the same” – he sings in opener ‘Changing,’ a track that addresses the shifting friendships and loneliness Ryan experienced during the writing process). The low fidelity of the record gives the project a timeless sound, that blends well with Wu’s whimsical vocals, whose tone and melody are at times reminiscent of psychedelic genius Syd Barrett. – Lilly Milman

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

Drug Pizza is a punchy four-piece hailing from N.Y.C. with “big rock n roll shaped dreams.” Their nonchalant lyrics in songs like “No Reaction” are a nod back to garage rock and punk bands that inspired them (“I don’t care about your broken arms / Bones heal, and you didn’t fall too far”), and their instrumentals are clean without being clinical. Lead singer Madeline Steinberg’s vocals fall perfectly in tune with classic slacker rock bands like Pavement, and their EP ‘Return to Content Mountain‘ puts a new twist on a sound that’s an old favorite. They’ll be bringing their fun sound to Sunnyvale on May 31st at 8 for a hometown show. — Lilly Milman

The music found on Pilot Violet’s new EP, "Nite Farm" is a well produced homage and revisit to the more soulful synthpop of the 80’s. Each track on the seven-song project blends that era’s simple synth patterns and beats with the cinematic vocals found in recent pop acts like CHRVCHES and The XX. On tracks like "Ordinary Day" the instrumentals are skimmed to their essentials, which serves as a nice contrast to the impassioned and emphatic vocals. Pilot Violet has a fresh sound, not because of its individual, recognizable components, but because of the inventive ways they are sewn together. You can listen to "Ordinary Day" below, and catch their new project live at Nublu on 5/31. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

In his freestyle track "Phone Down," BK rapper Jimi Tents asks the question, likely rhetorically, "Why every rapper fake deep, sell dope or got depression." Definitely a diss, this bar is also a signal of Tents’ intent to stand out in today’s hip-hop by returning to the genre’s roots, centering his music in clever lyricism delivered emphatically with 90’s golden-era swagger. And instead of offering something new on his newly released single, "Rick Rubin," he doubles down. An ode to the enigmatic producer/Def Jams mogul, Tents raps about the beginnings of his budding break-out. Aside from clever lyricism, Tents also puts all of his different styles on display, switching cadences fluidly and without hesitation. On this track, the rapper proves that he has the talent – and also that he is aware of it. You can catch him live at Rough Trade on 5/23 and listen to "Rick Rubin" below. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Though Ben Alessi has mostly made his name impressing audiences at some of NYC’s medium-sized venues, his music is the kind you could imagine reverberating through crowds at Governor’s Ball one day. This isn’t just because his potent mix of electropop and r&b is catchy and inventive. It’s also because his sound, mixing soulful vocals, euphoric hooks and groovy beats, is tailor-made for people looking for that elusive, heart-pumping mix of joy and sadness that only seems to surface when big music, like his, is performed to big crowds. You can listen to his latest single, "ONLY," below, and get a taste. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

On their new single "Big Ol," premiering below, 4-piece band Dakota Jones are at their best. Though the track is just under four minutes in length, each member of the Brooklyn band packs a lot into it, seamlessly blending the groove of soul, the emotional impact of blues and the enegy of alt-rock. Powerful vocals, soloing guitars and slick drums seem to compete for attention before ultimately deciding to compromise and just jam out. You can check out "Big Ol" below, and catch their new EP live at the release party on April 8 at the Bitter End. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

With Spring on the horizon, singer/songwriter James A.M. Downes’ new EP, ‘Prison Font’ is perfect for thawing those winter-frozen hearts. Due out 3/17, the project consist in rich folk pop songs where Downes convey a wide variety of emotions. Tracks like “Bait My Soul” are full of sweet melodies, charming twang and upbeat cheerfulness, whereas “Feel My Love,” is a stripped down folk ballad where the songwriters’ powerful vocals take center stage. With ‘Prison Font,’ James has boldly displayed his talent as a songwriter, and solidified himself as someone to watch. You can check him out live at Berlin on 3/25. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

One of the most exciting resurgences in music lately, and the most important, has been artists’ eagerness to politicize their work. With his newest music video for “Make You,” Fusilier boldly doubles down on the messages of self-love and acceptance he’s expressed on his previous works. In the video, streaming below, we see Fusilier in three versions, whited out, normal, and blackfaced. In his own words, this division represents how he is seen by others as “themselves and the other, friend and enemy, lust and aversion” all at the same time. The song itself conveys the anguish this gaze causes him, but the video ultimately ends with Fusilier, his normal self, triumphing out his other, false, versions. We already knew that Fusilier had talent, but projects like these prove him to be an artist with the rare ability to instill compelling political issues in his original avant-soul productions. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber 

With artists like Chance the Rapper serving as living manifestations of Kanye West’s legacy, it’s hard not to evaluate contemporary rappers according to how to relate to and differ from West in terms of music, persona or both. A rapper that invites this kind of comparison is Mateo Akhi. The Jersey City rapper’s most recent LP, veyebes, features a potent mix of rootsy hip hop reminiscent of West’s earlier stuff and the distorted edgeof his later works. The key difference, however, lies in the vocals. While West is mostly known for his rapping, Akhi raps and sings all throughout the album, quite literally, finding his own voice. Tracks like ‘poplar trees‘ show Akhi at his best, with the stormy instrumental perfectly matching his intense vocals. You can catch him live at SOB’s on 2/22. —Henry Solotaroff-Weber