If you’ve already cycled through your usual list of New Year’s resolutions and none of them seem worthwhile, then you’ve come to the right place. The Deli SF has the perfect idea for what to change in 2018: go to more local shows! Thankfully, the monthly Milk Was A Bad Choice showcase is giving you the perfect place to start, with a lineup that cannot be missed!

The January installation of MWABC will feature the R&B-infused pop of Sacramento’s So Much Light, who recently released the whimsical, electronic-heavy LP Oh, Yuck. There will also be performances by SF locals Le VICE, a truly one-of-a-kind act that creates an eclectic mix of hip-hop, pop, and soul. Bassist and songwriter Alex Szotak, who has previously worked with other favorites BOSCO and Soft Glas, will also be making his live debut. – Lilly Milman

Make sure to start the year off right by stopping by the Milk Bar on January 3rd, and until then, stream one of Le VICE’s past live performances below.

The San Francisco-based garage band Veins is the side project of Michael Bang and Jeff Mark, who come from another Deli SF favorite, The Riot Professor. In this project, their psychedelic influences relegate to the back seat, while grunge takes center stage. Their self-titled EP drones in a way you can bang your head to, on tracks like the opener “Bipolar By Nature” (streaming below) that invite the listener into a washing machine of scudzy sounds that perfectly capture the angst of the Bay Area scene. They will be playing their next show right after Christmas, at Brick & Mortar on December 26th. – Lilly Milman

The newest release by San Jose native folk artist Riley McShane is the type of project that sneaks up on you, in the best way possible. Aptly titled Places, it is a drifter’s rumination on what it means to be rooted somewhere—in ways both mental and physical. Recorded in various bedrooms, classrooms, and cars, this triumphant EP is a reminder of what makes the D.I.Y. scene so great. Reminiscent of other indie folk greats like Gregory Alan Isakov, Riley McShane is one to watch very closely (especially since he never seems to stay in one place for very long.) Check out his EP, and catch him playing SoFar Sounds on Saturday (an event almost as nomadic as the artist himself.) – Lilly Milman

Listen to our favorite track, “San Jose” streaming below.

If psych rock and shoegaze had a baby, then that baby would probably love the fuzzy indie rock of New York-based Heaven. The quartet subverts the conventions of psychedelia with their focus on lyricism and tight percussion lines, all while maintaining plenty of fuzz. Their songs channel an emotional quality not often seen in psychedelia. The slow, often droning tracks would be perfect for a school dance for stoners (intended in the best way possible, of course). They just unveiled this video for single "Never the Moment," which will be included in their upcoming LP "All Love is Blue," out in March 2018 on Little Cloud Records.  – Lilly Milman 

The newest EP by the San Francisco-based EaSWay entitled The Panther in the Room (streaming below) is the exact type of career-defining work that any emerging artist needs, especially on the R&B and hip-hop scene. The 6-track project bumps all the way through, letting the catchy hooks, infectious beats, and introspective lyrics speak for themselves. EaSWay marries new trends with the classic conventions of hip-hop, paying homage to old favorites while inventing something completely new. This triumphant EP shows a hungry artist on the rise, prepping to take over the scene in a big way. Don’t sleep on this one and listen to the whole project below. – Lilly Milman

The San Francisco-based Debbie Neigher, who goes by the name Lapel, provides danceable pop music with an edge. The seasoned keyboardist and backup vocalist gets her name from an anecdote about Margaret Trudeau, who responded to an interview question about her marriage with the phrase, “I want to be more than a rose in my husband’s lapel.” Her latest single “Less Of A Woman” (streaming below) follows the same feminist wave as her namesake, proclaiming her as a femme fatale force to be reckoned with in the Bay Area scene. She will be bringing her introspective pop to the Rickshaw Stop on December 13th, and then later to The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz on January 6th. – Lilly Milman

If you’re still not fully enveloped in the holiday spirit, then fear not—Milk Was A Bad Choice has the showcase for you. Complete with Christmas DJ sets, festive drinks, and even an ugly sweater contest, the holiday party showcase is the perfect event for anyone who wants to stop being a Grinch. The stacked lineup includes local psychedelic garage-rockers Locus Pocus, a solo set by Zachary Vito of the Bay Area’s very own Union Pacific, and a special headlining performance by the disco-infused alt rock quintet Kid Bloom from L.A. – Lilly Milman

Drop by The Milk Bar on December 6th at 8 pm for the holiday party to end all others, and until then, stream Locus Pocus’s new single “I’d Be Your Woman” below.

There is something mystifying about the way Oakland-based Anne Healey, also known as Evil Seagull, is able to turn her experiences into music. Listening to her EP The Philosophy of Evil Seagull is like a trip to the island of misfit toys; her haunting vocals are sweet up until the moment they go completely sour, with carefully crafted lyrics that communicate a feeling through anecdotal abstraction (like this line from “You Are Wise”: “Then I called you Buddha, / and you squirmed and hit me in the eye; / I meant that you were wise, / I said it to be nice.”) Evil Seagull’s debut drips with musicality and experience, and you can stream all four songs below. – Lilly Milman

The newest release by the quartet Life Size Models, aptly titled Homemade EP, is an explosion of nostalgic alternative rock. Lead singer Chris Seymour’s energy is intoxicating, as he layers borderline raucous vocals over the fun, fast-paced melodies of tracks like “Get Better” (streaming below) and “State of Mind.” Listening to this EP is akin to being on the brink of an adventure; it’s music for the car ride, for the moment you realize you are about to do something big. There’s something distinctly summery about their jangly, garage band ballads, although they’re worth listening to all-year long. Their next show will be free of charge, at the Caravan Lounge in San Jose starting at 10 pm. – Lilly Milman

When it comes to the San Francisco-based garage band Bong Kitty, surf and slacker influences come together to form timely, tight rock. Listening to the Worst Party Ever EP feels like sitting on the beach with all your friends—if your friend group consisted mostly of the cast of Dazed and Confused, that is. It’s surf rock, but with an edge; the guitar parts are dynamic and reverb soaked displays of good, clean, Dick Dale-influenced fun while the vocals are hazy with some clear slacker influences. Stream the EP below and keep an eye out for Bong Kitty’s next live show because they are not ones to miss. – Lilly Milman

Their third release in two years, What You Say and What You Mean is the newest project by DIY alt-rockers Remember Karen. The Oakland-based quartet specialize in melodic tracks that mystify with their cryptic, abstract lyrics (“your ghost always sits in a suburban chair / traces of the not-yet in a parking lot”), yet stay far, far away from the cringe-worthy realm of fake depth. The best part is, they don’t take themselves too seriously, either. They aren’t afraid of rhyming “modesto” with “unimpressed-o” in “Afternoon Waking Life” (streaming below)—a move made even more successful by the whirlwind chorus that follows it. Their music nods at the early work of indie rock legends Death Cab, working in a similar stripped-down style to their debut LP Something About Airplanes. However, that is not to say it is derivative. This is not a recreation of something that already exists, but rather, a revival—one that we’re excited to see unfold. Remember Karen will be playing their record release show at 924 Gilman on November 12th at 6 pm. – Lilly Milman, photograph by Kevin Steen

Until then, you can exclusively stream the entire record below. The album will be available on Remember Karen’s Bandcamp page starting on November 10th.

Jersey City’s three-piece Overlake has been contributing innovative, intimate shoegaze to the local scene since forming in 2012, and their newest LP Fall shows they are getting better and better at it. The record is saturated with guitar-driven anthems of nostalgia, thematically focused on the transience of life. Each song encapsulates a moment in time, following no chronological order; instead, this album moves like an emotional catharsis complete with blooming guitar parts, driving percussion, and powerful bass lines. The band is currently on a US tour. They’ll return to their native NJ on December 9th with a show at WFMU’s Monty Hall. – Lilly Milman