Upcoming artists face a myriad of challenges in the scramble for purchase in the music landscape. As if making honest art that resonates with diverse audiences wasn’t arduous enough, then there’s marketing, networking, selling oneself without selling oneself out, balancing one’s family’s expectations as they stack up upon your shoulders, and the feeling of dust building up on your dreams. Akinyemi bravely stares into the crystal ball in the first single from his upcoming “summers” EP (the release party will be at BK Bazaar on Sept. 17 at 8pm). The dust doesn’t stand a chance. – Jason Grimste, brokeMC

Whirring guitars find pedal heaven among the many changing shrieks and fuzzes that make up NYC psych slackers The Sofas. With a homey name and a flannel-clad, unshaven appearance, you might expect them to be a little softer—but you’d be wrong. The Sofas are loud. They slip in a solo that could be two decades old, yet sounds completely fresh and thrash their instruments like any good old garage band, but reference in their sound some of the most imaginative bands of the ’90s, forgotten by many, like early Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev. The band has been playing a lot of local shows in 2017 and has an LP scheduled for later in the year (out on Jurassic Pop Records). If it’s anything like their first single "Hum" (premiered below) it promises to take over our ears. – Allie Miller

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Listening to Hayes Peebles’ debut EP Ghosts elicits the warm feelings that come from a country croon, while a closer look at the lyrics reveals the wisdom of a masterful songwriter. His honest ballads are embellished by his tasteful arrangements (in which he plays guitar and keys), which are too dynamic to fall neatly into the Americana category. He will be playing a show at the Mercury Lounge on August 24th. Listen to our favorite track, “Home” streaming below. – Lilly Milman

San Fransisco outfit Spooky Mansion will be playing a hometown show this summer at Golden Bull on August 23rd. The band’s most recent material came out this year with a surprisng stylistic change; The previousl;y self-described surf rock band brought a whole different flavor of chill, hip-hop oriented beats and instrumentation on their new EP, I’m the Moon, You’re the Wave (so plz change w/ me). With listed influences like Modest Mouse and Pixies, this project contrarily resembles (at least to our ears) the fellow Californian band The Neighbourhood, especially on “You’re the Wave”, a subtle and gentle track with dreamy piano chords over a quick, lofi hip-hop beat and harmonizing soft vocals. Check out the band’s latest work below. – Pearse Devlin

With her debut EP, Book of Lolita, released last month, Nashville born, LA based alt-soul singer Anne Dereaux delivers a soothing record filled with wisdom and vitality. Inspired by an alter ego conceived by the artist when she was a child, the EP marks an emotive and personal journey, featuring vocals that range between confidence, pain, and delicate textures, layered over atmospheric instrumentals. The artist released a video (streaming below) for the song "MO(U)RNING", which complements the emotional track through an ambitious story that transitions from a somber, darkened setting to a luminous ending, painting a journey through pain and heartbreak. She’s playing NYC’s hot hub Baby’s All Right on August 22nd – it’s a good sign. – Tafari Lemma

There is a vintage sound that comes across in LA indie quintet Inner Wave’s latest single “Eclipse” (streaming below). Maybe it’s the way Pablo Sotelo’s voice shifts into falsetto during the repeated line “Try, it’s right there for your eyes,” or the way the synth beats start to drive the song into groovy, psychedelic territory. Either way, listening to the song is like losing track of time—it’s mellow but not boring, catchy but not conventional. Hear Inner Wave play tracks like this live a the Constellation Room at the Observatory on August 25th. – Lilly Milman

More than a few big names come to mind when listening to the careful, quirky alt-folk crafted by Kelly Hoppenjans on her June EP Dreaming Is Easy—Imogen Heap, Brandi Carlisle, Regina Spektor, to name a few. She experiments with her own vocal and artistic range to create a wide soundscape for a singer-songwriter. Her lyrics reveal a complicated battle of emotions that often contradict each other (“you can sell me short and I will buy,” “I’ll wear my tightest skirt and my thickest skin”), creating an emotional experience that anyone can relate to. Catch the sultry, raw pop of Kelly Hoppenjans before she embarks on tour on September 1st at the Homegrown Taproom in Tennessee. – Lilly Milman

Listen to our favorite track “Garden of Little White Lies” streaming below.

It’s easy to see how the heavy-hearted alternative pop of up-and-comers Elliot Root came to fruition, as the four-piece band formed in the heart of Music City itself. Since releasing their EP Thoughts From Yesterday last year, Elliot Root has seen their fair share of success. They’re following up with their debut LP called Conjure, set to be released on August 25th. They’ve already shared four singles off the LP, the most recent being the soulful stadium-ready anthem “Stay” (streaming below.) This isn’t a track to be listened to through headphones, which is a good thing considering they are beginning a tour with Rainbow Kitten Surprise in a couple of weeks. They will be playing a Nashville show on September 2nd at the Live On The Green festival. – Lilly Milman

The latest single “Spit” (streaming below) by Brooklyn band Abraham King has been a long time coming. The four-piece has been a work in progress ever since frontman Adam Eisler started it as a solo project back in college. Now the full-fledged band is gearing up to release a debut LP later this year, and if the rest of the album is anything like “Spit,” then it promises to be something special. The 90’s influenced single is a fuzzy and nostalgic melody-driven explosion of a kind of melancholy you can bang your head to. It’s also a refreshing return to the two-minute long song, which leaves you wanting more. They will be playing their next show at the Brooklyn venue Friends and Lovers on August 18th at 6:30 pm. – Lilly Milman

“Garbage Collector” (streaming below) is the punchy new single from the Brooklyn psych rock five-piece OxenFree. The main element at work in this song is anticipation; the rhythm section is wired, the vocals are energetic with a huge range, and the guitars are dynamic, yet controlled. Throughout the whole song, the listeners are carefully balanced at the edge of their seat, just waiting for the inevitable explosion. And that’s exactly what OxenFree delivers in the last 40 seconds of the song. The rest of their EP Another Land will be released on October 13th, 2017. OxenFree is currently on tour with Say Brother and their next stop is in Cleveland, OH on August 17th. – Lilly Milman

Cold Beat’s latest work Chaos By Invitation takes us back to the early day of a genre that today is rampant in the indie rock soundscape: dream pop. In single "62 Moons," an upbeat, bread and butter rhythm section, reminiscent of electronic artists of the post-punk years, supports a simple arrangement where electric guitars drenched in reverb blend to perfection with bleepy synths that scream "’80s!", while celestial female vocals indulge in ethereal, droney melodies. Cold Beat will be reaching the end of their Cali-based tour this month after a San Fransisco show at El Rio on August 15. – Pearse Devlin

Listen to our favorite track "62 Moons” streaming below.

With their newest single, “Diner Song” (streaming below) the NYC-based 5-piece Strange Loops have honed in on an electrifying sound that is entirely their own. Mixed and mastered by their own guitarist, Tyler Postiglione, the song channels some less than usual late ’80s influences (Cowboy Junkies, 10,000 Maniacs, even early U2), but with a personal twist. The group conjures up tasteful arrangements with minimalistic leanings, but it’s Sofie Kapur’s vocals that make this track stand out. The rawness with which she approaches the lyrics gives the song an almost tangible energy, through a crescendo that takes her from a soulful and restrained beginning to belting climaxes. You can see them live next at the Footlight in Brooklyn on August 23rd. Concert-goers will be able to download their upcoming EP called New Era, which releases on the 24th, before its official release. – Lilly Milman 

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