Before Midtown Social’s forthcoming Fantastic Colors album drops they’re touring all over California and beyond this summer with their fun and funky beats. On May 12th they’re busting out an 80’s themed dance party at one of our most beloved SF spots for queer culture and entertainment, The Stud. Whether you’re black, white, straight, queer, single or taken, come one come all, sport some sassy 80’s inspired attire and shake what you got. Midtown Social is known for bringing the house down with their California soul and room-encompassing beats. Can’t make it out on the 12th? Catch them at a number of different venues all over California and beyond. – Lucille Faulkner

After 2016’s Grammy-nominated, Billboard-topping album Epoch, we’ve been waiting to see what Tycho would come out with next. In April they released their latest single “Easy” and it’s a fascinating, moving piece with quiet aqueous vibes combined with whispering vocals and synthy pops of sound. Scott Hansen (Tycho’s primary composer) says he wanted to “…focus inward to reveal a human side to the music.” Give it a listen here and drift away. – Lucille Faulkner

Alycia Lang’s new single “The Only One” was just released off her upcoming album Makeshift out May 17. After her previous work with bands Waterstrider and Trails and Ways, Lang decided to work on her solo album and the result is jazzy rock with a hint of pop breathing warm percussives and lightly twanged vocals. Previous releases off the forthcoming LP (check out single “Projector”) are poppy, mildly synthed out, Enya-touched and sexy. Stay tuned for upcoming shows. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

On Thursday, May 16 the Ivy Room will host an evening full of lovely music, all from queer artists. Performing will be Rob Jamner, indie rock storyteller and poet, who will be releasing his EP Holding Stones and playing short films from independent filmmakers Jesse Israel, Sair Goetz, Marica Petrey, Jared Swanson, and Andy Strong. Americana guitarist and songwriter Briget Boyle will be playing some sweet tunes from her new album The Next Line. We’ll also have Kristen Ford who’ll be touring from Nashville and playing her soul meets electropop jams, and Oh The Nerve, a queer feminist pop/R&B band from Berkeley. Check out all their music below and come on out! – Lucille Faulkner

The Throwin’ Bo’s folks are bringing a pretty solid line up to Milk Bar this Wednesday night. A local favorite, Moon Daze, will be gracing the stage with their fun dream pop hotness. Easy is coming up from LA with their psych rock vibes. And last but dear lord not least is Blac Rabbit. It’s a true treat to have these boys touring from NY. Their rocks and rolls are high, their baselines are a dreamy hot backbone and all with just the right amount of reverb and harmonic moments that are on point. Wednesday the 24th at Milk Bar! – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

San Francisco’s Micropixie creates spacey warm sounds with a sixties French psych pop feel. It’s a multilingual, multi-genre listening experience addressing social norms, masculinity, and gender and cultural identity. The video for “Como Mínimo” is a captivating and thought-provoking viewing experience that we recommend. Singles have been sprinkling out of upcoming album Dark Sight of the Moon and we’re bracing ourselves for the full release this week. Out the third of May. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Isador Kaufman’s debut EP, Scattered Efforts, is a “collection of songs about happy and sad.” It’s his first solo album after his former band, Watergate Sandals, disbanded in 2017. “I was in a bit of a creative rut for a while there,” Kaufman says, and is grateful to have re-found the creative energies to make Scattered Efforts. Some tracks have a bit of a Mac Demarco thing while others have a sometimes spacey, sometimes beachy psych rock feel. The simple description of “Pop” does not do this work justice. It’s an honest and raw collection, written, performed, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Kaufman himself. He recorded and mixed on Pro Tools then mastered songs on an old Foster 4 track cassette player he bought off Craigslist. As a first effort at production, we’re impressed. We’re also impressed that he decided to donate 100% of the proceeds from EP sales to Planned Parenthood. Stay tuned for tour dates and his second album, which is in the works as we speak. Like we say, stay tuned. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Billie Gale’s “Inner Circle” is relaxing dream pop with warm jam guitars and echoing, atmospheric synth. Front woman Beth Garber has hidden twang behind those haunting vocals. Recorded at Tiny Telephone, Inner Circle is a taste of what’s coming up. Stay tuned for more from the group and give them a listen here. – Lucille Faulkner

Meernaa, the “beautiful, freaky dream” of Oakland’s own Carly Bond, is a fuckin beautiful freaky listening experience. Tiny Telephone production quality is full-on apparent: that room-encompassing, take-me-away-Calgon feeling is a pleasure. Last year’s EP, Strange Life, features an all-star collection of supporting musicians, with tracks ranging from bluesy synth rock to R&B post-rock and a vocal range that repeatedly surprises. Tracks like “Good Luck” are like if Bonnie Raitt, Angel Olson, Sharon Van Etten and that scene in the snow globe from the Labyrinth all got together and created an experience of a song. Meernaa is on tour with Mr. Vanderslice as we speak. See them at The Rickshaw Stop on April 28 to experience Meernaa’s newest work and to hear John Vanderslice’s new album, The Cedars. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Nate Brenner, aka Naytronix, just released the single “Come Back” off his forthcoming album, Air, and it’s a fantastically mixed, warm and pleasing jam that pushes the limits of psych pop. The percussive backbone is blessed with drummer Hamir Atwal’s hard-to-mimic snappy jazz touch. The album features some other Oakland favorites, including Madeline Kenney and Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus. After his work scoring Sorry to Bother You, we’re not surprised. “Come Back” is a killer teaser and we can’t wait for the full album, out June 7th on Botcave records. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Night School just released their new music video and it’s not only a charming shoegazing dream, it’s a sweet homage to California landscape with a heavy hint of mystical witchiness. Love your shoes, Witch. Watch their music video with us, then come on out to The Chapel for their record release show. For those of your purities who can’t wait to get your hands on the record, order it here. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

You heard it here first! The Deli is proud to premiere a new single on this foolish April 1st. Keith Sweaty took Step Children’s “The Ballad of Lea Meadows” and transformed it from post-punk dance rock with a Mountain Goats feel into an intergalactic trip. It feels like the track took a dip in the Stranger Things pond and we’re into the vibes. See what other shenanigans the Step Children guys are brewing and check them live at Hotel Utah with Credit Electric (really lovely Americana with electric infusions) and We Arsons (surrealist folk with a true 90’s appreciation) on the 6th of April. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor