Faint Sounds of Us Hanging Out is the latest record from Hartford’s Queen Moo, and boy does it intrigue. The album is a lo-fi adventure that gives you the feeling it took place in a bedroom and nowhere else. The instruments have a vivid sound to them: in tracks like “Flinch” electric guitar signals distort and reverberate to unpredictable drum patterns. There are soft piano overtures, trumpet segments, and quirky vocal harmonies, but it is the girt of the production that is most charming. All the vibrancy of the instrumentation has a grainy tinge to it, a real DIY touch. The record places the listener right in the middle of the recording process, hanging out with the band. The album release party is set for August 25th at The State House in New Haven. We are streaming “Periphery” below to get you ready for the show. – Rene Cobar 

This summer has already gifted us some excellent music from New England’s rising talents, one of them being the ever-glowing Evelyn Cormier of New Hampshire. The singer-songwriter’s latest single “Peach Skies” features a vivid acoustic guitar chord progression and ambient sounds that set the stage for string instrument swells, an undulating bassline and Cormier’s sumptuous vocals to shine. The song leads the listener to an atmospheric sonic garden where Cormier’s vocal harmonies and an uplifting piano cadence are its most impressive blooms. Evelyn Cormier is set to perform in New Hampshire at the Tupelo Music Hall on August 4th. The singer-songwriter embraces folk’s most appealing aspects and makes each song her own; we are streaming “Peach Skies” below for you. – Rene Cobar

Few bands show the combination of skill and passion that Connecticut’s Streetlight Shakers do. The trio uses a simple set-up of drums, keys, and bass to produce full-blown Americana gems. The elegant vocals of Jeff Boratko lead the way past intricate basslines and finely-crafted drum patterns, telling a story easy to relate to, easy to imagine. The band’s debut record A Light in the Dark is jam-packed with tunes tailored-made to capture consciousness profoundly: some songs inspiring like "Pull Yourself Together" some cautionary like "Down With the Devil" all demand careful attention. The group’s stories seep into the mind and remain there, fermenting till the next listen. The band has a busy month ahead with the next New England show at First Church in West Hartford on August 13th. We are streaming "Brooklyn Bound" to keep your weekend going in style. – Rene Cobar

Start the Week Over takes it back to basics with a heavy-handed drum beat, a rowdy bassline and fiery power chords that morph into energetic solos. A welcome throwback to pop punk’s glory days, the music of the Boston group has enough lively hymns to elicit images of groups like New Found Glory and Good Charlotte playing to countless screaming fans. While the Warped Tour heyday of beer tents with no line and acrobatic fans may be over, pop-punk music always delights. Start the Week Over’s new single "Daisytop" is a reminder that good music doesn’t need to be overprocessed, sometimes it just needs to come from the heart. The band will be playing Outpost 186 in Cambridge on August 1st. We are streaming "Daisytop" to get you pumped for the show. – Rene Cobar

Boston’s Rogozo has a brand new double record out titled Nine Lives/Eight Lives and boy does it offer an escape from life’s asphyxiating routine. The ambiance in the opening track "Nine Lives" alone is enough to relax the brain’s neurons and secrete euphoria. The listener can be lost in the suppleness of the string instruments and keys that open the song and lead toward an intriguing marching drum build-up. The song then cascades the mind into a lake of majestic vocal chants, blinding drum fills, and flourishing guitars. The record continues its art-rock flexing to flash stylish guitar solos and Queen-like enthusiasm in its performance. "Animals" in particular is a cross between the most prominent rock forms of the ’70s: punk, glam, and psych merge for a riveting experience. "The Psychic" fast-forwards to the ’80s for an electro-tune that displays a furious pace, a smooth bassline, and charming vocal harmonies. "Red City" has a lush piano riff that contrasts with the song’s aggressive tone. Rogozo has crafted a sonic journey that is deserving of praise, in its execution as much as in its creativity. The Thunder Road Music Club will be hosting Rogozo on Aug 2nd for a performance sure to be a good time. With so many tracks to choose from, we have to go with the pop-punk tinged "Dream" streaming for you below. – Rene Cobar

Boston’s Almost Owen is a little risqué and a whole lot of playful: the singer-songwriter’s latest single “We Out Here” is the perfect anthem for midsummer festivities. The percussive song moves limbs and provides a solid foundation for Owen’s smooth flow and catchy pop hooks. The production of “We Out Here” impresses with its textured vocal harmonies and cheery chants that create the merry atmosphere Owen is known for. We dare say too that Owen has a swagger in his delivery that completes the summer package. If you need a track for your mischievous summer evenings, we are streaming it for you below. – Rene Cobar

Spiffed up and ready to take on the world are Boston’s Them Fantasies, a well-polished group with a brand spanking new debut record. The band’s Caffeine Queen is an alt-rock treat with an unquestionable aroma of jazz and hints of pop. "Hook-Up Culture" amps up the groove factor with a slithery-entrancing bassline while "Melatonin" lets the guitar solos and anthemic choruses fly for a double shot of alt-rock goodness. In "Acid Anna," the band shines as the jazz influences take over and provide comforting escapism from reality. From the speedy "Plastic Heart" to the reggae-soaked "Them Fantasies," it all comes together sumptuously. Having returned from an East Coast tour, Them Fantasies are sure to let the album’s steam propel them to the next set of gigs. Enjoy our favorite track from the new record "Acid Anna" below. – Rene Cobar

Lowell, Massachusetts has never been lacking in character, so it only fits that bands nurtured in its distinct environment would be able to tell a good story. Enter Horse Mode, a group who in less than seven minutes paints a vivid picture of the once-thriving industrial city: the agile math-rock composition that is the band’s two-track EP The And / Breath performs like a well-oiled machine. The group uses dynamic guitar arpeggios, energetic drum fills, and vocals reminiscent of Zack de la Rocha’s glory days to create a sonic apparatus worth cherishing. The gritty spirit of Lowell is undoubtedly captured in the record, the band approaches its music with resolve, telling a whole lot in the instrumental work. The group will be playing UnchARTed in its hometown on July 27th. As a treat, we are streaming the two-track EP for you below. – Rene Cobar

The latest single from Boston’s Motel Black progresses quickly and intoxicates with velocity: “Master of Reality Revisited” keeps a steady punk rhythm going as a slick bassline hypnotizes. The vocal delivery is assertive as it leads the listener toward furious build-ups punctuated by dynamic guitar solos. Motel Black embraces the gritty alternative rock that New England produces, the group flashes the best parts of it without a doubt. The band has a gig at Jungle Community Music Club in Somerville, MA on July 27th. We are streaming “Master of Reality Revisited” below to get your alt-rock engine going for the show. – Rene Cobar

Fans of Brooklyn’s garage rock quartet Big Cheese have something to look forward to this year: Wild to Be Born, a brand new record, has been announced by the group for a September 13th release. The band’s new single “Filthy Rich” is a dramatic sonic strut back into the busy Brooklyn music scene, a swagger-filled track with an opening guitar riff too cool to forget. The band’s last album Supersonic Nothing was making the rounds in 2016, spreading its Sonic Youth-influenced tunes and making a name for Big Cheese’s noisy brand of garage rock. Three years later the band has refined its sound, filtering out some of the noise, but not abandoning it – it bubbles up more subtly in the brand new track which also flashes enough grunge to excite ’90s rock lovers. The band appears to have a big end of the year in store, but for now, it is business as usual as a performance at Art at the Footlight in Queens awaits on July 25th. We are premiering “Filthy Rich” for you below. – Rene Cobar

The music of Boston’s Pretty Saro has a shimmer to it, a softness that soothes the listener while eliciting from the same a smile or two. It is the storytelling in each song that makes this folk group so intriguing: stories of love found and lost out west and of towns long disremembered all come to life among the myriad of string instrument harmonies and fine vocal melodies. Racing Back to You is the band’s latest record, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of New England folk music. Each track offers a story seemingly unconnected that finds a way to weave itself into a larger tale throughout the record. The themes of friendship, love, and home longing all help to make Racing Back to You a relatable album that deserves a good listen. Pretty Saro is celebrating the release of the record with a performance at Club Passim in Cambridge on July 23rd. We are streaming “Hindsight” for you below. – Rene Cobar

Courtney Swain, the ever-active lead singer of the Boston-based group Bent Knee, released a solo record back in May and it takes a bite out of the New England music scene. Between Blood and Ocean is existential therapy via ethereal songs like “Snowflakes” and hard-charging alternative tracks like “I’d Kill.” Bleeding out the avant-indie influences that have helped shape Bent Knee, Swain deploys gritty guitar riffs, syncopated drum patterns, crushing electronic percussion, and tender piano melodies for a sound unlike anything else in music today. The songs were written during Swain’s stay in Martha’s Vineyard for a residency awarded by the Turkey Land Cove Foundation. The singer/songwriter thanks Asher Kurtz, Jed Lingat, Kyle Harris, and Tim Doherty for helping bring the album to life. Swain, the Providence local, has further stoked the fires of curiosity, intrigued, and innovated with this new entry. We are streaming the worldly-sounding “Sweet Snow” below. – Rene Cobar