In the the beginning of 2018, Dream-pop five-piece Barrie put out shimmering singles, “Canyons,” and “Tal Uno,” before releasing a 12” in October aptly titled Singles. The Brooklyn-based band hail from all over the country (and world), but have recently converged in New York to collaborate and write songs together. Their dreamy sound puts an ambient spin on retro synth pop, which makes for ultra gorgeous tracks that swirl in a neon glow. In 2019, they’ll be hitting the road in support of Miya Frolick in a US and Canada tour. Listen to "Michigan" below. Sara Nuta

Brooklyn indie rockers TOLEDO make things look and sound easy. Anchored by Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz, TOLEDO has put out a mix of laid-back singles that showcase a folksy, blissed-out sensibility. With soft, watery harmonies and bright hooks that are easy to sink into, their sound recalls early days of Real Estate or even Fleet Foxes.  As of now, TOLEDO is getting ready to put out their debut EP in February of 2019. You can catch them IRL at Trans-Pecos on December 16th, where they’ll be playing alongside Saint Marilyn and Elliot & The Ghost. Listen to their single “Hot Stuff” below. Sara Nuta

The National Sawdust’s ongoing series “The Revolution”,  is dedicated to showcasing local artists and collaborators and Saturday 12.15 is The Revolution, Vol. 34. This month’s acts include Salomon Faye, Melissa McMillan, and Zoo Berries. 

Melissa McMillan puts an ambient, electronic twist on R&B vocals. Her velvety voice soars over dark, looming beats and ominous percussion. Her latest release, "Shade," is a meditation on contemporary jazz and Neo-soul.

Salomon Faye is a French American rapper who uses his particular brand of avant hip-hop as a jumping off point to explore the arts and music scene in Brooklyn. Many of his lyrics are often introspective and lean towards the philosophical. In 2017, he put out his King Salomon EP, which featured J. Cole and this year he dropped the single “Whatever,” back in November. After being associated with the A$AP Mob, Faye opted to pave his own path and collaborate with underground artists around him to create THEiLLUZiON, a collective of sonic and visual artists. After spending years behind the scenes, Salomon Faye has set the stage and put in the work to finally assert himself as a trailblazer in the NYC underground hip-hop scene.

Zoo Berries find a fusion between funk, jazz, r&b through grooving bass and smooth improvisation. Throughout their latest, EP.1, the 7-piece bring together sax, drums, guitar, bass, piano, and spoken word, creating an easy-going instrumental sound that brings together the best aspects of traditional funk forms and contemporary compositions.

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You can buy tickets to The Revolution Vol. 34 Saturday 12.15 here. 

DIY diva/producer Sir Babygirl is gearing up to release her hotly anticipated debut album, Crush On Me, in February via Father/Daughter records. She’s already released a few criminally catchy queer bangers, “Heels,” “Flirting With Her,” and “Haunted Mansion” plus some spooky accompanying visuals. Her songs inhabit an atmosphere that’s sparkly, maximalist, and histrionic. A former comedian and current meme-r, Hogue uses humor to confront issues of bi-sexuality, femininity, and gender on her instagram and in her music. Now, the Silicon Valley-born, New Hampshire-raised starlet is hitting the road on tour in support of her upcoming album with Philly’s Petal. Listen and watch "Haunted Mansion" below, and be sure to catch Sir Babygirl and Petal at Rough Trade NYC with Cave People on January 25th. 

Kamau Wainaina—who performs under the moniker Maũ—is creating shape-shifting, avant music that’s as interdisciplinary as his artistic background. Maũ, a senior at NYU Tisch whose work spans film, photography, and music, put out his single “SUNDOWN” via Invertebrate back in September. The song enters a space free from the boundaries of conventional genre where a slinking electro beat meets stream-of-consciousness spoken word hip-hop:“I wish I could call it word vomit but that would understate it / syllables spilling god willing, I  turn a phrase to payment.” Born in Nairobi, Wainaina’s work is largely focused on the ways one’s identity can adapt and shift in different environments. You can catch Maũ as well as Jae Luna, Octopus, and Pom Pom Squad at Trans-Pecos on 11/29 at 8 pm in a show put on by NYU Local. Sara Nuta

Brooklyn indie-rock trio Noble Kids are announcing their forthcoming sophomore album, Messy Pretty, with the release of a new single “Rain Hat,” a sentimental song with ribbons of synth-sounding instrumentation spiraling in the background. "The mess we made was proof / Can’t rid myself of them so soon / And i’m just so glad for you.”

Their upcoming album Messy Pretty meditates on questions of the self and the other—the ways you can misinterpret the identities’ of your loved ones and visa versa. It’s a perfect coming of age track with plain-spoken lyrics and conversational vocals that fits right in as the band grows into their nostalgic pop sound. 

“Messy Pretty is a very human record,” says Barsten in a press release. “There is a sheen to it, but it’s messy at its core and direct in a way that made us all a little uncomfortable while making it. That was a new feeling, and it became an important feeling to embrace. It pushed us.”

Listen to “Rain Hat” below. Messy Pretty is out February 2019 and you can pre-order it here.  

It seems like there’s not a lot that Jackie Mendoza can’t do. The Brooklyn via San Diego visionary writes and produces enchanting ukelele synth pop, switches between English and Spanish with ease, and sometimes, directs music videos. Inspired by Latin pop and folk textures, Mendoza’s compositions re-imagine what electronica can sound like in 2018. On “La Luz,” her most popular track, her ukulele strums and breezy vocals swirl and echo into rippling beats hefted by Latin-inspired percussion and a sparse piano part. It makes for a transcendent sound that’s unlike anything else. Listen below and catch Jackie Mendoza at h0l0 on 12/13 alongside Snakeskin, Verdigrls, and Anna Altman. Sara Nuta

Tobias has been creating glitchy electronica for the last several years, and now he’s exploring new sonic territory: lyrics. Toby, his latest LP, is the 22-year-old’s first endeavor in recording and writing lyrics—and the culmination of several years of tinkering with instrumental experimental electronica. The hybrid album ripples with a fragmented fluidity, floating from mellow tracks (“Safe,” “Translucent,”) and picking up tension along the way (the anxious post-punk-y “Don’t Ask”) until it lands on the urgent closer “Boardsports.” Clocking in at just over thirty minutes, Toby reveals that there’s subtlety and economy to Tobias’ songwriting. Each of the 9 tracks has sparse, moody energy and listening to the entire record feels like driving through a dark road at night in the middle of nowhere. Listen below and catch Tobias perform alongside BLK SLK, Cutie, Chaste, and Died on 11/18 at Trans-Pecos. Sara Nuta

Peel Dream Magazine is the brainchild of NYC-based musician Joe Stevens. His debut album, Modern Meta Physic, has soft fuzzy charm with a mellow, psych core. It’s an exploration of retro sounds and new age-y philosophies wrapped up into 13 hazy tracks. The band’s name hearkens back to the legendary BBC DJ John Peel, and its sound is also beholden to the past; part Velvet Underground and part Stereolab, PDM captures the warmth of nostalgia with its samples of old-school late tv programs, while transporting you to an entirely new era through its psych rock and lo-fi musings. In the best shoegazer tradition, Stevens’ airy vocal melodies are often barely audible in the mix, buried under the fuzz of the group’s distorted guitars. Listen below, and drift off. You can catch Peel Dream Magazine at Secret Project Robot on 12/2. Sara Nuta

Behind the Lost Boy ? moniker, Brooklyn-based rocker/guitarist Davey Jones draws a character from tales of the late ‘60s through the early ‘90s in Lower Manhattan and Downtown LA. Inspired by memoirs, literature, and music from this era, Lost Boy ? tells the story from this retro vantage point exploring the trials, tribulations, and sounds of the Sex, Drugs, & Rock N Roll era. Today, he’s back with a new record titled Paranoid Fiction.

Once a month, National Sawdust puts on “The Revolution,” a  performance series showcasing Brooklyn & Harlem artists as a means of empowering and invigorating the local music and arts scene. Each month, three innovative and emerging artists from different genres get to showcase and share their work in a space that fosters connection, healing, and revolution. Sponsored by the Deli, Revolution Vol. 33 will take this place this upcoming Saturday featuring Addison Frei, Ryan Peter Scott, and Samira Gibson. 

Based out of New York by way of South Carolina, Samira Gibson taps into a haunting groove in her experimental neo-soul. Wielding her rich, powerful vocals like a knife, Gibson cuts through the noise and lets her words shine in her latest release, “Mona Lisa Remix.” The young singer has an impressive repertoire, having performed background vocals for heavyweights like Mary J Blige, Vic Mensa, and Elle Varner.

Ryan Peter Scott looks for answers to life’s greatest conundrums in his particular style of smokey, guitar-based blues. His introspections are highlighted on his latest record, Smoke & Licorice, which focuses on the journey of a young man searching for his own voice and autonomy. In a blend of funk, jazz, avant garde, and 70s rock, Scott creates a sound that feels familiar but innovative, as he flexes his prodigious guitar skills in his music.

Pianist, composer, and producer Addison Frei writes socially conscious and compositionally complex neo-jazz. He’s currently studying at Julliard, and working on a digital EP called Future Speak that explores today’s political climate through spoken verse, acoustic improvisation, and components of electronica amongst his piano compositions. 

Listen to the playlist below:

In August, Eyes of Love put out their highly anticipated debut LP, End of The Game. Helmed by Brooklyn songwriter Andrea Schiavelli, EoL is a true meeting of the minds that brings together some of the New York underground’s most innovative musicians including Lily Konigsberg (Palberta, Lily and Horn Horse), Sammy Weissberg (The Cradle, Sweet Baby Jesus), and Paco Cathcart (The Cradle, Shimmer). End of The Game is an expansive–and impressive–debut of 14 tracks ranging from breezy pop to lush orchestral arrangements. Schiavelli’s vocals find the ability to make any turn of phrase sound instantly classic and accessible, reminiscent of the Magnetic Fields. Be sure to give their excellent album a listen below, and catch the band live this friday when they’ll be playing alongside Straw Pipes, Sieve, and Inspect Element in a show put on by WNYU radio. – Sara Nuta