It’s odd that no bands have successfully attempted to replicate the sound of the Grateful Dead in the 2010s yet. You’d think a band with that devout a following would have more imitators, especially since Dead & Company are still touring to this day. Garcia Peoples are here to fill the void of psychedelic jam bands in the 21st century; through combining extended songs with dynamic production flourishes and vivid songwriting, the group finds that forward-thinking sweet spot of freewheeling spirituality and unbridled rock personality. It’s a welcome return to Deadhead ideals without desecrating the grave by way of relying on nostalgia. You can check out the group’s trippy rock at Alphaville on Nov. 2. –Tucker Pennington

DODGEBALL is a band that write songs about not feeling good about yourself. Their four song EP Stephanie is full of moments where the music shoves your face into the sludge of life with a raw passion that’s relatable on a cosmic scale. Their slow, miry slacker rock trudges along against the nature of life and comes out on the other side, sounding life-affirming despite all its sadness. The uniquely hopeful songs of DODGEBALL can be experienced live at Trans-Pecos on Oct. 4. –Tucker Pennington

Like a zombie risen from the soil of CBGB, Public Practice have all the markings of a great New York punk outfit. On their breakout single "Fate/Glory," there’s the effortlessly cool poetry found in the lyrics, the manic energy that kicks into overdrive in the second half, and the precise instrumentation that simultaneously feels off-the-cuff. But once the dust finally settles, it’s clear there’s a lot more going on than a tribute to a bygone era; the frenzy the group has crafted is remarkably danceable, and feels like a more polished cut from The Sonics rather than a Talking Heads track. With just one single out, we look forward to hearing what else this group has to offer when their EP Distance is a Mirror drops at their release show at Alphaville on Oct. 26. – Tucker Pennington

The lines are blurred on all fronts in Kid Le Chat’s newest video for "Lost Critters." The new wave influence that housed their vision of what synth heavy rock can be seems to be falling apart, and it’s an astonishing deconstruction of inspirations. The oscillation between digital and analog electronics, bedroom pop verses and arena rock hooks, and colorful visuals layered over naturalistic landscapes in the video makes it difficult to discern where one influence begins and another ends. The song wholly encompasses influences and views them through a singular lens, shifting in tempo and mood yet maintaining it’s cooly driven focus. You can stream the video below and catch Kid Le Chat at Union Pool on October 24 and at Berlin on October 27th. -Tucker Pennington

Synesthesia can be a complex, difficult idea to communicate to those who don’t experience it. Sure, there’s a good chunk of musicians who perceive sounds as colors, but to instill that into the DNA of a song so it is evident to all listeners can be a pesky thing to nail down. That’s exactly what duo Good Days accomplishes on “Orange, ” the latest single from their upcoming album ROYGBIV. The track blends together the harmonic bliss of 60’s surf-pop with subtly implemented soul-pop flourishes that offer up a full-bodied depiction of an orange sunrise. The same way, the group transforms uplifting platitudes into genuinely motivating assurances with their lyrics, they also flip nostalgic vibes into something that feels fresh in its execution. You can stream “Orange” below and be on the lookout for the rest of the colors to be represented on their forthcoming album. -Tucker Pennington

So many bands attempt to replicate the sound of the 80’s without understanding the nuance of what made music from that era great: it was loud, fun and not afraid to commit to those tenets. Luckily, bands like The Values prove they can capture synth-pop nostalgia and transform it into a 21st-century extravaganza. On single “Imposter,” fat, bubbling synths quickly build to an energetic peak that the track maintains through shimmering guitars and a distinct millennial message of feeling paranoid about one’s own genuineness. The track is almost effortless in its recreation of Madonna levels of glamour and bravado, yet "Imposter" exists in its own realm, a product of its time and place, and feels fresh beacuse of that. You can stream the duo’s new song below. –Tucker Pennington

The music of Odetta Hartman is fueled by creation, no matter the outcome, and Old Rockhounds Never Die is a wellspring of genuine freak-folk experimentation. Spiraling banjos and country pianos could turn into short, tuneful folk ballads, or they succinctly end as sweet vignettes that playfully tinker with sound. This sophomore album proves that the way Hartman deconstructed home-spun atmosphere on her debut was more than just a phase; it’s a fully integrated accent in her music that unravels throughout each song. Field recordings of oceans and trains are malleably crafted, intertwining with the more “authentic” sounds to instill a trans-generational voice to her songwriting. The shorter instrumentals on Rockhounds often feel like ideas that could bud into their own unique genres, blending hip-hop and noise, almost flaunting the number of potential ideas each song hides. This playfulness doesn’t attempt to hide the raw sentiment of Hartman’s lyrics; sorrow and rage and sensuality feel quite genuine against this idiosyncratic backdrop. Old Rockhounds Never Die finds reverie when it digs its talons into sonic territories that bleed together, and each composition is a grove of ideas begging to be explored. –Tucker Pennington

Once they find that balance of instrumentation, that catchy groove and winsome hook, most bands find ways to build up to those moments, not evolve them. But Dead Tooth’s latest single “Spirit” from their Still Beats EP, masters the transition from a slowburn balance of guitar licks, whispered vocals, and psychedelic bass, to increasingly tense drums with a distinct giddyup, frantic vocals and fuzzy wall of guitars. The track is reminiscent of My Morning Jacket, featuring a trippy, southern-rock jam with whispery vocals that solidify as the song continues to grow into a vibe all its own. And at its apex, the explosiveness returns to the simple melody that kicked everything off, a shift marking just how natural this band can craft dynamics in their music. Dead Tooth are set to perform September 17 at Secret Project Robot, and you can stream “Spirit” below. – Tucker Pennington

Detective Logan’s stylish synth-pop glides along at an innocuous pace, begging for comparisons to be made about similar artists that could be found on DFA. But it’s through this play on pastiche retro sounds where “Cool People” begins to warp the upbeat dance motifs and the subtly dark undertones begin to creep through. Mechanical synths lock into place over a stomping rhythm that would most likely crush a dance floor as the hook shrilly proclaims “I can feel there’s something strange” and “lonely hearts don’t break,” in a tone that sounds like its crystallizing the words the moment they’re sung. You can catch Detective Logan premiere “Cool People” at Berlin on September 19 and stream the single’s video below. –Tucker Pennington

GABI is an artist that can be easily described with a quick descriptor, but it takes dedication to her music to fully appreciate how evocative and moving her compositions can be. While the “opera pop” tag on her Bandcamp page sufficiently describes her sound, taking the time to hear how this translates into a three-minute song can be infinitely rewarding, and her latest single “Sleep” highlights the simple grandeur of that experience. Utilizing relatively barebones instrumentation, including fragile synths, harps, clarinets and pianos, the track builds upon loops that evolve into almost celestial revolutions, like GABI is creating the universe by having the production orbit her masterful and heavenly voice. And instead of ending with a crescendo, the song simply fades once its reached its apex, concluding like a storm finally letting up. Her album Empty Me will release October 5 via Double Double Whammy, and you can catch her live at The Park Church Co-Op on October 3 and stream “Sleep” below. – Tucker Pennington

It can be difficult to add grit to R&B these days when the current trends rely on an intense devotion to the ethereal ambient music that is borderline new-age. But Brooks Thomas are determined to grind together sounds until they reach a satisfying balance on their latest album Poison. The use of live drums with surging synths and oddball instrumentation makes songs like “Fade to Black” wholly unsettling experiences. That’s not to say that there aren’t moments of clarity and pathos; the vocal harmonies on “Darkness” are sweet and melancholic as the lyrics paint a picture of unfulfilled desire, without sacrificing the dynamic collision of sounds that endlessly crawl under your skin. Poison will be released September 21, and the experimental R&B group will be playing a celebratory show the following day at Mercury Lounge. –Tucker Pennington

There’s something so matter-of-the-fact on Devon Church’s “We Are Inextricable”, the first single from his debut album of the same name. It’s a declaration of attachment that seems devoid of poetry at first, but with each imperative cry of “Come on baby” the song pushes deeper into the singer’s complex psyche. Constructed over shifting, ambient grid points reminiscent of Tim Hecker, the production features sprawling synths and gentle guitars before it all fractures in a noisy burst. Church’s foray as a solo artist is breathlessly confident, and you can hear his debut album when it comes out October 26. – Tucker Pennington