Most EPs serve relatively simple purposes: a brief taste of what an artist can offer or a slight deviation so they can experiment without dwelling on new ideas for too long. Rarely does an extended play feel like a proper introduction to an artist while also showcasing how versatile they can be; yet that’s exactly what Shapes In Calgary pulled off with the release of their second EP. As a follow-up to the band’s 2016 release, Here (streaming below) finds the two-piece fleshing out their sound in colorful new ways. Emphasizing the simplicity of synthesizers and drum machines, Shapes In Calgary’s brand of synth-pop has always valued small moments of quiet beauty, whether it’s a bubbling melody or Alyssa Ciorciari’s vocals echoing into nothingness. The songwriting on Here is a kaleidoscopic expansion of their previous creations, exploring new territory in fresh and inventive ways. The swaggering synth lines of “U Do” sound nothing like the electroacoustic production of “Falling Forward”, yet each song has moments where the band’s clear and naturalistic songs are brought to soaring new heights. This release showcases Shapes In Calgary’s knack for creatively finding their own voice in a multitude of moods and only adds to the excitement for what they can do with a full length album format. Here will be released on July 20 and will be celebrated with a live show at Union Pool on 07.21. – Tucker Pennington

I wasn’t feeling NYC rapper Mike at first. He sounded like just another rapper busting lazy rhymes over poorly mixed beats. However, I also know that I can be somewhat jaded and judgmental from so many years in the game. Mike’s got HUGE numbers on his Soundcloud so I decided to let one of his 50-minute track mixes ride. The dude put me in my place. He could use a little polish, but his hustle is real. He’s more concerned with being prolific than polite and his catalog is as diverse as it is dense. Let the mix ride. Not only does Mike conjure lush heady vibes, but the dusty drums carry some serious lyricism on their shuffling shoulders. -brokeMC

Uncertainty is a powerful force that drives people to do absurd things, especially during times of personal upheaval. Not knowing what comes next can be paralyzing for some, but it seems to be driving Carlos Hernandez to create some of the most eclectic music of his varied career. Composed during a period where he was moving on from the city and the scene he contributed to, Hernandez used the unknowns in his life to piece together a record that balances his past work with something that feels uniquely his own. On Folly is the debut solo record from Hernandez, but he is far from a newcomer to the independent scene (his avant-soul band Ava Luna was featured on the Cover of The Deli back in 2012) and this album is far from a one-man show. Bringing in prominent collaborators such as Julian Fader and Sandy Gordon and featuring additional contributions from many more artists, Hernandez crafted a collection of songs full of delicate yet agitated avant-pop arrangements. Tracks like “Nausea” feature a ramshackle and off-kilter beat as the lyrics “I can feel it coming under my skin/A confusion I can taste” gently add to the preexisting tension that doubles as a relaxing and bizarre jam. On Folly thrives on the anxieties of uncertainty, dwelling on sounds that would feel appropriate on early Dirty Projectors’ records as well as D’Angelo’s newest album; the album is due July 27. Check out first single "Second Man," streaming below. – Tucker Pennington

Since its inception, the term IDM has proved a nebulous term to actually pin down. When does an artist’s music cross the threshold of standard electronica and become heady enough for the IDM distinction? TMBOY are not an IDM group, but their wonderful melding of genres on their new singles “Focus” attempts to deconstruct the term without sacrificing the rousing pop passions that made their 2015 self-titled release so captivating. The vocals from Sarah Aument are airy but don’t get lost in the varied and shuffling production of Will Shore. The drum patterns are reminiscent of UK house music’s constant propulsion and progression from one idea to the next. Ghostly synths appear and dissipate as tropical drums bubble up and fade. Its grooves and hook are so infectious, but the underlying synthetic elements collapse in meditative and transfixing ways. It’s a testament to the group’s adventurous nature that they constructed a gem of a pop song with the DNA of an IDM deep cut. TMBOY will be performing at Elsewhere on July 25 and you can stream their new single below. – Tucker Pennington

The pastiche of vaporwave and the dozens of spinoff genres that followed illustrates just how quickly the internet will devour musical identities in their entirety. Slowed down samples and retro aesthetics were recycled ad nauseam. However, there exists artists who have disrupted the status quo enough over the past decade that the movement has produced some breathtaking artists. George Clanton aims to be one of those artists. The scope and vision of his newest single “Dumb” reveals just how the formula of vaporwave can be tweaked. Waves of robotic guitar effects churn in the very opening before the vocals emerge, full of a somewhat restrained passion. The outcome is strikingly familiar; it’s reminiscent of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine in how the wall of noise is bluntly beautiful, but the interpretation is entirely its own, full of digitized static and instantaneous crescendos that were ubiquitous in vaporwave’s early days. Utilizing a genre’s ideas in surprising ways is not always easy or successful, yet Clanton’s growth as an artist can be pinned on his aspiration to reshape how listeners hear a sound they may already be familiar with. “Dumb” is the apparent first single off a new album, according to his SoundCloud, and if the rest of his new material is this ambitious, it will be a must listen for 2018. You can stream the single below and catch Clanton perform live at Elsewhere on August 18. – Tucker Pennington

Stringer have their fiery gaze set on a variety of things on their newest album My Bad, and each target that’s caught in their sights gets scorched in their vision. They jump from blistering punk on “Intro” to a song indicting the entire United States within the span of the first two songs. It’s the type of punk that’s bristling and scrappy, often shooting off solos and slamming down hooks without regard, but Stringer have managed to inject an undeniable variable into every track. The emotional core at the heart of each song can be felt in the sheer power of their musicianship, yet it’s the grander ideas and themes that amend each melody that make their impact greater. The standout song “Ghosts” exemplifies this best; thudding drums precipitate the snarling vocals and spirited hook that rail against the whitewashed memories of the old New York. They play up the decrepit and sleazy side that’s seemingly been forgotten but paint those features as the reason why you should love it. The ugliness is sacred, and their energy delivering this mantra is palpable. My Bad is a record that crafts songs with earnest themes of political unrest and change but does it with a precise volatility that’s simultaneously addicting and charming. You can stream the music video for “Ghosts” below. -Tucker Pennington

On the surface, Psymon Spine may not seem like the kind of band that plays spiritual music, but they are a spiritual group. According to the bio on their website, the PSY part of their name stands for psychedelic parts of their music, while the MON stands for the harmonious nature in which they traverse genres of the past, present and future. The SPINE stands for the interconnected nature of the music: the connecting tissue between the band and the listener. The bio reads like scripture and the music embodies faith. A faith that a combination of folk, classical, electronic, drone, and plain old rock music will actually meld into a cohesive vision. And for the most part, this faith pays off. The songs that consist of their 2017 album You Are Coming To My Birthday find the familiar elements of each genre and amplifies them so the constant genre shifts and blurred hypnosis they conjure up always feels natural, if not engaging. It’s music that plays off the expectation of the listener in the best way; it lulls them into a dream state before inverting that dream into a wholly new creation to illustrate the beauty in everything. You can stream their album below and see Psymon Spine play at Elsewhere on July 25. -Tucker Pennington

There’s a new dynasty of artists that have emerged in the 2010’s that seem determined to carry the torch of “old school”, but various cities and artists have different interpretations about what constitutes “old school”. Mick Jenkins and Chance the Rapper have reinvented the soulful creations of Chicago, and YG fuses together a g-funk persona with modern day west-coast swagger. With YL & Roper Williams’ album friendofafriend, the same boom-bap approach that made Joey BadA$$ so popular is once again reinvented. This is not just another hip-hop album that derives its personality from New York’s history as rap’s epicenter; instead the thread of classic drum samples and RZA-styled beats has been pulled until it’s almost unrecognizable. Nocturnal and abstract, yet completely familiar, friendofafriend deals with common anxieties in a straightforward and intimate fashion. The machinations of the day-to-day are refracted through YL’s subtle wordplay that give the world of this album a personal feel. The ending “birdsfly” sounds especially poignant as uplifting choirs carry the verses with triumph. Together Roper Williams and YL have successfully carried the torch and altered east-coast tropes with a thoroughly enjoyable album. You can listen to friendofafriend in its entirety below.  -Tucker Pennington

Nate B., aka Nathan Bajar, isn’t afraid to add honey to your tea. His songs convey a lo-fi funk akin to Bibio but with vocals along the lines of Frank Ocean or Serpentwithfeet. His forthright lyricism envelops your brain like an opium cloud and the dreams that follow are sumptuous indeed. He’s still fluttering just below the radar, but with some of his SoundCloud tracks drawing almost 20k views, it’s only a matter of time. He’s also a photographer of note, so recognize creativity is the man’s oxygen. – BrokeMC

Everything about True Blue requires a double-take. A cursory listen of the debut EP from Porches’ bassist turned solo artist reveals a palette that often overlaps with Aaron Maine’s patented brand of throwback electro-pop. It’s on second glance where Maya Laner’s version of pop morphs into uncanny, yet compelling ballads that dig into the flesh of listeners. Using imagery that invokes the more rustic parts of the United States, Edge Of detail filthy characters and depressing scenarios. “Rocky Bottom” is a quaint tune that gallops at a steady pace, but Laner’s chipmunk vocals give this somewhat kitsch song an unsettling sense of reality that is wonderfully uncomfortable. The rest of the EP could also double as muzak from educational videos from the ’90s, but it’s the warping of this very distinct vibe into something simultaneously blissful and unnerving that makes Edge Of a release that rewards multiple listens. The artwork perfectly sums up the music of True Blue: a somewhat simplistic pose that reveals something disturbing about its immeasurable size and discomforting beauty. Laner will be performing at Elsewhere on August 15, and you can stream her EP below. -Tucker Pennington

There’s a general feeling of creeping unease in Sean Henry’s first single “The Ants,” off his upcoming album Fink. The way his voice worms around your ear as he describes the murder of insects on a mass scale is vivid and unsettling. The rustic production only amplifies this eerie feeling; whereas other lo-fi artists use the aesthetic to communicate intimacy, Henry’s crumpled vocals and the slight effects draped over the single create the feeling of being trapped in the traumatized dreams of a child. The chorus, however, breaks into an assured incantation that repeats the line “Goodbye, all of my problems”, and the guitars pick up to create a quiet catharsis. “The Ants” is self-described as “soft grunge”, and this carries over into the tone and sound in a multitude of ways. The dynamic crescendos are muted without losing their potency. The warbled verses that are anxious and freaky shed their childlike persona for a matured reawakening each time the chorus hits. It makes sense that Henry would take advantage of Friday the 13 to release his debut album; his sound is unnerving and captivating, balancing the lo-fi sounds that border on ugly and vulnerable. You can watch the music video for "The Ants" below and see him live on July 22 at Alphaville. – Tucker Pennington

When discussing their influences, many artists fall into a trap where they confuse artists they admire and artists they genuinely take inspiration from. So when an artist cites Billie Holliday, Daniel Johnston, Pixies and Os Mutantes as their influences, it can be easy to assume they didn’t understand the question. Pinc Louds, however, pull off this combination with flair. With the release of Delancey St. Station, their mix of playful tunes and feverish jams uses these influences to create something wholly unique. Claudi Love’s vocals sound as if pleasure and pain were wrestling for control in a fantastically lighthearted manner. The kalimba and guitar are both used in moments of harmony and frenzied blasts of energy that reflects the nature of the album’s title. The subway station that was the band’s stomping ground could offer moments of quiet reflection and hectic movement, and the music of Delancey St. Station is an ode to the homespun imagination of Pinc Louds during their time there. They will be performing these fanciful songs live on July 8 at Elsewhere, and you can listen to “Soul in My Body” off their newest album below. – Tucker Pennington