Late yesterday afternoon, ‘Sno Moon dropped its eponymous debut EP. The five-track set begins with the hypnotic hum of “Steady Slumbers,” a left-of-center R&B jam that plays around with rhythms and a heavy metal guitar riff that peeks in and out of the mix. Where the first song showcases Paul Talbot’s slick harmonies, Brooke Vettese impresses with her all-hands-on-deck percussion on the jazz bar ballad “Love x Time.” Things get even weirder on “Heart Shaped Lights,” which could pass as the result of Talbot continuing to do what he does best – sing – even while being abducted by extraterrestrials, and later on “Sight Seldom Seen,” a blues ballad transmitted through a barrel of EDM sound effects. Between Talbot’s honey-coated melodies and Vettese’s buck-the-norm production, the pair clearly has chemistry. Talbot calls Massachusetts home, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for some New England shows in the not-so-distant future. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

From June 5 to June 8, The Thing in the Spring will return to Peterborough, NH, bringing with it names like Fat History Month, Mail the Horse and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. Tickets for the first three shows of the weekend can be purchased for $10 each, with the final two shows fetching $15 per ticket – but you can save a few bucks by scoring a weekend pass for $50. In addition to putting on these shows, the Glass Museum (a non-profit based in Peterborough) will also present Broke: The Affordable Arts Fair on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you’ve never been to Peterborough, this is the weekend to visit. For more information, visit The Thing in the Spring’s website. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

After riding the past few months out on its latest singles "Why" and "Ghost in My Head," Tales of Olde will finally release its debut EP on June 3 – but not before celebrating its release tomorrow night, May 28, at Great Scott in Allston. "Why" is a sparkling cut that questions a lover in a failing relationship: "Tell me now, why won’t you leave me," vocalists Evelyn and Lucas Cortazio sing in unison on the song’s chorus. Released earlier this month, "Ghost in My Head" is a subdued ballad with a whistled hook that rises above the song’s indie gleam. If you’re in the Boston area, the show starts this Wednesday at 9 p.m. Score your tickets at Ticketmaster now and be sure to check the band’s Facebook page for the EP next month. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

Lynn-based Tigerman, WOAH! will be the second local act to play at this year’s spring installment of the Boston Calling music festival series. One might expect the band’s sound to come out of the Deep South, rather than the suburbs of Boston. Lead singer Adam Kaz brings a refreshing blend of gritty, raw lyrics steeped in a quart of whiskey. The band seems to draw from a wide variety of influences, but tends to gravitate towards genres and ideas that emphasize the messages of strength and overcoming obstacles. “Gospel is so good because of it’s message, ‘we see hope, we see light,’” says Kaz.

"We try to make our music as organic as possible," echoes drummer Adam Lentine. "We feel that as long as we play the music, if we get a response, then that’s great. [But the beliefs of] solidarity, brotherhood … music should be used to get that message across.”

Be sure to catch Tigerman, WOAH! at 1:45PM on the final day of the festival, Sunday, May 25. For more information about the band, check out Tigerman, WOAH!’s Facebook page. For continued updates about the Boston Calling festival, visit the Boston Calling website.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Photo Credit: Alyssa Webster (@xRaeCash)

On June 4, The I Want You will release its latest EP, Ah Really, but the six-song set is streaming on Bandcamp now. The EP kicks off with “Off and On,” a catchy indie rocker with hints of dissonance and a delightfully lopsided time signature. Things slow down on the title track, which benefits from a church organ and those cleverly layered vocals on the chorus. EP closer “Total Disaster” is the collection’s IDGAF moment, erupting in a carefully orchestrated cacophony complete with laser guns and canned laughter. The I Want You successfully shows off its range across six songs – a difficult feat – so see if they can pull it off live at Ah Really’s release party on June 4 at Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge with Spirit Kid and Reports. – Jake Reed, @jakejreed

Designer’s “Bye Bye Bible” is the strangest homegrown music video we’ve seen in a long time – and we mean that in an endearing way. It looks like five broken VCRs all vying for one screen, none managing to capture more than a second of air time at any moment. The far-from-accessible video is, of course, fitting for the less-than-accessible track, but if you’ve got an ear for grungy punk, “Bye Bye Bible” might actually get stuck in your head. The song previews the Jamaica Plain punks’ upcoming 7” released on BUFU Records, and they’ll usher it in with a release show at Allston’s Great Scott on June 2 alongside Gymshorts, Nice Guys and Speed Trials. – Jake Reed, @jakejreed

Ahead of the September release of its new album Artificial Light, Boston-based We Were Astronauts has unveiled its latest video. “Doreé” is a catchy love song that sounds like a Young the Giant track polished with a pop radio sheen, complete with sharp guitar riffs and harmonized vocals. Its video follows the lyric’s story of a man chasing his high school sweetheart later in life – and it allows plenty of time for the band to showcase its performance skills, playing to the dance floor on which the high school love story reaches its dramatic twist. Watch “Doreé” below and stay tuned for the release of Artificial Light this fall. – Jake Reed, @jakejreed

Upon opening Skinny Bones’ Bandcamp page, one is greeted by “Sleep In,” a track that is understated and yet sparkles with unique production tics. A ghastly pitch-shifted backing vocal supports the primary melody from below, an inexplicable crackle comes in and out during the chorus – and at 3:25, it all swells before disappearing like an apparition into a wonky bass line. The song is just one from their latest album, Noise Floor, a nine-track collection unleashed on May 6. Later on the set is “Jamaica Plain,” a delightfully odd tribute to the Boston neighborhood with a simple repeated hook: “Oh my J-J-JP.” Grab Noise Floor for a price of your choosing (yes, that includes free) and catch the band at T.T. the Bear’s Place in Cambridge, MA, this Friday. – Jake Reed, @jakejreed

Photo by Hannah Cohen

New Hampshire’s Jake McKelvie & the Countertops have a sound as weird as their name, and after seeing them play in an Amherst, MA, garage last month, I can say that they put on a good (but weird) live show as well. After promising their latest full-length first in March and later for an April release, Solid Chunks of Energy finally hit Bandcamp last week. The album kicks off in high gear with the energetic punch of “Mini Monster,” on which McKelvie’s distinguishably lackadaisical vocal delivery quickly grabs attention. “So Long, the Scrubber” benefits from the same energy, aided by an envelope-filtered bass guitar that dazzles from the backdrop. Like any solid album, the collection slows down with “Woke Awake” and “Aside From Your Hair,” but the Countertops are best when commanding a mosh pit. If you’re ready to join the pit, catch them tonight at Anchors Up in Haverhill, MA, or June 28 at West Street Parking Lot in Gardner. – Jake Reed, @jakejreed

As the city of Boston prepares for the next installment of the increasingly-popular Boston Calling music festival series, fans may be surprised to see locals Magic Man listed alongside the likes of Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie and Built to Spill. The 5-piece group, started by long-time friends Alex Caplow and Sam Lee, produce artfully-crafted synth-pop, with a unique energy and enormous sound that is seldom found in local acts. While Magic Man have quickly moved up the ranks of the pop music ladder (playing alongside bands such as MS MR and Walk the Moon), they are very aware of the steps it took them to reach where they are today.  “Playing in basements and living rooms was how we started as a band,” says Caplow, “and it’s that same energy that we try to bring to shows like Boston Calling.”

With record crowds anticipated to descend on City Hall Plaza in only a few short weeks, Magic Man will be quite comfortable on such a large stage, though it took them awhile to have such composure. “I remember one show in Columbus, OH with Walk the Moon. We hadn’t done our research on the venue and from backstage we could hear the place filling up, [but weren’t expecting a huge crowd],” recalls Caplow. “We came out and there were thousands of screaming teens–we were in entire shock.” Since then, the band have played many large-capacity venues and are scheduled for even more this summer (including a set at Firefly in Delaware, MD and a string of dates on the West Coast). For more updates about the band, check out their website. More information about Boston Calling (as well as info about Tigerman, WOAH!–the second local act to be featured at this spring’s concert) can be found here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Photo Credit: Gavin Thomas

If you remember d’s house sounds, you’ll want to check out the latest single from Loom – a band that consists of d, or Danielle Capalbo, alongside Willis Touri, Jared Thompson and Ashley Kenney. “Echoes” trades in the foggy vocals of house sounds for a catchy melody that sounds like Gwen Stefani tackling dreamy indie pop. On its B-side, “Every Crime,” the New Haven quartet gets even dreamier, with guitars and chimed “ooh”s that reverberate through brazen chords. Peep the songs on Soundcloud now and keep your eye out for a full-length release in the near future. – Jake Reed, @jakejreed

Covey’s “Comes and Goes” starts off with handclaps and reversed guitars before the singer’s silky voice takes the spotlight. The song is a soft, introspective number; “life only bruises those who want to spend theirs alone,” he remarks on the bridge. The song reaches a perfect conclusion with the deep bass and tinny bell of its final understated chorus. Last month’s cover of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” proves the singer a versatile one as well. Before attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music, the London native spent time in Indonesia and Hong Kong, which he credits to his unique sound. If you like what you hear, catch Covey at The Red Room @ Cafe 939 at the singer’s alma mater on May 14. – Jake Reed, @jakejreed