After spending a few years touring with the indie-pop darlings Magic Man, Boston-based Justine Bowe decided it was time to take a step back and focus on herself — a decision that manifests itself most clearly in her solo project Photocomfort. Although she’s been working on music under the moniker for years, she only recently released her official debut EP, a triumphant five-track project called Understudy. Not only does this release showcase Bowe’s skills as a lyricist, producer, and vocalist, but it is also provides a nuanced portrait of the artist as a young woman. It’s thought-provoking, dynamic, and vulnerable — and yet, it’s light and easy to listen to. All in all, Understudy is required listening for anyone who has dealt with imposter syndrome, struggled to find a voice for themselves, or even just had a really bad day. Justine Bowe has finally taken center-stage, and it’s exhilarating to watch. – by Lilly Milman, photo by Andrew Janjigian

You can catch Photocomfort playing live at Music Hall Loft in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on July 28, as well as at her record release show at Great Scott on August 16.

Read a Q&A with Justine of Photocomfort and stream Understudy here.

Sometimes it can feel like shouting into an endless void trying to get your music heard. There are thousands of new artists each day and there are even more who give up before they find an audience. Bands like Big Bliss have tapped into that raw overwhelming feeling with their spectacular and concise style of post-punk. Comprised of a simple three-piece, this outfit takes the simple components that make tight-knit, reliable rock and loosen some of the constraints to unleash a bolder statement. On their most recent single “Contact”, the reverb-soaked guitars and unrestrained drums form this bright, shimmering wall of sound that claws its way upward with each ascending repetition of the chorus. The bass is the steady hand that drives this track forward, halting any detours that could lead this song astray toward a more dream pop inspired route. It’s a song aware of its circumstances, acknowledging that grand system we could all get lost in and fighting to find the connections to keep us alive. A powerful statement like this could only be found in a precise and uncomplicated song made by a band at this juncture in their career, and it’s exhilarating to witness. You can see Big Bliss perform at Baby’s All Right on July 29 and stream “Contact” below. – Tucker Pennington

The indie/psychedelic/dream-pop trio known as ackerman are that special type of band that seem to capture songs in their entirerty out of thin air. Their process is impossible to discern when listening to their music; the harmonies and melodies emerge effortlessly and fully formed. The newest single “Loverboy” is sweet sounding and starry-eyed, finding the breezy elements in the disparate pieces of the track. Starting with a muffled intro before the ambient guitar licks and snappy bass lines pop into the forefront, each instrument sounds like it was stripped from summer mixtapes of yesteryear to create an anachronistic playground. These bright moments juxtapose the somewhat heartbreaking themes of the song to instill a sense of impending autumnal grief, but as the instruments fade out, the ethereal hook bleeds through. ”Loverboy” is over in just over three minutes yet feels like a brief respite from the heat waves of this year and will be something you’ll want to replay over and over. The sophomore EP from ackerman will drop sometime this fall and you can stream “Loverboy” below. –Tucker Pennington

Touring can be a disorienting experience. Shuttling from one place to the next, day after day, can make musicians feel like perpetual guests in whatever town they’re visiting. But it rewards hearty travelers able to find beauty in constant change. Singer/songwriter Jason Bemis‘ new single "How Fast Can You Pack?" embraces this peripatetic lifestyle, finding solace in a hard-won understanding that life’s journeys can be both exhausting and illuminating at once. 

In the song, Bemis walks the length of Las Vegas’ glittering downtown strip, an endless series of hotel hallways, and wanders around other architectural mysteries inside a breezy, acoustic folk tapestry. There’s a sense of fatigue here, but also of mystery of what might be found hiding around the next bend. The song gains a sharp charge from guest vocalist Heather Woods Broderick (of Efterklang, Sharon van Etten), who raises the tension just enough to leave listeners comforted, while wanting more. 

The song is a preview from Bemis’ upcoming debut album Another Hotel Hallway. Stream the single below, and see him at Rockwood Music Hall, stage 3 with opener Lauren Balthrop for his album release party on September 7. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

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

Congratulations are in order for the punchy indie rock three-piece Monkeys of a Bygone Era — the Deli New England’s newest Artist of the Month. Led by Jason Zavala, the quirky group specializes in creating bouncy and infectious jangle rock with a twist and we can’t get enough. Their most recent endeavor is a 3D animated video for the track “More and Less” which, according to the band, “was conceived around the idea of ‘less is more’ being a challenging aspiration to maintain in a world where everyone wants more.” – Lilly Milman, photo by Tim Oxton

Check out an exclusive premiere of the song and accompanying video below.

Every time I’m convinced there’s no more good punk left, an act like Oakland’s Blues Lawyer pops up to remind me I couldn’t be more wrong. Their debut LP Guess Work is a stunning exercise in brevity, filled with tongue-in-cheek lo-fi tracks that hark right back to the ‘70s. None of the members are interested in attempting to impress you (or waste any of your time) with overwrought guitar solos or steep buildups. They’re only interested in making instant classics, and they do so in two minutes or less. They said it best themselves on the punk puppy love anthem “Waste” (streaming below), where the chorus declares “I don’t want to waste time / I want to waste with you.” Well, we want to waste with you, too. – Lilly Milman 

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