With the release of Light Full, Evelyn presented itself as a fully materialized band. The riffs were striking, the vocals were fiery and the lyrics were streamlined to be evocative on first listen. How does a group like this, with their sound seemingly fully formed at launch, continue to engage their audience? By releasing a tighter, laser-focused follow-up. The four tracks of Slowly expand on the band’s philosophy of “hearts-on-their-sleeves” indie rock by allowing for the impassioned performances to be more dynamic. The opening song “Honey” charges forward with the swagger of a band more in tune with themselves, while the eponymous and spacey “Slowly” offers a dreamier take on catharsis. The more in sync performances allow for Slowly to find breathing room for each emotional element, so when a solo kicks into full gear, it burns brighter and remains stirring long after the EP is over. Evelyn continue to blaze a path that is wholly their own, where every small emotion is explored and bursts open in a wide-eyed release. You can watch the video for the “Slowly” single below and see Evelyn perform at Knitting Factory on July 1. -Tucker Pennington 

Field trip delves into the topic of loss in a way that seems to blur the line between experiencing personally and sharing it with others. His newest single “onethousand” starts off with a garbled transmission before settling into a melancholy haze. The layer of guitar effects and twinkling bells provides a backdrop similar in tone to those found on King Krule’s last album, yet the grooves on this single have a greater sway and the vocals are brighter. Lyrics like “what should I do, what do I do, look at you, look at me” brightly gleam before quickly shedding any sense of coolness and quickly become a call for help. Its a song that sounds lost in the neon smoke of city life, and its quiet attempts at human connection are deeply affecting, both working as a shared experience and something that needs to be listened privately. You can stream “onethousand” below and see field trip perform at Knitting Factory on June 30. –Tucker Pennington

Bay Area natives Wax Statues make music for sitting back, hanging out and not thinking too hard about it — that is, until you take about one second to listen to the lyrics. Their newest single “Stranger” off the forthcoming debut LP Exclusive / Reclusive begins with the eerie line “There’s something inside / crawling through our space.” The integration of psychedelic twinges into a jangle-rock foundation create a compelling, yet easy-listening experience — reminiscent of a West Coast reincarnation of Dr. Dog. – Lilly Milman

Listen to an exclusive premiere of “Stranger” below.

LittleBoyBigHeadonBike, otherwise known as Will Orchard, may just be New England DIY’s most prolific songwriter. The Rhode Island native has roughly 500 songs available online, spread between 99 EPs and LPs. That would make his new album Big Blue Butterflies number 100. Very few artists boast such a wide discography, and even fewer can be proud of all their releases. But that’s what makes this album exceptional. Rich with his usual whimsy — most apparent in the arrangments, which make full use of synths and the harmonica — and embedded with simple and vulnerable lyricism that could give early Death Cab a run for its money, this album shows the portrait of an artist in the midst of maturation. In this release, Orchard is exposed, but he is also careful — these are no random thoughts or loose strings. Once again, through the project LittleBoyBigHeadonBike, Will Orchard has proven that even when things fall apart, a few poignant lyrics may be enough to make the center hold. LittleBoyBigHeadonBike is kicking off a tour with an album release party at Columbus Theatre in Providence on June 28 at 7 p.m. – Lilly Milman, photo by Nicholas Lussier

Stream an exclusive premiere of Big Blue Butterflies below. 

The new EP, no boundaries, from San Francisco’s indie electronic duo Analog Dream is a deep dive into who Jorge Sandoval and Rich Cannon are as a band, and as individual people. Opening track “Choke” (streaming below) explores themes of pushing through difficult times and maintaining faith, culminating in a crescendo of emotion. The duo’s guitar-heavy brand of electronica is intense and hits hard, built to be listened to loudly and to be played live. Stay tuned for their next gig! – Lilly Milman

Newcomers to the King Pizza Records family, PowerSnap play a raucous breed of garage rock that fits right in with the label’s taste for punk-tinged rock ‘n’ roll. Leading up to the release of the trio’s debut EP, Delatency, PowerSnap have previewed two singles: “Pink Diamonds” and “Chemistry.” On those tracks a rock ‘n’ roll swagger propels sneered vocals and guitars just past the point of distorted breakup. For the EP’s release show at Gutter Bar on June 30, PowerSnap will be joined by members of The Rizzos and The Mad Doctors—both bands have previously released music with King Pizza. – Cameron Carr

On June Gloom’s latest release, a split EP with Rock Solid entitled Subletter/Something Solid under Exploding In Sound Records, the Brooklyn songwriter ventures into softer folk territories. On previous releases, June Gloom—the solo moniker of Jesse Paller, who also serves as drummer for Tall Friend—played into a leisurely slacker tradition of ‘90s guitar rock. On these songs take a more intimate approach that brings Elliot Smith comparisons to mind. Paller’s arrangements, minimal as they may be, still employ electric guitar, with arpeggios that reach almost dream pop layers at times, without the heavy use of effects. June Gloom will perform on Saturday June 30 at The Glove to celebrate the EP’s release. – Cameron Carr

It’s hard to believe that the moody indie outfit Sinnet started in a bedroom on the laptop of Aaron Spransy not too long ago — given the band’s refined aesthetic, obvious chemistry, and knack for inventive songwriting — but that’s how the story goes. Boston’s favorite fuzz-rockers released the official music video for single “Part of Yourself” (streaming below) and, once again, it is a quirky project that impresses and leaves a lasting memory. Check out the video below, and see Sinnet play live at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge on June 30. – Lilly Milman

Nothing about Jerry Paper’s “Your Cocoon” is totally out of the ordinary, but it also never quite reaches ordinary. From the starting temp rev up that seems to transform into synths restarting at every chord all the way to the honking melodic shadow that doubles the song’s closing lines the music is slightly unusual, determinedly modern. Almost every sound in the song comes warped, transformed, edited into something new. Unlike the titular cocoon that will eventually fall away and reveal itself to be something else, Paper has morphed the instruments into something else that wraps and covers the original sounds. “Your Cocoon” will be released as a 7” in July by Stones Throw Records. For now, listen to the track below and catch Jerry Paper headlining Baby’s All Right on June 30 with Dougie Poole and Jennifer Vanilla. – Cameron Carr

While most acts take years to develop a mature sound and build a fan base, some stars seem to be born within a matter of weeks. This appears to be the case for Brooklyn born avant-soul-pop singer King Princess, who released her debut EP "1950" earlier in 2018 and is about to play two sold out shows at Elsewhere’s Rooftop tonight and tomorrow (June 25-26). The first artist signed to Mark Ronson’s label Zelig, King Princess is also a producer and multi-instrumentalist with a deep musical background, and, judging from her kinky videos, an inclination towards subtle provocation that can only generate intrigue among music fans.

Young Bugs‘ songs fall in between the cracks of post-punk, garage rock and indie rock. They’ve got moments where they brilliantly thrash together for a brief, fifteen second moment and then on the next track they’ll be reverting to angular riffs reminiscent of Gang of Four. Quite simply, Young Bugs have cherry picked the best ideas from a variety of sub-genres and melted them down to their purest form to create their newest album Room Damage, which succeeds on a multitude of levels. Opener “Fawn” features a galloping drum beat and a guitar riff that is equal part technical proficiency and equal part danceable groove. The album also avoids the somewhat dour tones that have plagued many post-punk albums of recent years due to its odd structures and upbeat tones. Even the lead single “Forget the Truth”, while on the surface appears to be a straightforward and jangly guitar driven song, uses subtle instrumental flourishes to keep things interesting. It is obvious that care was put into every song in Room Damage, and it shows in how much ground the band covers in 34 minutes. You can stream the video for “Forget the Truth” below and catch them live at Alphaville on July 3. -Tucker Pennington

The eclectic eight-piece As The Sparrow creates music that is instantly classic, as seen on their newest release Vacation Forever. The album thrives off of ironic twists, often pairing sardonic lyricism with a surprisingly warm sound, bolstered by full harmonies, fun violins, and quirky synths. As The Sparrow will be celebrating the release of this edgy, yet dance-friendly album at Thunder Road in Somerville on June 22. Until then, stream the full LP below. – Lilly Milman, photo by Erin DeFuria Stark