Kickass is perhaps the most apt name for Brooklyn-duo Venus Twins debut offering, a white knuckle punk drum and bass EP that thrills and chills over the course of five short tracks. Introductory “Addition” sets the tone for this release, wherein repetitive, sludgy bass licks and tightly wound drumming throw listeners into the pit, with later tracks “Meet is Murder” and “DOOM // CRUCIFY” introducing more melodic elements to the band’s sound, the former indulging in occasional math-y rhythmic breakdowns and a joint vocal performance by bandmembers and brothers Jake and Matt Derting. Closer “Vile” is the EP’s most unhinged and industrial effort, filled with dooming breakdowns and screaming vox, showing that while minimalistic hardcore may be Venus Twins bread and butter, they’re not afraid to get really, really weird with it. Stream Kickass below, and catch the band at Trans-Pecos on February 10th. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Brooklyn-based duo and recent Color Station signees Laveda craft shoegaze-influenced indie, with their most recent single “If Only (You Said No)” a lush encapsulation of their pedal-friendly, upbeat sound. Acoustic guitars quickly segues to a hazier, more ambient instruments in the track’s first act, quickly transitioning into 808s-driven synth pop as band members Jake Brooks and Ali Genevich sing in unison, their hushed vocals a somber foreground to the track’s swirling instrumental backing. A far more hushed single in comparison to the band’s previous efforts (“Better Now,” “Dream. Sleep”), “If Only (You Said No” demonstrates Laveda’s ability to creating energetic tunes with an experimental rock influence, perfect for fans of groups such as Slowdive or Japanese Breakfast; give them a listen below, and catch the duo on February 28th at Rubulad. Photo by Andrew Segreti

The music of Ben Seretan has always been characterized by a wistfully classic energy, and with the release of “Power Zone,” his new single precluding his first LP in four years, it feels like the return of an old friend. This tender energy comes in large part from Seretan’s vox, which waver and glide, hovering just above the track’s nostalgia-inducing slide guitars and roots-rock rhythmic progression. “You will always be hungry for something you can’t hold,” he croons, his voice evocative of Neil Young’s equally ghostlike tenor, fading into the background as sax lines and noodling riffs fill up the space. It’s these various easygoing components that make Seretan’s initial offering off Youth Pastoral indicative of his old soul approach to songwriting, a craft that will spring to life at his record release show on February 28th at Union Pool — until then, stream "Power Zone" below. —Connor Beckett McInerney

San Francisco-based Silverware is led by Ainsley Wagoner, a native Kentuckian whose roots infiltrate her songs. Her sound is inspired by Appalachian sparseness and is layered with electric guitars, synths, and ethereal vocals. Her new video for “Finish Line” came out last month and we’re glad to share the dancing joy. –Lucille Faulkner

Silverware – Finish Line | Music Video from Ainsley Wagoner on Vimeo.

Last week Oakland-based Sour Widows released one of their first singles, “Tommy” off their upcoming self-titled EP. The EP was recorded at Fantasy Studios just before they closed (and in part over at Decibelle Studios in SF). The song is dreamy and full of hooks and melodies we crave. The band is playing a few upcoming shows, including some SXSW spots. Be sure to check them out! –Lucille Faulkner

Upcoming shows 1.19 – San Francisco – Club Night, Patio 2.16 – San Francisco – KXSF Live Session 3.16-3.22 – Austin – SXSW 4.2 – San Francisco – Ratboys

Wolff Parkinson White fully embraces discord on Favours, his first album in eight years, producing glitchy, stumbling electronic tunes that leave space for the human voice. Single “When I’m in Pieces” lets his broken machines spring into action — multi-tonal leads, off-kilter rhythmic progressions, and dulcet accents churn along, with singer Clare Manchon’s vox tethering the track’s seemingly disparate parts to earth. White’s choice to pair his mathy, multi-signature tracks with a vocal performance helps provide structure to chaos, enabling experimentation that always feels in control, a necessary calm in a storm of chiptune bytes and synthetic parts. Stream it below ahead of the album’s release this Thursday, February 7th.

The various moving parts that come together on This Is Just A Place, the latest offering by Brooklyn collective Field Guides, create a verdant mix of folk and dream-pop, creating music that feels both grounded and distant. Single “Guessing at Animals” provides a wide open space for bandleader Benedict Kupstas to experiment, his narrative baritone centerstage, waxing nostalgically, buttressed by layers of interweaving, echoing guitars and the occasional sax line. It is this very synthesis of hazy instrumental backgrounds and Kupstas’ prescient songwriting that provides Field Guides with its greatest strengths, a release that’s drawn from human experience but presented as if viewed by some omniscient narrator, looking down from space — softly recollective tunes for recounting the past through rose-colored glasses. Listen to it below, and catch Field Guides on February 9th at the Mercury Lounge with Onlyness and Rose Blanshei. —Connor Beckett McInerney

It’s impossible to ignore the influence John Darnielle has on songwriter (and erstwhile Deli NYC contributor) Will Sisskind. Similar vocal cadences aside, his music under the Paris Buns moniker charts its own course on Charm (Metromania I), the first in a year-long series of emotively-inspired EPs. Backed by barebones electric drums and minimalistic synth contributions, Sisskind sings about the role charm itself plays in disparate social settings, whetherits inconsequential flirtatious banter (“Sphallolia”) or the inclination to smile in social settings (“The Eccedentestiast”). Verbose, prose-filled odes paired with driving acoustic guitar make for a unique effort that showcases the Paris Buns as a daredevil songwriting act that’s perfect for fans of the Mountain Goats or AJJ — give it a listen below.

Brooklyn post-punk quartet S.C.A.B. firmly establish their laid-back jangle-friendly sound on debut Beauty & Balance. Interweaving, bright guitar arpeggios, rife with treble, create a harmonious backdrop for vocalist and songwriter Sean Camargo’s freeform vocal performance, one that modulates between aggressive sing speak (“Negroni Week”) and sliding slack-jawed melodies (“Beauty”). The synthesis of these two elements keeps the record fresh throughout its eight tracks, an engaging blend of lo-fi, instrumentally-driven pop and new-wave inspired vox. Give it a listen below, and catch the band at Jones Beach Cafe & Bar on March 6th, supporting Plight.

Following her recent signing to Infinite Companion, New York synthpop tour de force Mïrändä returns with a new series of anthemic electronic singles, her latest offering “Stay” a powerfully energetic meditation on desperation and hope, desire and love. The track (and accompanying video) cinematically present the drama inherent to Mïrändä’s craft — amidst rapid, driving percussion and baroque synthetic accents, she writhes in religious dress and extinguishes prayer candles, adding a level of well-curated melodrama to her ovation-worthy vocal performance. The visual’s final scene of the artist, gazing towards the camera, adorned with a ceremonial headdress, hauntingly conveys the mixed feelings that informed the single, her stare an indiscernible mix of long and self-assuredness, a picturesque, Kubrickian conclusion. Watch and listen in our premiere below. Photo by Jonah Lorsung

It’s hard not to feel lonely when listening to Sign of the Good Times, the latest full-length by New York-based songwriter Tim Barr. Even as the backing instrumentation swells to fill the room with his somber blend of indie and folk, Barr’s iconic vocal performance is hushed and reclusive, a product of both his process (the record was self-produced on tape in the artist’s apartment) and of his philosophy in writing the record, which serves as an exercise in “accepting and appreciating the totality of human experience as it is.” It’s this approach that makes Good Times an evenhanded resonant record, with Barr willing to dwell on differing memories — snapshots of playing baseball and kissing in the rain (“I Become Everything”) are presented in tandem with recollections of lost love (“Wolves”). The end result is a deeply human release, a mixed bag of feelings and emotions, presented by an isolated narrator looking outwards, trying to make sense of it all the best that he can; listen to it below when you’re trying to do the same. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Mexico City by-way-of New York quartet Frege return with the spacey “Disentwine,” bringing along vocalist Simon Balthazar (Hieronymous) to provide a light, lounging performance over the outfit’s shuffling progressive pop. Inspired by bouts of “depression and imobilizing apathy,” the transnational band embed sparse, distant synths and meandering bass into their new offering, inducing feelings of dissociation broken only by the odd keyboard tickle and a last minute drive that employs the song’s various disparate components into a short instrumental vamp, all before slowly fading to black. Despite the social isolation present, there’s a palpable warmthin “Disentwine,” due in large part to the group’s preference for analog machines, which paired with its vocal elements creates an interesting dissonance, a feeling of being present but not actually there, per se. Give this sleeper bop a stream below as you mull whether to go out or stay in.