Oakland-based queer band Copyslut released their video for "Maker’s Mark" this fall. The song is about "…inherited trauma, sparking its inspiration from one of the most famous oral legends in Mexican folklore: ‘La Llorona.’ Filled with healing pleasure and queer artistic celebration, the music video takes its audience from the streets of the trans district in San Francisco into a world and culture they push to make possible…" The sexified cabaret video is dark and captivating accompaniment to the song and we will leave it up to your viewing pleasure. -Lucille Faulkner

New York soft-rock quartet Office Culture liken the experience of listening to their new record to “walking into a beloved old bar in a neighborhood where you no longer live,” but it is more comparable (in this reviewer’s opinion” to a comfortable, rainy Sunday night spent at home, away from the clamor of city streets. Throughout their new LP A Life of Crime, clean synths, an easygoing percussive drive, the occasional wailing horn, and singer Winston Cook-Wilson’s laissez-faire vocal delivery congeal to embed the entire record with a relaxed energy, but there’s never a dull moment. From the moody instrumental interplay on tracks like “Diamonds” and “Hard Times in the City,” to the playful bop of “Home on High” and “Parade,” Office Culture lay down a steady groove that will immediately resonate with fans of classic pop rock outfits like Steely Dan or more contemporary fusion-focused groups like Parcels and Whitney. Stream it below, and catch them on November 20th at Elsewhere supporting Wild Nothing. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Magic Magic Roses brings us soothing, sweet folk rock with poppy beats and harmonies that make for happiness. The EP River came out this fall and the video for “River” makes me proud to be a Californian and a curly-haired lady. Magic Magic Roses are sure to put on a delight of a performance. Also on the bill is San Francisco’s Cindy. Self-described sad rock, it’s slow shoe gazey with the occasional poppier punkier touches. Their album comes out in 2020 and we’re ready, Freddy. Both groups are playing tomorrow night, November 20 at the Minnesota Street Project (presented by Lonesome Station) and we’re happily pushing you attend. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

We continue to rush headfirst without resistance towards the future, but at least HOAX have the sense to slow down, examine the world, and put it to lyrics and song. Their Motown-influenced Queens-born indie pop-rock shines again on their newest single "Unconditional", a cut from their upcoming debut record b?, which drops next summer. Through its catchy pop hooks, "Unconditional" forces listeners to consider their own Terms of Service and decide with which parts of it they do and don’t agree. It’s a reflective track that urges all of us to take a moment and figure ourselves out before we crash and burn on our way into the next decade. Take a listen to "Unconditional" below. – Will Sisskind

Brooklyn-based psych-rock trio Good Time Mystery Vision detail the stabilizing quality of love and relationships on new track “Cala Lillies.” The band’s second single since their formation earlier this year, the song finds its footing through swelling instrumentation and vocalist David Jacobson’s dynamic vocal delivery; against forlorn guitar lines and various synth accents, Jacobson’s lyrics detail the turbulence of our modern lives, and the buttressing nature those close to us have as we contend with personal problems. While love songs are quick to venture into overtly sappy territory, Good Time Mystery Vision have a knack for maintaining sincerity and massive riffs in tandem. Listen below, and keep an eye out for the band’s next drop on December 4th.

NYC-based quartet King Jane incorporate a wide range of genre influences into their sound, a consequence of the band’s founding members Michael Sanders and Kenny Florence meeting while pursuing masters degrees in music composition at The New School. Equal parts R&B, jazz, and alternative pop, their most recent effort “Deep in the Garden” exudes the outfit’s consummate musicianship, weaving in and out of different time signatures and motifs—the track starts as a soft-bop, replete with meandering keys and crooning vox before shifting into an explosive, guitar-driven drama around the two and a half minute mark, before finally landing on a driving, noodling outro. “Deep in the Garden” places King Jane somewhere between 70s soft rock and contemporary synth-driven indie; stream it below. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Lokomoko arrives in Brooklyn to release their new album "Go Mi Ka Di Da Be" on November 15th. The project, led by songwriter Mario Schöning, began the album in Schöning’s hometown of Hamburg, Germany. Now in New York, Schöning releases this collection of songs, opening up a new audience of ears to his transcendental alt-pop sound. Fans of Ratatat or Ariel Pink will find the retro flair and wailing synths fascinating; you can get a sample of them on the single "Everything Ever Ever." Take a look at the music video for the song below. – Will Sisskind

Santa Cruz-based Wolf Jett (the solo project of Chris Jones, formerly in Scary Little Friends) just released the video for their song “One Sweet Day.” It’s a folk gospel song with some killer slide guitar, that upright bass and catchy melodies. Recorded live at the Hill House with a no-shoes vibe, this song is a nice little taste of what’s to come on Wolf Jett’s upcoming tour. First up they’re playing at the Miner’s Foundry in Nevada City on November 29. Check out the rest of their tour fall tour dates and cozy up to catch them. -Lucille Faulkner

“Blue Haze” is the latest “end-of-summer glassy groove” from New York synth outsider Tatum Gale, and while billed as a seasonally-apt slow jam when it came out in September, it’s spooky, dark drops resonate just as closely during these sub-30 November nights. Between its hazy chords and spacey percussive backbone, the track endows the listeners with a sense of distance, making it perfect listening for a small kickback among close friends or a dissociative episode in the club. Gale’s additional ability to inject indietronica into a future-funk bop gives “Blue Haze” a sound that’s accessible as it is groovy; stream it below to get your weekend started right. —Connor Beckett McInerney

United as a band for nearly two decades, New Jersey’s The Early November has released seven albums over their prolific career, with their most recent effort Lilac dropping in September. The album begins with “Perfect Sphere (Bubble),” a driving earworm of a tune with clear vocals that recount the experience of always being there for someone who is perpetually unavailable, described as remaining “up in the air.” This bittersweet piece creates a sense of comfort  as the vocals endow the listener with feelings of being kept close and safe—at an emotional distance. Generally, The Early November’s gentle vocals and easygoing instrumentation, combined with a harmonized vox creates a sense of forlorn melancholy, the outfit seemingly able to recall elements equal parts sad and sweet. Each of their records creates a different emotional environment, but every one is able to incorporate immaculate songwriting and fierce, driving instrumentals. Stream it below, and them at Anchor Rock Club (in Atlantic City) for their New Year’s Eve bash. —Karigan Wright

Few events embody the spirit of independent music in New York City than The Revolution, a performance series that highlights artists continuously pushing thefrontiers of innovative alternative pop.

This week, the series returns to Brooklyn’s National Sawdust on Thursday, November 14th for its 44th volume, featuring sets by local artists RINI, Jill Peacock, and Wayne Tucker. RINI’s strength comes from the outfit’s synergy of Carnatic music (a product of bandleader Harini Raghavan’s formal training at the Berklee College of Music and her own roots in the city of Chennai, India) with electronica, crafting a final output that balances and synthesizes two seemingly disparate genre influences.

Likewise, Canadian keyboardist and singer Jill Peacock crafts nu soul bops that echo trip hop and classic United Kingdom soul, creating grooves that transcend decades and continents; jazz trumpeter, composer, and vocalist Wayne Tucker similarly finds his footing in bridging the genre’s long history, incorporating soundscapes equal parts bebop and contemporary R&B.

Tickets are still available for The Revolution Vol 44—stream each of the artists here before you catch them this Thursday.

Alternative pop artist Halima is currently residing in New York City, after previously living in Lagos and London. Her most popular and recent single is “Ford Cardinal,” a smooth and catchy tune, one that touches on a complicated relationship wherein she wants nothing but to be with someone who appears to have left her behind. Halima repeats that she found loose change in the backseat of her Ford Cardinal, reminding her of a distant memory with a lover. On top of the lyrics, the melody is also catchy, a minimalist groove carrying Halima’s polished vocals. The highlight of the song comes at 2 minutes and 16 seconds, as she begins to lightly rap her feelings and thoughts aimed at the unrepentant lover who doesn’t think they fit together. This powerful bridge is refreshing against the repetitive-yet-heartfelt lyrics. Jam it below. —Karigan Wright