Creating their own quirky blend of noisy dual-guitar dreampop, Russian Baths share their latest single “Wrong” (streaming below) in advance of their debut full-length album Deepfake. A crisp, odd-tempo drum pattern and bassline set up momentary jolting guitars, introducing soft-spoken lyrics “what’s that effect you hear? Keep it in control.” Elongated vocals emphasize the song’s title with the refrain “I – was – wrong,” as atmospheric textures rise in the background, at times exploding, at times chiming like town square bells. A sonic ascention begins midway through this nearly 5 minute track, creating a wall of hammered guitar chords against the single word songtitle “wrong.” One more quite plateau is reached, as clean dual guitar interplay engages over a simple, basic drum beat. Deepfake is out on 11/8 and the band play their release show that night with like-minded noise rockers Bambara at St. Vitus. – Dave Cromwell

San Francisco punky alternative group Pardoner is set to play El Rio on November the 6 with New York’s Bethlehem Steel and World Smasher. Pardoner’s most recent album, Playin’ on a Cloud, was a self-released collection of songs with Weezer and Green Day influences and some Fiery Furnaces thrown in for kicks. They’re fun and loud and happy and ready to roll. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Back with their indie folk style and infectious tunes, The Morning Sea have a new record called Half Keys set for release on November 1st. The past year included big accomplishments for the band; their song "Listen Love" won two 2019 Independent Music Awards, and countless publications continued to praise their work on their past albums. Half Keys took shape entirely in band member Sonny Ratcliff’s Brooklyn apartment, using all acoustic instruments and it mostly consists of first or second takes. The result is an honest and passion-filled compilation of songwriter and frontman Adam Cohen’s tracks, which deals with lost love and all of the heartbreak and healing that comes with it. The Morning Sea will celebrate the release of Half Keys with a show at Rockwood Music Hall’s Stage 3 on November 2nd. Take a look at the music video for the single "Mad In Berlin", and the entire LP Half Keys, below. – Will Sisskind

At the core of Brooklyn-based experimental pop outfit Green and Glass is a mellifluous, dulcet harp—a texture that informs the group’s output with an ethereal and sometimes mysterious quality. Played by bandleader and singer Lucia Stavros (and flanked by a myriad of collaborators from bands like Cuddle Magic and Secret Sibling), her soft, almost whispering vocals, alongside Green and Glass’s various synths, horns, and drums craft a baroque-like march on the band’s debut single “14 Hours.” The synthesis of the group’s various parts manifests an orchestral quality, one that places the group squarely between chamber and synth pop; Green and Glass are tactile in the sounds they choose to incorporate, but do so in an off-kilter manner that embeds the entire track with a hazy, dream-like quality. Stream it below, and catch them at The Footlight on November 6th. -Connor Beckett McInerney 

Songwriter Scout Gillett will open for Dares and Greet Death at Berlin on November 3rd. Scout released her first indie single "Signal" in February, as well as her second — "Mother Of Myself" — in July. Scout embarked on a West Coast tour this past summer, increasing her national presence as a rising artist, and just a couple of weeks ago she released the music video to "Mother Of Myself", which you can watch below. Like Gillett’s other work, it rises and falls with emotion and shifts from idea to idea seamlessly. Catch Scout live at Berlin on November 3rd to see her passionate performance for yourself. – Will Sisskind

Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz form the dream-folk band TOLEDO. The New York City duo released their first EP, “Hotstuff” earlier this year, a collection of laid back, mostly acoustic tracks drawing airy pop melodies on a twangy background. Single “Qué Pasa?” perfectly sums up this Mazzy Star-inspired sound, in which smooth and dazed vocals perfectly complement the light and dainty melody. The other four song on the EP are consistently enjoyable, making this band a candidate for the post-Real Estate throne. TOLEDO will perform in NYC at Baby’s All Right on 11.02.

Praise be, what a lovely discovery. Oona Ruin’s vocals echo with folk notes, a unique raspy strength, combined with soothing finger picking. A haunting and catchy song that is leaving us hoping and searching for more. Stay tuned for more releases and Bay Area shows. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Situated at the crosshairs of jazz, contemporary classical, and math rock is New York post everything trio concrete concrete, who, over the course of their debut LP Drifter, establish themselves as idiosyncratic songwriters and immaculate instrumentalists. From the bright guitar interplay on opening vamp “But I Still” to dark cinematic closer “Reverie,” concrete concrete demonstrate a penchant for fusion, employing orchestral strings, electronica interludes, and lush seven-chord arpeggios in tandem—only briefly allowing vocals to take centerstage of “Hues,” the record’s central track. Their predeliction for balance in the release’s many moving parts is remarkable, and shows both the group’s impressive instrumental chops and their tactful ears as authors of one of the year’s more interesting albums—give it a listen below. -Connor Beckett McInerney 

Stuyedeyed, Pure Adult, and Holy Wisdom LLC, will be taking over Rough Trade NYC on 10.30 for what promises to be an overly noisy evening with local NYC bands. 

Stuyedeyed is comprised of Nelson Antonio Hernandez-Espinal, Humberto Genao, George Ramirez, and Luis Ruelas, four musicians dedicated to the cult of… loud sounds and vocals of uncompromising garage rock. “Mr. Policeman,” the band’s most popular track, features contentious lyrics addressing police brutality (“Hey Mr. Policeman, who’d you kill today?”), complemented by blaring guitar riffs, with results that are protest-inducing, to say the least.

Pure Adult released their self-titled debut EP in September of this year. This 33 minute long EP gives the listener a look into this band’s crazed chaotic sound. The first song off the EP, “I Am Shitting in a Room” conveys the subversive vibes straight from the title and sounds like someone randomly browsing through radio frequencies. Things get definitely more structured starting with single "The New Guillotine," a spartan post punk track featuring striking spoken poetry and an explosively broken "chorus".

In "The Midnight Room" EP, Holy Wisdom also flirts with experimentation and post-punk vibes, though through a darker and more ominously mysterious approach. The band’s vocals, muffled and mysterious, shun anything resembling a melody, and can be whispered or borderline satanic sounding – in a way that’s at once reminiscent of Tom Waits and Suicide’s Alan Vega. The results are designed to cause an uncomfortable and frightening experience among the most sensitive listeners, in the most authentic tradition of early post-punk. – Karigan Wright 

Photos by Isadora Sales

Oakland-based Pendant (the musical project of Christopher Adams, of noise-rock group Never Young) released the first two singles ahead of their forthcoming album Through a Coil (out November 8 on Tiny Engines). Title track is alternative reverberating rock with enough poppy touches to keep things interesting and extra sweet. We’re staying tuned for more shows on the horizon and the full album release next month. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Rough Trade’s stage remains one of the biggest for indie artists who come through New York, whether they’re up-and-comers or established acts in the scene. Grace Ives straddles that line, as she’s by no means green to creating great electropop, but she continues to attract new fans with every release and performance. Ives’ next show will take place on the Rough Trade stage on October 25th; while there’s no new album to support, she’ll share the bill with Claud Mintz, with whom she’s toured for the past couple of months. Ives’ last album 2nd came out last April; take a look at the recent music video for her track "Icing On The Cake" below. – Will Sisskind

NYC based singer-songwriter Ava Heatley released her latest single, “Party,” a couple of weeks ago, a somber and reflective piece, depicting the thoughts of a girl at a party, having a conversation with herself rather than, well, fun. Heatley’s airy and gentle vocals take the listener through the character’s alienation, immersed in a sparse and droney arrangement that fits the melancholic melody. The single follows her previous track "Shitty Tattoo" released this past summer with an accompanying music video, and 2018 EP Beautiful/Terrifying.