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. 

Brooklyn based band Panther Hollow describes their sound as “the musical equivalent of playing a video game where instead of following the story you spend hours looking for Easter eggs.” Interpret that however you may wish, what we can tell you is that their music is worth listening to… The indie-pop quintet released their latest single “Letter” in August, and the sparsely arranged track stands out for its gentle, imaginative melody and lyrics focusing on the complications of life and the personal changes that end up affecting a relationship. Panther Hollow’s most popular song on Spotify is by far “Jamie,” from the band’s 2017 debut EP; it’s a charming acoustic ballad that touches once again, but in a more bitter way, on a conflictual romantic relationship, in the form of a series of stream-of-consciousness questions and accusations. – Karigan Wright

Photo credit Andrew Paynter

Berkeley-based Sis is playing Amnesia tonight to celebrate the release of their sophomore album, Gas Station Roses (Native Cat Recordings). The band, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Jenny Gillespie Mason, has a soulful psych rock feel with Peter Gabriel and Talking Heads influences alongside Afropop and Japanese pop. Sis is composed of Mason and two members from the band Meerna, Carly Bond (electric guitar, flutes, vocals) and Rob Shelton (synths, programming) who help bring this album into the new dimensions. Come check them out tonight with Lalin St. Juste and Sitka Sun.  – Lucille Faulkner

Avante-garde electronic trio Kill Alters will take up residency at Market Hotel for the duration of October, lending their disconcerting, experimental sound to the Brooklyn venue every Thursday throughout the year’s spookiest month. Building on the momentum of their three archival releases earlier this year (Kill Alters Archives Vol. 3, Bonnie Baxter Cobweb Sensations, and Kill Alters Vol. 4), the New York noise outfit will accompanied by a slew of supporting acts, some of which include Brian Chase (of the Yeah Yeahs), Ikue Mori, Hisham A, and more, all of which will culminate with a Halloween “Mutant Massacre” performance. Attendees will also have the opportunity to give donations to Al Otro Lado, a bi-national legal services nonprofit who provide advocacy representation to deportees and other individuals in need of immigration-related civil rights services. Catch a show, support a good cause, and stream Kill Alters Archive Vol. 4 below. -Connor Beckett McInerney