Oh, Rose is playing with Yeasayer at The Fillmore this June 28 a few weeks ahead of their official album release date. While My Father Sleeps (Park the Van Records) is dizzying, at times enigmatic, grungy rock with distorted guitars. Songs are fiery and emotional. Song "25 Alive" opens with "Am I strong enough to tell my truth/25 I am alive and I am angry." Sweet vocals pair with with perfect amount of chugging guitar. Come see them at The Fillmore June 28. – Lucille Faulkner

NYC’s songwriter Evangelia‘s single "Always On Mine" is a subdued electropop ballad addressed to a past lover. Following the singer through the lonely streets of a city at night, the visuals that accompany the song grow more and more surreal, almost to the point of feeling like virtual reality. It’s a fitting portrayal for a song that wonders about how things might have been, and how they could be, and whether you’ve imagined it all. Check out "Always On Mine" below, and stream the rest of Evangelia’s music here. -Sunny Betz

Fusing together indie pop and guerrilla riot grrrrl influences, the NYC band moon kissed is making music that touches on to the fun, impulsive sides of self. The bite-sized 3-song debut EP showcases an ability to craft pop music that is both self-aware and danceable. The three leading band members, known only as Emily, Khaya, and Leah are exploring a side of young womanhood that thrives on shared emotional expression and collaboration. Their music is sweet and conversational, swelling dramatically as if to invite listeners to a show.

Notwithstanding the early 2000s nostalgia (we prefer references to earlier musical eras!), moon kissed manages to combine influences and personal experience in a way that is original and fresh sounding. You can see them live at the Bowery Electric on July 2nd. – Susan Moon

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

Brooklyn native group Floam laces its sober basslines and guitar solos with a heavy dose of flair to create, as the group call it, “bouncy rock music” which betrays influences from bands like Talking Heads and Devo, with a touch of Roxy Music’s glam. The group’s 2017 EP Cocoon lays bare the quartet’s tensile style as it effortlessly transitions from upbeat songs like “Just A Cool Breeze” to more ambient tracks like “In A Field.” The band controls its sound efforlessly, honing vintage art rock influences with ease while remaining true to their own style. Check out the music video for the band’s latest single "Hopes and Dreams" here below. – Rene Cobar

The Brooklyn-based band, Behaviorist, led by frontman Stephen Rhodes Chen, just announced the release of their debut, self-titled EP, self-titled. A close listen to the record reveals Rhodes Chen’s social commentary and stream-of-consciousness thoughts on human interaction. The EP waddles between funk, experimental pop, and the highly stylized indie rock of elegant singer/songwriters from the past two decades. For a relatively young band still walking on the high of their sold-out release show at Pianos, this band is showcasing a lot of creative energy and interesting ideas – it’s definitely worth a listen.  Behaviorist’s first summer show will be at the Mercury Lounge on July 18th.

The lyrical stylings of Zyles’ new single “Slow Learner” are captivating and funny in an unassuming way. There’s certainly some Flight of the Conchords humor in there, along with a fun and simple synth pop backbone. We’re hoping that if they release a music video we’ll see some of these funny charms in action. Check out the single here and come out for their June 26 show at Brick and Mortar. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Based in NYC but born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, Maria Usbeck moved to the states at 17 to attend art school, and found herself fronting the new wave band Selebrities. After five years of singing in English, Maria decided to let her mother tongue speak and began to create music on her own. The tracks on sophomore LP Envejeciendo – out on August 16 – form a concept album exploring the universal obsession with youth and our preoccupation with growing older, and are anchored in Usbeck’s personal experiences with adulthood. After recently forcing herself out of a depressive, aging-induced slump, Usbeck was determined to have fun with the subject matter. The album is peppered with personal anecdotes and nods to her firsthand fieldwork into the aging process. Particularly moving are the samples of a recorded interview with Usbeck’s late Ecuadorian grandmother, who speaks animatedly about her girlhood suitors and imagines what her life could have been had she married someone else. It’s this tone of nostalgic joy, coexisting with curiosity for futures both impossible and unrealized, that runs throughout Envejeciendo.

Half-Russian, New York-based synthpop artist Shura explores connection, queer love, and musical growth in her sophomore LP ‘forevher,’ set to release this fall. Following her first project, 2016’s ‘Nothing’s Real,’ an indie pop LP that revealed the anxious side of vulnerability and unrequited love, the new record takes a new, decidedly soulful direction. Saxophone-tinged "BKLYNLDN" showcases her musical influences, which include Prince, The Internet, and Minnie Riperton. The project’s first single, "religion (u can lay your hands on me)" is a fun, playful track that compares sex to religion while toying with innuendo. Shura and director Chloe Wallace cleverly use the strengths of the artist’s vantage point in the song’s video, inspired by the religious iconography of HBO’s ‘The Young Pope.’ Walking the line between romanticism and ’80s nostalgia, the clip reveals a perspective on love where weakness and transgression are necessary strengths. The LP, set to drop on August 16th via Secretly Canadian, features co-production from Joel Pott, Jona Ma (Jawar Ma), and Will Miller (Whitney), as well as additional vocals from artists Rosie Lowe, Kerry Leatham, and Reva (Nimmo). ‘forevher’ expands Shura’s stance on queer desire, don’t miss the release party at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 23rd. – Susan Moon

One could say that, with their influences equally split between pop-punk and brainy/noisy indie rock, The Vaughns represent the perfect balance between the most dominant musical inclinations of the Garden State and the Big Apple. But, of course, influences mean nothing if they aren’t supported by good and original songwriting, and the Springfield, NJ, quartet can certainly deliver in that department. Their 2017 single Santa Cruz is still their most accomplished track to date, with its pressing arpeggiated chord progression that seems able to build up tension for an indefinite amount of time, and vocalist Anna Lies’ borderline casual approach to singing. More recent single "Bring Your Kids to Work Day" (video streaminbg below) is a faster, punkier number dressed with Sonic Youth-style guitar stabs, Blur-worthy "who-oos," culminating into an orgiastic (sonically speaking) grand finale. The band just landed an opening slot for The Gaslight Anthem’s show at Irving Plaza on June 22, it should be fun.

Sabine Holler isn’t afraid to speak from her heart in her EP Mother of Transition: songs like “Everything I Want To Be” spill confessions to the tune of gorgeous guitar arpeggios and string-instrument embellishments. Holler can switch her vocal approach with ease from tender in “Filtered My Voice” to fierce in “Hanged Woman,” the last song boasting a killer drum beat. The artist seems entirely at ease in her indie-pop tunes, displaying the confidence of leading women of the genre such as Lorde and St. Vincent. “First Memory” is the singer/songwriter’s raging battle from the record, augmented with distortion, and streaming below, for your enjoyment. – Rene Cobar

Eighty Ninety paints a vivid portrait of a loved one long-lost in its new single “10K Summer Nights” which boasts airy vocals that dance around an upbeat sonic atmosphere decorated with bright guitars. The duo’s layered arrangements allow the listener to become engrossed with the story told by the lyrics. By the time the tight rhythm section kicks in on the second verse, you are hooked in true pop fashion. The track is kicking off 2019 for the two brothers (Abner and Harper James) who are planning to release their sophomore EP later this summer. The Brooklyn-based act is right at home alongside major indie-pop artists of the moment like Billie Eilish, helping wave the flag of a genre that’s perfectly in season. The music is relaxed, filled withrhythm and evocative messages, it’s got plenty to keep you listening. – Rene Cobar

Sea Dramas‘ new album, Until the Dark Goes Out, is sixties-inspired hazy folk and feels like the Magnetic Fields, sixties British rock and a tiny wisp of the beach. Killer warm guitar, happy melodies and pleasing vocals. We want to say this is the “perfect album for summer” but we’ll be digging on this long after the heat is gone. Enjoy their new video for single “22 Renewal,” which features lots of sixties hipsters checking each other out and looking generally aware of themselves in a very mesmerizing-to-watch way. Stay tuned for upcoming shows. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor