I didn’t know it was possible to make good music with even more reverb than Mogwai, but Bound does it, quite well I might add. Nuthin like a good ol fashioned post-rock buildup into climax to make an impact on your overloaded senses.  As Ronald Reagan once said, “One thing ’bout music when it hits you feel no pain.” And you gotta appreciate the thought and effort they are putting into the tracks; this is some primo sound design, expense not spared here. Seriously, I listened with headphones and I was basking in the tone quality. Even if you don’t love post-rock, check this out.

Stand out tracks: Current, Hold

-Mike Dranove

The Fuse Ensemble achieves full spookiness on “Mirror” from The Music of Gina Biver. The track features a discordant string/piano thing with Gina Biver intoning, “something looks back each time I move, oh demon mask, sad, turned down mouth” from American poet Colette Inez’s poem “Empress in the Mirror.” In all, the creative mixing and pleasantly random improvisation is able to get the spooky sound, or as the liner notes put it, “awakening new shapes and realities while the repetitive nature of the Biver’s electric guitar maintains an underlying continuing, eternal presence.”

I could see some cool audio/visual collab on this one.

-Mike Dranove

Isador Kaufman’s debut EP, Scattered Efforts, is a “collection of songs about happy and sad.” It’s his first solo album after his former band, Watergate Sandals, disbanded in 2017. “I was in a bit of a creative rut for a while there,” Kaufman says, and is grateful to have re-found the creative energies to make Scattered Efforts. Some tracks have a bit of a Mac Demarco thing while others have a sometimes spacey, sometimes beachy psych rock feel. The simple description of “Pop” does not do this work justice. It’s an honest and raw collection, written, performed, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Kaufman himself. He recorded and mixed on Pro Tools then mastered songs on an old Foster 4 track cassette player he bought off Craigslist. As a first effort at production, we’re impressed. We’re also impressed that he decided to donate 100% of the proceeds from EP sales to Planned Parenthood. Stay tuned for tour dates and his second album, which is in the works as we speak. Like we say, stay tuned. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Garage rock is still kicking very hard in NYC thanks to bands like Daddies who take every aspect of the genre’s do-it-yourself(-and-have-fun) very seriously by churning out one distorted chord progression after the next in their first EP titled—simply and in classic punk fashion—EP 1. The crazed songs in their debut record summon the energy of ’70s pioneers like The Ramones and The Dead Kennedys. The acoustic opening in their song “GoodBye" (streaming) is perfectly disrupted by the electric guitars which come roaring in, and the aggression is taken to the next level by a seemingly constantly speeding tempo and by a furious drum solo finale – there’s Daddies for you. The group is taking the stage at Baby’s All Right on May 23, and it is bound to be a hell of a good time. Check out “GoodBye” here below. – Rene Cobar

NYC pop masters Modern Diet are back with a new EP that serenely lays out a sonic tapestry of colorful compositions that are brushed with indie rock, R&B, and psych-pop influences. Sit Down and Dance is an appropriate title for a record that grooves and entrances at once with waves of flanged guitar chords and synth embellishments that linger regally. There is a poise to the record that shows the band’s ability to mold its music: while the group’s 2015 self-titled debut album had a more aggressive approach of alternative rock with a tinge of mellow jazz, this second release expands on the latter and adds some rich harmonies to boot. The band is preparing for a string of shows, and one of the stops will be at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on May 1st. We have a track from the new EP here for you. – Rene Cobar    

Nikki’s Wives released their uplifting alt-rock song “Lemonade” this past February, and now it has a music video to accompany it. The hilariously yellow-themed video stars the band and – as you one might expect – lots of lemons. The comedic interactions between the band members add an exciting layer to the already anthemic choruses and hard pounding drums driving the song forward. The band recently spent time recording at the Hollywood Hills home featured in the video and promise to release more music soon from these sessions. The band’s 2018 debut EP Motor Court can be streamed now on all major platforms and, if their upcoming music is anything like it, the odds are good that they will continue their rise. – Rene Cobar

Sorry, but I had to put that in the title. Singer Gabby Franks sings it on “Baltimore” from Moon by Moon‘s self-titled and I thought it was really charming and funny.  The track has another hilarious moment when in the middle of it after Franks has been complaining about life in Baltimore for a solid two minutes she all of sudden says, “and i’ve only really been here for like 3 weeks.”  In all, this isn’t the most technically impressive release I’ve ever listened to, but it has moments like those that make it appealing.

Anyway, looks like the group is gigging around pretty regularly, you can check out their Facebook to learn more.

-Mike Dranove

At least that was my first thought when I was listening to “Making Space,” the opening track on Eli Lev’s debut release All Roads East. With my interest piqued, I checked out his website; turns out this guy is a seriously busy gigger. He has a whole slew of shows lined up and some impressive performances on his resume including at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, the 9:30 club, Burning Man, and a private show for Eleanor Holmes Norton.

And after listening to the rest of the album, gotta say dude has some chops. If you are into country, rockabilly, or folk, definitely give him a listen. He is playing tomorrow night in DC at Sauf Haus Beer Hall on 18^th st.

-Mike Dranove

The furious guitars and nimble drum beats of Grim Streaker—led by the matching vocal inflection of Amelia Bushell—will pierce through your preferred listening device this May 17 as the band releases their debut LP No Vision. Their preview track “Today New York” is a promise of world domination through classic garage punk – and it all starts with their album release party at Alphaville on May 16. The Brooklyn group is offering the album with a cassette and zine package that is limited to 100 copies. The event is shaping up nicely, and NYC should be buzzing that evening. Listen to the strong pace of "Today New York" below. – Rene Cobar

The fuzzy bassline that kicks off NYC group Mala Vista’s song “Mouth Breeder” is only the beginning of a sonic roller coaster ride that will take you right back to the vintage years of garage rock (early ’70s). Furiously powerful drumming lays a foundation for expeditious guitar riffs and driving vocal deliveries that are covered in the anxiety and excitement of NYC’s punk glory days. However, the band has a finesse to it that betrays an above the average musicianship (at least in the garage rock field, not prone to virtuosism); they showcase it not only in the solos of lead guitarist Erik Lamf but also in the effective backing vocals of drummer Ben McIsaac. The group is celebrating the release of their first EP and is charging toward a gig at Gutter Bar in Brooklyn April 20th. Here below is what you can expect from these NYC gents. – Rene Cobar

Bill Waters may not spend much time on social media promoting his music, but that may be because his songs speak for themselves. Waters’ 2017 dreamy retro-pop EP Humid is laced with a heavy dose of laid-back guitar tunes, splendid drum fills, and mellow verses that seamlessly transition into reverb-drenched choruses. His second entry, Honey Hi appears to follow the same formula, and yet expands the palette of baroque pop that characterized the early Last Shadow Puppets super-group, adding a touch of the chillwave of bands like Washed Out. While you won’t find much info on the new album, Bill Waters does have an album release show at Trans-Pecos in Brooklyn on April 30th. Check out his song “It’s True” from Honey Hi below. – Rene Cobar

Billie Gale’s “Inner Circle” is relaxing dream pop with warm jam guitars and echoing, atmospheric synth. Front woman Beth Garber has hidden twang behind those haunting vocals. Recorded at Tiny Telephone, Inner Circle is a taste of what’s coming up. Stay tuned for more from the group and give them a listen here. – Lucille Faulkner