NYC’s The Advertisers know how to dish out a savory blend of fierce garage-blues that will have many asking for seconds. The band will be serving up distorted guitars, hard pounding drums and angst-fueled vocal deliveries for the next month of their residency at Carmelo’s in Brooklyn. The band released single “Trippin” on their site, and are gearing up for the upcoming release of their debut EP titled simply EP 1. The Carmelo’s residency will see them share the stage with a multitude of bands supporting the group, and it is promising to be a jolly (and loud) good time. – Rene Cobar

Brooklyn welcomes a singer-songwriter with a lilting but powerful soprano voice, Kaki King styled finger-picking on their guitar, and a light touch of electronica in her tracks. St. Vincent held up the mantle when she called the borough home, and local artists such as Belle-Skinner have come to the forefront of the borough’s scene in recent years. Nika Aila States comes to Brooklyn from Oakland. As red steppes, she’ll release her sophomore album Arcs on May 31st. We are premiering here "Trouble", a track from the album which displays what States has to offer: Graceful guitars dancing over a simple electro-tom beat have moments of disruption when they break into jazzy chords accompanied by a piano and her voice rising into her upper register. Take a listen to "Trouble" below; States will release it officially at a show at Pete’s Candy Store on April 12th. – Will Sisskind

Most of the tracks on Darf Yader clock in under three minutes, but from starting pistol “Greata The Sweata” Local Teen is off at breakneck speeds, driving white knuckled towards the beach – carried by the momentum of fuzzy melodic punk. Wont to avoid an easily cohesive product, however, Darf Yader sees the Portland-based project veering into other genre territories, from “Everything Is Shit’s” self-effacing slacker rock to shuffling folk on “Coward’s Way Out,” replete with an echoing melodica solo. This is to be expected by a band that indicates in their website’s manifesto that “music genres are fucking useless” and embraces “self expression” first and foremost. Appropriately so, Darf Yader a record that’s hard to pin down, but held together by an unending iconoclastic energy and an acid washed aesthetic. Check it out below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Meernaa, the “beautiful, freaky dream” of Oakland’s own Carly Bond, is a fuckin beautiful freaky listening experience. Tiny Telephone production quality is full-on apparent: that room-encompassing, take-me-away-Calgon feeling is a pleasure. Last year’s EP, Strange Life, features an all-star collection of supporting musicians, with tracks ranging from bluesy synth rock to R&B post-rock and a vocal range that repeatedly surprises. Tracks like “Good Luck” are like if Bonnie Raitt, Angel Olson, Sharon Van Etten and that scene in the snow globe from the Labyrinth all got together and created an experience of a song. Meernaa is on tour with Mr. Vanderslice as we speak. See them at The Rickshaw Stop on April 28 to experience Meernaa’s newest work and to hear John Vanderslice’s new album, The Cedars. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

There’s a wonderful sense of balance brought to the table by Miss Grit’s new Talk Talk EP, both in its approach to chaotic-tinged songwriting and the brilliant pallet of sounds explored. Each of the four songs toggle between airy and orchestral synthesizers that careen into fuzzy barrages of sound or simply glitch out at the seams. The marriage between the gutsy and the beautifully arranged is a marvel to witness, and this release is proving to be a standout for 2019. You can catch Miss Grit at Elsewhere on April 26 before they embark on a short U.K. tour. –Tucker Pennington

Sipper’s Joe Beerman is, as the lyrics of his new track suggests, a modern man – his voice has the breathy quality of Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam with the wandering, occasionally growl adjacent vocal delivery of Stephen Malkmus. Channeled simultaneously over stumbling, guitar driven indie, these elements give his new single “OMG” the quality of a hushed secret you weren’t supposed to hear; the song is dripping with an intimacy that’s as authentic as it is explosive. As its accompanying visual suggests, it’s the perfect soundtrack to a party you don’t want to be at, a fun indie romp wrapped up in malaise. Watch the video premiere below, and be sure to catch Sipper’s debut EP, out today (April 10th) on Invertebrate. – Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Nate Brenner, aka Naytronix, just released the single “Come Back” off his forthcoming album, Air, and it’s a fantastically mixed, warm and pleasing jam that pushes the limits of psych pop. The percussive backbone is blessed with drummer Hamir Atwal’s hard-to-mimic snappy jazz touch. The album features some other Oakland favorites, including Madeline Kenney and Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus. After his work scoring Sorry to Bother You, we’re not surprised. “Come Back” is a killer teaser and we can’t wait for the full album, out June 7th on Botcave records. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Union Jersey group Fire is Motion’s 2017 EP Still, I Try, put their dream pop and folk combination on full display and gives you plenty of reasons to check them out. The group recently toured the Midwest and is now back in the Tri-State Area prepping for shows in Brooklyn, the first of which will be at Elsewhere on April 27. The group appears to be growing both in recognition and band members as they have added a fifth guitarist in Shannon Moore (for a few shows for now it seems.) The music is seamless in its delivery of rich acoustic arrangements, and emotive vocal crescendos which, coupled with several minor chords help create a style that’s at once moody and light. Fire is Motion is keeping their story going, one performance and band member at a time. – Rene Cobar

Ravens & Chimes are ready to make some noise at Mercury Lounge on April 23 in support of their brand new album The Empty House. The NYC group has been a mainstay of the music scene in the city for nearly a decade, and new single "Big Ups" (streaming) showcases an undeniable maturation of their fervent indie-rock style. The speedy guitar riffs and body-shaking drum beats are still there, but a more polished production and singer songwriter Asher’s vocals gain in urgency and confidence take this track to a new level. The group’s record release will also include a performance from L.A.’s The Palms. – Rene Cobar

The Vaughns are about to have a fun spring.  Led by the euphonious vocals of singer and guitarist Anna Lies, the New Jersey natives have been building steady hype with each sticky new single, and on April 26 they are playing Gold Sounds in Brooklyn to kick-off their spring tour. The quartet has catchy hooks to spare, and used them to capture the hearts of their home state with their 2015 entry tomfoolery, which was nominated for three Asbury Park Music Awards. Now they are ready to share their infectious yet heartfelt brand of indie rock with the rest of the country. The Vaughns will tour the U.S. for fourteen dates and return to NYC May 23 for the final show at Arlene’s Grocery. – Rene Cobar

Folk-rock collective Dirty Bird has a new, lovely single out called “Once,” and they are celebrating it in style April 21 at the Mercury Lounge. The single contains strong male-female harmonies, a catchy lead melody and the band’s signature creative approach to Americana. The group seems to have improved the formula from their 2018 record Still To Be Ours, pushing their experimentation farther without betraying their own sound. This is a band that deserves to be seen live and will be supported by fellow folk-rock group Dead Gowns from Portland, Maine. Check out Dirty Bird’s new single below. – Rene Cobar

On I’m Not Getting Any Taller, the latest album from indie-folk outfit Daisy the Great, the duo solidifies its own voice that’s equal parts heart-wrenching and humorous. From first listen you can hear how they bend seemingly cutesy harmonies and mid-tempo, acoustic ballads into revealing and hypnotic displays of genuine hurt. The mundane, the absurd and the sentimental attachments found in life are lovingly displayed but still illustrate how affecting they can be. Songs like “Dips” morph from swaying, bluesy-pop to a dreamlike oasis that slips between your fingers before it crystalizes. Like a smile that can’t help but crack, I’m Not Getting Any Taller snaps a photo of the bleak and the blithe moments of life, something that rarely sounds as good as it does here. If you want to see Daisy the Great live and enjoy cocktails, you can catch them at Manhattan’s restaurant Le Fanfare on April 17, an event organized by our blogging friends The Wild Honey Pie in a collaboration with bourbon makers Noble Oak. –Tucker Pennington