New York power-pop group Big Eyes have no qualms calling out a comfy, wealthy existence in their new video for “Lucky You.” As syncopated Gibson guitar lines interweave scenes of the band drinking champagne and snorting caviar, frontwoman Kait Eldridge sarcastically praises “sleeping through the afternoon” and the benefits of a life without worry. While the lyrics are embedded with a punk attitude, the track offers good production values with a rather polished (yet distorted) guitar sound and tight rhythmic breakdowns, delivering a punchy anthem for those of us who still have to hustle for a dime. Watch it below, and catch them at Union Pool on March 30th, supported by Metaled and Moral Panic. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Oakland’s own SPELLLING released her sophomoric album, Mazy Fly last month and it’s full of vampiric vibes and haunting lyrics. Tracks are somewhere between dark synth pop and experimental R&B, with wild noise clips of flies and whispers, spaceships and flying saucers. Chrystia Cabral, the woman behind SPELLLING, says she wants to evoke the disturbing feels of colonial violence “…that haunt the historical slave ship routes of the Middle Passage.” When you listen with that in mind, tracks take an even darker leap and plunge the listeners into reflection and emotion. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Equal measures of industrial rock, seductive vocals and fashion glamour are woven together in the music of Turbo Goth. As popularity continues to grow in both their native Philippines and adopted home of NYC, the duo of Paolo Peralta and Sarah Gaugler now sets their sights on an official SXSW showcase. A new album titled “Master Force” is in the works, with first video single “Love Will Be All there Is” (streaming below) giving us a taste of what’s coming, with its close-up focusing on guitar strokes that sound like synth bursts in between Sarah’s sensual vocals lines. Its forward stomping progression, bass-buzzing crunch and Paolo’s slo-mo hair-flying movements are tempered by Sarah’s flirtatious come-hither vocals and graceful tattooed body. Picture a less-pop (and much cooler) Ariana Grande fronting a band like Ministry for what this band has to offer. They play an official SXSW showcase on 3/11 at Valhalla. – Dave Cromwell

Calling their music "cumbia" would only scratch the surface of Combo Chimbita’s material. On their forthcoming album Ahomale, out May 3rd, the New-York-via-Colombia group turns the entire genre, and all its preconceptions, on its head. Weaving their fondness for psychedelia, metal and punk into a sound they call “tropical futurism”, this quartet creates a vehicle through which they explore the complexities of the Afro-Latin diaspora, and with which they imagine a stunning and prophetic destiny. Not only is their musical intent ambitious, Combo Chimbita has the musical chops to carry it through – the songs on Ahomale are driven, vivacious, and uncompromising. Check out their first single “Brillo Más Que El Oro (La Bala Apuntándome)” below, and don’t miss their show at Elsewhere on May 4th. -Sunny Betz

Flatbush’s Jacob ZL isn’t afraid to channel his own struggles through his music, toiling in smooth vintage-inspired beats and self deprecating lyrics as he rides the wave out of an intense breakup. In "Distance" is song about a romance gone wrong, that sees the MC delivering lines about the end of a tormented relationship with the ease of someone resigned to his fate. It might not be easy listening, but it’s definitely intriguing – check out the track below. -Sunny Betz

Posture, the sophomore EP by Brooklyn’s atmospheric synthpop duo Haulm, features an aged desert landscape contained within a thick white border. It’s a perfect fit for the brooding, dark, and spartan work laid down over the release’s five tracks; one can almost picture an unknown beast slouching from the sandy landscape against the dissonant keys of Reed Kackley, as JT Norton’s distant, almost fugue-state vocals weaves in and out. It’s an EP oozing with atmosphere that’s curated using relatively few musical elements, and speaks volumes to Haulm’s penchant for fine tuning sparse synths and the human voice into engaging, mysterious soundscapes.

You can catch Haulm at SXSW on March 12th and 15th – until then, stream Posture below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Hailing from Queens, Lina Tullgren plays music that almost denies this geography and origin. Whether it’s her collaborations or solo material, the music from this DIY artist rarely conforms to the ideas of the moment or regional trends, without using the kitchen sink approach to experimentation. Thrashing drums and guitars that are simultaneously gritty and pristine can sneak up on you, whereas Tullgren’s vocals dip into emo territory at times and are the gravitational center for every song; these compositions are so powerful because of their disparate elements and how they resemble genres we know, but are blended in unexpected ways in her music. The even more surprising part is how these uncomfortably surreal songs harmonize together, reaching a point where these funeral marches are equal halves of hypnotic and skin-crawling. It’s music that beckons us to go deeper into the void, and you’ll be able to see it live on March 15 at the upcoming unofficial SXSW show linked to our Austin Synth and Pedal Expo – more info soon! – Tucker Pennington

The Brooklyn dream-pop duo known as CLAVVS has always had their feet squarely planted in the realm of electronic soul-pop. Swaying soundscapes and luscious vocals were synthesized into a potent formula. Yet with this recent run of new singles to promote their upcoming EP No Saviors, the pair have cracked open new patterns to make their distinct ideas sound infinitely more versatile. Lay Back adds a baroque flourish (reminiscent of some Tricky’s best ideas) that crashes down like a waterfall of strings, while the title track (streaming below) bursts with polyrhythms and self-assured brashness. Retaining their hazy aura and breaking out of the dream pop bubble with exuberance is a balancing act that CLAVVS pulls off with the utmost ease. – Tucker Pennington

With three full length albums and a fair share of movie placements under his composer and musician’s belt, Matt Shapiro cannot not be called a staple of the NYC scene. He recently unveiled The Addict (streaming below), the first single from the upcoming EP Fade In, scheduled for an early March release. Mostly electronic, The Addict represents – according to Shapiro himself – a return to a more disciplined and stripped down approach to writing, after the epic and layered sound of his latest LP Metaphysical. However, after the initial bars (which are stripped down indeed), The Addict builds into a rich and warm sound conveyed by luxurious, ’80s inspired synth pads and by Matt’s soulful tenor and spot on falsettos, which sing about the best addictions of all – Falling in Love.

We’re happy to report that Oakland’s own Rex Ruit will be playing at The Starline Social Club this Thursday the 28th as part of Noise Pop. Tracks like “Vertigo” and “South” give this rocky post-punk album a lighter feel. Lovely guitar melodies blend with vocals that come in and out of clarity and really push this album into an almost dream-pop beachy realm while still keeping that alternative feel the band is known for. They’ll be part of a pretty killer lineup: Black Marble, Spiritual Cramp and Shutups at one of our favorite venues. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

For these past few years, the conversational focus on mistreatment of women in entertainment has been in turns cathartic and grueling. It’s a long overdue conversation, and it was only a matter of time before it started to make its appearance as a focal point in music. Songwriter Emily Reo chooses pop as a medium to explore misogyny in the music industry and in every day life on “Strawberry”, the premiere track off her upcoming record Only You Can See It. Balancing sardonic lyrics with an anthemic instrumental, "Strawberry" features Reo’s voice front and center. After listing off a number of micro aggressions from patronizing men, she belts, “How many girls in this city are getting T-I-R-E-D”, and it’s easy to imagine a crowd screaming back in response. The track gives the clear impression of an artist coming into her own, ready to share herself with the world and not willing to take crap from anyone. Only You Can See It will be released on April 26th, and Reo will be celebrating the release that night at Baby’s All Right. In the meantime, mark your calendar, and stream “Strawberry” below. – Sunny Betz