A New York City native who’s put down roots in Vermont over two decades ago, Kris effortlessly blends sagacious wit and emotional depth in his songwriting. “Coming Down Around Me’ off his 2018 album Coast & Refuge was co-written with director Melissa Miller-Costanzo who also directed the music video for the song which will be released later this month. Melissa says of the song “It perfectly envelopes the characters in a swath of poetry and a twang of seduction." The soundtrack album is being released on Brooklyn’s Mother West label on January 18th, the same day the film becomes available on demand.

It wouldn’t be remiss to call KOTA The Friend a “renaissance man”- the Brooklyn based rapper not only writes his own music, he cultivates his creative world by both producing and directing visuals for much of his work. This attention to detail has paid off too – since his 2016 debut Palm Tree Liquor, KOTA’s relaxed and honest songwriting has won him sold out shows and international tours, and on his most recent EP Anything., we were treated to collaborations with fellow New Yorkers Angel Haze and Chelsea Reject. KOTA The Friend will be playing Baby’s All Right on January 18th – listen to his latest track "CAMP", a laid-back musing on friends past and present, below. – Sunny Betz 

Richard Saunders and Zach Lipkins first met on Craigslist approximately five years ago. The two debuted their collaborative musical effort Refs in 2015 with “Pain Goes Away,” a slow-paced minimal electronic pop track that has since racked up millions of streams on Spotify. The duo has continued to make downtempo, playlist-baiting chill pop in small amounts. Their most recent track, “Stories,” premiered late in 2018 with Saunders’ lightly R&B inflected vocals atop a light but percussive production by Lipkins. This year, Refs will make its first live appearance: you can see the duo live at Baby’s All Right on March 2. – Cameron Carr

We’ve never been jazz fans – we are indie kids here at The Deli NYC, although we can certainly appreciate other genres – but admittedly, after 20+ years spent listening to similar variations of major and minor chords (with maybe a seventh thrown in for good measure every now and then), it feels incredibly refreshing to hear chord progressions that challenge our ear. NYC quintet Earthquake Lights just unveiled the video for their single Moonlight, a song based on a succession of chords that may sound slightly dissonant at first but that resolves beautifully in a subtle series of tension and release moments. The track’s songwriting and delivery betray an experienced and skilled group of musicians with jazz leanings, and as a matter of fact lead singer/keyboardist Myles Rodenhouse and company are veterans of the NYC scene and have been involved in all sorts of musical projects, including a jazz orchestra. The took the opportunity of the video premiere to announce the upcoming release of their debut LP Distress Signals, the follow up to their 2012 debut EP Bangups & Hangups.

Operating in the intersection between New Wave, EDM, and soul music, Brooklyn via Washington DC Foreign Air have forged a recognizable and original style, while releasing a series of incredibly catchy songs. First single Free Animal put them on the right path, but the solid 2016 EP For the Light already included another noteworthy track (In the Shadows), which climbed the digital charts and helped keep the name "hot." After that initial burst, the band has managed to keep their fans’ attention alive through the constant release of several other quality singles. Their latest, entitled "Used to You" (streaming below), is a glo-fi mid-tempo that flirts with trip hop and Moby’s looped soul samples. The duo just announced a month-long North American tour that will take them to Austin during SXSW and back to Baby’s All Right on April 9th. 

We are pleased to debut the new single “Bang Bang” from Schlotman, off their upcoming album Animal Glamour (another success brought to you by Tiny Telephone Studios). Pair this bad boy with their other single, “7-11 Jesus,” and we’re pretty confident that 2019’s album will be on par with 2018’s Future and ‘17’s On a Rope. More like on a roll. Lucas Nevrla’s vocals are lovely as ever (somewhere between Jeff Buckley and Julian Casablancas) and though this track has a sadder feel than a lot of their other songs, we’re kept from crying by those winding melodic riffs, the warm reverberating hum, a taste of grunge and just a little psychedelic guitar. Lines like, “Baby blue, all I want is someone to do bad things to” get stuck in your head as much as the melodies. Tasteful mixing and mastering by Brandon Eggleston and Chris Hanzsek, respectively. We can’t wait to see them live, February 12th at The Gilman and stay tuned for that January 29th full album release. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

On her 2017 album Transphobic, Quay Dash proclaimed herself to be the "Queen of NY", and that’s a title we’re not going to argue. Hers is one of the most visionary new voices in the New York rap scene, and watching her evolution from her debut to last year’s single U.A.F.W.M. can only be described as breathtaking. Quay Dash may have taken notes from the classic bravado of New York artists like Lil Kim, but the musical world she inhabits is all her own: the adrenaline-spiking beats and chilling effortlessness of her delivery are unmistakably hers, trophies of the hardships she’s overtaken to get here. On January 18, Quay Dash will join JADALAREIGN, Dame Luz, Mother Mary Rose, and Na$h at BBYGRL at Baby’s All Right: All Girl Trap/Rap Party to celebrate women in hip hop – so you’d better clear your schedule. – Sunny Betz 

The music of Cindy Cane defies classification – in listening to the singles off frontman Tom Lescovich’s upcoming EPs New York Strangers and all my ex’s live in bushwick, you can find yourself leaping between murky electronica and yearning folk, all with a backbeat of the expressive rawness Lescovich is so good at cultivating. The music of Cindy Cane may span many genres, but it all stems from a deep love of country music. While it may not sound very country, tracks "The Darkness" and "Let Me In" brilliantly reflect the genre’s penchant for laying emotions bare. Cindy Cane landed a rare four day residency at Baby’s All Right starting on January 27, so check out their music below, and wear your best cowboy boots! – Sunny Betz

In the four years since their brooding and aptly titled debut Post-Everything, the members of the no-wave inspired outfit Weeknight have had time to consider where to take their music next. Last month the band released the first video from their upcoming album Dead Beat Creep, titled "Outside the Pale", proving that the last few years were well worth the wait. The track is just as darkly beautiful as their previous work, but with a more refined pop sensibility – here they manage to achieve an austere atmosphere with enveloping synths, reverberating guitar and a cathartic chorus. Weeknight’s sophomore work is due February 1st, and the band will be bringing their new tunes to an upcoming Brooklyn show at Alphaville on February 20th, after a three week US tour. In the meantime, check out the video below, and play it on the train while pretending you’re in your own movie. – Sunny Betz

When the first handful of TMBOY’s singles came out in 2018, it was clear that the electro-pop duo could pull off subtle rushes of emotion when combined with subdued, drum-heavy dance beats. On their newest album Steam, the pair doubles down on the sound of their singles, creating an album of hypnotic synths and glimmering vocals. The intricate rhythms of the electronic drums often interlace with a variety of synthesizers, offering quick jolts to a song’s groove or an atmospheric moment of meditation. The instrumentals offer hints of LCD Soundsystem, but the lyrics on Steam are unique to TMBOY. Earnest declarations and realizations of isolation make the act of touch and travel on these tracks sound otherworldly. Songs like “No One” and “Submarine” highlight how these sonic collaborations can so powerfully capture feelings of loneliness and searching for connection. You can listen to Steam when it releases on Feb. 08 and catch TMBOY live at their release show at Union Pool. -Tucker Pennington

Whether you’re getting ahead on Valentine’s Day plans or dreading its approach, it’ll be well worth it for you to make it down to Elsewhere the night of the 14th to check out Starchild & The New Romantic. Drawing on the grooves of artists like Prince and Outkast, Starchild (otherwise known as Bryndon Cook) gracefully balances vibrant earnestness and downright addictive electro funk, making even heartbreak sound fun. Cook established himself touring with Solange and working with Blood Orange, but with last year’s debut album Language, it’s clear that Starchild deserves a stage of his own. Check out Language on Starchild & The New Romantic’s Bandcamp, and don’t miss the upcoming Brooklyn show, date or no date. – Sunny Betz

There’s no right or wrong approach to songwriting: some artists find their voice in bizarre arrangements or completely wild chord progression, while others make energy or tension or even just powerful lyrics their trademark. However, there’s only one way to write rock music with mainstream potential that sounds timeless and honest, and pulling it off is not easy feat: it consists in finding a fine balance between melody, tension, character, meaning and relatability that few artists are able to strike (Tom Petty and The Cars are among our favorites). The music of Bird Streets – the solo project of Brooklyn’s John Brodeur – features these qualities. The project released the self-titled debut album this past August and was named NPR’s 2018 slingshot artist shortly thereafter. Brodeur will leave NYC for a short west coast tour at the end of January, keep an ear on him