There are some songs that make you feel like they came from your own mind, that understand in a way that feels maybe a bit too close for comfort. And Somerville-based artist Saccharine‘s most recent full-length release Hollow Space is filled with them. In the vein of Ben Gibbard, Kevin King has infused emotional lyrics with an earnest and energetic delivery that leaves the listener feeling a whirlwind of excitement, awe, heartbreak. On this release, King’s songwriting is unrivaled, his arrangements are cathartic; the result is a set of songs that linger much longer than expected. See Saccharine live at O’Brien’s Pub in Allston on March 1, alongside Burlington rock darlings Clever Girls, who are currently on tour heading towards the Midwest. Until then, stream the full album below. – Lilly Milman

Matt Jatkola and D. Orxata make up the Boston-based eclectic indie-pop duo FBGM. Their newest single "High" (streaming below) is a bouncy ode to highs and lows. The buoyant melody is kept afloat by a breezy delivery of deadpan lyrics like "How do you get me so high in the morning? … Why is it easy to cry in the morning?" The lyrics operate in paradoxes, and the production effortlessly adds a shimmery texture. Written, produced, recorded, and mixed by Jatkola himself, the track is steeped in a heavy dose of experience and sentimentality. It’s undoubtedly the work of people who care about what they are creating, while also playing around with infectious pop sensibilities. FBGM is currently on a west coast tour and will return to New England on March 10 to play Hutghi’s at the Nook in Westfield, MA. – Lilly Milman

Former AOTM Jacques Le Coque, the Stamford-based four-piece, send a surge of electricity through the slacker rock genre. Their latest album Positively…, released on King Pizza Records, is an ode to classic rock and roll with kitschy song titles like "Getaway Car," "Roller Girl," and "I Only Want To Rock & Roll." The high-energy vocals, frantic guitar lines, and driving percussion on Positively… are the elements of garage rock greatness. You can almost feel the sweat of a live show on your face when playing through standout track "Crush" (streaming below) and the rest of the album follows suit. Jacques Le Coque will be heading to New Haven on January 25 to play at Cafe Nine with The Fleshtones. – Lilly Milman

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Allston, and 23 of the area’s best bands have joined together to celebrate with a compilation. Now in its fourth run, A Very Allston Christmas is a perfect blend of classic and cool. Magic Magic, who have participated in every installment of the series, kick off volume four with a warm, lo-fi cover of "It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas." What they take away from the classic version in their stripped-down vocals and harmonies, they add in new 8-bit-adjacent sounds. Other highlights from the compilation include Holiday Music‘s "Family Tree," School Shoes‘ "In The Bleak Midwinter," and Eggy Benedict‘s "Christmas Always Makes Me Cry." The compilation is available for purchase on Bandcamp, and all of the proceeds will go towards Bridge Over Troubled Waters — a Boston-based organization devoted to providing necessary services to at-risk, homeless, and runaway youth. – Lilly Milman

Shake the rust off some tired old tracks and discover some new ones with A Very Allston Christmas Vol. 4 below. 

Northampton’s Sun Parade can do it all. Last year’s Shuggy Mtn Breakdown was the perfect blend of tender lyricism, fun pop-leaning harmonies, explosive guitar breakdowns, and playful melodies. Their September release, the upbeat single "WUNNANUTHR TIME" (streaming below), grooves in a different way. Built on a simple, danceable beat, the track incorporates a more psychedelic side, while also nodding towards some elements of disco. It sounds just as fresh as it did back in the spring when it was released, and it’s exactly what we need to look back on to get us through another New England winter. Sun Parade will be shipping off to NYC to accompany Blac Rabbit on their two-night New Year’s Eve run at the Mercury Lounge. Bring in the new year with Blac Rabbit, Sun Parade, and Huck (a Deli NYC favorite) on December 30. – Lilly Milman

The newest single “New Jazz” (streaming below) from the Boston-based trio BROADBAND is the kind of song that leaves you with the unquenchable desire to do something, even if you’re not sure what that something is. From the first few seconds, the melody begins escalating, twisting and turning through twinkling guitars and exhilarating vocals. Even though the track pushes four minutes, it never loses its sense of urgency; it feels like a flash of excitement, a single moment in time. If you loved the track as much as we did, see BROADBAND play live at O’Brien’s Pub with Stray Fossa, New Dakotas, and Tiffy on December 10. – Lilly Milman

Hartford’s alt-indie trendsetters Cheem always play by their own set of rules, and their new video for "Spring Breeze" (streaming below) explains why. The comedic clip mirrors the message of the song, showing what happens when a musician "finds success and becomes complacent, until a group with new ideas and motivation take over," in the words of the band. Cheem said the song "grew out of our collective frustration with how all levels of the music industry favor trendy soundalikes over fresh sounds. The video is a twisted, literal interpretation of the song." Meshing together elements of pop, indie and alternative rock, funk and more, the resulting melody is upbeat yet sardonic — a duality that perfectly describes who Cheem is as a band. Cheem is a band who is still daring to try, and it shows. – Lilly Milman

Stream an exclusive premiere of the video for "Spring Breeze" below. 

Burlington is in for a storm tonight. Locals Clever Girls will be joined at the Showcase Lounge of Higher Ground by fellow New Englanders Weakened Friends from Portland, Maine, who are currently touring with NYC’s Nervous Dater. This tour de force of ferocious indie rock is sure to melt a few faces and maybe even leave a few tearing up, given the fact that Clever Girls have the uncanny ability to shred while simultaneously dance delicately around broken hearts with lyrics like "I will bite my tongue, I won’t think out loud  / about how dumb I always get when I see you smile" (from "Dumb Smile.") They don’t attempt to be overly clever or tongue-in-cheek or didactic about subjects like love or self-doubt. Their debut LP Luck (streaming below) shows the band isn’t afraid to shoot in the dark; maybe they even prefer it that way, letting the goosebumps guide them as they fumble around, seeing what creates a spark. From the look of this album, it seems that they’ve figured out the formula for finding what’s real and drowning out the rest. – Lilly Milman, photo by Hannah Blauner 

Good things must once again come to an end it seems. It was announced in October that the beloved Elbo Room would be shutting down on January 1, 2019 — and with it will go the monthly Throwin’ Bo’s at the Elbo Room showcase. Founder Eli Anaya, however, will continue to book and promote shows under the name Throwin’ Bo’s Presents, and tonight will be his second to last show ever at The Elbo Room. The bill is stacked with all locals. Healing Potpourri will bring along their classic easy-listening lounge-psych, which should fit right in with the lo-fi jangly rock of April Magazine. Half Stack will be performing live for the first time since the release of their psych-influenced California country LP Quitting Time. Come experience what may be one of your last shows at the Elbo Room, and maybe sing along to a few swan songs while you’re there. Prepare by streaming some of our favorite tracks from these artists below. – Lilly Milman

Throwin’ Bo’s presents a night with Healing Potpourri, Half Stack, and April Magazine at Elbo Room Wedensday, November 14 @ 9pm $7 adv, $10 DOS // 21+

If the debut album Million Movies by San Francisco’s husband and wife duo Love Jerks had come out about 40 years ago, it’s likely that they would’ve been tapped for the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack. The album is unlike anything else, combining over-the-top emotion with corn-syrup-sweetened lyrics and a delivery so ironic that it becomes serious. Teeny-boppers face doomsday on the high-speed track "Apocalyptic Make-Out," featuring the tongue-in-cheek chorus of "Oh owww. Squeezing these. Kissing that." Love-birds spin "round & round" on "Gold Sparkle," the perfect prom song for the hopelessly and embarassingly smitten. The self-titled track begins with Bryan declaring "You’ve got some fangs, but it don’t get me upset / I’ll bring the blood, if you bring the turtleneck." On this album, love is weird. It’s fanatic, fleeting, fabulous. And, most of all, it’s grand. Because what could be better than two love jerks finding each other and forgetting the rest? Get a little closer to synth-pop heaven and stream Million Movies below and keep an eye out for the Love Jerks’ next live show. – Lilly Milman

New Hampshire’s favorite freak-folkers People Like You are back and spookier than ever in their newest single "Sounds of the House" (streaming below) which comes complete with a video filmed at Haunted Overload in Lee, N.H. It’s a shame that Halloween music isn’t a bigger genre, but People Like You are doing what they do best by moving forward into unexplored (and perhaps even haunted) territories. The kitschy clip places the band in the center of a ghoulish wonderland, populated by creepy baby dolls, masked performers, and monsters knocking on closet doors. Turn off the lights and take a look for yourself. Oh, and don’t look under the bed — you never know who or what may be lurking. Get into the Halloween spirit with People Like You tomorrow (10.26) at Charlie O’s World Famous Halloween Bash, or Saturday (10.27) at The Stone Church. – Lilly Milman

Listen to tracks by People Like You and more local artists on The Deli New England’s brand new Spotify playlist, Cold Cuts: Sounds of New England.

Frequenters of the Lilypad in Inman Square, Cambridge are likely to recognize the Boston-based Andrew DiMarzo Trio, who played their ForeverGrow EP release show at the venue back in February. The trio, made up of core members Andrew DiMarzo, Steven Viol, and Herman Ramanado, take a classic soul vocal arrangement and infuse it with a rock-inspired twist to create music that absolutely must be seen played live. Keep an eye out for more Boston-area show announcements from the Andrew DiMarzo Trio, but until then, mark January 13 in your calendar for a show at O’Brien’s Pub that you wouldn’t want to miss.

Lucky for you, The Deli New England is premiering the live recording of the track “Our Fence” (streaming below) now. – Lilly Milman