Streetlight Shakers are back! Well, they have not really been gone at all, but their new single “The Story” is just as triumphant, just as worthy of a hero’s welcome. The uplifting track serves as the hymn the three men from Connecticut share with the masses: a single jam-packed with the symbiotic rhythm that Nick Powell (drums, vocals) and Silvain Castellano (bass, vocals) produce + Jeff Boratko’s piano leads and vocal scales is all that is needed to celebrate a better tomorrow ahead. For the past few somber months, the group has managed to entertain its fans with creative recordings from home, showing them a glimmer of light among the shadows, something worth producing a smile for indeed. “The Story” feels like the end of the tunnel, or damn near close to it, it is a song meant to take you on the journey you have been longing for, somewhere away from troubles and closer to a better view. Stream “The Story” below for the midweek break you deserve. – Rene Cobar

Regarding the modern indie-pop aesthetic, Boston’s Gillian perfects it: classy-creeping piano leads, pumping beats, and the singer-songwriter’s honeyed melodies slowly cascading over them. However, the theme of her latest single “High” goes beyond the standard, it digs a bit deeper, tackling a subject that is scarcely discussed in the youth’s pro-recreational mildew: sobriety. Gillian vents, via infectious hooks and exquisite harmonies, frustrations about a partner struggling to remain sober and how that struggle becomes an illness turning love languid, disappointment vivid. The music video for the track, directed by Nolan Knight, captures the exact atmosphere and heartbreak the song so radiates. Gillian is not only a bright beacon of indie-pop and its current influence on the mainstream but also an artist digging deeper, as artists do. Stream the music video for “High” below. – Rene Cobar

Igniting our month and weekend simultaneously, furiously shredding and adorably bopping, all the same, is Vaughan Supple’s brand new EP Backbone Elegy. The new record is more of Vaughan’s grungy brand of music, except this time the Boston artist varnishes his sound in a sweet mixture of gooey doo-wop that creates a product irresistible and all his own. Right out of the gate, the furious punk rhythm and sugary harmonizing of “For Old Time’s Sake” gets a hold of you, ripping distorted guitars and floating Vaughan’s infectious melody in its raunchy medley of fun. Where “Perfume and Mirrors” is a gorgeous piano-led ballad, drowsy and passionate, “Bubblegum” is true to its namesake: short and sweetly-flavored pop-jazz. The title track of the new EP, is where Vaughan Supple’s theme is revealed, why with its thick ambiance of velvety harmonies and distinct acoustic guitar flourishes the artist takes vocal flight towards the past, reflecting as he longs for a simpler time in music and all elsewhere. One could say the final song in the album, a reprise of the first, is a moody send-off, but we argue it could just as well be the beginning as time is not always a river flowing in one direction, sometimes it is a beautiful storm to behold. Stream Backbone Elegy premiering exclusively below and here is to a great month. – Rene Cobar  

Hard to imagine a smoother, groovier, and more exquisite start to the week than the one Andrea Capozzoli serves up in her latest single “Last Goodbye.” Oh yes, the song is all the neo-soul goodness that has characterized Capozzoli’s trajectory, but there is added emotion and undertones of liberation in Capozzoli’s velvety, assertive vocals. Accurately, and oh so delicately landing on each note change, the artist dances past the sweet guitar riffs and the accompanying swing to bask in the growing excitement of the song’s soulful choruses. “Last Goodbye” is an ode to a friend’s triumphant escape from a toxic relationship, and yet, it is for all lovers who have done just that, and for those brewing the courage to join them in freedom, in strength. Andrea Capozzoli’s method is a prime example of the ever-lasting power of R&B/soul in the age of computer-generated hits: nothing beats watching musicians shaping the molten goodness of their skill into precious pieces for all to enjoy. Dmitry Ishenko (bass),  Dave Ross (guitar,) and Rob Mitzner (drums) accompany Capozzoli in “Last Goodbye” premiering below. – Rene Cobar

Putting a collection together of one’s work is no easy task, each piece is part of a greater story being told, and it must be told well. Boston’s Alan Scardapane does this brilliantly with his collection titled Winter House. Each track showcases Alan’s easy-going approach to music and serious melodic chops. Songs like “Camden Yards” drop you into a place of comfort: the music, with its lingering harmonies, and soft acoustic guitar plucks, flows like a cool river or a spring breeze you want to listen to, to breathe in, take in. “Without You” is folk-rock for the moodiest of days and the warmest summer evenings. Alan has collected his best tunes of 2014-16, and it shows; stream the edgy “Whiskey Girl” below for a proper weekend greeting. – Rene Cobar

Boston’s Danny Moffat (The Collect Pond) has been keeping busy alongside his acoustic guitar and soul-merging loops; his latest offering, “Traveling,”  is an ode to that which we hope for most at the moment: peace and familiarity. With a combination of gentle strums and relaxed-captivating vocals, Danny slows down the heartbeat, sharpens focus, and suspends you into a better reality. His indie folk track takes on a fun, fast-paced rhythm toward the end that is fitting, so pop-punk of him, a la acoustic that is, of course. Steam Danny’s latest track below for a mid-week mood uplift. – Rene Cobar

Westfield, Massachusetts’ The Hashassins are hot, well-season, and served up to you in abundance: the hip-hop duo’s new EP moments is a satisfying track-for-track delight. The songs are focused on the essentials, fleshed out lyrically, and allowing for their laid-back beats to infect with intent. Take “yayha,” the EP’s opening track, as an example of the back and forth dribble that William Wallace and Sincere create, delivering eventually a flow that is relaxed but serious, and a sense of vibrant production throughout. The synths that swell and gravitate in “fade away” create an ambiance, soft and delicate, that once again allows the verses to pierce right through it. The Hashassins spill reflections in “something to feel” and let their layered hooks, sung in a thick reverb haze, capture your imagination. The new album is a short but delightful trance, a treat for the avid listener; stream the upbeat, 2003-flavored “thru this all” below. – Rene Cobar 

Hop on, Connecticut’s Similar Kind is taking us on a ride towards the weekend, and it is magical. The beautiful ambiance created by lingering guitar chords, a twisting bassline, and lead singer Julia Breen’s exquisite vocals in the band’s latest single “Maria” engulfs you and transports you to your place of choice. The music has that blend of fierce modern rhythm and ‘80s dream pop that is catapulting acts like Tennis to the top of the charts, it is tasteful, and so cool-retro you cannot help get lost in it. In a time when any dose of endorphins will do, this Norwalk quintet is delivering a heavy dose to the masses. Stream the new single below, and see you on the other side of the weekend, New England. – Rene Cobar

For Nashua, New Hampshire’s Wyn Doran, public evisceration of her personal experiences through music is nothing new, but her latest single "Cigarettes" cuts even deeper than usual. The music is tinged with residues of anger, fresh disappointment, and many stains of love all lit by the bluesy guitars that riff away in "Cigarettes" and the soulful vocals of Doran, which carve its choruses. The emotion in the music can be intimating, only because of the deep, relatable pain it reveals, the humanity behind it all too real. Doran is in her full alt-soul element in this new single, and that only adds a layer of strength to recall the song’s theme head-on; Wyn shows in the track the same grit that has characterized her sound, explosive beats and all. Stream "Cigarettes" below, you may just recognize something in its blackened, burning candor. – Rene Cobar

Boston’s Wildcat Slim takes you for a ride around the brilliant soundscape it has created in its latest single “Two Ships.” The new song is a hazy brand of indie rock that slowly but steadily seeps into the listener’s most cavernous parts of the mind with a simple close of the eyes. Crunchy, sustained guitar chords, a tough-intrepid drumbeat, and vocals so comforting flash past each verse, each chorus, and lead to a sonic cascade you can’t help drown in. The music is sufficient evidence that this is a group enjoying every sound it produces, each world explored together; stream “Two Ships” below for a ride to kick off your week right. – Rene Cobar

TGIF! For many reasons, but of the oh so many perhaps there is none as cheerful as the release of The Q-Tip Bandits’ debut EP Ain’t It Great. This sonic triple-threat is as sophisticated as we have come to expect from previous Q-Tip Bandits singles, but the jazz mousse is heavy atop the group’s upbeat indie rock/pop hybrid. The title track opens up with the brass instrumentation that characterizes the group, flowing slowly past the assertive electric guitar riff at the heart of the song, the build-ups bursting to reveal cheery choruses and festive breakdowns. “What’s Your Drug” lets the full bassline of Claire Davis lead the way as Leo Son’s vocals cleave with emotion, and then you know who you are listening to. Dakota Maykrantz’ chic drums provide a rhythmic foundation that adapts and delivers though each hit of the snare the passion the music demands. “The Wolf” finishes an indie rock/pop delicacy of an EP that is a glossy calling card for the talented band. Listen to Maclin Tucker (trumpet), and Stephan Tenney (trombone) make their instruments howl in “The Wolf” streaming below. – Rene Cobar, photo by Sophie Park

Portland, Maine’s Kidhimself is quite serious about his feelings in his latest track “Hooked On You” which is a cool, laid-back pop song that is gooey with dreamy thoughts sprung from love and recreation. The atmospheric song recalls amid its swelling ambiance and snappy rhythm someone worth remembering, in a haze or otherwise. If love is fleeting, the music of Kidhimself is forever ever, mostly because its chill/wavy vibe is a keen sonic translation of the coastal New England winds that surely inspired it. For something to get lost in, for someone to remember, “Hooked On You” is streaming below. – Rene Cobar