It can be difficult to add grit to R&B these days when the current trends rely on an intense devotion to the ethereal ambient music that is borderline new-age. But Brooks Thomas are determined to grind together sounds until they reach a satisfying balance on their latest album Poison. The use of live drums with surging synths and oddball instrumentation makes songs like “Fade to Black” wholly unsettling experiences. That’s not to say that there aren’t moments of clarity and pathos; the vocal harmonies on “Darkness” are sweet and melancholic as the lyrics paint a picture of unfulfilled desire, without sacrificing the dynamic collision of sounds that endlessly crawl under your skin. Poison will be released September 21, and the experimental R&B group will be playing a celebratory show the following day at Mercury Lounge. –Tucker Pennington

Psych-rock outlet Ritual Talk have a new single coming out on September 7th called "Something To Look Forward To". We’ve highlighted the group before for their layered harmonies and lush soundscapes; "Something To Look Forward To" brings those in full force, backed by the power of Alex DeSimine’s voice and his and Dylan Gleit’s Frippertronics-style guitars. The synths on the new track create a space-age atmosphere that will carry you away with each listen. To celebrate the new track, the trio performed a release show at Mercury Lounge last night (September 6th); they’ll set out on a nationwide tour afterwards which will take them through the next few months. Listen to "Something To Look Forward To" below. – Will Sisskind

Among the tracks on Kissing Is A Crime’s self-titled LP, released by Don Giovani in 2017, “Noise At Night” stands out among the jangly, punk-tinged guitar pop for it’s dark minimalism. The verses are driven by bass and a simple drum beat while lead vocalist Matt Molnar steps back to allow bassist/vocalist Beatrice Rothbaum to take the reins. Kissing Is A Crime’s new video for the single matches the mood of the track perfectly, with director Assal Ghawami providing a dark affair intentionally reminiscent of work by Luis Buñuel and David Lynch. Among the surrealist, frequently black and white imagery Ghawami fits a cameo by Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming, who’s been known to join the band from time to time in recordings and live performances. Watch the video for “Noise At Night” below. – Cameron Carr

Throwin’ Bo’s is serving up the very best of Bay Area rock this September, with performances by the effortlessly lovable and delightfully fuzzy crooners in Bear Call and the gauzy freak-folk stylings of Yogurt Brain. Hailing from San Francisco and Oakland, respectively, these two acts will be sandwiching the L.A. based touring act Goon who specialize in catchy lo-fi indie rock with grunge sensibilities. Stream our favorite tracks from each of these artists in the playlist below. – Lilly Milman

This event will be on Thursday, September 6 at 9 p.m. Throwin’ Bo’s is a monthly 21+ showcase held at The Elbo Room. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. RSVP on Facebook here.

There’s something so matter-of-the-fact on Devon Church’s “We Are Inextricable”, the first single from his debut album of the same name. It’s a declaration of attachment that seems devoid of poetry at first, but with each imperative cry of “Come on baby” the song pushes deeper into the singer’s complex psyche. Constructed over shifting, ambient grid points reminiscent of Tim Hecker, the production features sprawling synths and gentle guitars before it all fractures in a noisy burst. Church’s foray as a solo artist is breathlessly confident, and you can hear his debut album when it comes out October 26. – Tucker Pennington

Between Gold Child, Stranger Cat, and Chad Valley there’s a range of styles: folky songwriting, electronica arrangements, and swelling alt-pop. But between the three artists there’s a certain similarity. Each aspires toward arty pop music that’s simultaneously memorable and creatively minded. It can be heard in the shimmering synthesizer worlds of Stranger Cat as well as the spacious arrangements of Gold Child. That similarity makes the artists a perfect match for their performance together at Knitting Factory on September 8. It’s a lineup with diversity yet a string of resemblance throughout. It’s pop music built with care and precision. – Cameron Carr

It can be easy to think that LANSKI is a single person with a single, consistent artistic vision. On the track “Vows”, Eric Ronick croons over whispering synths, and subtle drum hits courtesy of Josh Rosenblatt emphasize how succint their collaboration is. The electro-pop duo’s chemistry is fully formed here, and it can be easily overlooked as their shadowy production drifts along until the hook comes in. Slightly shimmering with glittery effects, the track is an innocuous slow jam that sucks you in with how it blends the partner’s idiosyncrasies into an individual vision. –Tucker Pennington

Rotem is the type of artist for whom the codifier “experimental artist” is worn with pride. On his latest album, My Favorite Monster, the fusion of jazz with other genres explodes with colorful shrapnel. The guitars and drums would feel right at home on a Flying Lotus record, while the intense solos sound straight out of ’70s prog-rock. This devotion to tinkering with his sound allows Rotem to play with tone and mood in interesting ways, producing songs like the gentle and sensual “My Favorite Monster” to segue into “My Favorite Things”, a fiery and claustrophobic political track featuring hip hop artist Cliche. Rotem performed at two separate release shows this past weekend at Nublu and Pete’s Candy Store, and will take his new material on tour across the US starting September 13. –Tucker Pennington

After twenty years of performing together across the country, the minds behind New Indiana — guitarist Randy Bergida and cellist Topu Lyo — have distilled their many conversations, musical adventures, and friendship into Darkness Sunshine, their new LP set to drop on September 1st. There is little production on this record besides a bit of reverb, but neither fancy effects nor overmastering seem necessary to bring out the magic in Randy and Topu’s voices and instruments. Their simple music opens up worlds of drama and calm, of full heads and empty hearts, despite its quiet nature. Think Simon & Garfunkel at their darkest; the vocal harmonies of New Indiana may invite some comparisons. To mark the release of Darkness Sunshine, New Indiana will perform at Rockwood’s Stage 3 on September 1st — the album’s release day — at 10:15 pm. Listen to the title track from Darkness Sunshine below. – Will Sisskind

Big Bliss has long carved its place in the dark, tense world of post-punk but the trio’s latest single sees the group continuing to develop upon that sound. “Surface” plods along with a drive reminiscent of fellow New Yorkers Interpol and British ’80s band Psychedelic Furs. The melodic bass, dour vocal delivery, and sparkling guitars atop don’t veer far from the group’s previous sound, but it’s a welcome polishing up. “Surface” serves as the first single to announce Big Bliss’ new album At Middle Distance, due October 19 via Exit Stencil Records. The release party is scheduled for October 20th at Alphaville, but they’ll be performing before that on September 5 at Union Pool. – Cameron Carr

Building off a repeated chant of “they want you” Birch creates a stirring ode to the feminist movement on new track “femme.two.” The single takes inspiration from the 2017 Women’s Marches and lays out a view of the current struggle for continued rights that’s both honest and inspiring. The music flows darkly, mirroring the tiresome work of feminism today rather than preaching plain optimism. On top stuttering backing beats the chords progress from minor to major as Birch’s Michelle Birsky sings with reverence. “I don’t wanna wait for the tide to change / listen to my voice and you’ll feel the same.” Musically, it’s fairly minimal and almost dreary at times but that only serves to give more power to Birsky’s voice and lyrics. – Cameron Carr

Soulful songwriter Raffaella has released the video for her single "Bruce Willis", a song that explains toeing the line between childhood and adulthood with an air of positivity. To visualize that concept, Raffaella and director Luke Marcus Rosen captured the moments after a wild house party, showing the rising singer-songwriter cleaning up the mess while dancing and singing among the chaos. In the party scenes, twenty-somethings scream in drunken fervor and throw balloons around the room; in the scenes showing the aftermath that follows, all of the revelers have crashed, their bodies wiped of all childish energy, insinuating that in all of us, our time for partying is limited. The well-produced video is the latest accomplishment from Raffaella, who opened for Years & Years last May before a sold-out crowd at Brooklyn Steel. Watch it below. – Will Sisskind