When the San Francisco-based indie electronic trio There’s Talk first caught the attention of the Bay Area music scene in 2013, their EP Tiny Strands was lauded for its lyrical and melodic complexity. Now, five years later, the group has returned on the EP bathed water moon with the same perchance for intricacy, except with a heavier focus on the dreamy electronic sound that set them apart in the first place. The opening track “Give it Up” (streaming below) is an ode to dreamgaze, drenched in mesmerizing synths and suspenseful builds that leave the listener wanting more—a promise that the rest of the EP expertly delivers on. Despite a recording hiatus, this EP has proven that There’s Talk belongs on the forefront of the DIY electronic scene. Make sure to drop by their next live show at the Rickshaw Stop on March 8th. – Lilly Milman 

Late in 2017, NYC based singer-songwriter (and vocalist for Wilder Maker) Katie Von Schleicher came out with a poignant and plaintive album with the not-so-poetic title Shitty Hits. From the very beginning, opener The Image treats the listener to Von Schleicher’s unusual, yet elegant melodies, supported by an unexpectedly noisy production based on a new, intriguing approach to loud/quiet/loud. The results are spectacular. The perfectly controlled, vaguely industrial clangor keeps coming in the following tracks, together with Katie’s incredibly beautiful vocal lines, forging a record that’s as unique as it is enjoyable and moving. Perhaps it’s true, these songs aren’t hits, but, on the other hand, they are definitely art.

Katie is touring the US and Europe this spring, don’t miss the 4.06 show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and her performances at SXSW.

On new single “Think of the Children,” Kodacrome make a dreamy home out of minimalist electronica. Building over a house beat, Elissa LeCoque slowly emotes with a determined bassline and waves of ambient synth flourishes providing support. LeCoque and musical partner Ryan Casey clearly have a careful ear for sound, choosing only vital elements that accentuate the beat established at the song’s beginning. “Think of the Children” is the title track from the synth duo’s new album, due April 1st, and their first release since 2016. Stream “Think of the Children” below. – Cameron Carr

Most recently, the Oakland-based group Club Night was early evening support at the famed Great American Music Hall in San Francisco as a part of the 26th Annual Noise Pop Music Festival. Consisting of vocalist Josh Bertram, Rebecca Lukens, Ian Tatum, Josiah Majetich and Devin Trainer, this five piece experiment is the logical conclusion of the Oakland DIY scene to which its members belong. Their latest release, Hell Ya, Club Night balances frenetic riffs and soaring musical moments between abstract punches of rhythm, pop-oriented synths, and guitars. The resulting backdrop is a collaboration that teeters between technical and noisy against which Bertram conjures up an emotive and dynamic vocal performance. Catch them next Friday, March 9 at The Hole, a performing and visual arts gallery/venue combo in Oakland before they hit the road to Austin, TX for SXSW. – Joshua Huver

We stumbled upon the name Barrie while browsing through the list of artists participating in the 2018 edition of SXSW. This is a very new SXSW quintet with only one single under their belt, entitled "Canyons" (streaming below), an intriguing blend of lounge and dream pop with airy female vocals and a bass line that, at times, ventures into groovy disco fluorishes. The band seems to have hit the ground running, since they will be performing at SXSW this March and, the following week, at Baby’s All Right.

A couple of years ago, soul powerhouse Pam Steebler graced The Deli ‘s NYC as one of its Best Emerging NYC Artists. Now she’s back with a new track called "Noise", from her upcoming EP of the same name. "Noise" takes the Brazilian-Canadian songwriter’s soulful voice and layers it over bubbling electronic synths and drums, which add a depth to the passionate sound she released to the world on her 2015 Give In EP. It’s certainly a song to keep in your pocket for the approaching dog days of summer. More songs are on the way from Noise, but The Deli is proud to premiere the title track, which you can stream below. – Will Sisskind

WeWork’s Creator Awards, in partnership with our friends at Sofar Sounds, is looking for innovative musical performers (solo or groups) based in the SF Bay Area. The initiative rewards acts that merge creativity and imagination with compelling performances, and it’s open to all genres (including performance arts, let your acting friends know about it!).

The winners will be rewarded with a cash prize between $18K and $72K, and will also secure a paid gig at the Creator Awards San Francisco event on May 10.

Applying for a Creator Award only takes a few minutes, you can start the process here (deadline is April 10th).

WeWork’s Creator Awards, in partnership with our friends at Sofar Sounds, is looking for innovative musical performers (solo or groups) based in the SF Bay Area. The initiative rewards acts that merge creativity and imagination with compelling performances, and it’s open to all genres (including performance arts, let your acting friends know about it!).

The winners will be rewarded with a cash prize between $18K and $72K, and will also secure a paid gig at the Creator Awards San Francisco event on May 10.

Applying for a Creator Award only takes a few minutes, you can start the process here (deadline April 10th).

New York-based songwriter Caroline Rose has reinvented her sound on her sophomore LP Loner. Dawning an ironically sporty aesthetic, Rose delivers poignant tales of loneliness and disillusionment with a cigarette in hand. Contrasting the americana sensibilities of 2014’s I Will Not Be Afraid, Loner combines elements of 70s punk and straight ahead pop. She’s heading to Austin for SXSW, and will be back in NYC to play Rough Trade on April 3rd. – Charley Ruddell

NYC chanteuse Odetta Hartman is more experimental than most, and in an endearing way, as demonstrated in the music video for her song "Dreamcatchers." It’s a compilation of home videos of Hartman as a little girl, doing various things such as playing the violin, swimming, and hitting a piñata, but the video is edited to move with the music, with a hazy, acid-trip-like manner. The songs on her last record 222 are short, sweet vignettes, led by banjo and textural vocals, infused with pentatonic guitars and experimental strings. Odetta Hartman will play at SXSW at the Townsend on 3/17. –Geena Kloeppel

Erica Eso is an art-pop experiment in genre.  Seductive RNB vocals melt into dream-pop soundscapes, powered by shocks of synthy discord. The music is curious but compelling. Their newly released single, “Love-gun,” feels like a slow, surreal seduction (a feeling thoroughly replicated in its accompanying music video) while the album’s eponymous single “129 Dreamless GMG” is a flurry of microtonality. Erica Eso promises to entertain listeners with further collapses in genre with the rest of 129 Dreamless GMG, which will have its release party at Alphaville, 03.15. —Amanda Ogea

 FOXTRAX is waking up the alt rock scene with their tight, nuanced arrangements and excellent songwriting chops. The trio embraces their music’s dark undertones but isn’t afraid to make light of a rainy day- or in this case, a "Grey Morning." Churning out consistently excellent vocal performances, guitar lines and all around vibes, this band is one of the most solid and compelling that I’ve heard for a while in the alt-rock genre. Be sure to check them out when FOXTRAX heads to SXSW, playing showcases at the Convention Center on 3/12 and Javelina on 3/14. –Geena Kloeppel