Alternative indie pop rockers herMajesty new track “Weightless” (streaming below) is a mid-tempo rocker that pairs layered guitar hooks and bright synths with a distinct driving backbeat. Band visionary JP is given open space for his soft-sandpapery vocals and vivid lyrical poetry.  Lyrics like “Let the colors and the scent settle on your skin – let the yellow lilac and the brooding rose pull you in this violet dream” create visually dramatic moments underscored by plucking piano and alternating synth notes. The chorus reveals the need to rise above a “concrete wall” and the limitations we place on ourselves, to become “weightless.” Written over a four year span and recorded in numerous cities, this single and the band’s upcoming album was mixed by Giovanni Nicoletta in Berlin. To celebrate its release, they will play an early show at Mercury Lounge on 2/28 with The Goodnight Darlings. – Dave Cromwell

Imagine Joanna Newsom’s voice on top of the swirling instrumentals of a Lorde song. That sums up Kami Maltz‘s music in a nutshell. The Brooklyn singer/songwriter and co-producer released a new single chock full of that hypnotizing sound called "On The Loose". Though the song’s a bedroom creation, it sports masterful production bringing out the humming basses and ethereal synths. She’ll play the song along with many others on March 3rd, when she performs live at Pete’s Candy Store with her new backing band. Don’t miss out. – Will Sisskind

Zenizen‘s Opal Hoyt has taken her musical journey from her native Alaska to Vermont, DC, Jamaica, and Brooklyn. Now, in the midst of working on her debut full-length album and collaborating with other New York artists, she takes Zenizen to SXSW this year to introduce her soulful sound to the festival’s audience. Her Australia EP — her first, available on Don Giovanni Records — can give a taste of Hoyt’s sweet and soaring vocals, and can warm up any listener with its slow and jazzy grooves. But Zenizen’s live performances convey the full blast of soul power, with Hoyt giving her all on stage with her black keytar and head-mic, and her band backing her up with every heartstopping hook. If you’re attending SXSW, don’t miss Zenizen at the Sidewinder Outside on March 13th. For now, stream the video for "Follow The Leader" — their latest — below. – Will Sisskind

Thanks For Coming put out a lot of music in 2017. Their Bandcamp page shows 21 releases from the past year, most only a few songs each, but the particularly noteworthy full-length “Missing Out” and two EPs “Sspplliitt” and “Thanks For Having Me” offering a little more. It works with the band’s signature sound, which makes use of homemade aesthetics and intimate lyrics that sound like they came (and quite possibly did come) from hurriedly typed entries in iPhone’s notes app. For the last couple months, however, Thanks For Coming has been relatively quiet as the group works on recording a new full-length. While there’s no firm word on the pending album yet, the band will return to the stage to join Remember Sports and Sidney Gish at Silent Barn on February 21st and you can listen to one new track via a Post-Trash benefit compilation below. – Cameron Carr

A previous Deli SF featured artist of the month, Ellisa Sun is the creator of a breezy brand of acoustic soul that is at once tender and raw. She channels her perchance for vulnerability in her newest video for “Evening” (streaming below), which The Deli SF is proud to premiere this Valentine’s Day. Puppy-lovers be warned, this is not a video for the honeymoon phase.

Featuring a storyline between two women in a relationship, the video takes the viewer through a scenario that any lover would fear: an intense happiness that settles into a frantic anger, and then ultimately indifference. All of this is set to Ellisa Sun’s dynamic vocals, which are filled with a power that grows by the second. Join our lonely hearts’ club and check the video out below. – Lilly Milman

In his new single "How High," Nathaniel Bellows proves that a voice can be both hearty and delicate all at once. The song, with its sparse guitar/piano/vocal arrangement, is literally breathtaking. It’s no surprise that Bellows is also a poet and novelist – his lyrics are shimmery meditations on life, reflecting on the complexities of human existence in an unassuming yet outspoken manner. Bellows’ new album Swan and Wolf is out March 30th. – Geena Kloeppel

Sloppy Jane is a band with bizarre and grotesque inclinations and an interest in translating them into their performances. Naked bodies, colored dye, and television screens set a backdrop for melting inhibitions as the music (and often the musicians) tumbles into chaotic fits. It’s a must-see for fans of avant-garde, performative punk. Deservingly, the band, led by Haley Dahl, will bring its ravenous live show to SXSW this year with a string of other dates surrounding the trip. Leading up to those gigs, Sloppy Jane will unleash new album “Willow” on March 2nd with a release show at The Glove on March 7th. The group is currently scheduled to play SXSW showcases for Melted Magazine (March 12th), Desert Daze (March 14th), Invertebrate (March 17th, day), and Siren Sound (March 17th, night). – Cameron Carr

Brooklyn Multimedia artist Miss Eaves is Feminasty as she wanna be.  She says what she wants and, doing her own design and video directing, she gets what she wants.  Since her Feminasty album dropped last year, she’s been fomenting her assault on the mainstream.  With nods from HuffPo and Glamour, she’s got a strong start.  Her throwback flow is a pleasant contrast to the electro-clash production she’s currently rocking.  If you’re looking for something to rock on your next roadtrip to a protest, Miss Eaves will let everyone know how you roll. Oh and, this year, she’ll be at SXSW, but you can catch her at Silent Barn tomorrow for a V-Day Messup!

Split between NYC and Minneapolis, Nadine is a band that freshen the mystery of how a band can function when its members live far apart (hey, it worked for Pavement!). This is a collaborative project involving singer Nadia Hulett (part of the collective Phantom Posse) and Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez (both of Ava Luna). Their recently released debut LP is a playful and extremely enjoyable take on avant-pop, with jazzy overtones. The band celebrated the album’s release at Baby’s All Right on February 8th and will travel to SXSW in March.

It’s easy to call to mind artists similar to Crosslegged, but it’s not easy to think of artists that actually sound like Crosslegged. Behind the music made by Brooklyn artist Keba Robinson under the Crosslegged name is a sense of invention and adventure. There’s something in common with the delicate songwriting of folk, the melodic ease of pop, the precise arrangements of electronic music, but Crosslegged fits neatly into none of these categories. There’s more in common here with the innovative work of artists like Bjork, Sufjan Stevens, or Kate Bush. The excitement of originality is what makes Robinson’s work worth following. You can see the next performance February 16th when Crosslegged opens for Hovvdy’s record release show at Baby’s All Right. – Cameron Carr

Originally hailing from the small mountain town of Lee Vining, east of Yosemite, Bocat Rob Armenti can now be found among the Santa Cruz Mountains. Armenti’s songs are as upfliting as they are haunting, drawing on visceral truths and common threads to weave captivating tales. From quiet to loud, reserved to explosive, each song carries its own weight and settles deep into the listener. The band, known as the Nightly Howl, recently released a video for a brand new song. Titled "On Sunday Morning," the video (streaming below) was recorded at Coonrad Studios in Santa Cruz. A mountain man full of musical prowess, Armenti is gearing up to release his second full length album later this year. In the meantime, the usual solo performer has scheduled a full band gig on Friday, February 16 at The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz. – Joshua Huver

02.23 marks the day that Strange Names release their sophomore album, Data, through Frenchkiss Records. To celebrate this milestone, the self-described "next wave" group will be playing an album release show at Baby’s All Right on 02.24 with glitch pop project NOIA opening. The event is presented by LPR and is 21+. Doors will open at 8 PM, and the show is slated to start at 9 PM. Tickets are $10 in advanced and will be $13 on the day of the show. Data can be pre-ordered from either iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play here, and "UFO" can be streamed below. – Alexander Beebe