Get hyped.  Handsome Hound will be hosting Andrew Grossman of The North Country, Nefra Faltas of Humble Fire, Kelly Servick of Near Northeast, and Kate Taylor Mighty in an epic night of covers and originals at Union Stage this Friday.  Featuring some of the biggest names in DC folk backed by a horn section, this event is guaranteed to be lit, or rather, in the words of the organizers, a “full-blown hullabaloo”.

Tickets available here.

-Mike Dranove

In 2016, we named Alexia Bomtempo one of NYC’s top emerging artists. Late last year, Bomtempo released her third studio album, called Chasing Storms and Stars, and we are happy to premiere the first music video for the track "I Thought About You". The stripped-down song features Alexia’s frank vocal delivery and Brazilian-inspired beats fused with American soul. In the video, Bomtempo’s fluxing expressions — some projected over her blank face, some shown raw — convey the power behind her simple but beautiful music and lyrics. And to add more emphasis to the simplicity of the whole package, the video makes expert use of black and white. See it for yourself — and take a listen to "I Thought About You" — below. Alexia Bontempo will perform live at The 55 Bar on February 13. – Will Sisskind

Harry Teardrop makes the kind of hazy, daydream-inducing bedroom pop that you can get lost in. New single “Chinatown” is no exception, but it works the smooth, jazzy undertones to more soothing ends. Teardrop—a.k.a. NYU student Harrison Li—crafts indie music that’s unafraid to be pop and, in this case, unafraid to be ‘80s style romantic. Originally written for Li’s senior prom as a slow dancing song for his band to play, “Chinatown” is a lo-fi ballad with nonchalant cool. Listen below and be sure to catch Harry Teardrop opening for Dolly Spartans on February 11th at Trans-Pecos. –Cameron Carr</p>

While Secret Crush’s music clearly comes with heavy debts to shoegaze, the band’s incorporation of indie rock immediacy gives them an added dimension. With guitars covered in fuzz and dripping reverb, there’s still plenty of the trademark shoegaze wash of sound, but the vocals tend to sit more upfront and there’s a tendency toward riffing that’s rarely seen in the genre. For fans of moody, effects-laden music, Secret Crush offers an excellent gateway to the more experimental corners of the shoegaze world. Get a taste of that sound when the band headlines Elsewhere on February 12th.

Solid Goold lives for all things retro, to the point that it’s sometimes unclear whether the ‘70s inspired outfits and ‘60s style harmonies are meant jokingly or lovingly—likely a bit of both. It’s fitting then that the music video for “New Best Friend” plays into similar aesthetic tropes, caking on cheap visual effects and dopey characters to good measure. Frontman Albert Goold finds himself hopelessly chasing a lover when, as the lyrics foreshadow, he may just need a new best friend. It’s the first video from Solid Goold’s 2017 album “Metabeta” and it does an excellent job highlighting the band’s lighthearted, throwback pop style. Watch the video, directed by Patrick Elmore and featuring actress Katy Rea, below and catch the band performing at Sidewalk Cafe tonight as part of the Winter Antifolk Fest. – Cameron Carr

Psychedelic folk band Quicksilver Daydream will be releasing a new EP titled A Thousand Shadows, A Single Flame on 02.09, and to celebrate the occasion, they will be playing an EP release show tonight at Mercury Lounge. Joining Quicksilver Daydream for the evening will be fellow folk artists Samuel R. Saffery and C.F. Watkins. The show will begin at 6:30 PM and will be a 21+ event with tickets being priced at $10. A Thousand Shadows, A Single Flame can be streamed ahead of its official release below. – Alexander Beebe

Oakland rockers The Heartlights are all energy on their debut release Oh Dear, a six-track EP with thrashing guitars, fast-paced percussion, and delightfully melodic vocals. Lead vocalist Maggie Aytac has a saccharine voice that layers infectiously over their garage-influenced power pop arrangements to create instant hits like “You’re So Cute (It Hurts)” (streaming below), which comes across as a fuzzier take on classic surf rock. The rest of the EP shows similar influences, combining angst with energy to create a tongue-in-cheek ode to Californiacation. At the moment, their next announced live show is on March 9th at The Octopus Literary Salon in Oakland. – Lilly Milman

Ritual Talk’s newest single "More Than I Can Mention" is downright exciting. From the get-go, the sublime guitar hook is intriguing and has you hanging onto the end of each juicy note. The song builds into an old-school, everything-goes indie rock tune with a dose of soul to keep things groovy. This wall of sound is nothing like you’ve heard before- it’s carefully executed, properly funky, but most importantly: huge. "More Than I Can Mention" is a song you’ll want to put on repeat and rock out to, all day. The band plays Union Pool on 2/10 to celebrate the release. -Geena Kloeppel

Psychedelic garage rockers Las Rosas have released a new 7", Christa, on Greenway Records. While the title track is the first single for the band’s sophomore LP coming this May, the 7" also sports an exclusive B-side, "Lost Cat." Christa is out on pink vinyl with a limited pressing of 200 copies and can be streamed below and purchased here. Las Rosas recently played a release show for the 7" on 2.1 with The Nude Party at Baby’s All Right, and are set to open for Dirty Fences alongside Animal Show and Wives at Rough Trade on 2.15. The show begins at 9 pm and is 21+ with tickets going for $10. – Alexander Beebe

The second installment of Monica Mirabile’s Model Home, a live musical performance/exhibition taking place inside a life-sized dollhouse, will be hosted at Secret Project Robot this Valentine’s Day. Performing at the event will be dance punk project SSION (his first Brooklyn live outing of 2018), and experimental multi-media performance artist Ziemba, who will be offering a special fragrance designed exclusively for the event. Performance artists Pauli Cakes and Caitlin Baucom will also appear on stage. By the way, attendees wearing hues of pink and red will receive complimentary drinks! The event will take place at 8 pm, with tickets priced at $15. – Alexander Beebe

The debut self-titled release by Oakland’s RAYS is a fusion of sounds spanning from classic 70s punk, through the reckless pop of the 90s, all the way to the bouncy garage rock that is currently prevalent in the DIY scene. Made by DIY Bay Area vets Stanley Martinez, Eva Hannan, Troy Hewitt, and Alexa Pantalone, the 11-track LP combines the energy of DIY garage rock – via catchy hooks and jangly guitar parts – with the sheer angst and apathy that gave punk its name – most notably seen in Hannan’s detached vocals on tracks like “Lost In A Cage” (streaming below). They are taking cues from the traditional, without making another unoriginal angry punk album. RAYS will be playing live at the Darger Bar in San Francisco on February 10th. – Lilly Milman

After a busy and positive 2017, Matt Koenig’s kept things moving in the first months of 2018 as he prepares for The Undercover Dream Lovers‘ sophomore EP release. Koenig’s solo project — which also features Galen Gatzke and Sarah Galdes on the live end — will play Brooklyn Bazaar on March 1st to support In Real Time, a collection of six new songs featuring Koenig’s masterful electropop hooks and funky beats. Fans of Tame Impala and Portugal. The Man will dig the new tracks as well as the old. Joining The Undercover Dream Lovers are Future Generations and Wilder Maker. Tickets are on sale now for the March 1st show; for now, stream the newest release from In Real Time, called "Stop & Listen". – Will Sisskind