NYC hardcore is alive and well if it can produce bands as ferocious and tight as Brooklyn’s Closer, who are readying the release of their debut album "All This Will Be." Featuring members of Real Life Buildings, the trio has recently unveiled this video for single "Gift Shop," which reveals drummer vocalist Ryann Slauson’s screaming talent and a group of skilled musicians who, within the format’s overall preference for aggression and depair, are not indifferent to dynamic changes and sonic variety. See them live (with earplugs) at their NYC release party on Jaunary 19th at Silent Barn.

Brooklyn-based quartet High Waisted is a fierce garage pop band that dwells in sunshine surf vibes. Though they draw from the sound of the mid-’60s, the four musicians are fearless in their determination to put their own quirky spin on each one of their tunes. The band is fronted by the formidable Jessica Louise Dye, who recently talked to our sister blog Delicious Audio about the High Waisted’s latest release, and what she’s currently using to coax the wildest sounds out of her gear. Read the Q&A here. Check out their latest video for single "Firebomb," streaming below.

We’ve been keeping an eye (and a couple of ears) on Mothica for a few years now, and the NYC (via Oklahmoa City) electronic artist has been able to confirm her talent also in 2017, with a new EP that takes her soulful synthpop in edgier directions. She has also been keeping a regular live show schedule, something many "web famous" electronic artists aren’t able to pull off. Music fans will have a chance to see her live at Elsewhere on January 28th.

Eyes wide open and hands in the air, I, Alexander brings back some of the best parts of numerous Justin Vernon projects in his new song and music video "Sturdy Thoughts." You can hear the Bon Iver and Volcano Choir influences right off the bat, in the sweet, tender vocals and lucid, folksy acoustic guitars. But unexpectedly and impressively, orchestral textures meander in, lifting the song into exquisitely stunning territory. A beautiful string and flute arrangement weaves through the song, helped by a gentle piano. The video itself is mystifying, with a haunting silhouette of the artist projected on top of leaves and sparks flying. I, Alexander’s self-titled debut is out January 12th on Susan Records. –Geena Kloeppel

Rockwood Music Hall is one of the best places in NYC where you can enjoy what we call "the unpretentious musical genres." The three-room venue specializes in folk, soul, Americana, pop songwriters and rock with a classic/southern flavor. The majority of acts they book is local. Their two New Year’s Eve line-ups are a perfect reflection of this, featuring soul pop collective Lawrence as a headliner for the (sold out) night on Stage 2, with pop-soul songwriter Raycee Jones and upbeat pop band Scruffy Pearls (pictured). The smaller Room 1 will host performances by a series of emerging local artists, mostly local. We put them all in the playlist below, check it out!

It’s always a good sign when a local medium size NYC venue like Rough Trade books two local acts to play on new year’s eve. This year the Williamsburg venue/record store picked garage trio THICK and atmospheric indie pop quartet Plastic Picnic to perform as openers for Nashville’s Diarrhea Planet on Sunday December 31st, check out two of their videos in this YouTube playlist!

P.S. Fellow NYC psych garagers Stuyedeyed will open for that same band on the 30th.

Eric Ryrie of Great Woods has had a busy year, having recorded and mixed his latest EP Strange Lives and playing shows to support it. He won’t slow down going into 2018, as he and the rest of the band will play the eclectic Zone One room at Elsewhere in Brooklyn on January 7th. They’ll play plenty from Strange Lives, a record that blends the soulful pop songwriting of Peter Gabriel with a sound that’s borderline emo. Check out single "Married to the Tide", streaming below. – Will Sisskind

Clairo has become one of the year’s most unanticipated but delightful success stories in music, with her top tracks, “Pretty Girl” and “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” racking up millions of plays on Spotify. There’s no sleek production or gimmick in her tunes: Clairo makes vulnerable and intimate music, like a loving voicemail made without ever leaving bed. Her voice is muffled and cozy, nuzzling into the pillow made by warm beats like blankets. On December 31st, Clairo will play with Diiv, Hoops, and Chorizo at Baby’s All Right’s New Year’s Eve celebration in Brooklyn. – Cameron Carr

The San Francisco-based garage band Veins is the side project of Michael Bang and Jeff Mark, who come from another Deli SF favorite, The Riot Professor. In this project, their psychedelic influences relegate to the back seat, while grunge takes center stage. Their self-titled EP drones in a way you can bang your head to, on tracks like the opener “Bipolar By Nature” (streaming below) that invite the listener into a washing machine of scudzy sounds that perfectly capture the angst of the Bay Area scene. They will be playing their next show right after Christmas, at Brick & Mortar on December 26th. – Lilly Milman

Nate B’s new track “take u out” adds some sparkle to the characteristic dust of his repertoire.  It’s easy to get lost in; like his past compositions it unfolds like clouds of smoke, an opium fog whose marshmallow jaws gently pound you into ecstatic submission.  Pitched-up vocal harmonies resurrected from the days of doo-wop undulate over a lo-fi drum loop and jazzy synth lines and a Hendrix-esque guitar riff.  Dousing upbeat and quixotic lyrics in minor progressions, B creates an compelling tension.  He understands the art he wants to create and composes it with the same meticulous care he gives to his beautiful photographywww.nathanbajar.com/.  Dim the lights and turn him up.

Feeling stuck? Headphones got you down? Nodding off-beat and tapping your toes more out of impatience for something dope rather than in celebration of its presence? Deca provides The Way Through. He’s no newbie. He’s been carpetbagging scenes and dropping albums from Denver to LA before setting up his camp here in NYC. Now he’s manifesting his varied talents (production, visuals, lyrics, etc.) for we denizens of the gum-spotted concrete. He bumps from abstract to full manifest with a growl and fluidity reminiscent of both Aesop Rock and Blue Scholars. Tune in and let Deca get you open. See him live at Elsewhere tomorrow (December 23). – BrokeMC

Tribal, gloomy and tense, the sound of NYC’s Ritual Humor finds some solace in Celeste Carballo’s warm vocals. The simple melodies and stern rhythm section take us back to the early day of post-punk, including the simple bass synth parts and overall droney tendencies – a sound many children of the late ’70s/early ’80s carry in their DNA. The band will be performing at Sunnyvale on January 25th, check out single "Red Tiger," streaming below.