“Chop Shop” from NYC’s diNMachine is a bouncy, trap-y blur of genres that coalesces into an inventive and accessible burst of noise-pop. Tones shifts, rhythms start and stop, new sounds come out of left field — and somehow it all coheres. The sounds are disparate but always feel intentional.

It’s a testament to diNMachine composer Michael J. Schumacher’s skill at creating a challenging sonic palette that remains effortlessly melodic. At times funky, at times weird, “Chop Shop” is the type of track that welcomes repeat listens for the sheer pleasure of exploring and discovering the skill innately weaved throughout the composition.

diNMachine’s Facebook page describes the band as a "pop music" project. That’s true. But it’s pop music prismed through the lens of influences that range from the Beatles to Autechre. –juan leon

Counterintuitively, Anna Altman is a band of young musicians from Brooklyn with a female lead singer, not a one woman project. Their music brings back (or finally exposes?) adult angst with a bedroom-y, DIY palette of sounds. The indie/alt rock group’s dry percussive section (Christian Billard) and wonky guitars are brightened by chilled-out, conversational vocals by Lucia Arias. Two highlights from their album FREIGHTLINER are "Never" and "White Horse" which showcase the band’s sweet lo-fi aesthetic. Streaming below, opening track and single "The Interview." You can catch Anna Altman live at Alphaville on Dec. 22nd. – Geena Kloeppel

Strange and wonderful things can happen when three talented artists from completely different musical backgrounds join creative forces. One of these "things" is Levitating (streaming below), a mostly hip hop track that merges Sammus‘ rhymes with Olga Bell‘s European flavored electronic production and Xenia Rubinos Hispanic music influences. Born from an instrumental penned by Bell, the track is a perfect example of what NYC is (and has been for awhile): an irreversible melting pot of races and culture, where positive collaboration trumps any difference and distrust. The message here is that (hard) work and curiosity are the best antidotes to intolerance, and these prolific ladies know something about it. Check out the track below, and catch Xenia Rubinos at the Ecstatic Music Fest at the Kaufman Center on January 27th. 

The newest release by San Jose native folk artist Riley McShane is the type of project that sneaks up on you, in the best way possible. Aptly titled Places, it is a drifter’s rumination on what it means to be rooted somewhere—in ways both mental and physical. Recorded in various bedrooms, classrooms, and cars, this triumphant EP is a reminder of what makes the D.I.Y. scene so great. Reminiscent of other indie folk greats like Gregory Alan Isakov, Riley McShane is one to watch very closely (especially since he never seems to stay in one place for very long.) Check out his EP, and catch him playing SoFar Sounds on Saturday (an event almost as nomadic as the artist himself.) – Lilly Milman

Listen to our favorite track, “San Jose” streaming below.

Production is a craft, and Blockhead does it with restraint and delicacy. His earlier work with rap great Aesop Rock proved his talent for beats and hooks, but his more recent solo efforts have shown him capable of unexpected and unusual twists. Instrumental hip-hop demands a high caliber of production and Blockhead’s taste for off-beat samples and ruminating song structures meets the challenge. You can catch the born-and-raised New Yorker next at Elsewhere on December 22nd. – Cameron Carr

Earlier this week, new pop duo MISTY MTN released their first single "Greener" after weeks of teasing the release on Facebook. MISTY MTN consists of Montana-based actress and vocalist Morissa Trunzo and Brooklyn-based composer Lucas Segall. They blend the soft folk music of Big Sky Country with the dark synthetic electricity of big city synths and samplers. "Greener" showcases this sound through Trunzo’s and Segall’s entrancing harmonies and sparkling guitars tucked into pillows of bubbling synth sounds. The duo doesn’t have any shows lined up yet, but for now, you can stream "Greener" below. – Will Sisskind

If psych rock and shoegaze had a baby, then that baby would probably love the fuzzy indie rock of New York-based Heaven. The quartet subverts the conventions of psychedelia with their focus on lyricism and tight percussion lines, all while maintaining plenty of fuzz. Their songs channel an emotional quality not often seen in psychedelia. The slow, often droning tracks would be perfect for a school dance for stoners (intended in the best way possible, of course). They just unveiled this video for single "Never the Moment," which will be included in their upcoming LP "All Love is Blue," out in March 2018 on Little Cloud Records.  – Lilly Milman 

The Iron Chef of Brooklyn-based producers Willie Green and Rapper/Karma Kids labelhead Lt. Headtrip have curated a Michelin worthy taste of NYC’s independent rap scene.  The combination of the seven producers and 16 MCs involved in this project creates a flavor both familiar and fantastically new.  It’s savory like a burger with a steak on top of it with subtle essence of arugula and avocado (because: Brooklyn, you know?), and an aftertaste of Malt liquor and Absynthe.  Following in the heels of brokeMC’s DEADBEATS and Willie Green’s Doc Savage, Hip Hop camaraderie never tasted so good. Stream it for free right here!

The newest EP by the San Francisco-based EaSWay entitled The Panther in the Room (streaming below) is the exact type of career-defining work that any emerging artist needs, especially on the R&B and hip-hop scene. The 6-track project bumps all the way through, letting the catchy hooks, infectious beats, and introspective lyrics speak for themselves. EaSWay marries new trends with the classic conventions of hip-hop, paying homage to old favorites while inventing something completely new. This triumphant EP shows a hungry artist on the rise, prepping to take over the scene in a big way. Don’t sleep on this one and listen to the whole project below. – Lilly Milman

Project Diem offers a different vision of the synth-pop aesthetic, one of lush melodies countered by delicate synths and soulful vocals. Refreshingly, the vocals are left relatively untouched by reverb and are left to deliver themselves earnestly. The duo works to combine a synth-driven sensibility with an emotional quality that is both raw yet approachable. The "mid-fi" production gives voice to a youthful and surprisingly catchy angst, one that blends in with the changing seasons and failed relationships. Make sure to check out Project Diem at Alphaville, 12.13. – Amanda Ogea

Releasing music under the moniker Warm Body, psychedelic rocker Ryan Foster creates a lyrics heavy long-form pop that says true to the beat.  Recent single release “Cold Summer” is a plodding, mid-tempo track where layers of twangy, bended electric guitars move the progression forward, while the story of existential worry regarding interpersonal relationships unfolds.  “Do be kind my love – I’m just fine with silence – and aren’t we all just dreaming anyway? Waiting for a better situation.”  Multi-layered vocal harmonies create a swirling, trippy sensation, while still managing to evoke pop classics like The Turtles “Happy Together,” or the more arranged tracks by Elliott Smith.  Clocking in at a full five minutes, the track ultimately develops beyond simpler pop song boundaries, moving deeper into a psych-jam realm.  Warm Body plays Sunnyvale on 12/21. – Dave Cromwell

Low Mein was birthed in an NYC coffee shop by musicians Eric Jaso and Shaun Wong. The duo offers the kind of upbeat slacker rock that gets blood pumping and immediately brings the jangly, beachy influence of bands like Girls to mind. Their latest single “Beach Party,” is a luminous, youthful anthem about the rapture of enjoying simple things. Fuzzy guitars, melodic bass, and rapid shaker rhythms sync to create a sonic and aesthetic world all its own. Don’t miss their set tomorrow at Alphaville and check out the single below. – Andrew Strader