There is something mystifying about the way Oakland-based Anne Healey, also known as Evil Seagull, is able to turn her experiences into music. Listening to her EP The Philosophy of Evil Seagull is like a trip to the island of misfit toys; her haunting vocals are sweet up until the moment they go completely sour, with carefully crafted lyrics that communicate a feeling through anecdotal abstraction (like this line from “You Are Wise”: “Then I called you Buddha, / and you squirmed and hit me in the eye; / I meant that you were wise, / I said it to be nice.”) Evil Seagull’s debut drips with musicality and experience, and you can stream all four songs below. – Lilly Milman

Idgy Dean is a performer. More than just a talented musician, her shows are a rapture of energy, untamed and unrestrained. She performs with a sense of freedom; an independence and willingness to abandon constraints. Skipping between instruments as she loops sounds and constructs her own sonic world, Idgy Dean is in control. It may feel chaotic, untamed and unrestrained, but she is in control. As she pounds on the drums, slides across the neck of the guitar, slurs into the mic, Idgy Dean is in control. There are plenty of videos showing her restless, solo live performances (the best one is streaming below), but they are something worth experiencing in person. You’ll have an opportunity to do so tomorrow (November 22) at Baby’s All Right. – Cameron Carr

Maybe the NYC indie scene has really entered a "post-white" phase, finally! When we started this blog back in 2004, indie rock, soul and hip hop really felt like separate scenes. The few notable exceptions, like TV on the Radio, paved the way to a rediscovery of soul music that reached maturity in the following decade, and that doesn’t seem to slow down. Hi-Lo Jack, a collaboration between Dolapo Akinkugbe (of DAP The Contract), Clyde Lawrence (of soul-pop band Lawrence), and Cody Fitzgerald (of indie-rock band Stolen Jars, who graced our the cover of our last ever CMJ issue in 2015) is the latest NYC based project mixing the warmth of soul with the edge common to indie music. Check out single "So It Goes," streaming here.

gobbinjr is the brainchild of Wisconsin native Emma Witmer, whose rawness and minimalism in 2016 EP vom night might bring to mind a more synthpop version of Frankie Cosmos. Atop self-produced tracks filled with ethereal synths floating over slow-pulsing drum machines, and bursting with a wide variety of influences, lay Witmer’s intensely antisocial lyrics (the irony being that the songwriting itself has become the vehicle for sociability). They paint a picture of a helplessly shy writer with the song as her one authentically viable communication outlet. Lines like “I feel creepy all the time / ‘cause I like everybody more than they like me” and “maybe we all end up in space / undeserving of this friendly place” serve as social critique cloaked in the aesthetic of teenage diary entries. In this light, vom night proves to masterfully balance the head and the heart, becoming a provocative witness of the times with a simple, pop-centered approach.

You can catch their next show on Wednesday, December 6th at Mercury Lounge. – Andrew Strader

The newest release by the quartet Life Size Models, aptly titled Homemade EP, is an explosion of nostalgic alternative rock. Lead singer Chris Seymour’s energy is intoxicating, as he layers borderline raucous vocals over the fun, fast-paced melodies of tracks like “Get Better” (streaming below) and “State of Mind.” Listening to this EP is akin to being on the brink of an adventure; it’s music for the car ride, for the moment you realize you are about to do something big. There’s something distinctly summery about their jangly, garage band ballads, although they’re worth listening to all-year long. Their next show will be free of charge, at the Caravan Lounge in San Jose starting at 10 pm. – Lilly Milman

It’s rare to stumble upon artists that blend tradition and experimentation, music’s past and future, as seamlessly as New Jersey’s avant-soul one man band Ehiorobo. Oringally from Nigeria, the guy writes and produces in his bedroom remarkably unpredictable r’n’b tunes that manage to also sound sincere and compelling. Alectronica, hip hop and jazz equally contribute to this sonic brew that never ceases to entertain. Don’t miss Ehiorobo live at Baby’s All Right on November 25, within the first appointment with the Escape the Routine parties, a Deli sponsored event! Tickets are here.

Cold wave and dream pop are rather antithetical genres, but Brooklyn band Scam Avenue manages to merge them in their new Sailor EP. The images of a feeling-less future conjured by their glacial, mostly electronic arrangements is given hope by singer Devery Doleman’s airy vocals and sensual melodies. The intersection between the brainy and the sensuous is also the focus of their new video for single "Fault Lines," shot on a low budget using an iPhone 7 with the help of Tyler Hubby (who directed the documentary "Completely in the Present" about NYC avant multi-media artist Tony Conrad ).

Abbi Press has released a stunning video for her song "Butterfly Effect," a danceable indie-electronic tune chock-full of whimsical synth textures and accentuated by lightly, sparse percussive elements. The video, gorgeously colored and filmed almost entirely in slow-motion is dreamlike and mysterious. The integral recurring motif of the lemon is both striking and haunting- though I can’t decide which feeling leaves more of an impact. One thing’s for sure: this video is seriously cool, and a real treat to watch. –Geena Kloeppel

Technology continues to expand the realm of what’s doable and psych rock bands such as Color Tongue take full advantage of the possibilities. While the Bushwick quartet’s next LP doesn’t come out until later in 2018, they’ve released a visual album in the meantime called Us and the Bugs, a YouTube video of four songs set to an ocular feast of clips of mashed-up old cartoons, found footage of landscapes, warped dancers in bubble suits, and of course, bugs. It should hold you over through the winter while you wait for the album to drop; just project the video on your wall, turn off all the lights, and bundle up in your warmest blankets for the full effect. Watch Us and the Bugs in full below. – Will Sisskind

Vaporwave artist George Clanton is performing at Brooklyn Bazaar on November 18 to celebrate the release of his latest LP, "200% Electronica," under his ESPRIT moniker. The album will be released on November 17 and comes packaged as a double LP with a re-release of Clanton’s "100% Electronica."

Released in 2016, "100% Electronica" was a stark and forceful album that defined the vaporwave genre at its highest form of expression. Cuts like "Bleed," "Make You Cry," and "Warmspot" were synth-laden, emotionally haunting epics. Clanton will be joined at Brooklyn Bazaar by Negative Gemini. -juan leon

Jane Church is the kind nostalgically charged slacker rock that serves as a much-needed mile marker of the times. The man behind the moniker, Jackson Church, croons with a King Tuff-esque indifference about taking pills, vacant homes, empty streets, heartbreak, vandalism, pissing off bridges and the overall bizarre spirit of the age in debut tracks “Demolition USA” and “Streets Are Empty”.

Chuch’s songwriting tows the line between apocalyptic vision and protest. The simplicity of the acoustic rhythm guitars, “la-la-las” and single-note electric solos bring ’70s Bob Dylan to mind, while the disillusionment inherent in the lyrical themes summons the same infinitely spiraling facetiousness as indie rock giants like Father John Misty and Foxygen. If Church aims to provide a provocative yet accurate soundtrack for our confused modern sociopolitical climate and time, he’s hitting the bullseye.

You can check out Jane Church’s set at Mercury Lounge this Saturday, November 18^th or at Baby’s All Right on Monday, December 4^th. Pick up a copy of the “Demolition USA” single through the link below. – Andrew Strader

Now that Christmas is around the corner I just want to remind you that the best gift for any occasion is a Rubik’s Cube.

It’s hard to act like you’re not enjoying yourself when you’re listening to Future Generations. The New York quintet’s dancey alt-pop bounces constantly with hooks and radio-leaning production. However, in the new video for “One More Problem” (directed by Joe Adcroft), frontman Eddie Gore somehow seems to not be enjoying himself. It might have something to do with his bandmates tying him up and playing their instruments while circling him at an uncomfortably close distance. He comes around eventually.

If you haven’t listened to the group’s 2016 self-titled debut you’ve been missing out. It’s a joyous celebration of guitar rock meets electro pop. “One More Problem,” released in July of this year, is the first glimpse of the band since that Frenchkiss Records debut and their first written entirely as a group. In some ways it’s more of the same, but even larger and shinier. The drums are larger than life, the guitars and synths flurry together in the background, and Gore spits lyrics with youthful charm and energy.

Future Generations is currently in studio with producer Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend) completing their second album for Frenchkiss, but you can catch them live December 3rd at Rough Trade with Modern Diet. – Cameron Carr