Ice Balloons is the eclectic supergroup of Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio), Sean Powell (The FuckEmos), Giselle Reiber (Midnight Masses), and Rob Bryn (Wild Yaks) – among others. After their 2013 self-titled debut (their only record to date), they kept a sporadic live show schedule, but one always filled with fun performances full of energy and all kind of psychedelic noises. Their show at Rough Trade on June 14 opening for Celebration (an ex Brooklyn band close to TV on The Radio) promises to be another opportunity for loud, on stage partying between a bunch of old time, talented friends. 

The Hum doesn’t need any introductions (if you don’t know what it is, look here). The fourth monthly appointment, scheduled for Monday 22 at Good Room, will feature a diverse line up of artists, including a performence set curated by She Shreds magazine, the rag entirely focused on female guitarists. A wide variety of genres will be represented, from Desert Sharks’ garage rock to Arooj Aftab eastern compositions, from the electronic experimentations of Stud1nt to the revival pop of Crazy Pills. We created a compilation featuring most of the of the artists involved in this promising night of collaborative performances curated by LPR Presents, check it out!

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the four dudes in Plastic Picnic seem to carry some of that sea’s peacefulness embedded in their musical DNA. The quartet has just released a new single entitled "Miss it Still," which confirms their inclination for spacious synthpop atmospheres and warm melodies. The track will be included in the band’s upcoming debut EP, whose release date is still unknown. What is known, thought, are the details of their next live show: Berlin on May 25th.

The music found on Pilot Violet’s new EP, "Nite Farm" is a well produced homage and revisit to the more soulful synthpop of the 80’s. Each track on the seven-song project blends that era’s simple synth patterns and beats with the cinematic vocals found in recent pop acts like CHRVCHES and The XX. On tracks like "Ordinary Day" the instrumentals are skimmed to their essentials, which serves as a nice contrast to the impassioned and emphatic vocals. Pilot Violet has a fresh sound, not because of its individual, recognizable components, but because of the inventive ways they are sewn together. You can listen to "Ordinary Day" below, and catch their new project live at Nublu on 5/31. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

NYC-based, art-rocker Zach De Sorbo shares his latest video for “Party Hardy” (streaming below) under the moniker Demure For Sure.  This lead single from his forthcoming LP Tie-Dye Shadows is a two and a half minute guitar fueled psych out trip.  While the song title may sound more like an Andrew WK anthem, the track soon crosses over into an increasingly psychedelic realm.  Mad synth twiddles emerge then quickly recede for a less noisy surf-rock feel, while the video’s imagery depicts… an exploding mind:  golden wigs, masks and too-close-for-comfort, slightly-oddball plush toys vie for attention alongside lollipops, jellybean “drugs” and “Be-Bop-A-Lula.”  With the protagonist now transformed into a clown costume and party hat (not unlike David Bowie’s character in his “Ashes To Ashes” video), the imaginary nature of this “party” is fully realized.  Having a soft-character collection as your only party guests seems appropriate for the frenzied vocal and riff-driven hook punctuating each line of the chorus.  The full album is set for release in June. – Dave Cromwell

“I’m coping” Kaimbr assures the listener on “Cora”, the first track of his latest full length release, Share the Shelter. Starting the album with a song dedicated to his mother, Kaimbr switches between conventional raps and a sense of lo-fi innocence on the album. Giving the album a real sense of concept are the retro, often melancholy samples, which add a nice touch of melodic material to the album, giving it a unique, tight sound.

Here is “Defiant” from Kaimbr’s latest album Share the Shelter, which dropped May 16th.

-Written by Michael Dranove

Not only Soccer Mommy‘s name is striking – her music is really something else. Her new single "Out Worn" demonstrates that sweet combination of maturity and innocence, with a lot of lyrical depth but still not taking herself too seriously. Sophie Allison is comfortably grounded in her songs; the lo-fi vocal processing is soothing and the whole thing feels like a real musical treat. She’s releasing a mini-album called "Collection," out August 4th on Fat Possum after a string of self-releases. Soccer Mommy is on tour with Slow Dancer this summer; catch her live at Baby’s (June 6th) and Mercury Lounge (June 7th). – Geena Kloeppel

Guitars have been around for a really long time, but no one has ever heard one quite like Julian Lage‘s. The twenty-six-year-old jazz guitar virtuos previously to Bandcamp to release his first instrumental work in 2015, a rich feast for the ears that combined technical complexity and skill with the intimacy of classic guitar. Lage, who has built himself quite a reputiation after being discovered as a prodigy (he is the subject of the 1997 Oscar-nominated short documentary feature, "Jules at 8,"), has released a new single, entitled "Nocturne"; accompanied by a trio, Lage embraces electric nuances in this adventurous track off of the 2016 LP, "Arclight." We are streaming here a track from his previous full length "World’s Fair." Lage will be performing with Margaret Glaspy at the New York Guitar Festival on Thursday, the 25th, before heading off to tour Europe during June and July. – Valentina Rocha

The distortion is a little more raw in "These Days," Brooklyn indie surfer Aaron Taos’ freshest track, which debuted a little over a week ago on Soundcloud. While his sound remains upbeat and melodic, there is something loaded with more substance in the artist’s comeback single. "The aftertaste is bitter, but it gives you something to be glad for," he sings, almost seemingly describing the more rugged turn he has taken with the latest offering. Two years after undeground hit EP, "GUITS," the Connecticut native has crafted an alluring alternative rock jangle as catchy as ever. We’ll keep watching out for Taos’ upcoming releases and, hopefully, live gigs. – Valentina Rocha

Since the end of the 90s, electronic musicians have been experimenting with bleaker aesthetics to give voice to a society that lacks a social safety net and seems to be careening towards destruction. The work of artists like Burial in the early 2000s ushered in an era of dubstep that was defined by a deep sense of loss and loneliness. Groups like Crystal Castles and Boards of Canada brought new elements of eeriness to electronic music, and the rise of vaporwave in 2011 turned the techno-utopian pop jingles of the early 90s into anthems of despair.

In this tradition comes Richmond electronic musician’s Chino Amobi‘s debut album, sardonically titled PARADISO. Oscillating between an edgier version of the soundtrack to Stranger Things, chaotic noise collages, and experimental dub-step, Amobi’s PARADISO is ambitious and powerful.

-Written by Michael Dranove

One of the coolest emerging NYC bands in the latest wave of post punk inspired groups to invade the big apple, B Boys are looking forward to a busy summer of 2017. Their debut LP ‘Dada‘ will drop on June 16, and they are planning on building momentum towards that date with a month long US tour in support of Florida’s Merchandise. The kick off date is on May 20th at a little known Brooklyn space near Prospect Park called Murmrr Ballroom.

Check out the band’s latest video for ‘Energy’ below, and their new single ‘Walking’ at the bottom of this post.

In his freestyle track "Phone Down," BK rapper Jimi Tents asks the question, likely rhetorically, "Why every rapper fake deep, sell dope or got depression." Definitely a diss, this bar is also a signal of Tents’ intent to stand out in today’s hip-hop by returning to the genre’s roots, centering his music in clever lyricism delivered emphatically with 90’s golden-era swagger. And instead of offering something new on his newly released single, "Rick Rubin," he doubles down. An ode to the enigmatic producer/Def Jams mogul, Tents raps about the beginnings of his budding break-out. Aside from clever lyricism, Tents also puts all of his different styles on display, switching cadences fluidly and without hesitation. On this track, the rapper proves that he has the talent – and also that he is aware of it. You can catch him live at Rough Trade on 5/23 and listen to "Rick Rubin" below. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber