Brooklyn-based Grand Gesture deals in strong, guitar-driven leads, with a healthy dose of psychedelic vibes, and 70’s jam band mixed in. “Straw In My Sock,” one of the band’s latest releases, is a nearly-two-and-a-half minute romp laden with the kind of guitar riffage your daddy used to play, but the tune’s chorus is so catchy we guarantee you’ll be humming along before the song’s end. You can check out Grand Gesture live at the Mercury Lounge 3/17 for their album release party, but in the meantime, sink your teeth into their single streaming below. – Olivia Sisinni

The Deli Magazine is proud to premier Jazze Belle’s first EP, ‘Go To Bed Standing Up.’  The four songs are an all too short celebration of those moments in life where we feel like we’re doing everything we can to make our dreams happen and it’s still not enough. In “Every Day Tomorrow,” vocalist Taylor Simone expresses perfectly how even our dreams can be a subtle form of torture; she sings, “My dreams are made of never ending alarms so I sleep with one eye open.” Those words should hit close to home for any New Yorker. We’re excited to be invited to the slumber party! – BrokeMc

Experimental art punk trio Parlor Walls are set to release their debut full-length “Opposites” through Northern Spy records on March 10.  Recently released single “Birthday” (streaming below) initially presents a simple percussive pattern in disguised waltz tempo, underneath strummed trebly electric guitar, brass and reed woodwind pads and soft droney vocals.  All of that changes with an angular skronk cadence taking over to deliver vocals declaring “you wanted everything – everything, everything.”  Including saxophone as an integral sonic element suggests jazz influences, however the phrasing and jagged rhythms positions the instrument closer to John Zorn’s often dissonant avant-garde.  The percussion becomes more nuanced as instrumental segments progress up until vocals break in with the phrase “don’t you know I’m perfect!”  A fuller version of the opening progression returns before one final launch into an intensified stomp where the song’s meaning (and title) is ultimately revealed. The band will play a release show at Sunnyvale on 3/9 with The Dreebs & Arian Shafiee (of Guerilla Toss). – Dave Cromwell

Fresh beats and an unusual cutting edge flow define the appeal of politically inclined Gaithersburg native Ace Cosgrove. Drawing from the beats and flow of both trap and chillhop, Cosgrove’s versatility shines through on songs like “Making Moves” and “Righteous Views”. In turn lyrically boastful and politically charged, the most consistent thing about Cosgrove’s music is the quality of the tracks.

After a tour in New Zealand, Cosgrove will take the stage at Tropicalia March 3rd to headline DC’s Sounds of the City Festival.

-Written by Michael Dranove

The Soul & Blues Year End Poll results are finally in!

Overall Poll Winner (Combined Juror + Reader Poll Votes): Breanna Barbara

Dirty, brazen, and barefaced, Barbara Beanna is serving up old-style blues rock that’s not afraid to kick some ass and take some names. Listen below.

Reader Poll Second Place: Dakota Jones
The NYC-based band is crafts smooth soul rock that’s sure to make it’s way into your daily rotation. Take a listen to "Leave Me Alone" streaming below.

Here’s the list of all the finalists with their Readers’ Poll scores. As always, we’d like to thank all of our artists, jurors, and readers for participating in this year’s polls.  Stay tuned and vote for all of our remaining genre polls! 

	The Skins		0%	3 votes
	Eli Tyler		0%	3 votes
	Sean Mcverry		6%	82 votes
	Overcoats		0%	2 votes
	Dakota Jones		40%	517 votes
	Lawrence		0%	7 votes
	Danielle Grubb		0%	7 votes
	Breanna Barbara		2%	27 votes
	The Casey Hopkins Duo		49%	640 votes

The brass funk veterans in No BS Brass Band don’t mess around. Their sets are fast, loud, and irresistibly funky. Hailing from the Oregon Hill neighborhood of Richmond, close to Virginia Commonwealth University, No BS’ music comes across as a musical fusion of college pep bands and high level brass funk a la Budos Band and Young Blood Brass.

If you’re in Virginia on March 3rd, or just want to make the drive, go see No BS Brass Band with SOJA at The National.

-Written by Michael Dranove

NYC-based singer-songwriter Pearla released her debut EP at The Bowery Electric on 2/24. Pearla, also known as Nicole Rodriguez, has begun to stir up interest in the indie rock circles around the city. She’s played a few shows with fellow rising singer-songwriter Belle-Skinner, most recently at Rockwood Stage 1 earlier this month. Pearla’s first release, the single "Waking Up", came out last July on her Soundcloud page. It’s a swirling rock ballad full of passion that might remind you of Alanis Morisette or Ani DiFranco. Listen to "Waking Up" below. – Will Sisskind

The cover art has vaporwave aesthetics and the music is full of 80s timbres and nearly incomprehensible vocals; Furniteur’s new single “Swimming” is synthwave coming straight outta DC. The airy sounds and reverb soaked electronic drum hits recall the classic 80s dystopian pop sounds of artists like Depeche Mode and Gary Numan, but do so with a decidedly modern take on the vocal melodies. It’s good to see DC getting in on this national trend.

Here’s Furniteur’s “Swimming”, recorded in Petworth.

-Written by Michael Dranove

Brooklyn-based venue, The National Sawdust, was formed with the mission of bringing dynamic, artist-led musical experiences to the performance space and The Revolution series is a prime example. This musical movement–the twelfth in the series–aims to highlight artists that are bringing innovation and advancements to their genres. This Saturday’s show will feature an eclectic array of talent with slacker rockers Rachel Angel, electro-R&B group Eda Wolf, and the jazz/funk/neo-soul quintet Nuf Said gracing the bill. The show is a sure-fire ticket to a killer set of performances, so be sure check out more info on The Revolution Vol. 12 here.-Olivia Sisinni

Ahsh Eff’s growly drawl is 2017’s greatest throwback.

When Ahsh starts rapping it’s easy to get lost in her posturing. Lines like “Glowed up, feeling like I’m Sosa,” come off as clever plays on Hip Hop cliches. It’s not until you realize that Ahsh is actually a character created by the artist (actually named Lisa) that you get really dialed into the brilliance of the performance.  It’s meta-rap replete with money green hair and eyebrows.  She’s playing the role of a fifteen year old girl who is completely enraptured with the swagger of gangbanging staring at posters on her wall, emphatically chanting “GANG! GANG! GANG!”  Ahsh Eff is one to watch this year as she continues to deconstruct her thug.–brokeMC 

Hauntingly lonely, Caroline Spence’s voice rambles on through the verses of “Hotel Amarillo” like a lost soul whose all but given up looking for comfort. “Pull on into the Hotel Amarillo with a bottle of wine” she sings, lamenting the lack of a lover to wake up next to; the whole song delivered as if from someone to whom drinking is their only refuge from anxiety.

The despair of the Charlottesville, VA singer-songwriter exudes pure Americana; a sultry but sad voice paired with a stripped-down rhythm section complete with slide guitar and a modestly snarling electric.

After raising eyebrows with her previous releases Trains Cry and Slow Dancer, Spence’s new album Spades and Roses delivers on the high expectations for this young and promising artist. Here’s the music video for “Hotel Amarillo” from Spades and Roses, set to be released on March 3rd.

-Written by Michael Dranove

The music of fr eg e lies somewhere along the crossroads of electro-soul and pop, but to rope them squarely into any set genre would likely be doing the band a disservice. Brooklyn-based by way of Mexico City, fr eg e melds smart pop-writing sensibilities with fickle rhythms and time signature shifts–crafting a dynamic sound that reflects the fractured spelling in the band’s moniker. The oftentimes near virtuosic playing, of course, alludes to the band’s jazz background, but what really make fr eg e stand out amidst seas of incredibly talented, technical players is the electro-flourishes that garnish their recordings. Their latest single, "Golden Ale Showers," is no exception to this formula, pitting angular instrumentals against buttery vocals to craft something uniquely striking, but also immediately accessible. You can catch fr eg e live at their next show on 3/7 at Drexler’s, but in the meantime, get your fr eg e fix by streaming their new single below.-Olivia Sisinni

 photo credit: Elise Swain