Bummed that summer is slowly dwindling down before our eyes?  Join the club. Luckily there’s bands like Boston’s own Aüva, whose dreamy surf-pop sound reminds us that we still can make the most of August. Their latest video for "Better," the bands first ever video, positions the band’s two vocalists, tongue-in-cheek, as a pair of exes. The male vocalist is despondent, smashing bottles and wallowing in self-pity. The female one on the other hand has moved on, and started anew with another male suitor. It’s a funny, cute take on that whole "Mr. Brightside" catergory of songs, and it reflects the lightness of the track’s nature well — which jams by the way. Aüva are releasing a new LP in a few days, and you can check them out live when they play O"Brien’s on 8/13.

We discovered Aüva through our submissions page. If your a band that’s looking to get checked out, you can send us some tunes here. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber 

The chaotic and angry nature of hardcore punk can become exhausting, causing many musicians to seek other, tamer forms of self-expression. PAWNS was formed in Brooklyn after its members felt the need for a break from full-on anger and decided to settle for just gloomy animosity – an attitude reminiscent of some early post punk bands of the late ’70s/early ’80s. On their latest seven-inch Eternal Return the band harnessed the gothic influences that were prominently featured on their first release for a more urgent sound inspired by anarcho-punk, as in “Masquerade” (streaming below) where singer Gage Allison uses a throaty shout instead of his usual deadpan vocal tone. If life is a little too good for you these days, you don’t want to miss PAWNS live at the Knitting Factory on August 16th. – John Honan

Simi Valley shoegazers SHEER are back with their latest single "Room", their first since their debut album Uneasy last November. The captivating guitar line that runs throughout the song is enough on its own to make this a stand-out track in the band’s discography. Gina Almaguer’s vocals are as ethereal and lethargic as ever, a beautiful contrast with the relentless assault of guitars. "Room" is an excellent reminder that SHEER are one of the best modern shoegaze bands in the game.

"Room" will be pressed on a made-to-order lathe 7", available to purchase until August 4th. – Justin Ashby

Those who like to listen to music for "mind-traveling" purposes (a lot cheaper than real vacations!) should check out this new mysterious psychedelic NYC band called Lady James Monroe – they’ll be playing their third show ever at Pianos on August 18th. The band is the project of a dude called Doug Moss, but none of the images on their online profiles feature band members. Their music (although a little shy in the production department) sounds intriguing indeed: vintage sounding lounge-soul floating in a psych-pop sea, with vocals full of character – can’t go wrong with that! Give this song below, entitled ‘Body Control,’ a few minutes, it gets better and better…

Comprised of Ella Zoller, Gabriel Stanley and producer Champagne Dave, Prom is a Brooklyn based band that’s been active since 2012 and call their music "Dreamwave" – just like the famous massage chair! Admittedly, the trio is not entirely foreign to that concept, since it can be said that their slow, uber-melodic male-female vocal lines feel like a massage for the soul – and considering their number of plays, it seems to rub many people… the right way! The band released a debut EP about one year ago entitled ‘Keeping Company,’ featuring their popular single ‘Flickers.’ Since then the’ve been focusing on recording new material and playing live. After a very busy July, when they opened for for High Waisted and Carah Faye (of Shiny Toy Guns), they will be celebrating the release of their debut album with a live show at at Baby’s All Right on August 23rd. Check out their brand new single ‘Let it Out,’ streaming below.

Southland’s music communities say farewell to the much-loved and respected venue Pehrspace at 325 Glendale, which will be demolished on August 4th. The venue is hosting a 36-hour Pehrathon to go on all through Saturday and Sunday as a final effort to raise funds for relocation. The farewell celebration features many long-time musicians connected with the venue, with concert blocks curated by Michael Vidal, KChung Radio, L.A. Takedown, Slow Rose, The International Adventure Club, Fourth Fridays with Mary & Eli, and Young Lovers—over 20 artists are slated to perform.

In a panel discussion last week with organizers of DIY venues The Smell, Pacific Nature, and Bridgetown, Pehrspace manager Pauline Lay lightly mentioned the prospect of attaining non-profit status as Pehrspace searches for its next brick-and-mortar location to call home. In the month leading up to its imminent closure, the music and arts space has hosted benefit concerts and an auction and moving sale to help with costs for relocation. Artpunk tenants TrapsPs even opened up their last practice to friends and fans earlier in the week at Pehrspace. In its ten years of existence, Pehrspace has fully supported creative expression and become a powerful hub for DIY music, art, film and more. Sliding scale donations will be in place for this last event ($10-$20); consider further donating to Pehrspace’s GoFundMe for its relocation and continued existence.

On her third release, LAMB, New York songwriter, Nadia Kazmi shows an enviable range of genres, moods, and influences.  Opener “Kill the Monster” adopts angsty blues and punk elements, with results reminiscent of a Karen O with Janis Joplin’s melodic tendencies.  The rest of the album, starting with second track Lamb in Wolf’s Clothing, takes a narrative turn, as it displays more folk rock leanings with a vocal cadence reminiscent of Bob Dylan, and various other ’60 influences.  “Haunting” proceeds to evoke The Doors and as the album progresses, the songstress continues to release intense energy and something akin to inner turmoil that manages to pull us in.  For what is guaranteed to be a lively show, check her out at Baby’s All Right on August 8th. – Madeleine Grossman

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best folky songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

From 2009 until 2013, Teen Suicide existed as the solo project of Sam Ray, who self-released all of the project’s lo-fi bedroom recordings on Bandcamp. The band recently announced their return with a permanent lineup, and signed to Boston label Run For Cover Records, under whose umbrella they released a collection of new songs, entitled It’s the Big Joyous Celebration, Let’s Stir the Honeypot. This is a daunting 69 minute album that consists of 26 tracks featuring a variety of different sounds. The album’s most accessible moments feature almost flower pop sensibility with orchestral flourishes (hear opener Living Proof), while tracks like “Alex” seem to reference at once folk, prog and slacker rock influences. To make things even more complicated, the album unravels even more unexpected moments featuring experimental electronic and psychedelic influences. Teen Suicide will be supporting fellow lo-fi rockers and labelmates Elvis Depressedly at Strange Matter on August 5th. – John Honan

While the "prog-rock band" label is generally reserved for artists with alt-rock leanings and a fondness for the rock of the ’70s, Boston’s Body English are just as, if not more so, deserving of such a title. Instead of disconstructing alt-rock and putting it back together, the six-piece band applies the process to balladic folk-rock.  The result is a vortex of melodies old and new, with classical elements peppered in as well, that satisfies due to its ability to come across as intimately familiar while being innovative at the same time. You can catch them live at The Middle East on 7/26. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber, Photo Credit: Chris Anderson

The Afropunk Festival is returning to Brooklyn this August 27th and 28th and we’ve got you covered with a playlist of all the local artists scheduled to play.  First up is Saul Williams – a poet as well as musician who melds poetry and hip-hop together in order to create a unique kind of alternative hip-hop.  The VeeVees, on the other hand, remind us that rock’n’roll is basically sped up, punhcy blues, a genre America stole from Africa.  The Whooligan slow things down with tracks full of meditative yet infectious electronica.  DJ Lindsey is no stranger to the DJ scene and creates catchy tracks that are tinged with nostalgia full of hip hop and soul vocals. On a similar line operates also DJ Juliana Huxtable, mixing tracks that are full of loud and danceable beats, but that really demand to be heard for themselves.  LSDXOXO accurately relates his music to “crying in club” as it blends melancholia, house and rap. Brooklyn based producer, CX Kidtronik makes bouncy hip hop infused with electronica, and last but not least, Dhundee combines a variety of sounds curated for dancing, experimenting with all kinds of instruments that aren’t used as often by others in the genre. – Madeleine Grossman

Brooklyn’s Dirty Fences, a staple of the New York rock’n’roll scene, have the rare ability to sound tight and drunk at once, two things that hardly ever go hand in hand, and that Irish band The Pogues mastered to perfection. Their two singles in their most recent release, "Colleen and Michael & The Slipper Tree," are garage rock gems building in tension, and feature uplifting vocal arrangements and obvious ’60s influences – check them out streaming below. If you want to release a bit of your pent-up energy, make sure to catch them at Baby’s All Right on August 11th. – Madeleine Grossman

While singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane certainly does possess strong vocal chops, the core strength of his music comes from the "songwriting" half of his genre label. Kahane is a dexterous and thoughtful composer, balancing out the pronounced folkiness of his accoustic guitar parts with classic string or piano accompaniments on tracks like "Veda (1 Pierce Dr.)." He’s also not afraid to "plug in" and rock out either (like in "Calabash & Catamaran") proving his versatility as an artist to perform a range of styles and capture a wide breadth of emotions. He even did a cover of a song from "Oklahoma" the musical for goodness’ sake! On top of that, the strong Elliot Smith vibes in Kahane’s music add an extra aura of melancholy, and if Rockwood booked him for a residency it means he’s as good llive as he sounds on record. You can catch him next Rockwood’s Stage 2 on 8/28, and then again and again until 10/23! — Henry Solotaroff-Webber, Photo Credit: Rebecca Deane