NYC alternative group Wilder Maker occupy the liminal space between singer-songwriter and experimental pop, with new EP Infinite Shift / Black Wood Shrine a nice, bow-ribboned encapsulation of their penchant for ear worm songwriting and eclectic experimentation. A-side “Infinite Shift” was built around a “teenage sense of yearning,” its source material surrounding the experience of being drunk in New York City; as such, its upbeat melodic guitar arpeggios and understated percussive backbone give the track a sense of youthful forward movement, offset by the rambling, sometimes gritty vox of singer Gabriel Birnbaum. Likewise, b-side “Black Wood Shrine” lets Birnbaum’s songwriting play centerstage, his vocals modulated by guitar pedals and effects alongside a solitary electric guitar in a contemporary spin on the solo songwriter coffeehouse performance. Both tracks demonstrate Wilder Maker’s understanding of the tropes and expectations of indie pop music, while showing their desire to flout tradition and carve out a space for themselves—making them recommended listening for fans of sounds both old and new. Stream them below. -Connor Beckett McInerney

Few continue to “walk the walk” of the folk musician’s talk quite like Brooklyn transplant Fletcher C Johnson, and his latest single “Portland” makes this fact abundantly known. A nasal diatribe of crashing on couches (and stints on the street) comprise Johnson’s narrative of the years he lived in track’s titular city, interwoven amongst lazy, nostalgia-inducing slide guitar. The lyrics earnest and occasionally self-critical nature, paired with Johnson’s unique timber and penchant for bluegrass soundscapes evoke the proto-alternative country sounds of Jerry Garcia; it’s fitting given Johnson has certainly been on a Long Strange Trip before coming home to roost in Brooklyn, New York. Give it a listen below, and keep an eye out for his forthcoming LP Are You Feelin’ It, dropping October 14th. -Connor Beckett McInerney

You know someone’s album will be good when you hear their demos and think, oh well now that’s sounding pretty solid. That said, Affectionately just released a wee little collection of demos–some of which you may have heard on other albums before–and it’s a true delight of a listen. “Bedroom Waltz” is a personal favorite, but they’re all impressive with fun with disorienting distortions and pure, pleasing vocals. It’s always fun to hear a little gentler behind-the-scenes of one of the Bay Area’s finer secrets. Check ‘em out and don’t wreck ‘em out. Stay tuned for the full album out, comin’ in soon. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Bear Call’s latest single, “Harsh” was just released as an end of summer jam and the title is oh-so deceiving. The smooth chill of “Harsh” is a jazzy mellow jam with warm strums and some nice key action with lyrics that are secretly funny. Oh la la, take a dive. Bear Call will be back playing in San Francisco in December playing with Goon at The Knockout. ’Til then, jam on. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

STRANGEPRIDE’s debut album, We’ll Take It From Here, reveals a talented indie band whose sound harkens back to the elegant electric indie pop-rock of late ’80s/early ’90s acts like Lloyd Cole and the Commotion and The Psychedelic Furs. Here, those influences are occasionally filtered through the gentle dream-pop atmospheres of contemporary acts like Real Estate through a guitar work that is at times textured and at times driven. The opening track “Kids” reminisces over life as kids, leaving the reader with a sense of nostalgia and yearning for what are – in most cases – the best days of our lives. Single Tumbledown, a distorted guitar-heavy track, highlights the kind of catchy and evocative tunes this band can produce, featuring a vocal performance R.E.M. would be proud of. Check out also Daisies and Blue, one of our favorite songs from the record, streaming below. The band played Rough Trade last night, check out their Facebook page for upcoming shows. – Karigan Wright

Ahead of their forthcoming release Shiny New Model, New York garage heroes BODEGA headlined Brooklyn’s Market Hotel September 28th. The EP’s title track is a sunny and energetic romp, characterized by an uneasy sense of self—lead singer Bodega Ben riffs on the built-in obsolesce of technology (and people) while dropping metaphysical bombs, like “every woman and man is a microcosm of lust.” Watch the video below, and catch BODEGA’s wild, philosophical ride this Saturday alongside Native Sun, and Kahiem Rivera. 

Oakland-based duo Brijean just released their latest single, “Crushing on You” and it’s another sexy warm jam. Bongos? Check. Sweet lady voice? Done. And it’s got those spacey warm disco vibes and all the things Brijean’s budding fan base craves. Just when we were thinkin’ summer was over, “Crushing” heats it up a little longer. Check it out and if you’ve not yet dived into Walkie Talkie, the duo’s 8-song EP, well. Dive, friend. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Album photo by Ginger Fierstein

Loud and groovy is an understatement when it comes to describing the NYC based band, Warpark. Comprised of Simon Arcenio, Roger Walsh, and Nick Ciccantelli, the band brings a vibe to their alternative rock tracks that’s reminiscent of ’90s artists with very little in common like Cake, Pavement and Jeff Buckley, creating a complex and multifaceted sound. Their three singles, released in early 2019, showcase a band constantly searching for new sonic sounscapes. “While They Slept” is purely instrumental, featuring an energetic melody with blaring backing instruments, while “Take Your Place” highlights a slacker rock approach to vocals that complements the pure insanity of the melody. The longest track released is “Like A Void,” one of a calmer nature, is not without welcome twists and turns. Warpark will be playing Rough Trade NYC on 10.10 with Plague Vendor and No Parents.  – Karigan Wright

Blonde Redhead fans will delight in seeing Kazu Makino step out on her own and perform her solo material at Rough Trade on October 11th. Makino has released her first solo album called Adult Baby, which contains much of the same entrancing psych artistry that her band’s fans have come to expect. Adult Baby takes that to the next level, as Makino plans to release a visual aspect to the record as well. The artist has already released the video to "Come Behind Me, So Good!" as part of that visual album; as if the faux-Satanic tint to the backwards-masked-sounding lyrics wasn’t enough, in the video, Makino gyrates in a sheer outfit before the altar and the image of Jesus as other revelers sway in time with her. Take a look at the video for yourself, and go see her at Rough Trade on October 11th. – Will Sisskind

Who do we have here? Funky soul fellow Otis McDonald (moniker of Joe Bagale) is kind of rockin’ our world. He’s got a new album coming out, People Music, that we’ve got our hands on and we are dazzled. The strength in his vocals is enough to make you shed a happy tear. McDoland’s moniker is an homage to both Shuggie Otis and Michael McDonald. He says, “Even though I am a modern artist, I always pay reverence to all of the greatest artists that have come before me. Call it tangibly rooted in nostalgia while pushing forward. I want to make popular music something that is meaningful again." We’re sharing this cover of “A Day in the Life” because it’s not what we were expecting at all, and that basically sums up our entire listening experience to this fellow. We’d like to think that he’s making our dear Prince proud; there’s D’Angelo vibes, and modern-meets-old school funky jazzy moments with fascinating, solid compositions. McDonald is having a record listening party at Bar Shiru tomorrow night for the release of his vinyl (which goes out nationally this November) and we’ve gotta say that there is no better place to listen to anything vinyl than at Shiru. Production nerds know what I’m talking about. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Based out of Charlottesville, Kate Bollinger‘s jazz-infused blend of indie pop marks the end of summer with the release of her EP I Don’t Wanna Lose. The EP’s five tracks provide a relaxing and introspective soundtrack for the cooling temperatures and the dying of days on the beach as the leaves start to fall. The EP’s final track "Talk About It" is an upbeat song for taking a walk in the autumn breeze. Take a listen to it below, and check out the B-side version on Kate’s Soundcloud for an even more chilled out groove. – Will Sisskind

NYC’s Dirt Buyer offers nothing short of a unique take on folk. The trio, consisting of Ruben Radlauer, Joe Sutkowski, and Emma Stacher, released their debut album in 2019. Murky and dark, their sparse ballads are often sung in a melancholic falsetto, and betray influences as disparate as Radiohead and the Beach Boys. Opening track “Dirt Buyer Theme Song” is only a little over one minute in length, but does an exemplary job at introducing the listener to the band; according to it, Dirt Buyer is here to comfort the listener, letting them know they did nothing wrong. Lead singer Sutkowski’s unique and ghosty voice has a knack for exploring spacious melodies rich in minor thirds yet not-at-all bluesy, like in brand new single IKIF, probably their best track to date, streaming below. You can catch the band at Rough Trade NYC on 10.04. – Karigan Wright