Feel It, the debut EP of Brooklyn post-hardcore quintet Nice Knife, is the musical equivalent of a lightning strike—here for a hot, visceral moment, then gone before you can render what the hell just happened. This isn’t so much a dig at the run time of their first effort (an exhilarating five minutes), but more so a testament to the focused energy of Feel It’s three tracks; from the whirlwind, guttural vocal performance on opener “High Knees” to the melodic coursing of “Knew It,” Nice Knife are able to incorporate numerous, if subtle, post-punk and thrash motifs into their work. It’s a thrilling, compelling ride that promises a barn burning performance at The Broadway on July 25th, where Nice Knife will play alongside Haute Tension and Big Spirit. Listen below. -Connor Beckett McInerney

Manhattan-based artist Austin Lesch (aka Boo Riley)’s most recent single, "Mango Garry," is a clever, mid-tempo track vaguely remenescient of Steely Dan that will send you back to that sunny era in the ’80s when you could hear quality pop rock on the radio. From the beginning, the song is packed with sophisticated songwriting twists and held together by Lesch’s smooth, made-for-radio vocals. The song opens a three-track, impeccably produced and performed EP – you can stream it below. – Susan Moon

In her blend of folk and pop Brooklyn-based artist Kira Metcalf mixes poetry with a variety of genres. Listening to her new LP Indelicate, this young talent writes songs about women’s experiences with the self-assuredness of a seasoned performer and an enviable introspective quality. Opening track "I Had a Head," is an acappella number that is as satisfying for its harmonizations as it is for Metcalf’s voice. "Thornbird" is an unexpected change in style, in part reminiscent of rock songwriters of 90’s like The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan or – more recently – Paramore’s Hayley Williams. 

Her new music video for "Lily" is equally poignant, showcasing Kira’s keenness to investigate moments that escape most of us. The line, "to have what I crave feels like a trick" is the song’s takeaway and the perfect summary of a personality that enjoys intellectual and lyrical reflection over… simple enjoyment. Kira Metcalf will perform live at Elsewhere’s Zone One on July 24th. – Susan Moon

Sho Ishikura makes their recorded debut with the single "Planet Hurt", an R&B ballad in the vein of artists like Prince, with Ishikura’s soulful voice harmonizing over a seductive beat delivering lyrics such as "She gets me wet like a newborn." When Ishikura shared the song with fellow songwriters at an ASCAP workshop a couple of years ago, industry folks and other artists showed hesitation at the subject matter. However, a substantial amount of people were intrigued by Ishikura’s tune, creating a sense of controversy that helped create some buzz for it. The uproar of "Planet Hurt" — a track which blends pleasure with pain, light with dark —  makes it a piece of work worth your ears’ attention, so that you can form your own opinion about it. Take a listen to "Planet Hurt" below. – Will Sisskind

Brooklyn’s A Bunch of Dead People is the experimental funk solo project of Ruben Sindo Acosta that “has since become a cult,” in their own words. Listening to debut Your Eternal Reward helps illuminate why the band chose this self-descriptor. Over the course of seven, fuzzed out tracks, Acosta lays down groovy vintage bops, accentuatedby a preference for time signature changes, discordantly off-kilter synths, and enormous sax lines. His eccentric take on funk music challenges the listener’s expectations, delivering a full length effort that feels like what funk music would sound like in an alternate David Lynch-inspired dimension. Stream the delightfully freaky LP below, and catch A Bunch of Dead People at Baby’s All Right on July 31st, alongside Irrevery, Francie Moon, and Wooter. -Connor Beckett McInerney 

Brooklyn’s Peaer hits their stride on new single “Don’t,” utilizing patent stumbling math rock rhythms alongside major-minor chord modulations to create a track that is as engaging as it is disorienting. Regardless of vocalist/guitarist Peter Katz’s biting, occasionally sardonic lyrics (“why do you treat others like objects? / man, i’d hate to see how you treat objects”), there’s an inherent playfulness to Peaer’s craft, due in large part to the band’s tight instrumental synergy, their ability to interweave guitar, drums, and vox in ways unexpected and impressive. Better yet, Katz’s nonchalant vocal delivery occurring the midst of their well-choreographed performance endows “Don’t” with an effortlessly cool atmosphere. It promises more experimentation on forthcoming LP A Healthy Earth, out August 16th on Tiny Engines; listen below, and catch them at Elsewhere on September 27th. -Connor Beckett McInerney

Big Spirit is New York’s answer to disingenuous baby boomer gripes that there’s no good rock bands anymore, embodying the, well, “big spirit” of the Big Apple’s longstanding rock legacy. New single “Black Angel” employs sloppy fun Ramones-like guitar progressions against the sing-speak stream of conscious lyrics of frontman Sed Pepper, a visceral diatribe of dream imagery that includes being “born in an ocean” and “making love to a video.” While it might be a fool’s errand to offer deeper analysis of Pepper’s more esoteric quips, his abilities as a songwriter endow Big Spirit’s music with a restless energy, a constant sense of movement, that makes for an enjoyably vintage listening experience. Jam it below, and catch the band the band at The Broadway on July 25th, supporting Nice Knife and Haute Tension. –Connor Beckett McInerney

The output of NYC-based Ghost Funk Orchestra is becoming increasingly more sophisticated, and the group is also playing more frequently this year, which is always a good sign. Their most recent LP release, A Song For Paul (a band member’s grandfather) is a complex matter propelled by a 10-piece band comprising horns, woodwinds, strings, keys, a tambourine, on top of the expected drums/bass/guitar. Their latest single "Skin I’m In" is an excersize of restrained psychedelia at times reminiscent of unforgettable British band Broadcast.

Featuring effected vocals that span layers of groovy orchestral textures, the single seemlessly blends elements from ganres as disparate as funk, noise rock and Eastern music. This is one of the coolest track we stumbled upon this year; you can check out Ghost Funk Orchestra at Elsewhere on July 30th at 8 PM. – Susan Moon

This May San Francisco’s Talkie released their latest, Everything Matters and it’s a refreshing and impressive album of good ol’ rock and roll. They’ve got a Strokes thing going on with some softer surf rock, dream pop moments (check track “Proper Way”). The album sounds great, too. Mixed, produced at Headfone Audio; mastered by Jerry Ososkie, the drums had the right amount of punch, vocals are invitingly warm and harmonies are touched in just right. Speaking of which, unless their Bandcamp is lying, one of the musician’s parents may or may not include their vocal harmonies on some tracks. Must be a musical family because mom n pop sound great. I’m an extra big fan of track “Summer Bummer.” What’s not a bummer is that Talkie will be playing at Bottom of the Hill on July 27. Now go listen to “Eraser” and feel impressed with those vocals.  – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Brooklyn’s NETHERLANDS makes the type of sludge rock we deserve in 2019—dark, synthbass heavy post-punk that confronts the consumerist elements of a society we all complain about (but in actuality do very little to change). From their gripes with excessive baby pics on social media (“NEGATIVE LIKES”) to the miasma of existence (“DEATHLESS”), their most recent EP HOPE PORN charts resonant lyrics for a pessimistic 21st Century mindset, all sung against the trudge of subwoofer-destroying electric instrumentation. It’s a maximalist reaction to our world, a sharp rebuke of the idea that things will get better, offering an insightful catharsis in its full-throated scream into the void. Rage on, and catch their sound at Alphaville on July 22nd, supporting Throwaway and Dead Tenants. -Connor Beckett McInerney

This August 3rd at the Starline Social Club, Ariel Wang releases her second single, “House Upon a Hill,” off of her forthcoming album Bridges. The set will feature her string chamber orchestra, The Composer Arranger Performer Orchestra (CAPO). Wang’s music has simple folk melodies with an orchestral feel and although the vocals are at times not the strongest component of these songs, they are enveloped by a warm chorus of violins, booming cello and compelling drumlines. Wang’s music feels like the soundtrack to a powerful moment and listening, watching, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed in the right kind of way. Join the band at Starline, where they’ll be opening for Meerna’s album release. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

New York based multi-instrumentalist Conrad Hsiang creates chill, lo-fi influenced soundscapes under the project name Public Library Commute, drawing from both Japanese hip-hop and contemporary alternative RnB to craft something novel. Last year’s sienna 1999 encapsulates these diverse genre influences in perfect form, with tracks like “fake hawaii” employing sticatto vibraphone-like noodling over Hsiang’s detached auto-tuned vocals. Hsiang’s lyricism and vocal performance in particular breathe new life into a genre of music that’s frequently criticized for its repetitive nature, elevating lo-fi from its stream-heavy, easy-listening reputation to something that is engaging—but still relaxed. Listen to it below, preferably while basking in the warm summer sun. -Connor Beckett McInerney