Mackenzie Leighton is the friend you call up when you finally book that flight to Europe. She’ll take you down dark, cobblestoned alleyways to smoke-filled underground jazz clubs and give you that authentic Parisian experience not found in Lonely Planet guidebooks. You start to think that maybe after a week of observing the breezy elegance around you—and splurging on a bottle of expensive perfume—you’ll have acquired that coveted French elegance by osmosis. Leighton is here to tell you that’s not how it works. You can take her word for it, too. The California-born singer-songwriter moved to Paris after graduating from NYU and is still chasing that infamous je ne sais quois that Parisian women claim as their birthright. “Paris Girls” is a swinging jazz-pop number with a waltz feel in the verses. Leighton’s navigation of agile melodies makes her sound like a smoother Nellie McKay for a modern young audience. Unapologetic electric guitar remains prominent throughout the song, transporting you to the front row of that smokey Paris jazz club ‘round midnight. Until it’s safe to travel again, this track should hold you over.

“I’m Fine” by Daisy the Great starts off with attitude—groovy bass quickly blends with percussion to lay an instrumental mosaic under Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker's softly magnetic vocals. Masterfully harmonizing together, the pair bemoan the fact that “You wanna dress me up in yellow / Wipe my mouth and feed me jello, caramello,” all the while paradoxically insisting “I’m fine." This song feels wonderfully simple and clearly well-produced and performed. Advancing like a story of sorts, the track concludes with a quick little whistle, wordlessly surmising everything that’s been (excellently) sung and said.

“Rufufus” by Remi Wolf is all groove. Seamlessly marrying R&B and funk, Wolf’s newest release demonstrates her unique command of the mechanics of sound. With layered vocals and a flowing beat, Wolf creates a sound that revives funk of the past in a fresh, impressive way. Combining melodic groove with lovestruck lyrics, “Rufufus” sets a vibe-heavy precedent for Wolf’s debut album, You’re a Dog!—slated to release September 20.

LA lo-fi rocker Worn-Tin’s breezy new single, “Something’s Coming,” is a daydreamy slow jam with a catchy, swaying beat. The warm and pleasing melody is nicely complemented by the arrangement’s raw, intimate production style, where every instrument sounds crisp and close. The guitars, classic and lush, give the track its easy cadence and are reminiscent of a more psychedelic Modest Mouse. A faint but gorgeous reverberating classical piano line follows the melody in the chorus, emphasizing Worn-Tin’s talent with and preference for analog recording techniques. His vocal, nice and crooning, has a nostalgic doubled effect that works well with his straightforward lyricism: “Watch me as I find a quiet place to hide / Ropes beside my bed will keep me tied.” Spacey synths add an element of displacement to the instrumentation, which by the end, culminates into a sort of chaotic, anticipatory mashup of sounds, like whatever’s coming is almost here. “Something’s Coming” is atmospheric and loose, and it’s Worn-Tin’s best work yet.

Just a year after the release of this duo’s third studio album comes a new single, “Depths.” Full of their signature vocal harmonies, Tall Heights strips back the layers of production they experimented with on their last record to create this sparse yet beautiful track. Comprised of members, Tim Harrington and Paul Wright—longtime friends and now musical partners—exist in the space of a new era of folk carved out by Bon Iver, Aquilo, and Beirut. “Depths" was written for the wedding of Paul’s brother as an expression of a love so strong and real, but not easy to say out loud for someone not great at expressing emotions. In this way, everything becomes grander and more intense, and when paired with the band singing in these haunting falsettos you get a really special track. Tall Heights is currently touring with Ben Folds and then The Paper Kites so make sure to catch them in a city near you.

Stolen Jars, the Brooklyn indie-rock project of Dirty Projectors superfan Cody Fitzgerald and friends, occasionally posts “arrangement” videos of their songs online. In these minute-long clips, 8 or 9 versions of Fitzgerald occupy tiny frames that tesselate the larger screen, each one playing a single instrument—guitar, keyboard, a snare drum, or just hands clapping. In these videos, you can see how a Stolen Jars song comes together, built out of tiny, necessary pieces, each one a keystone. But what these short glimpses into the mechanics of the song don’t fairly represent is the emotional weight it carries—that as Sarah Coffey sings in layers and Matt Marsico tinkers away on his drumkit, an entire story is unfolding in the foreground. “Ghost Towns,” the second single from their upcoming third album, A Reminder, due out October 11th, tackles the complicated subject of a severed relationship between a parent and child. “It’s about allowing yourself to move on from the loss of what could have been one of the most important relationships of your life,” says Fitzgerald. As Coffey repeats to herself, “Oh, back when I was someone young,” you can hear her releasing those memories and the demons that live with them.