Most of us in NYC have been experiencing the woozy side effects of this scorching early-August weather, but for a moment let’s attempt to conjure the pleasant aspects of summertime (outside the city…). An ice-cold cherry red popsicle melting on your lips as you dip your toes in a perfectly chilled swimming pool while listening to Summer Like the Season’s latest track, “Wakey.” No other song by the electro-art rock quartet so fully personifies their name and general essence. The lead singer, Summer Krinsky has turned a tired name joke into a fresh sound, a dreamy sonic collage of floating synths, quivering bass, and warm, willowy vocals. The chorus’ lyrics, “It’s time to sleep / I’m wide awake in a daze,” remind us that we’re all living within the spinning wheel of our memories, and each day that passes is just another entry in our rotary index of diary entries. Like all of us, the Detroit-based group is trying to figure out how to get by and make some sense of the world in the best way they can.  Their aural patchwork of haunting melodies and nuanced harmonic textures is a testament to the creative capacity of sound. Sweater weather is still not in sight, so might as well embrace the heat and listen to Summer Like The Season’s “Wakey”.

Indie favorites JR JR, formerly known as Dale Earnhardt JR JR, have returned to the scene with new music after their self-titled LP back in 2015. The new single, “Clean Up” offers a look at the mind of someone coming to terms with their addictions and indulgences. The duo uses a throbbing bass line, simple plucked guitar and harmonies to illustrate the conflict that happens when one willfully chooses something that is bad for them. “Clean Up” brings JR JR to a more provocative realm, and one that we are excited to see more of in the upcoming album.

Henry Jamison is a storyteller at heart. It may be in his blood — his father, a classical composer, and his mother, an English professor — but Jamison is a writer and artist in his own right, evidenced by his debut album The Wilds (released October 27th). Beyond writing, recording and arranging the album all on his own, Jamison has a special ability to bring each track to life. Take his song, “The Wilds”: it’s instrumentally rich without being overbearing, letting Jamison’s narrative whisk you away. “The Wilds” sounds like an old-time American love story - unassuming and familiar, but nevertheless, still surprising.

Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.