Shovels & Rope wobble into “The Wire” with a shaky guitar and a stilted drum beat, a preview of the uncertainty and contrition to come. The song acts as a laundry list of singer Cary Ann Hearst’s mistakes and insecurities — “I’ve been a disappointment from time to time,” “I need everyone to like me,” “I’m no better than I’ll ever be,” etc., etc., etc. When she sings, “There’s nothing I can say but ‘I’m sorry’ now,” her voice faltering ever so slightly off-key, she drops the defense of her guitar-playing as a sign of honesty. But even in this most vulnerable moment, her husband Michael Trent, the other half of Shovels & Rope, is by her side, maintaining that wobbly beat. When she promises that this time will be different, yelling, “I won’t fail you when I walk out on the wire,” Trent’s beat becomes an unstoppable, driving force. Just before the final chorus, we hear the same intro one more time, but this time it’s steadier, more sure of itself and ready to take on the world in a final rallying cry.

Luego, a Los Angeles based folk rock band, have released two singles preempting their upcoming album VISTA. “Sunset Walk,” sounds like a The Avett Brothers and Whitney collaboration. It's complex in its instrumentation and throughout the work different sounds come together and fall apart in country-esque harmonies. “Sunset Walk” asks the classic relationship question: "how do we stay together when it feels like everything is falling apart?" The lines, “the rest is history/ and their ain't nobody else / so why am I so afraid / that its all coming undone,” mimics a feeling many modern relationships are asking. Although the lyrics are melancholic, the tone of "Sunset Walk" is overall uplifting. It’s a song you would listen to while getting ready in the morning or while on your walk to work. The percussion and plucked guitar lay out a clear head-bopping beat, while the melody maintains a light and effervescent tone. “Sunset Walk” leaves us excited to hear Luego's upcoming album, because if it’s anything like the songs they've released, we're sure that the band is due for some much deserved attention.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon Clara Baker's music expresses a strong sense of being in touch with nature and herself. Her newest single "Doubt" is her first release since her 2015 LP and is the lead single off of her second album Things to Burn produced by Shane Leonard (Field Report). Within "Doubt" is the sound of a troubadour, one that sings songs around campfires as people listen in, eager to hear how the storyteller has woven a tale into a melody. As a folk artist, Baker has mastered the lyricism required to tell good stories above a rich musical landscape. "My mama brought me up with on faith / my daddy brought me up with facts / I go to pray at the altar of the certainty I lack." There is a sacredness to "Doubt" in it's hushed tones and stringed instruments that prays tribute to it being anchored in the religious. As Baker reflects on what she taught from her upbringing she is learning not to run away or despise the doubt that comes along with faith and but rather see both as valid and worthwhile. Things to Burn is out March 8.

LA based indie rock band The Dumes introduces you to its sound with a crave-filled melody and lyrics that trigger longing for the one you can’t let go of. In their debut single, "More Than Physical," vocalist Elodie Tomlinson sings about love and desire, missing something before and after it was yours, and of course, being in love with someone for more than just a touch. Formerly a part of Los Angeles band Sibling, Tomlinson has prior experience in bringing us indie hits like HypeMachine chart-topper "Revolve." "More than Physical" is the lead off of the band's debut EP, GWTC, expected later this year and it sets a basis for the fulfilling songs the five-piece group plans on dropping soon.

Naming a musical project Mindchatter while not establishing any kind of social presence seems bold given our current musical climate. Luckily enough, the one-man band’s first single, “Trippy” carries its own weight, painting an evocative picture for what kind of artist Mindchatter actually is. The track suggests that he might be one of the purest embodiments of what defines the genre of bedroom pop. That being said, it still manages to showcase Mindchatter’s individual flair. The song whirls with bright, video-game inspired synths, bubbly percussion, groovy bass, and other subtle lo-fi elements like nonchalant vocals and minimal distortion. Mindchatter’s distinct melodic phrasing and unusual vocal processing make “Trippy” all the more entrancing. Beyond this single release, not much has been said about who this artist is and what he plans to do. All we know for sure is that it’s the first track off an extensive project, which is honestly more than enough for me.

Newcomer Allie Crow Buckley's debut EP is set to release next month and her new single "Cherry Stems" has us excited for what's in store. After a full-house residency at LA's Bootleg Theatre and a tour with Van Williams, Buckley has been gaining buzz that extends far outside the City of Angels. In "Cherry Stems" we can see why she's one to watch. The smooth timbre of her voice matched with the sweet yet melancholy chorus, gives this song a delightful touch of both happy and sad. As she sings of being "lost in love" there is a free fall effect in her voice that takes us with her. After living most of her life near the ocean, it's safe to say that Malibu and all the other oceanside places Buckley has called home, contribute to sound of this subtle summery track. Don't miss “So Romantic" out on February 5!

Sister singer/songwriters, Odetta and Camellia Hartman team up with producer and engineer, Oliver Ignatius, to reimagine the standard, “Tonight You Belong To Me,” a song you may have seen Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters perform with a ukulele on the beach in a scene from The Jerk. As the latest installment from Ignatius’ production house, Holy Fang Studios, the three musicians dreamt up a psych-folk rendition that is certainly mystical. Odetta and Camellia's voices indulge in haunting harmonies that show off the blending of their separate sultry timbres over detuned guitar and banjo pickings. Ignatius joins in the vocal splendor to add an extra layer off stirring harmonics to the song’s already charming melodies and together the song swirls and takes flight before it settles and disappears. It would be unsurprising to find this song being played at witching hour, under a full moon in an episode of American Horror Story, as the fog begins to thicken.

Singer Aphra Smith paints the sepia-toned world of The Sunset Beach Hut in black and white. The bouncy guitar hook wants you to dance. The dreamy atmosphere wants you look back on this as the very best of times. Smith just wants to tell it like it is. When painting one’s surroundings in only two colors, it’s natural to pick one and defend its use unconditionally, but Smith holds herself to no such constraints. “It’s not as easy as I thought it would be / But not quite as hard as you’d expect,” she sensibly admits of her path. “Though my insignificance serves me well / I would like a pedestal to know how it feels / To be loved by everybody.” She captures the utterly human experience of waffling, of flip-flopping and of being presented with four million choices and not being satisfied with a single one. “Bury” forces us to admit that — not sometimes, but really, truly all the time — things do not turn out perfectly. And as the song reaches its chorus and its most fittingly summer-like, she gives us a reason to dance while also handing us the hardest pill to swallow: “She’ll never look at you the way she looks at him.”

Over collage of sediment rumbling synths and chattering birds, Leah Nobel admits that she not one to use her inside voice on her new year release of “Earth and Sky.” At once a love song dedicated to hours spent wandering alone through the woods and a reaffirmation of the human need to connect to the natural world — one outside of cubicles, concrete and screen induced loneliness, the Nashville-based singer/songwriter finds a sonic “valley and crooked little road” of her own in this synthesis of folk and pop. Nobel's upcoming record "Running in Borrowed Shoes" is inspired by numerous interviews she conducted as a hybrid endeavor combining journalism, empathic advocacy, and music, and is set to be released in 2019.

“Theoretically You” is clearly the work of friends. Dan Schechter and Philip “Drum” Thompson have known each other for 20 years, and haven’t been alive much longer than that. Thanks to the delightful weirdness of their musical relationship, “Theoretically You” is, above all, unabashedly playful. Dan and Drum give themselves space to experiment and trust that the outcome will be worth hearing. The song is cleverly cobbled together from tiny pieces like dozens of mismatched Lego bricks. Individual drums sputter off to one side while numerous vocal tracks layered on top of each other arrive from all directions. Schechter, who takes on the duties of lead vocals, plays the parts of Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos, with a soaring harmony in one ear, and a Top 40 auto-tuned pop star just seconds later. Like mad scientists — specifically the kind who use Ayatollah Khomeini as the basis of their rhyme scheme — it’s hard to tell if Dan and Drum meticulously planned out each element or if the fruits of their whimsy were pure dumb luck. It sure sounds like fun.

Indie-rockers Future Thieves are back with their impressive new single "Always Something." This Nashville band has mastered a sound that is simultaneously tasteful and commercial, giving us a song that could easily have a place on Top 40 radio. While at first, the song may sound like it's about the aftermath of a breakup, frontman Elliot Collett tells us, "'Always Something" is a song that was written from the perspective of someone who pushes people out of their life unintentionally...mostly by just little things they say or do. I've known a few people like that in my life, and I always want so badly for them to stop and realize what they're doing." Somehow we like this song even more because of its origins. We all know the kind of people this song lets us into the mind of, the person who seems set on being alone in life rather than letting people in and at times we are that person, doing and saying things that can easily be the last straw. Since their start in 2013 Future Thieves have played a handful of festivals like Bonnaroo and SXSW and have captured the attention of Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon. As the band continues to make waves and release new music, we're confident that they have what it takes to become a household name.