Westfield, Massachusetts’ The Hashassins are hot, well-season, and served up to you in abundance: the hip-hop duo’s new EP moments is a satisfying track-for-track delight. The songs are focused on the essentials, fleshed out lyrically, and allowing for their laid-back beats to infect with intent. Take “yayha,” the EP’s opening track, as an example of the back and forth dribble that William Wallace and Sincere create, delivering eventually a flow that is relaxed but serious, and a sense of vibrant production throughout. The synths that swell and gravitate in “fade away” create an ambiance, soft and delicate, that once again allows the verses to pierce right through it. The Hashassins spill reflections in “something to feel” and let their layered hooks, sung in a thick reverb haze, capture your imagination. The new album is a short but delightful trance, a treat for the avid listener; stream the upbeat, 2003-flavored “thru this all” below. - Rene Cobar 

Hop on, Connecticut’s Similar Kind is taking us on a ride towards the weekend, and it is magical. The beautiful ambiance created by lingering guitar chords, a twisting bassline, and lead singer Julia Breen’s exquisite vocals in the band’s latest single “Maria” engulfs you and transports you to your place of choice. The music has that blend of fierce modern rhythm and ‘80s dream pop that is catapulting acts like Tennis to the top of the charts, it is tasteful, and so cool-retro you cannot help get lost in it. In a time when any dose of endorphins will do, this Norwalk quintet is delivering a heavy dose to the masses. Stream the new single below, and see you on the other side of the weekend, New England. - Rene Cobar

For Nashua, New Hampshire's Wyn Doran, public evisceration of her personal experiences through music is nothing new, but her latest single "Cigarettes" cuts even deeper than usual. The music is tinged with residues of anger, fresh disappointment, and many stains of love all lit by the bluesy guitars that riff away in "Cigarettes" and the soulful vocals of Doran, which carve its choruses. The emotion in the music can be intimating, only because of the deep, relatable pain it reveals, the humanity behind it all too real. Doran is in her full alt-soul element in this new single, and that only adds a layer of strength to recall the song's theme head-on; Wyn shows in the track the same grit that has characterized her sound, explosive beats and all. Stream "Cigarettes" below, you may just recognize something in its blackened, burning candor. - Rene Cobar

Boston’s Wildcat Slim takes you for a ride around the brilliant soundscape it has created in its latest single “Two Ships.” The new song is a hazy brand of indie rock that slowly but steadily seeps into the listener’s most cavernous parts of the mind with a simple close of the eyes. Crunchy, sustained guitar chords, a tough-intrepid drumbeat, and vocals so comforting flash past each verse, each chorus, and lead to a sonic cascade you can’t help drown in. The music is sufficient evidence that this is a group enjoying every sound it produces, each world explored together; stream “Two Ships” below for a ride to kick off your week right. - Rene Cobar

TGIF! For many reasons, but of the oh so many perhaps there is none as cheerful as the release of The Q-Tip Bandits’ debut EP Ain’t It Great. This sonic triple-threat is as sophisticated as we have come to expect from previous Q-Tip Bandits singles, but the jazz mousse is heavy atop the group’s upbeat indie rock/pop hybrid. The title track opens up with the brass instrumentation that characterizes the group, flowing slowly past the assertive electric guitar riff at the heart of the song, the build-ups bursting to reveal cheery choruses and festive breakdowns. “What’s Your Drug” lets the full bassline of Claire Davis lead the way as Leo Son’s vocals cleave with emotion, and then you know who you are listening to. Dakota Maykrantz' chic drums provide a rhythmic foundation that adapts and delivers though each hit of the snare the passion the music demands. “The Wolf” finishes an indie rock/pop delicacy of an EP that is a glossy calling card for the talented band. Listen to Maclin Tucker (trumpet), and Stephan Tenney (trombone) make their instruments howl in “The Wolf” streaming below. - Rene Cobar, photo by Sophie Park