The other day I was listening to Crosby, Stills and Nash, and wondered what they'd sound like if the trio were on the scene today. Lo and behold, today I stumbled upon the indie/psych/pop group Rainsticks on Bandcamp. Fronted by Asher Horton, not only does the band bring back the best of old-school pop, using the same layers of vocal harmonies and basic instruments as the Beatles and the Beach Boys, but there's also a hint of psychedelia. This album is one to listen to from front to back, preferably through a stereo, on a Sunday. The music will wash over you like the afternoon sun. -Geena Kloeppel

Revival rock'n'roll bands aren't a rarity in NYC (or anywhere else in the US, for that matter), but it ain't easy to find one that's able to reinvent the genre without sounding irredeemably stuck in the past, while also tearing it on stage. Jeremy & The Harlequins pull off both feats with flair, alternating "purer" rocking tracks with others that introduce pop elements and more modern chord progressions, like "Remeber This," the titletrack and opening track of their new album. The band announced a two legged summer/fall tour - with the later dates as a support for Electric Six. You can catch them live at Brooklyn's Littlefield on October 2nd.

Take a little bit of '60s Motown funk, mix that with today’s R&B, add with some jazz overtones, and you have Valipala. Their debut EP Mango City, released last October, is a fun, twisting journey through genres. The opening track “Mongolian Afternoon” (streaming below) showcases the powerful vocals of Lauren Scales; it sounds like the soundtrack to a happy, sunny, summer walk through the city. The band does an excellent job of giving the spotlight to each instrument at one point or another and their cohesion as bandmates is also evident in the EP's fourth track “Century Star.” Scales’ airy yet solid voice carries lightly over the instruments behind her, creating a harmonious blend of synths, drums, brass section, and voice. -Lily Crandall

This artist submitted music for coverage here.