After a series of effervescent singles, Connecticut’s Autopoet released their debut album The Nightlife Has Changed You, on Valentine’s Day. Exploring love and the turbulence of relationships, the album clocks in at an impressive 45 minutes, a rarer and rarer sight. The duo of John Rule III and Rex Thurston work from a unique sonic pallet, tying together disparate sounds to make distinctive indie pop music.

On February 12th, West Hartford’s Cassie’s Crutch released their much anticipated, self-titled debut album. When I say much anticipated, I mean by me (I don’t care what my dad or Neil DeGrasse Tyson says, the universe revolves around me). Their first two singles, “Entropy” and “Sunshine and Grey,” struck a poppy, indie rock chord with featuring smooth guitar play that you all know I’m a complete sucker for. On Cassie’s Crutch though, what I found was unexpected.

A dark and ominous indie pop song, “Lost Dog!” is the latest entry in a strong catalogue of music from Connecticut’s T!lt. The four piece is fresh their first full length LP Blackl!t in October and is back at it again.

Pond View describes themselves as a “CT rock band that’s gonna blade all over this sorry town,” and it feels like a fair statement. The Connecticut music landscape is diverse, but for all the pop-punk, emo, and other indie acts the state offers, I haven’t come across many pure rock bands. I’m not sure if I would call Pond View a pure rock band, but they could definitely play one on TV.

There’s a lot to enjoy about new comers Cassie’s Crutch. The West Hartford band’s new single, aptly titled “Sunshine and Grey,” plays with tone, pace, and even features the bells and a violin.

Connecticut music darling Addy Edward has given us his first offering of 2021, “Too Hungry to Eat.”

I’ve never been a cocaine user, but I love music that helps me imagine what a coke binge might feel like. Alive & Amplified fits squarely into this category. As the seventh track on the high-energy album states so eloquently, it makes you want to get “loose and juicy.” I never knew it until now, but I DEFINETLY want to get loose and juicy.

Indie rock outfit Friends Don’t Die and their two newly released singles were brought to my attention recently and they didn’t disappoint. In fact, I would say I was pleasantly surprised at how polished the songs were, as they’re the only two tracks that are publicly available.

This could be an album review for Peach Pit’s excellent new project, You and Your Friends. I could tell you about the moving descriptions of troubled love woven throughout the first seven songs. I could tell you about my favorite songs (“Black Licorice;” “Camilla, I’m At Home;” “Second Life with Emily”). I meant to. I even took serious notes. But then I made it back to the song that brought me to the album in the first place. “Live At The Swamp.”

Following in the footsteps of Baio (of Vampire Weekend) and Sir Paul McCartney (no elaboration needed), Connecticut’s Addy Edward joins a limited but strong tradition of bassists taking things solo. He’s already got an album under his belt, but we just learned about him today, so let’s pretend this is a new endeavor.

Variety is the word of the day for The Strokes and their new album, The New Abnormal. The project, released on Friday, generally has a New Wave sound. To simply call it New Wave doesn’t do it justice, as it has Julian Casablancas and the rest of the boys from New York throwing us a bunch of different sounds, ranging from late ‘80s post punk to modern indie pop to mid-oughts guitar rock.

It’s been a decade since Car Seat Headrest began quietly and consistently releasing quality music. It’s hard to believe they’ve haven’t penetrated alt radio play on a more regular basis.

With each album Real Estate releases, the more and more each work begins to sound like Martin Courtney’s solo album, Many Moons. The Main Thing, @realestateband’s most recent album fits perfectly into this mold, featuring music that makes you feel like you’re wondering in an isolated meadow awash in moonlight at midnight, all while fairies dance and flit around you.

Laughing Gas, chillwave stalwart Wild Nothing’s latest release, gives you the dream pop vibes you might expect with a nostalgic spin. The entire EP draws from a palette of sounds and melodic progressions that are decidedly from the late 80s and early 90s.

I love when I unexpectedly come across a new song I like. I love it even more when that song brings me to an album I can enjoy from front to back. Enter @andyshauf and his single, “Try Again.” The song’s witty call and response caught my attention and brought me to Shauf’s The Neon Skyline, released on January 24th.

Bloc Party’s debut album, Silent Alarm will be turning 15 on February 2nd. Bloc Party completed a tour last year celebrating the 15 years since their recording sessions in June and July of 2004.