Combining elements of pop, jazz, soul and heavy rock into an appealing progressive mix, Brooklyn's Kleptokrat is a band intent in expanding the parameters of alternative rock. Their newly released sophomore EP “Momentarily, to Grace” boasts five impeccably recorded, genre-twisting tracks. Soulful horns and sweet, jazzy female lead vocals establish the mood on opening song “The Great Leap Forward.” Over the track's four minutes, precise, angular structures give way to floating ambient interludes that merge together with beguiling charm. “Jumping Ship” applies those light and airy vocals to a lyrically dense story of relationships coming undone, punctuated by heavy bass, sax and drums. “Kleptocito” further adds touches of latin rhythms to what becomes an over five minute instrumental tour-de-force. Final cuts “The View at Bethlehem” and “Body in the Room” bring back those engaging, honeyed vocals over alternately dreamy-to-frenzied compositions. The band kicks off their summer tour at Rose Gold on 7/9, followed by a stop in Philly on 7/11. Full tour dates can be found here. - Dave Cromwell

Based in NYC but born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, Maria Usbeck moved to the states at 17 to attend art school, and found herself fronting the new wave band Selebrities. After five years of singing in English, Maria decided to let her mother tongue speak and began to create music on her own. The tracks on sophomore LP Envejeciendo - out on August 16 - form a concept album exploring the universal obsession with youth and our preoccupation with growing older, and are anchored in Usbeck’s personal experiences with adulthood. After recently forcing herself out of a depressive, aging-induced slump, Usbeck was determined to have fun with the subject matter. The album is peppered with personal anecdotes and nods to her firsthand fieldwork into the aging process. Particularly moving are the samples of a recorded interview with Usbeck’s late Ecuadorian grandmother, who speaks animatedly about her girlhood suitors and imagines what her life could have been had she married someone else. It’s this tone of nostalgic joy, coexisting with curiosity for futures both impossible and unrealized, that runs throughout Envejeciendo.

Local favorites Roots of a Rebellion will release their new record Shapes of a Soul on May 31st. The reggae-dub rockers haven't slowed down while recording their latest album; known for playing well over a hundred shows per year, the band has already toured around the country for months promoting their new songs, and they have performances booked well into the rest of May and June. They'll come home for a show at EXIT/IN on July 20th; until then, they'll head west to Monterrey to play the California Roots X festival with bands like Slightly Stoopid, Tash Sultana, and more. Take a listen to "One Thing", the first single from Shapes of a Soul, below. - Will Sisskind