MUSIC

Brooklyn-based Allison Weiss is an energetic 23-year-old with an electric guitar, a heart full of feeling, and an avid online following. With her quirky charm and sharp pop sensibilities, Weiss makes the sense of loss a little more fun. “I’m all about catchy, upbeat, feel-good music, but the one thing I seem to always write about is heartbreak,” she recently told Billboard.com. “I say [my songs] sound like your saddest memories sung to the tune of your happiest.” Now performing with a full band, her live shows are louder and faster than ever, showcasing her unique brand of punk/folk infused powerpop and knack for keeping the audience wanting more.

Also from New York, Field Mouse is the musical collaboration of Rachel Browne and Andrew Futral. Their debut album, titled You Are Here, is a modern collection of melodic, lush pop sentiment filtered through dreamy reverb, paired with sincere reflective songwriting. Influenced by the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Built to Spill, The Breeders, and Elliot Smith, the band has created a blend of shoegaze and 90’s indie rock steeped in hazy harmonies, delayed guitars, and emotive strings. Most recently, Field Mouse has formed a solid lineup including Allison Weiss on bass and Geoff Lewit on drums.

On his upcoming debut album, This is the New Year, Ian Axel celebrates relationships, personal transformation, and fresh starts. While examining ties to family, friends, and significant others, Axel has created an album full of playful anthems to extoll these human connections. The February release rediscovers that all-important, yet under-considered, link to one’s younger self along the way. The new MTV show I Used To Be Fat will feature Axel’s track “This is the New Year” as its theme song.