Was it so long ago that the now infamous duct-taped banana at Art Basel made headlines around the world? When you listen to The Flower Pistils’ (Emma Gies and Micah Huang) art-pop single “Oooh Banana,” you feel you are eating it yourself. The song experiments with electronic influences and suggestive themes that defy the group’s usual indie-pop label; fuck labels. Mechanical but groovy, abstract yet profound, you can savor the single as you like. As the rhythm trots and intensifies its pace, you cannot help join it—what else would you like for a weekend treat? Stream “Oooh Banana” below for a taste of fantasies born out of exquisite sounds. - René Cobar

As if inside a cavern of delightful sounds and shimmering lights, Evelyn Cormier’s latest single “Little White Rabbit” is meant for exploration and admiration. The delicate acoustic guitar riffs of the song dance to resounding chords and piano notes that trickle towards the commanding vocals of Cormier, gentle and assertive all at once. The story “Little White Rabbit” tells is of separation and its accompanying heartache but also of the bravery that brews beneath the surface of that, the courage to let to go, the resolve to begin again. Cormier, the New Hampshire artist, delivers a brand of indie-folk that is immediately recognizable, and that continues to blossom; stream her latest single “Little White Rabbit” below. - Rene Cobar

To a sultry and dangerous blues crawl, Boston’s Abigail Ory enters, drenched in a hot and sticky passion few times encountered in music and elsewhere: the singer/songwriter’s latest single “Waves” is a milky sonic sea to bathe in. The heart-beat bass, the fuzzy electric guitar strums, and Ory’s velvety vocals all ignite the unison shifts that give life and edge to the track, fit for the most underground of clubs, for the best places to catch an evening-altering song. In “Waves,” Ory shows, at a young age, a maturity that separates her from the current crop of indie-pop artists, selecting with care influences beyond the available palette. Stream “Waves” below for a dramatic exit from the week, for a fiery entrance into the weekend. - Rene Cobar

Immediately smile-inducing, the brash, fisherman’s tone of Odd Fellows Way’s latest single “World's Worst Liar” is as New England as music can get. Truly anthemic and furious-paced with drums that gallop and guitar chords that take flight, the song is bar-ready and so replayable. The lead vocal is a story told in a cheerful spirit, rough and ready to infect. Odd Fellows Way provides the type of happiness we all seek these days, and beyond that too. Listen to the butter-smooth sax that deliciously spreads itself all over the track below. - Rene Cobar, photo by Curtis Arnett

Boston’s Josh Knowles gives sound to a time filled with tragedies, abysmal confusion, and above all else, profound hope for a better world. In his new record, A Step Back from the Wrong Direction, Josh uses his skills with an electric violin to craft evocative string music that stimulates the heart and mind with each swell and beautiful cadence. “A Step Back from the Wrong Direction: II” is a prime example of the ambiances the music immerses the listener in, cautious, almost as if stepping stealthily, the song creates a sense of peril that is both grave and familiarly comfortable. “A Step Back from the Wrong Direction: IV” seems more cheery, almost like the calm after a raging storm, back and forth the sounds rise like sea spume so majestic. Overall, Josh Knowles offers New England the kind of music that makes the most sense today: a type of music meant for contemplation, discovery, and healing. We are thrilled to premiere the record for you below; your weekend will be the better for it. - Rene Cobar