Who | Lawrence Arabia

When | Thursday, September 22

Where | Monster Ronson’s

For fans of: Foxygen, Sondre Lerche

If Lawrence of Arabia is considered the pinnacle of cinema, then Lawrence Arabia should be the New Zealand indie pop music equivalent. While James Milne’s began his solo endeavor way back in 2006, he’s now just put out his fourth studio album. Released at the beginning of this month, Absolute Truth truly showcases his deft melody-writing. All of the tracks on this record have a classic vintage sound, with lovely falsetto vocals and choral singalongs accompanied by 60s and 70s-inspired keys and orchestral backing. It’s a breezy, beachy affair that will surely help to evoke those fresh memories of summer as autumn’s chill rounds the bend.

Who | Mitski

When | Thursday, September 22

Where | Kantine am Berghain

For fans of: Frankie Cosmos, Courtney Barnett, St. Vincent

Mitski Miyawaki—simply known as Mitski—writes songs that play out like diary confessionals: frank tales of disaffected romantic encounters are told with that familiar underlying feeling of not knowing how you really fit into the world around you. These sentiments are brought to the forefront on the NY-based musician’s latest release, Puberty 2, and serve as a springboard for the LP’s overall raw energy. In line with the album’s title, her songwriting has matured to the extent that the polarity present in her work isn’t at all jarring, but rather invigorating. She couples the chaos of punk with calculated pop hooks, and her saccharine lyrics are counteracted by dissonance and noise. As a result, Mitski has captured the beauty in imbalance and imperfection, then spun it into some of the most refreshing indie rock on the scene right now.