“Dating/In this city of ours/Oh what a waste of time/Oh it’s the blind leading the blind,” the D.C.-based performer sings in a near-deadpan over frenetic electro-pop rhythms in “Dating,” the new single by the band Stronger Sex.

“I’d rather read a book,” Fantastic says over the phone while dog-walking on a sunny November afternoon.

It’s not that Fantastic has had any spectacularly bad dates. The lyricist, singer and synth-player can only recall the comedian who called them “old” — they’re 32 — and the person who ghosted them. (Fantastic prefers third-person-plural pronouns over “him” or “her.”)

If there’s any angst, it’s towards the concept of dating itself — what the song calls “… the easy chance/To score on some bats–t romance.”

Fantastic hasn’t succumbed to dating apps, although friends’ hits and misses with the technology have been noted. Other forms of finding or keeping “the one” — from meet-cutes to marriage — aren’t appealing, either. Fantastic prefers to get to know someone who who “swims in the same current.” (Strictly music-wise, the current includes Stronger Sex bandmate Leah Gage.)

“Marriage is college and dating is prep school, y’know what I mean … and I’m not trying to go to college right now,” the artist says. “[I’m] not really looking to start a mutually beneficial financial partnership with another young adult.”

This isn’t to say Fantastic is unhappy — the phone conversation is downright jovial. Performing with Stronger Sex, the singer is animated and upbeat, dancing to the band’s haunting blend of slithering rhythms, electro sounds and noise-pop touches. Fantastic dresses to the nines, often wearing dresses or skirts.

“I guess if I were a pessimist, I wouldn’t bother writing a song at all in the first place. I would just sit at home and feel sorry for myself,” Fantastic says.

Stronger Sex is working on a followup to 2015’s eponymous debut. The new record is due next year.

For now, Fantastic prefers to spend time on things like hanging out with friends and going on trips.

“[When you’re not in a relationship],” the performer says, “you have to learn how to be confident in who you are.”

For Bumper Jacksons, which meld together a lot of those early American genres, preservation isn’t specifically the focus, says Jess Eliot Myhre, the D.C. group’s lead singer/clarinetist/homemade-washboard player. But the music can’t happen outside the sweep of history, either, she says.

“I have a very strong belief that if you’re going to be a traditional musician, you need to do your homework. You need to have a deep understanding of what people were thinking and choosing and wrestling with — y’know, the people that came before you — and pay homage to that,” she says.

Bumper Jacksons play Saturday for the first time at Wolf Trap, and the show — including some songs from an upcoming album tentatively called Never Met a Stranger — will also be their first with a full brass section. That inevitably will make the band a little louder, but creating a “wall of sound” has rarely been the goal, says Chris Ousley, guitarist, vocalist and banjo player (and Myhre’s parter).

“We’re consistently aiming to both raise the ceiling and lower the floor on our volume and energy levels, but we keep a deep intensity in the music no matter the volume level,” he says.

That rollicking, time-tested sound won Bumper Jacksons the 2015 Artist of the Year at the Washington Area Music Awards as well as Best Folk Artist from 2013-15. Myhre and Ousley are joined by bassist and harmony vocalist Alex Lacquement; drummer and suitcase percussionist Dan Samuels; pedal steel player Dave Hadley and trombonist and harmony vocalist Brian Priebe. They say they came together the old-fashioned way, by jamming together at house parties and around campfires at music festivals.

Ousley can riff on a wide sweep of early American music history — he’ll point out that the Grand Ole Opry’s emphasis on simpler sounds meant that country music didn’t have much drums until the ’60s, or that big-city jazz artists in the ’20s and ’30s were “comparable to the Beyoncés of today.”

“I personally get a lot out of the jug band tradition as well as Western swing — both are great examples of country musicians integrating city sounds into their music where the country dances could still work,” he says, adding that “its a surprisingly seamless process” in both cases.

Bumper Jacksons have been striving for a similar kind of overall seamlessness, Ousley and Myhre say.

“Especially in the last couple of years, we definitely are moving into newer territory that’s more focused on our own personal songwriting,”Myhre says. “We borrow a lot of sounds and musical choices or like riffs or harmonic choices from earlier times. But we’re not trying to recreate old sounds in a way that sounds authentic to that time period.”

Bumper Jacksons play the Barns at Wolf Trap on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Bumper Jacksons played WAMU’s Bluegrass Country in 2014:

“Let’z” single, Sugg Savage — Half of the freaky-cool duo Akoko, Sugg Savage no longer calls Maryland home. The emcee from Fort Washington recently swapped coasts to soak up sunbeams in Los Angeles. So maybe it’s the spike in Vitamin D that’s fueling her artistic growth spurt. As a solo artist, Savage has embraced a hip-hop/club hybrid that would sound right at home on Azealia Banks’ Broke With Expensive Taste. Her skittering new single “Let’z” finds her vaulting — with Bilesian finesse — from speedy rhymes to fluid vocals. “You know everybody don’t move like this,” goes the bridge, sounding both slyly boastful and 100 percent factual. (Listen to “Let’z” in our playlist, below.) — Ally Schweitzer

Spirit Plots, Spirit Plots — The D.C. trio has been building to this self-titled LP for a couple of years, and anyone who embraced the 2014 EP or the 2015 single will find a plethora of similar guitar-bass-drum vibes within. Don’t be intimidated by the 15-track inventory — most songs come in below 2:00, focusing on hooks where other D.C. bands with similarly precise sonics might choose to dwell too long in a postpunk groove. Obligatory comparison to a ’90s hero: Every corner of Spirit Plots abounds with hints of the wound-up intelligence found in Ted Leo’s peak work. — Joe Warminsky

Romantic Comedies, Foozle — The D.C. trio’s 11-song second LP captures part of the Gen-Y zeitgeist with its self-aware, post-teen angst and a conspicuous use of emoticons — “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” is the title of the closing track. The retro, lo-fi production never feels gimmicky, and the simple lyrics stay just clear of twee. The album cover depicts a half-unpacked apartment; the songs inside reflect this half-opened, half-boxed-up feeling. It’s ultimately an album about the need for — and fear of — emotional intimacy. (Listen to a song in our playlist, below.) — MacKenzie Reagan

“Wait Up” single, Prinze George — What would a montage of the most significant moments of your life feel like? The Maryland group goes there on “Wait Up.” It’s not just the lyrics, though they certainly help (“now we’ve allowed time and space to build a wall and break us”). It’s more so the ephemeral synths, overlayed with vocals that fall somewhere between Phantogram, Adele and Monsters of Men. A subtle beat and reverbed snapping carries you through a tortuous auditory expression of the “what could have been” — all coalescing in the single frozen moment right after you witness a car wreck and realize you’re still alive. Did I mention the song is good? (Listen to “Wait Up” in our playlist, below.) — Courtney Sexton

Young Jefe 2, Shy Glizzy — The Southeast D.C. rapper with close to 800,000 Instagram followers continues to earn praise for his melodic MC style, with Pitchfork calling him “simply a joy to listen to, one of the most distinctive and technically adventurous rappers working today.” Young Jefe 2 smartly plays up his verbal stylings, couching his sing-songy, introspective street tales within spacious beats. He’s due for a pop breakout at some point, but even if one never comes, he’s permanently solidified his position as one of D.C.’s distinct musical voices. (Listen to a song in our playlist, below.) — Joe Warminsky

Citadel, Dagger Moon — Dagger Moon effortlessly blends the pummeling, heavily distorted riffs of a sludge band with the gritty production and intense atmosphere of early black-metal bands. With the shortest track on Citadel coming in at just over six minutes, it’s an album that relies on a gradually increasing sense of anxiety, pushing and pulling the listener through its apocalyptic soundscapes. It’s gloomy, frightening and absolutely fantastic. — Keith Mathias

“Paused Parade” single, Young Summer — “Paused Parade” reminds listeners that the sunniest season brings a lot of rain, too. Gentle, sparse piano and whispers of percussion are paired with Young Summer’s hypnotic vocals to create a cocoon of serenity. The song ultimately builds a cool hideaway for self-reflection. When she sings, “Are you with me? Or are you with me?” … we’re definitely with her. “Paused Parade” will be part of an upcoming EP. (Listen to “Paused Parade” in our playlist, below.) — Teta Alim

“Blood In the Water” single, Prowess The Testament — Tia Abner, a.k.a. Prowess the Testament, grabbed attention earlier this year with the Air.Human|Breath.Divine EP, which instantly established the short-statured MC as a fierce, intelligent voice. She continues to rain down lyrical lightning bolts on her new single “Blood In the Water” (which also appears on the Right Where I Left It EP). Prowess wields Thor’s hammer and anvil, grinds gods into granules and annihilates the false authenticity of D.C. transplants and other pretend veterans, none of whom could walk a mile in her gladiator sandals. Producer P-Tech Santiago’s boom-bap beat frames it all with the excitement of a classic superhero comic. (Listen to “Blood In the Water” in our playlist, below.)— Justyn Withay

Any Day Now, Lee Mitty — What do you get when you take a slight savior complex and mix it with the realism of Baltimore’s woes? You get Any Day Now. The album, which focuses on the duality of vices — in Mitty’s case, the desire to break free of a tough system that also inspires her — is a complex listen. That’s because it also captures the duality and strife within the city itself. On tracks such as “Bang,” “Leave Me Alone” and “Muses,” Mitty puts her realistic, relatable lyricism over beats that are introspective without being heavy-handed. (Listen to a song in our playlist, below.) — Johnthan Speed

Wanted Man, Wanted Man — Forget vaporous subgenre designations and convoluted classifications — the full-length debut by Wanted Man is a rock album, the kind that showcases stellar musicianship and oozes with cool. Bassist John Scoops and drummer Rick Irby anchor each track with airtight rhythms, backing up Kenny Pirog’s guitar and vocals across 11 tunes that touch on everything from punk to surf. — Keith Mathias

Messix EP, Ocobaya — From Mike Petillo and Aaron Leitko, the two D.C. beat-heads behind Protect-U, comes a side project that’s less heavy on the math and more heavy on the psych. Numbers do still matter to them, of course — namely 4/4, as in the root time signature of classic techno and house. Overall, the Messix EP confidently expands the dance-music conversation happening at 1432 R, the D.C. label known so far for its Ethiopian connections. (Listen to a song in our playlist, below.) — Joe Warminsky

“Mrs. Jones” single, Neffy — The wrenching song from Arlington native Mecca Russell, a.k.a. Neffy, was featured on the “New School Free Press Live” series. Give the song a minute. Literally. The first 60 seconds are a slow, sleepy build to a moment of deep, pointed heartache that comes when Neffy hits the first note in the chorus — and it’s pure soul, killing you softly till the end. The video is great exposure, but doesn’t do the song, or the voice, justice. Neffy’s new EP is scheduled to drop in late 2016 or early 2017. — Courtney Sexton

Mirror Image/Mirage, Big Hoax — Hey, really, why shouldn’t a group from Baltimore take a shot at making an Epic American Rock Album? Vocalist and bandleader Luke Alexander likes to take his voice from a whisper to a yelp, and almost all the tunes build from nearly nothing to totally something (with help from banjo, cello and so on). That dynamic befits a band that calls itself Big Hoax and an album title that refers to a mirror and a mirage. The point here is actually realness, and it’s hard to argue that Alexander doesn’t find some at whatever folk-rock crossroads he’s picturing in his mind. — Joe Warminsky

“Summer” single, Innanet James The Maryland rapper’s most recent track belongs in crowded basements and open rooftops, as long as the heat wave rolls on and there’s enough humidity to make skin shine with constant sweat. Repping MoCo, Innanet James brings just enough charm with his flow so that his lyrical foreplay doesn’t cross over the line from teasing to sleazy. “Summer” is meant to be fleeting — a burst of bright, body-rolling fun that shouldn’t last too long. About his upcoming debut EP, James told Pitchfork in an interview: “I want you want to be like, ‘Oh, that’s witty as s–t.’ I want you to see the words.” (Listen to “Summer” in our playlist, below.)— Teta Alim

“Appalachian Motel” video, Greenland — A moody track from the D.C. rock band’s otherwise lively S***ty Fiction album gets an animated treatment that initially seems like a cryptic but largely two-dimensional commentary on notions of romantic and familial relationships. But then it gets really weird. What’s up with all of those long, pointy noses? No face is safe. — Joe Warminsky

Ossi, left, and Bloch have known each other since elementary school, and they both attend the University of Maryland.

“We’re definitely inspired by not quite conspiracy theories, but, like, ideas about how the universe is really structured. … Not necessarily conventional ideas, but …” Alex Bloch starts.

“… These crazy-sounding alternative theories,” Chris Ossi says, finishing the thought.

The two are clearly in sync — the University of Maryland students have known each other since their days at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School in Bethesda, Maryland. Together, they take listeners on a wordless deep-dive into the abyss. On their debut EPs, Examining Interiors and Exteriors 1 and Examining Interiors and Exteriors 2, released July 26, haunting, detached mumbles lurk below unhuman echoes.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that Ossi is studying electrical engineering and Bloch is studying computer science. Some of BADTHRVW’s instruments are homemade digital noisemakers involving contact microphones on metal objects, or electronics that have been modified. An Akai MPX16 sampler and a MicroKorg synthesizer round out the kit.

They call their sounds “audio graffiti.”

“It’s kind of like a sound installation. Except, you know, nobody commissioned it,” Ossi says. It’s “drone-y, atmospheric stuff that’s [meant] to create a kind of sensation or atmosphere.”

The lack of lyrics in any of the recordings — most of which are more than 20 minutes in length — contributes to an overall sense of detachment from the physical world. It’s both ethereal and ominous.

The music “does make you a little uncomfortable, it makes you a little on edge,” Ossi says. “It takes you out of a place where you feel very comfortable and familiar and puts you somewhere else.”

But don’t go to their live performances expecting a straight performance of their recordings. Their shows rarely follow a set pattern and are tailored to the vibe of the venue.

“It’s heavily improvised,” Bloch says.

And like the expanding universe that we all inhabit, BADTHRVW’s catalog will continue to grow: Bloch and Ossi say they’re working on another EP.

BADTHRVW plays Aug. 5 at The Dump in Bethesda.

“I was listening to those types of bands and also more contemporary stuff while I was writing all the songs from Vaporwave. But it almost seems like we’re not worthy to make that type of comparison. We think so highly of those bands,” says the Mount Pleasant resident.

After the dissolution of Nemeyer’s most recent band, The Silver Liners, he headed cross country to Los Angeles to record the album that would become Vaporwave, tracking the songs himself and and working with producer Kyle Downes, who previously produced The Silver Liners’ EP, Bliss. Nemeyer then hand-picked a team of area musicians to round out Color Palette’s lineup, including drummer Matt Hartenau, who previously played with The Silver Liners.

With the help of his new band, Nemeyer debuted Vaporwave at a release show at the W Hotel in May. It opens with “Seventeen,” a melancholy tale of young love lost. “I told her I loved her, but I didn’t know what love was,” Nemeyer sings.

It’s a microcosm of the dulcet agony at the core of Vaporwave. The heartache, thinly veiled by glistening keyboards, comes easily to Nemeyer, although he’s not sure why. Over the phone, he’s amiable and upbeat.

“I just have a really easy time writing about breakups, and I don’t know why. It’s just something that comes natural to me,” he says.

Color Palette plays July 16 at Red Panda House in D.C. and July 29 at the Rock & Roll Hotel in D.C.