Young The Giant, refcently formed on the ashes of The Jakes, play intense, emotional, anthemic indie rock. The Newport Beach based band landed an August residency at The Troubadour, and will keep very busy throughout that month with a series of shows in the LA area – full list here.

There isn’t a lot of info about Norden Bombsight on the internet, but you don’t need to read their bio to realize that these guys aren’t afraid to fill their music with heavy emotions – something most bands seem to shy away from these days. To testify that, this music video, set during the Great Depression, tells the story of a woman suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder who is searching for her missing husband. The band’s music sounds as troubled as this hint of a story, and the filmmaking here is way above the average for an indie video – it’s more like watching a movie! Kudos to director Roy Eventov.

Brooklyn’s nocturnal bluesy-rock trio, Raccoon Fighter, comprised of Sean Gavigan (vocals/ guitar/drums), Zac Ciancaglini (drums/guitar/vocals), and Gabe Wilhelm (bass/vocals), throw down a series of biting tracks on two releases, “Liars Feet EP” and “Terrible EP.” A dozen tunes in all, and available for free here, both EPs feature a combination of gritty, aggressive, and psychedelic soundscapes. Gavigan’s angsty vocal quality compliments the sultry rock foundation created by strong downbeats, shuffling percussion, lax guitar strums, and anxious, bluesy progressions found on notable tunes, “No Lover,” “The Upbeat,” “Rollin’ Wheel,” and “Pillow Surf.” Catch Raccoon Fighter on Wednesday, July 28 at Union Pool. Free show. – Meijin Bruttomesso

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).

When you order a drink at the bar, you want something heavy. You want good taste mixed well, and just a tiny dash of sweet. Like a Long Island Iced Tea, The Dig’s music carries a heavy bass line, drowned in equal parts melodic and heavy guitar. The soothing sounds of “Penitentiary” go down smooth, but the potency of the almost sinister sounding guitars in “She’s Gonna Kill That Boy” keep the blood flowing through your veins. Think of alternative pop/rock ballads from the early ‘90s but with a little more variety. David Baldwin and Emile Musseri alternate vocals that sound like a more sensitive Chris Cornell, and a day-dreamy Thom Yorke. At times, The Dig give off a Nirvana-esque vibe, while also channeling the power packed production sound of Coldplay. Each song is eclectic and intricate in its own way, allowing The Dig to put forth a diverse portfolio of songs. The band has just announced two new tour dates in support of Dashboard Confessional – after which they will be traveling home following a five-week national tour with Thrice, Kevin Devine, and Bad Veins,- Melissa Wong

My Cousin, The Emperor is like a country version of Pavement. They have nuances of a lo-fi 90s band, mixed with a country acoustic twang. And the fact that the band dresses like total dandies is mesmerizing.  The pluck of a banjo is always best when done by Steve Martin or someone wearing a newsboy cap and a waistcoat. This good old country quartet has created a debut album that is a modern Dixieland treasure. My Cousin, The Emperor is to country what Back to the Future III is to cowboy movies, for their mixture of country with other genres makes country more accessible to those who hate it. My Cousin, The Emperor definitely has the power to convert the skeptics. – CS

Elephant Parade is kinda cutesy, kinda sappy, kinda heavy in the pseudo-folk guitar strumming. But Estelle’s vocals really are the major touchstone: something syrupy, pliable, wrapping around those little accents of keys or horns, the tricky little drumbeats. We’re a little slow on the uptake, here – they’ve been putting out music for the better part of five years. The duo makes for an easy listen – sort of like The Blow not on blow – with flighty, sometimes light-hearted lyrics that resonate once in a while. The kind of limitless DIY that takes you to a meadow and an open sky, and now and then there’s an awesome animal traipsing about. – DWE

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).

Dinosaur Feathers are a quirky, different kind of pop — both undeniably and instantly likeable. There’s a lively looseness about the Beach Boysie and XTC-type musical arrangements that come across as laid-back and cool, rather than sloppy. Strip away all these strange goodies accompanying the songs, and at the bare fruit revealed is smart pop-island music, clearly influenced by now-extinct dinosaurs of the 60’s. Only a band with a warped tropical mindset, fusing fun and talent, could produce such passionately diverse music (check out “Vendela Vida”), all while retaining an anchored uniqueness. Failing to get excited about Dinosaur Feathers is not an option. The band is currently busy touring the US, they’ll be back home in late August with a show at Littlefield on the 28. – Paul Dunn