Fast paced, progressive and a little punk rock, Brooklyn’s Old Monk is a sweet reminder of what indie rock should be. Josh Carrafa’s lyrics and guitar work are reminiscent of Julian Casablancas, minus the major record label drama. They do however have the potential to cross over to an enormous audience thanks to their organic infusion of progressive time changes and transitions. Ian Burns holds down the rhythm section with mathematic precision, making their tunes tighter than your jeans from way back in 1999. Old Monk has the fantastic ability to make you want to cry and thrash around the mosh pit at the same time — make sure to check them out live, they’ll have a record release in mid January and a Cake Shop residency in February. – Ed Guardaro

We’ve been waiting for this for a couple of years now… Model/rocker Lissy Trullie created quite some buzz in 2008 with her self-released debut EP "Self-Taught Learner", which helped her land on the Downtown Records roster. But then the first official release under the new label didn’t materialize as soon as we had hoped. Today her name finally reappeared in our inbox, accompanied by news of her debut album, scheduled for release in March 2012. Produced by John Hill (Santigold, M.I.A., Shakira) and David Sitek (TV On the Radios, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars), the record was entirely produced in LA, but from the velvety first single "Madeleine" her sound seems to retain a very NYC quality. Beside the obvious improvement in the production and songwriting departmentd, this song displays a more confident vocal performance compared to the EP – definitely an important sign.

Schocholautte is not a new cocoa-flavored serving from your favorite coffee shop, but a rather mysterious band from Brooklyn whose name we are not exactly sure how to pronounce. The band is aware that their name is kind of problematic (they bought the domain worstbandnameever.com) but here at The Deli we actually tend to like bands with hideous names – let us remind you that Buke & Gass was on our mag’s cover back in 2008… Schocholautte just released its debut full length "I Hate You", a lo-fi record about "coming of age in a time of emotional and economic unrest." Recorded in the band’s rehearsal studio in Gowanus on a laptop with an 8-channel mixer, the album features songs that have been buzzing around in the beer soaked basements and crappy venues of New York since 2007, when the project was formed. A gritty cloud of fuzz is the band’s common denominator here, dressing poppier tunes like "Panther Tattoo" and "Orange County" and more bluesy or folky episodes like "Spilled Milk" and "An Unpleasant Surprised". Schocholautte borrowed Violent Femmes’ upbeat enthusiasm, Guided By Voices’ casual melodies and Dinosaur Junior’s explosive guitar parts to concoct one of the most fun NYC records of the year so far. A band like this should play live every day at Brooklyn’s DIY parties – no shows scheduled???

It’s apparent when listening to self-proclaimed pop-revival band, The Well-Informed – who just opened for Crystal Antlers at Pianos on Wednesday – that they draw more than just inspiration from the 60’s and 70’s. Their sound is familiar, yes, but it is also inherently something altogether unique and evocative of the DUMBO art and cultural scene – which tends to shy away from the more experimental and often contrived sound generated in the Williamsburg area. Even if you’ve never been to Brooklyn, songs like “New York, We Love Her” are sure to take you there. But not peering through thick-lensed windows from the tail end of a coach — in a dream state on the threshold of consciousness, hovering just under the Manhattan Bridge, so slowly that you can’t help but take in the day-to-day essence of life “down under.”  If you missed The Well Informed at the Pianos this past Wednesday, don’t fret, you can catch them on December 20 at the Living Room. – Tuesday Phillips