After dropping her debut full-length album “Anti Venus” this past November (preceded by two EPs released in 2009 and 2012), sound architect, vocalist and feminist force Vandana Jain has been focusing on bringing her eastern music influenced, noir electro-pop to a larger fan base through several live appearances, including one at Highline Ballroom earlier this summer. Band members Yusuke Yamamoto and Ryan Casey contribute to forging an intriguing analog sound, driven by Vandana’s sophisticated velvety vocals.

The record’s opener “Ecstatic” (streaming) is the strongest track, emphasizing distant percussive mechanical clicks and whirrs recreating sci-fi atmospheres reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome To The Machine” sci fi experiments. Dark, foreboding (yet warm) analog synth notes pulse and rise from distant ethereal mists. Recorded at Jain’s home studio, inspiration came in part by delving into Henry Miller’s classic novel “Tropic of Cancer,” and its embrace of “the grip of delirium.” “You freak – you make me ecstatic” becomes the central, single line and rather addictive vocal hook.

Other tracks like “Claw” are less instrumentally dense, allowing more space for expressive vocals. With a style reminiscent of Kate Bush’s penultimate work combined with the modern deeper vocal textures of British pop vocalist Sophie Ellis Bextor, Ms. Jain’s voice becomes instantly appealing. While “Mask” (a track about the proverbial camouflage we all put on every day to function) is recurrently stark and minimal in places, the overall effect sounds incredibly big, and Vandana’s seductive vocal delivery makes for a delightful headphone listening experience. – Dave Cromwell

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Electronic songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

NYC’s The Cabana Kids released debut single ‘Just Let Me Know’ (streaming) earlier this month, giving us a small taste of what their fall EP ‘The Birds & The Bees’ might have in store for us. Their nostalgic vibe is homespun, with male and female vocals taking turns on simple acoustic guitar chords, underlined by reverb-drenched stabs of distorted six strings, which made us think of The Jesus and Mary Chain from their poppier days. The handclaps-driven chorus is an explosion of pop cuteness, with 60s elements taking over in the vocal and organ department, and harmonies that lead singer Joseph Lee describes as "what Sonny and Cher would sound like if they were hipsters." The Cabana Kids’ indie spin on bubblegum pop is charming and uplifting yet quite unique. – Sammie Spector

A few weeks ago we blogged about Ex Cops‘ new album, out on NYC’s Downtown Records. They just dropped this video for single ‘Black Soap,’ check it out! Expect a strong presence at the upcoming CMJ Music Marathon for these guys.

Last year Baked came out with a tape called S/T Cassette.  Two songs short, it’s enough to see where the band is coming from; they’re not afraid to blur themselves, letting the sounds melt into landscape jams.  On Debt, their debut off Exploding in Sound, Baked is still melting, but it’s a much more guided flow.  The album mixes high velocities with the turned down mellow feels that Baked just seems to ooze from every orifice.   R.J. Gordon’s vocals take a back seat under a wash of reverb, sitting just below the pop driven melodies that surround him.  "Mick Jagger" especially is a stunner, where Yoni David’s drumming drives the tune as the rest of the sounds float in zero gravity.  There’s something unobtainably attractive about this band’s sound, whether it’s because they remind us of England’s long lost Wu Lyf, or because they channel Bedhead at the same time.  Regardless, we are extremely excited for the record release show this Friday at Shea Stadium, with support from an all star bill including: Porches., Bueno and Ovlov.  Stream "Mick Jagger" below.  -Jake Saunders

P.S. Yes, we just had a record of the month last week, but when two good records come to us close to each other we’ve gotta jump at the opportunity, because at times we go without one for months!

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best NYC songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

We really enjoyed Walking Shapes‘s first single Pusher, which came out in 2013, and we were quite eagerly waiting for new material. So far in 2014 the band raised their profile by playing a series of important shows (including a packed one at Music Hall of W’burg) and delivering new single "Feel Good" (video streaming) that didn’t disappoint, shifting their left-to-center sound slightly more to the center. The Brooklyn quintet plays a brand of avant pop vaguely reminiscent of Here We Go Magic for its impressionistic quality and alto male vocals, but doesn’t mind the occasional burst of distorted guitars, like testified by recent track Woah Tiger – another quality tune.