There’s something deeply earnest about the sound of Brooklyn’s power pop quartet Robot Princess. Their music feels friendly and unpretentious, although the sound maintains a constant abrasiveness that adds a restless quality to it, without really venturing into punk or garage territory. The guitar rock sound of a ’90s is obviously an influence, but the remarkable songwriting lifts this band beyond mere revival: their songs come across as thoughtful outbursts of a bunch of friends in their early twenties, singing about their daily struggles. Their 2015 debut album (or rather, cassette) ‘Teen Vogue LP + Action Moves EP‘ is incredibly consistent and, notwithstanding the obvious DIY ethos, very well recorded and produced. There’s a deep relatability to all of these songs – even when the the lyrics are hard to understand. That’s what good music does, it conveys emotion, it triggers thoughts, it evokes periods of our past without the need for rationalizing. Don’t miss these guys’ upcoming live show at Rough Trade on March 5th.

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

“Thee in thy panoply” is how Walt Whitman addressed a bi-coastal 19th century freight train, though his words easily apply to NYC’s Mystery Lights as well. Their garage-psych panoply is pure Sixties, albeit a variegated Sixties, which makes sense given their origins in California. The band recently won the Psych category of our Best of NYC 2015 Readers’ Poll. They will be playing LES’ new rocking basement Berlin on Friday February 26 with The Britanys – also a garage sounding, Deli award winning NYC band! – Brian Chidester

With his unique style and the voice of an old soul, NYC guitarist Ben Greenberg (formerly of The Men) proves that uniqueness doesn’t need to be complicated, but requires character and talent. We just stumbled upon his project Hubble‘s amazing tracks, built on a blurry web of fluttery electric guitar arpeggios (or something similar that still has no definition), and we are completely mesmerized by them. The artists recently has been focusing on covers of classics from the past. The one of Tim Buckley’s "Song to the Siren," (streaming, which sounds more like a cover of the cover This Mortal Coil did of that track in 1984) is one of the most beautifully intense tunes we’ve heard in a while, imparting to Buckley’s lyrics a weight that – to quote The Flaming Lips – is just too heavy for Superman to lift. Check out also the slightly more serene remake of Gary Numan "Me! I disconnect from You." You can see Hubble live at Palisades tomorrow (February 25th).

The Deli Magazine’s SXSW annual print issue is coming out soon and DC’s The Walking Sticks are featured! If you haven’t heard of this awesome indie dance band or their genre-flexing music, you’ve had your buried in the sand and under a rock. Vocalist Chelsea Lee has been on the scene for a few years now and her siren pipes grew a fanbase all their own. Now artfully flanked by some inventive electronica, her trained voice rings out, gripping your attention and moving your body for you. As this group has blown up, they’re playing sold out shows around town, so catch them soon! -Jonathan Goodwin

South by Southwest is coming up fast and The Deli Magazine is proud to release its annual print issue for the festival. Featured in the mag will be Baltimore-based New God, one of the best experimental indie groups in the city. Their music is somber and atmospheric, and you’ll feel the work put into carefully constructing their albums. You’ll find their tracks easy to lose yourself in, time passing you by most pleasantly. Keep an eye on them as they announce what are sure to be fantastic shows. -Jonathan Goodwin