We’ve been covering NYC’s mysterious songwriter with experimental tendencies Ziemba (aka René Kladzyk) since early 2014, raving about her song/video combo for single "Phantom See." From what we can tell, the "nouvelle femme fatale" had very little coverage in the major music blogs so far, but things are about to change. She just announced the release of her debut album "Hope is Never," which mostly gathers songs she had posted on her Soundcloud profile during the last two, impressively prolific years. The album will include "Phantom See" and also "El Paso" (streaming below), one of the most upbeat track in her repertoire, also featured in 2015 EP "A Pure Mirror and a Damn Prison." Check out also the album minimalistic opener "It Curts Itself." Ziemba will be kicking off a US tour at Trans Pecos on May 29th. – photo by Megan Mack

Ahead of the release of her latest album ‘Choreographic’ on 5/20, New York singer/songwriter Rachael Sage today premieres "I’ve Been Waiting" (streaming below) off the effort. A sultry yet warm song that smoothly melds potentially disparate genres as folk and pop, the string-lined track tells of interpersonal longing with Aimee Mann-like poetic bewitchment. "Cover me with butterfly kisses/I could be the one you haunt," Sage sings, unabashed desire sliding through. Rachael Sage will perform at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 on 5/13. – Zach Weg

Named after German philosopher Friederich Ludwig Gottlob Frege, Brooklyn by way of Mexico City by way of Saturn band Frege explores the mathematics of funk. This live electro-soul quartet brings some fantastic stutter in your groove. Their unprecedented means of generating ambiance gives the impression of dancing in a black hole. From Victor De La Garza’s deep drum grooves to Sebastián Garrido’s boyish vocals, Frege can induce an undeniable shimmy into even the coolest demeanor. Their “Got Love” EP (a further play on their eponymous philosopher’s moniker) is available on Bandcamp and a new full length is due out in June! Groovy. – BrokeMC

Here’s the video for Heliotropes‘ shockingly mellow (for their standards) new single ‘Easy’ from their upcoming album ‘Over There That Way’ (which can be preordered here). The video was shot by Deli NYC contributor Bill Dvorak and Micah Weisberg during Coney Island’s closing weekend in the Fall of 2015.

Our local charts might not be perfect (we wish we could throw more money at them!) but they do work in highlighting emerging local bands that are getting internet buzz. Today we noticed a new NYC entry in the chart on the top left of this post (or here if you are on a smartphone): the band is called Episode and plays very, very catchy pop-rock that will intrigue fans of Red Hot Chilli Peppers at their poppiest. Their single ‘Swim’ (streaming below) got a lot of love from the web (10k+ hearts on Soundcloud are quite an achievement!). They just came back from a college tour that took them from Maince to Alabama.  

Mobile Steam Unit (who recently made our list of the Best emerging NYC bands of 2015) is not your usual Brooklyn band. Their second EP, Country Raw, released this past February, is a collection of moody tracks that blend melodic and electronic elements in a personal way. While opener “Waste My Time In The City,” with its deep electronic synths and vocoded vocals,  sets a dark and weird atmosphere reminiscent of French duo Air, following track ‘VHS & SEX‘ relies on a more classic pop melody, with electric piano accompaniment evocative of Supertramp. In the remaining three songs, things keep bouncing from eerie to airy. The band will be performing at Shea Stadium on May 3rd together with Silverteeth. – Adriana S Ballester

Have you ever found yourself wondering what it would be like to fall into the world of the music videos you’ve watched? Well Boston’s rock’n’soul band Aloud is attempting to do just that with “Falling Out of Love: The Virtual Reality Experience.” By creating a video using virtual reality technology, the band will immerse you into their tracks’ journey of love and heartbreak when a long term relationship ends. The song, with slinking guitars, sensual saxophones, and Jen de la Osa’s smooth vocals, slowly builds to a climax before exhausting itself to an end–much like most relationships do. To support their virtual reality endeavor they have announced a headlining tour in three major cities, including their home base–Boston. Catch them May 5 and Hojoko @ The Verb Hotel for a VR demonstration and an intimate acoustic performance.