Shredding at insane speeds from the outset, Cherry Pits is the Richmond punk band you need to see live and don’t want to mess with. Their stage presence is electric and defiant, blasting out all that’s good about their noise punk flavor and keeping their Sunday night show at Strange Matter going full speed ahead even after a forced guitar switch. Each member of this fearsome foursome performed his piece flawlessly, effusing contagious energy and displaying a mastery of what it means to play in a punk band. Smooth, yet raw, Cherry Pits takes names until there aren’t any left. Give these powerpop-influenced punks your ears and catch a show when you can. -Jonathan Goodwin

With an online presence of only three songs from 2014 to its name, Condor has so far favored quality over quantity. Originating from defunct Mystery Roar, the talented Boston-based synth-pop duo is sitting on nine track album, as they hinted back in 2014, when the trio of singles were originally released. Each song features similar components, with enough variations from track to track to provide the perfect mix of consistency and contrast.  On each song clean acoustic and electronic melodies are orbited by distorted synth textures, while a standard snare pattern keeps the song on track. Hovering above the instrumenation are the singer’s airy vocals, providing a soothing respite for the groovy tempest occuring below. Condor, quite frankly, need to release new music online, as the entertainment brought by the quality of the songs can only be matched by the frustration brought by their lacking quantity.  You can check out Condor at The Plough and Stars on 6/2. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber, Photo Credit: Andrea Morales

It’s always excellent to see a Renaissance person sucessfully blend their disciplines together, and the music of Brooklyn artist SHIRA is a perfect example. A poet, visual artist and musician, SHIRA mixes genres like soul, folk and electronic pop with a painter’s touch, allowing for bold creations while not losing any of the character of the individual components. Her poet’s side makes its way into the music as well, as she injects each track with richly contemplative and abstract lyrics. 

Shira has managed to sucessfully evolve her sound on each project, and her next LP, Subtle Creature, should be no exception. On single "Honey in My Pot," featuring Portland band Joseph, she seems to move her sound out of the sky and instead opts for an earthier approach with a notably more prominent rhythm section. It remains to be seen whether this move will be one that’s consistent across the full length of the album, but there will certainly be no complaints from us if this ends up being the case.  You can presumably catch SHIRA’s two singles off of the new album, and hopefully more, at Cake Shop on 6/6. – Henry Solotaroff Webber

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

Hey new music lurvers!

We just finished updating our Austin Bay Area Best Emerging Artists Playlist, featuring all the best local up and comin talent we covered in the last few years! Check it out HERE!

The Folks at The Deli

Melodic and atmospheric, Brooklyn’s Cold Stone Fox boasts a sound that’s multifaceted but extremely balanced. Their latest EP ‘Tunnel Vision’ harmoniously blends psychedelia with some of that melodic, ethereal but somewhat dark rock of the ’80s (we hear a little bit of Simple Minds and The Church). The band is scheduled to perform at Rough Trade on July 15.

Check out this Delicious Audio feature about Stone Cold Fox’s guitar pedals.

Radclyffe Hall’s is set to release their debut album G H O S T S on June 7th via Cleopatra Records. The electronic Boston-based band embraces the darker and more gothic side of synth-pop music. The eerie single “OMG” (streaming below) off their upcoming album is densely layered with flowing synths and smooth vocals from frontwoman and keyboardist Dhy Berry. The track is about a friend of Berry who passed away suddenly from an illness. Her introspective lyrics turn loss and grief into cathartic pop anthems that have enough groove to make them danceable. Radclyffe Hall will be celebrating the release of their album on June 7th at Great Scott where they will be playing in support of Day Wave. – John Honan