Nobody in the music scene likes to be called a "veteran" – it implies loss of youth, in a youth obsessed field – but it’s undeniable that bands surviving in the Big Apple for 5+ years are rare and should be honored with a title… what about "Pillars of the NYC Scene"? There will be four of them performing at Shea Stadium this Saturday May 7th:  Parlor Tricks, Starlight Girls, Not Blood Paint, and A Deer A Horse (pictured). Check out their latest releases below.

“You got your path, oh I got mine” sings Tyler Burwood in Boston’s quartet Bellwire’s new single “Time Out.” The song, a jangly reflection speckled with vibrant guitar chords, bubbling drums, and monotone vocals, is a single off their upcoming album Dog Thoughts, which is set to be released on May 24. The album, if the singles are any indication, ranges from mellow, borderline melancholic ruminations evident in “JAKL” to spastic bouts in “Let It Shine,” (streaming below) another single with energetic guitars sputtering exuberantly into a solo where the chords stretch out and slacken the pace before dying out into feedback. A quirky aural exploration of age and relationships, Dog Thoughts seems to be shaping up to an entertaining listen. Keep tabs on Bellwire’s Facebook page for any upcoming shows and take a listen to their single below.

We believe the health of a musical scene can be measured by the amount of bands that are completely out of their mind, and also by the amount of music fans interested in attending their shows. In this regard, there’s a quality gig at Palisades in about a month (Saturday June 4th) that shines a bright, although rather psychotic, light on NYC, involving two local bands that sound nothing short of irrational (Palberta – pictured – and Guerilla Toss) and one coming across as "seriously disturbed" (PC Worship). Taking inspiration from subversive movements like No Wave and early Post Punk, without sounding simply amateurish (that’s the hard part!), these groups represent NYC’s current sound of "uncompromise" – and the sparkle that keeps the Rock’n’Roll flame alive in this problematic and increasingly art-hostile city.

Combining pop sensibilities with the classical textures of violins and twinkling pianos, Brooklyn’s beguiling trio, Half Waif, sends un on a dazzling journey in her album Probable Depths – which we had the chance to preview, or rather, pre-hear. With swelling vocals, billowing synths, and blinking electronic melodies that lull us into a dream, the album is both achingly private and daringly open, as if each song was a stolen glance into Plunkett’s sonic world, each painting an acutely fine and deliberate stroke of her emotive life. A mellifluous pirouette of musical resplendence, Half Waif’s Probable Depths is an aural triumph set to be released on May 6. Catch Half Waif at Baby’s All Right on May 12 for their album release show and tour kick-off. – Adriana S Ballester, photo by Adan Carlo.