While singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane certainly does possess strong vocal chops, the core strength of his music comes from the "songwriting" half of his genre label. Kahane is a dexterous and thoughtful composer, balancing out the pronounced folkiness of his accoustic guitar parts with classic string or piano accompaniments on tracks like "Veda (1 Pierce Dr.)." He’s also not afraid to "plug in" and rock out either (like in "Calabash & Catamaran") proving his versatility as an artist to perform a range of styles and capture a wide breadth of emotions. He even did a cover of a song from "Oklahoma" the musical for goodness’ sake! On top of that, the strong Elliot Smith vibes in Kahane’s music add an extra aura of melancholy, and if Rockwood booked him for a residency it means he’s as good llive as he sounds on record. You can catch him next Rockwood’s Stage 2 on 8/28, and then again and again until 10/23! — Henry Solotaroff-Webber, Photo Credit: Rebecca Deane

The YeahTones are kind of the perfect soundtrack for when you decide to finally blow off your mom and sneak out of the house with your friends. A Brooklyn based blues garage rock band that just announced an August residency at the Basement, the YeahTones play a brash kind of rock n’ roll that’s equal parts fun and liberating. The band deals exclusively in punk’s don’t-care attitude, but delivers wildly catchy hooks that never feel insincere. Watch and listen to their single "Find My Baby" below and be sure to check them out August 12th at Pianos in support of the Jullian Cubillos Band. – Olivia Sisinni

Noise is not a stranger in NYC, whether you are referring to the city’s ambient sound or its musical counterpart. The latter is – more often than not – generated by distorted guitars, fuzz pedals, and seemingly out of control electric guitarists. Jenny Tuite’s band Dirty Dishes inserts itself in this coltish rock tradition, which gave us unforgettably turbulent recordings by bands like the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth and A Place To Bury Strangers. A skilled guitarist, Jenny is borderline obsessed with stompboxes, and had no problem sharing with our friends at Delicious Audio some effect related tricks she pulls off when making noise with her band.

Check out the Q&A with Dirty Dishes’ Jenny Tuite on Delicious Audio.

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

Sometimes when a band gets experimental, the result has the unfortunate tendency to be too much like a lab experiment. The music is usually definitely still avant and interesting but stuck with feeling of being manufactured, rather than organic. None of this, however, applies to soul outfit Zilla. The Boston group’s latest EP Dream State sounds like a home-cooked meal tastes, with songs seemingly proportioned by what feels right rather than what any cookbook has to say. There’s also a distinctly vintage quality to the project, especially in rhythm section and vocals, but it never feels derivative due to Zilla’s ability to repurpose them in inventive arrangements and mathy tempos. For a fresh take on soul, check out the EP below, and if you still need plans for this evening you can see Zilla live tonight, 7/28, at Middle East.

We found out about Zilla through our submissions page. If you’re an emerging artist and want to get checked out, you can submit some fresh tunes to us here.

 —Henry Solotaroff-Webber