A little over a year after releasing her second effort, the quietly moving piano affair ‘little bits,’ twenty-four-year-old singer/composer Moonheart shared latest song “Blow” (streaming below) last week. A subtly thrilling blend of heedful guitars, skipping beats, and the Brooklyn dweller’s agile voice, the romance track seems to be influenced by minimalism (like Doe Paoro’s work) but is very touching. A conservatory graduate, Mayo certainly knows theory but she never lets it stop her from conveying emotion. Kim Mayo is expected to drop her first full-length this year. She performs at Leftfield on August 6, at Rockwood on the 13th and at Muchmores on the 16th. – Zach Weg

Talking Heads were one of the most mind blowingly imaginative bands to come out of NYC (and, frankly, the universe), and their movie Stop Making Sense is a fun testament to their performing and musical talent. Indie rock trio Mount Sharp is an emerging Brooklyn band with an sound that flirts with pop and atmospheric elements, while singing about science, monsters, and bad decisions. You can see both for free tomorrow night (08.01) at the Waterfront Plaza at Brookfield Place in Battery Park. More info can be found here.

A year ago, Brooklyn synthpop duo Kodachrome self-released their sophomore LP Aftermaths. To support the ten-track full-length, the band recently premiered a lyric video for opening number "White Love." It’s a simple and sensual electro ditty that features Elissa LeCoque’s stark vocals above a bed of jittery synth lines and pumping drum machines. The cleverly conceived visual, shot by still-life photographers Matthew Chaves and John Saponara, depicts frozen, creamy-white molds handmade by Elissa that were melted for the video. – Angel Eugenio Fraden

While working on new music in the studio, Brooklyn roots rock trio Animal Years have shared a humbly anthemic rendition of “The Wire” (streaming below) by Los Angeles sisters Haim. As in Animal Years’ own songs, frontman Mike McFadden sings with both poise and passion on this guitar-blitzed cover, making it accessible yet formidable. Haim’s original was co-produced by Modern Vampires of the City wizard Ariel Rechtshaid and had electronic touches but Animal Years dust the song up with their own rafter-shaking thrills. Animal Years will play at the David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center on August 27th and at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 on August 28th. – Zach Weg

The project of Gabe Smoller and Freddie Wyss, Trash Gendar is a Brooklyn based band with a puzzling and probably questionable name (in particular for a country that’s been growing super-oversensitive like ours) and a very interesting sound. In debut EP ‘Mass Canon,’ released in March of 2015, you’ll find something new (in the shape of inventive, atmospheric elec-tric/tronic arrangements) and something old (in the shape of recurring Americana influences). In the record’s six songs, various genres, ranging from psych rock to country, math rock and ambient, are combined to create that new, modern, ‘melting pot’ music that we at The Deli – for lack of a better word – call ‘Avant-Indie.’ The experiment reaches remarkable results with single ‘Tunnel,’ streaming below, which sounds a little like the (hot) bastard child of Tortoise and Radiohead. Trash Gendar will be playing The Cobra Club (6 Wyckoff Ave) on August 6. (Don’t tell your trash, it may not like that moniker).

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

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

Alex Rehberg has been gaining steam in the world of hybrid bass music. His sound delves into the dark textures of drum and bass. Though it is at similar tempos to DnB, much of his work actually explores the half time rhythms. What he creates is sonically vast while maintaining a brooding minimalism. As one of the founding members of Sublimate, a local DJ collective, you can catch him playing live at various venues in town. The next Sublimate show coming up July 30th at The Branx features another PDX resident and crowd favorite, EPROM, as well as Charleroi based producer Alix Perez. This is sure to be a party so don’t miss out! – Nathaniel Clubine

On Thursday July 23rd, The Deli sponsored and helped book a Sofarsounds.com show in NYC. Since the Sofar Sounds shows are always secret, we couldn’t promote the participating bands, therefore we’ll take the opportunity to blog about them today.

The show was hosted in a beautiful apartment in Manhattan’s Battery City by the west river, with gorgeous view of New Jersey. NYC’s folk duo Laura & Greg – pictured above minutes before their performance – opened the show with their delicate and intimate songs, featuring a simple acoustic guitar and two way harmonies that took us back to the glorious days of Simon & Garfunkel. The band released a full length album entitled ‘Forever For Sure’ – you can stream the title track below.

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We were very familiar with the second band on the bill, since they performed at our Best of NYC Fest in June. The Cabana Kids played a stripped down set without giving up the electric guitar, a signature instrument of their dreamy, surf influenced sound. The absence of drums conveied a more folky vibe to their song, allowing their catchy melodies and harmonies to shine.

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Last on the bill, a duo we wrote about a few years ago and we recently re-discovered: Gracie and Rachel (in the top picture). After two guitar based, drumless acts, the two ladies switched things up a little, introducing the audience to their instruments: a piano, a violin, and a kick drum turned on its back, and taken care of by a (charming) dude. What followed could be described as some kind of avant-orchestral bliss: in this music, Gracie Coates’s peculiarly moody songwriting and percussive piano style feeds the imagination of Rachel Ruggles’ classically trained violin. The two also harmonized flawlessly on occasion, displaying an impressively well-rounded talent. Check out their latest single ‘Tiptoe,’ streaming below.

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

Brooklyn psych rockers Weird Owl (who’ve been around long enough to earn the title of "pillar of the local psychedelic scene") recently released their fourth album “Interstellar Skeletal.” Throughout the 9 tracks and nearly 45 minutes of music, the band covers an extensive range of neo-psychedelia, post-rock and alternative/indie. Highlight track “God” pulls a number of these elements together in the best possible way. Initially establishing an electro chill groove, the track’s pace moves along in ways reminiscent of Washed Out’s “Feel It All Around” (a track popularized as the theme song to Portlandia). A big, majestic guitar hook emerges, anchoring the track with an extra dose of memorability, while lyrics like “Can’t get any sleep – there’s noises and this heat” – quite relatable in this NYC summer – contribute to the song’s lynchian haziness. After one more ambient plateau the track continues to build towards a crescendo of snare shots, cymbal crashes and guitar blasts, creating a mayhem effect of epic proportions. The band is now preparing for a mid-September European tour. – Dave Cromwell

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

This past spring, Brooklyn duo The Bright Smoke released their sophomore LP ‘Terrible Towns.’ Upon listening to the ominous, beat-stuttered opener “Hard Pander” and the church bell wistaria of second song “Like Video” (streaming below), we wereinstantly intrigued and quickly hooked. Band founder Mia Wilson’s brusque yet sonorous timbre pleasantly recalls both Portishead’s Beth Gibbons and Florence and the Machine’s titular singer while her lyrics strike of their own sharp beauty. “I don’t wear the sun so well these days/So never mind,” she sings on “Hard Pander,” displaying songwriting that is simultaneously elegant and moving. The Bright Smoke plays at The Mercury Lounge tonight (7/25). – Zach Weg

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

Brooklyn based quintet Three Thousand Rivers plays uplifting and melodically ripe folk-pop with rock and orchestral elements (a violinist and a saxophonist are permanent band members). Their sophomore EP ‘Body Aha’ – which we are premiering below – boasts a remarkably organic sound and, when compared with last year’s debut ‘Like a What?‘, showcases a noteworthy growth in terms of production and songwriting. Whether you’ll spend your summer stuck at work or travelling through foreign landscapes, this is a record that will entertain you and create positive vibes. Three Thousand Rivers will celebrate their release party at The Mercury Lounge on August 8.

We rarely blog about festival (our focus being on single artists), but this weekend’s Gigawatts Fest, organized by fellow NYC based zine 1.21 Gigawatts, features so many good emerging artists from NYC and other scenes we cover that it’s worth mentioning. Tickets can be purrchased here.

Intriguingly combining splendor and ruggedness, defeat and possibility, Queens-born singer/songwriter Matt Sucich’s latest single “Lay Low” (streaming below) is delightfully poignant. It’s the ever kindred story of someone trying to do good and offer love to another but constantly getting beaten down, for reasons even a god wouldn’t know. Gloom isn’t Sucich’s game, though, as his spectral voice and whimsical background production illuminate “Lay Low” with rays of hope and even bashful merriment. Ultimately, the burgeoning musician is just a guy expressing himself, the hurt and the joy. After last night’s show at the Mercury Lounge Matt is scheduled to perform at Joe’s Pub on August 21. – Zach Weg

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