Relocating from Mexico City to Brooklyn could prove to be a successful move for synth poppers, DF3. Between 2013 and 2014, the band wrote, recorded, and produced their debut album with the help of producers Michael Brauer (Coldplay, Twin Shadow, The Rolling Stones), Dave Bascombe (Chromeo, Goldfrapp, Ereasure) and Chris Zane (Passion Pit, St. Lucia). The band’s first single “Tell Me” is an uptempo jam reminiscent of an 80s escapade, with a lyrically serious undertone. Their follow up “Gotta Run”, which we are premiering here, advocates taking risks with a disreputable woman, a circumstance also encouranged by their EDM-ish sound – isn’t cheap sex what clubbing is all about, after all?  – Robert Frezza

Now that, by releasing his band This Pocket Hercules‘ debut album, he unveiled to the world his music preferences, VICE’s staff writer River Donaghey may start getting a lot of emails from NYC bands that play slacker rock or ’90s revival and are looking for coverage. Or maybe he won’t, since most musicians into those genres think it’s totally uncool to care about press (even though they secretly do). Fans of early Pavement will surely find something interesting about this Greenpoint based trio, and they’ll be able to see them live at Shea Stadium on March 25 with Free Throw, Soda Bomb, and Battle Ave.

Benjamin Cartel from indie folk duo Kaiser Cartel is about to release his first solo EP, entitled "Money and Love." Several songs, like the Morriconian pop single “No One” (streaming) were written before Kaiser Cartel’s formation. Others, like the rave-up title track, are newer compositions. You can catch him live at Rockwood Music Hall on March 29.

We were curious to see Brooklyn garage rockers Heeney in action again, after they placed 8th in our Best of NYC Poll for emerging artists, and we caught in them in Austin at Lambert’s BBQ during the SESAC SXSW last Wednesday. They produced an impressively tight, powerful and fun show. Mark Fletcher, Max Kagan and Scott Andrews alternated at the lead vocals and backing vocals, but this didn’t affect the uniformity of their grunge influenced punk rock. The band recently unveiled this one-shot video for single "In the Mind," and will be back in NYC with two upcoming shows at Aviv on March 27 and at The Studio on April 11.

We are not entirely sure why, but the name "Odetta" fired up jazzy expectations the instant we stumbled upon it. Those expectation were not betrayed by East Village native Odetta Hartman‘s music, a heterogeneous brand of orchestral folk, enriched by jazzy influences. The 25 year old lady can play pretty much any instrument with strings on it, from guitar to banjo to violin, and after three releases with band, is about to release he first strictly solo album, entitled "222." She recently premiered first single "Creektime" (streaming), which reveals a sparser and more succint approach to songwriting, but also a more experimental and intense sound, incorporating samples from field recordings, and shifting her melodic angle from the distracting melodies of jazz to the simpler but more intense ones of its cousin blues. You can see Odettal live at Baby’s All Right on March 29th.

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

It always makes us cringe when a band we like (or any band, really) chooses to premiere their music through the WSJ (is there anything less rock’n’roll than a newspaper with a biased, now consistently far right opinion section?), but our love for Pearl and the Beard goes beyond that. The unstoppable Brooklyn trio has just released their new album "Again Animal," which, judging from single "You" (streaming), develops the band’s folky sound in a more driven and rock’n’roll direction. They will also be touring the west coast with another unstoppable NY lady, Ani Di Franco.

In line with their punk ethos, Bushwick’s newest ’90s-west-coast-punk-rock addition Pass Away don’t seem to care that much about introducing themselves to the world, maybe also because they are all seasoned veterans of the punk rock scene. Comprised of two-thirds former I Am The Avalanche members Mike Ireland and Kellen Robson, and one-third current Crime In Stereo member Eric Fairchild, they’ve only been around for a few months and have already opened up for The Movielife (at one of their reunion shows at Irving Plaza this month) and dropped an exciting 6-track EP titled ‘Hey Death,’ with Black Numbers releasing the debut EP on 7" coming soon. While waiting, you can see them live at Amityville Music Hall on 03.19.

Read Michael Haskoor’s richly sarcastic interview with the band here.

Public Access T.V. – a band that many consider a potential "next big NYC thing" because of their young age and vague resemblance to The Strokes both in the attitude and songwriting departments – just announced the release of their debut "Public Access" EP  on Grizzly Bear Chris Taylor’s label Terrible Records. They took the opportunity to unveil single "Metropolis," streaming below, a melodic mid tempo that quotes a series of classic pop masters from David Bowie to The Beatles. The EP will be out this spring, just after a US tour that will include a series of shows in Austin for the SXSW festival.

Two Brooklyn bands called Al Gore and the Memorial Gore Four got “Yoko’d” into a new sonic monster, Memorial Gore, which brings to mind a bit more Cronenberg and a bit less greenhouse gas and is totally for the best. Their 2013 debut “Demos,” displays a warm, hazy sounding and rather light hearted garage-rock, while the more recent releases (including "say What You Will," streaming) reveal punk revival influences within an overall power pop environment. It’s fun and a bit familiar, unpolished energy. Think of them as your college pals having fun without you – although you can catch up with them at Fontana’s on April 9th. – Leora Mandel

We’ve always been fans of Sam Cohen‘s band Yellowbirds, which celebrated their farewell show in November 2014, so it’s great to hear that the NYC composer and producer is coming out with a solo album entitled "Cool It," scheduled for a late April release. Single "Let the Mountain Come to You" (streaming) features heavy ’70s influences and Sam’s signature vocals.

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

After the gloom and doom of a brutally cold NYC winter, NYC/Athens band Kuroma give us a great excuse to rejoyce the way good old Christians do, only for something a little more mundane: the anticipation of summer! The band’s new video "Simon’s In The Jungle" and its colorful animations are like a pure shot of aural sun. Look out for their debut album our in April.

"Terrible Towns," the second LP from NYC dark side duo, The Bright Smoke, promises a furtherance away from the conventional pop sounds, and an instillation of despondent intrigue that creates, like the band’s name, a positive vibe with a twang of the gloomy. The second single, entitled “Exit Door” (streaming) is a vocally driven pop tune of eerier familiarity, but with effectual harmonizing and distant guitar tones that creep up and down the skin. Singer Mia Wilson’s voice is a penetrating force that contrasts with the hazy mixture of reverbed guitars and the time-bomb tack of drums, but works together to command your attention and send chills down your spine. "Terrible Towns" is out this April, with the record release party scheduled for April 17th at the Mercury Lounge. – JP Basileo

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