There’s no shortage of music with an eighties tinge these days, but that’s not to say there isn’t room for more. In Lazer Cake‘s music, rhythmic synths throb under exultant melodies and chiming beats, resulting in a twitchy nervousness readymade for the indie dancefloor. Earnest vocals from Lazar singer/drummer Robby Sinclair are backed by dynamic washes of synth via Alan Markley, swaying guitars from Tom Deis and Grant Zubritzky’s punchy bass. New romanticism under stress becomes pure expression. You’ll have an opportunity to see Lazer Cake live at The Deli’s official CMJ show at Rockwood Music Hall on October 22nd. – Francesca Baker

If you’re feeling nostalgic for the vintage rock sounds of the ’50s and early ’60s, you can turn to Jeremy & The Harlequins. On October 10 the band will bring their barebones sound — classic, yet reinvigorated with impassioned, heavily delayed vocals –  to Pianos for The Deli’s CBGB’s Fest Rock’n’Roll Revival Show. On the bill also the VeeVees and other vintage sounding groups.

The band is also taking this opportunity to premiere on our blog this uhmmm…. stylish video NYC based performance artist, Lady Alchemy, was inspired to direct, shoot and star for the band’s latest track, "Sunlight in the Rain." Apparently, no male human being was involved in the creation of this video!

LINKS: Read JP Basileo interview with Jeremy & the Harlequins.

The just released two-track EP “Psychic Slack” from Brooklyn rockers Chimes is presented as something of a genre defining statement, featuring an evident shift from shoegaze influences, embraced in the previous single, to a style more indebted with psychedelia and punk. Side A’s “Total Sunflower” alternates between Winston Scarlett’s bass guitar driven forward throttle and vocalist/guitarist Jesse Benicaso’s casual near-spoken-word verses. Pulsating guitar drone wig outs from Jesse and guitarist Linda Chen modulate with unhinged abandon, while Sarah Peterson’s rock solid beat never falters underneath. B-side “Rinso” focuses on heavy flanged guitar wash pans throughout the stereo field as female fronted tandem-vocals take a turn. The tracks longer form (4:45 in length) provides more room for instrumental forays and an extended ambient end-out. – Dave Cromwell

For those familiar with his straight-forward yet multi-dimensional lyrical escapades, this is a highly anticipated release. Homeboy Sandman is one of those rappers who, by saying exactly how he feels, pulls you directly into his corner and gets you rooting for him. His style and approach breathe new life into the art of rap. Like halfway into the video for the single “Problems” he says, “I’m surrounded by Hipsters, what does that say about me? Maybe I’m not being honest with myself. Hipsters love independent movies, shit, I love independent movies, actually I just like independent movies, so I guess I’m cool there.” His honesty pushes us to be more honest with our own thoughts, styles, and self-perceptions. Whatever problems he may have, making great memorable music isn’t one of them. – BrokeMc

Sometimes names don’t really matter – Vomitface is a force to be reckoned with. The nausea afflicted Brooklyn trio just released this very cool video for their tense, explosive single "Sloppy Joe," which plods along with uber-saturated bursts of noise. Check it out!

Drone-Pop Brooklynites Lazyeyes are back with a new single entitled "Islip" that introduces their upcoming EP, to be released later in 2014. The track, named after the Long Island town famous for… an ’80s garbage incident, has the melodic flair of Morrisey and the driven darkness of Interpol. The group is scheduled to play Rough Trade on 09.26 with LA’s SWIMM and The Henry Millers.

Another round of congratulations are in order for The Deli Readers’ Best of NYC 2014 artist, Late Cambrian: The band just announced a (noteworthy) month long European tour with Wheatus and MC Frontalot, starting on September 30, and featuring more than 20 dates in the UK and Ireland and a few in continental Europe. The rock pop quartet, whose contagious live energy we witnessed in person at our latest B.E.A.F. fest, will be releasing their new full length ‘Golden Time’ in November, and unveiled a few singles from it – check out "Throwing Shades," streaming below. – Photo by Jeong Park

Bands that last are often tied by bonds developed during their high school years (or earlier). New York natives Jack and Eliza have been chums since childhood, which explains the genuine warmth of their two-way harmonies. The folk-pop duo’s style is simple: two electric guitars and male/female voices, all blending in the most natural way imaginable. Two singles available on Soundcloud — "Secrets" and "Hold the Line" — went viral earlier this year channeling the relaxed, "beachy" atmosphere of Real Estate in a folkier, sparser approach. Today the band is releasing their debut EP ‘No Wonders,’ featuring those singles plus three more songs – you can find it on Spotify and iTunes, or buy it from their website. The record release party will be hosted at Baby’s All Right on 10.01. The band will be performing at The Deli’s CMJ Rootsy Stage at Rockwood Music Hall on October 22nd.

Every musician should have the sentence "Less Is More" tattooed on a part of their body often visible to their eyes – because unless you aspire to be the new Frank Zappa or Trent Reznor, you want your music to breathe. It’s a concept that  Brooklyn synth-pop duo Kodacrome knows well and practices flawlessly, both from a musical and visual standpoint. New single "The City is Burning" is a beautiful exercise in restraint, that somehow manages to "straighten" a complex 5/4 tempo. Every element in the arrangement is measured and essential: the minimalistic electric piano melody; the slightly vocoded drone of the simple melody; the sober rhythm pattern. The stunning video matches the song’s ascetic atmosphere by showing – in religious black and white – the miracle of water in all its glory, while semi-intelligible lyrics seem to stress the vulnerability of the human condition: "frozen summer/golden handcuffs/you are such a mess." Give this song/video some time, and you’ll be touched.

At the end of 2013 Brooklyn quintet Tiny Hazard caught us off guard with this song and video – so much so that we had to invent a new "Best of" just for the occasion (we don’t do Video of the Month here at The Deli). The band is now releasing a new track (‘Silouhette’ – streaming below) that fully confirms their talent and – dare we say – uniqueness of sound. Presenting themselves as ‘experimental pop’ (we are always suspicious when we hear the word ‘experimental’ – it seems like everybody wants a piece of that pie in Brooklyn) Tiny Hazard offer complex, unpredictable songs that definitely deserve the ‘Avant-‘ appellation, while Alena Spanger’s beautifully contrived melodies keep the overall sound well inside the ‘pop’ territory. This is a band that deserves attention, don’t miss their next live show at Le Poisson Rouge on 09.26 opening for Kneebody and Kimbra.

In her single ‘Townie’ (streaming) – from upcoming debut LP ‘bury me at makeout creek‘ – Brooklyn based pop/rock muse Mitski sings about parties with no return, and her intention not to fulfill her dad’s dreams. She sounds like an early PJ Harvey with a fuller sound: inspired, careless and full of life. The second track available for streaming – ‘first love/late spring‘ – is instead a ballad that catapults us back to the 60s, and those elegant love songs sung by charming crooners, even though the arrangement here could have been created by The Pixies from the ‘Bossanova’ period. These are noteworthy tunes for such a young artist, and they make us look forward to the album release, scheduled for November. In the meantime, don’t miss Mitski live at Baby’s All Right on September 24.

Margaret Glaspy — a California native and ex Boston resident — seems a well of unfettered emotion. Pairing bluesy guitar lines and melancholic lyrics, the anti-folk chanteuse trades binding technicality for a vocal style as devastating as it is enchanted. We’ve yet to find a voice quite like hers. 2012’s five-track record, “If & When,” is a charming collection of short stories on love lost, and is well worth revisiting. Margaret Glaspy will be performing at The Deli’s CMJ official Roots Stage at Rockwood Music Hall on 10.22. – Jillian Dooley