A couple of weeks ago we sent out an email to our list of NYC based bands and musicians saying that Manhattan’s rehearsal studio the Music Building gave them the opportunity to get interviewed by The Deli. Well after listening to over 100 submissions, we decided to give the coverage to Vincent Brue’s Lifenight Guards, who by the way are playing Mercury Lounge tonight (July 10). The furious pace of their releases (20 albums and over 500 songs since the turn of the millennium) somewhat clashes with their atmospheric, acoustic, reassuring but modern alt folk sound – they already have two EPs out in 2014. Check out single "New Family" from the EP ‘Bruetown,’ streaming below. Interview coming soon!

P.S A Deli piece of advice for the band: please get some press shots done before we publish the interview.

Featuring top notch musicians – including one from The Stepkids, who graced our magazine’s cover a couple of years ago – Evil Arrows is the new project of whimsical rock songwriter Bryan Scary (in the picture, unless it’s Robert Smith). The band just released three EPs in a few months (here’s the third) featuring an eclectic selection of songs, united by a lighthearted, melodic and mostly upbeat mood and a semi-orchestral instrumentation. Of the two "official’ singles we prefer the dancier one, entitled ‘Rejection’ (streaming) which flirts with Motown and Glam at once. The band is promising "a rapid-fire succession of mix tape-like mini-albums, videos, and other multimedia collaborations over the course of 2014" so watch out!

Combining the simplicity of the AGD school of songwriting with the depth of multiple instrumentation and earworm acapella melodies, Poor Remy is a band who likes to shout about their feelings. Currently Queens-based, their move back from Kenyon College in Ohio is a common topic in Poor Remy’s music as their songs suggest a sort of mellifluous nervousness. Sit back and bask in the lilting string work, dense harmonies, and enigmatic enthusiasm that Poor Remy’s music embodies. Poor Remy will be playing The Deli’s Ten Year Anniversary Party at Brooklyn Bazaar on 08.02 at 7.30.

LINKS: Francesca Baker’s interview with Poor Remy.

Water is a psych pop band composed of three young Brooklynites who caught our ear with their debut single ‘Water,’ a true indie rock gem reminiscent of The Pixies’ more melodious late tunes (think "Avalina"), but less schizofrenic. The song mixes vintage dreamy atmospheres and garage tones to create a catchy blend of psych pop/rock dressed with well produced loud/quiet/loud contrasts. That is for now the only song they have available for streaming, but from Sammie Spector’s interview with the band (link below) it sounds like we’ll soon hear new material.

LINK: Interview with Brooklyn band Water
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

The low-key, Connecticut based, punk rock outfit headed by Gregory Wharmby called Jagged Dream Chronicle has hardly any social media presence. But one thing’s for sure, they do know how to play some good punk rock. They kind of sound like if AFI were to grow up in the New York Hardcore (NYHC) scene. Listen to the track titled "Horselover Fat" via Soundcloud and hear for yourself. The track appears on the upcoming LP ‘Horns Of Ormus‘ that was just released last week (and can’t be embedded!).  – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

Seeing one of our past Artist of the Month (in this case The Ludlow Thieves) headline what’s undeniably the most prestigious NYC venue (the Bowery Ballroom) is very exciting and rewarding. In particular when you know that these NYC folk rockers earned it by working relentlessly on their music, live show and fan base year after year. The band also took the opportunity to make public their first official video for single ‘World Completely’ – which actually gives you a pretty good idea of what you can expect at tomorrow’s show.

Needless to say, life in Vermont flows at a different pace than in NYC. That’s why all New Yorkers interested in hanging on to their mental sanity should spend a few weeks a year in Vermont. But if, like us, you can afford no vacation, music from that land can offer some form of relief. Burlington’s Alpenglow play beautiful, acoustic pastoral folk that’s so detached from the metropolitan lifestyle it almost sounds unreal – and so looks the video for single ‘Brothers in Crime’ (streaming). Against any logical reasoning, they recently relocated to Brooklyn, and announced the release of the ‘Chapel’ EP. Even just the titles of their songs (‘Catskills,’ ‘Solitude,’ ‘Fields,’ ‘Old Country’) sound exactly like what your average stressed out New Yorker needs. I guess we’ll see in the next few months how this city affects the musical output of a band accustomed to a completely different lifestyle! Give yourself a break and see them at Baby’s All Right on 07.13 with likeminded Brookynite Lapland.

It definitely took me a couple listens to dig behind the mess of emotions and feelings that come up within Charly Bliss‘ music. Eva Hendricks’ high-pitched vocals might come across as a little shrill at first, but don’t take long to become part of a glorious over-arcing energy of punk-ridden overdrive. But behind that there’s definitely a lot more going on. Take the song "Urge to Purge" from the brand new EP ‘Soft Serve,’ where Hendricks shrieks: "Everyday’s the same/When you get home from work I try and keep you entertained/And you know we’re both so far from sane/Picking fights to let you know I’m glad you came." The song is one big "fuck you" to the mundane, the domestic, and the monotony that consumes our lives from time to time. Although the desire for more excitement is ever present in their music, which we see through blasts of overdrive and momentous climaxes, Charly Bliss’ is not a band with negative energy, in fact we’re feeling posy-vibes all around. See Charly Bliss live at Glasslands on August 16. – Jake Saunders

In 2010 Lia Ices put a spell on us with her gorgeous sophomore album ‘Grown Unknown,’ which earned her the cover of the Winter 2011 issue of The Deli. Admittedly we found ourselves wondering when we would hear from Lia again (the only release after that album was a split single featuring a cover of Pink Floyd’s "Wish You Wer Here"). Well, the wait is over: Jagjaguwar has just announced the September release of a new full length entitled ‘ICES’, and made available single "Thousand Eyes" (streaming), which shows us a breezier, slightly more uptempo, and also a little more lo-fi approach. As usual Lia’s magnetic vocals carve ethereal melodies that will intrigue fans of Enya or Cocteau Twins. No mentions of live performances as of now.

A band we’ve been following for a while, Brooklyn’s Landlady seems ready to step to the next level of indie rock stardom. The group’s upcoming LP ‘Upright Behavior’ was nominated Album of the Month by the Rough Trade NYC staff. Also, the band recently landed a major booking deal with Billions, which consequently opened the doors to a US tour opening for Deli Favorite Rubblebucket and Man Man. Check out their brand new preview single "Girl" below and catch them live at  Baby’s All Right on July 15.

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

NYC popstress Catey Shaw, who received a fair amount of attention in 2013 for this single and video (which conquered none other than Perez Hilton’s ears), just announced the release of a new EP entitled "Brooklyn," scheduled for September, and took the opportunity to unveil a track from it entitled ‘Revolution’ (streaming). But that’s not it because on July 15 she will disclose the single and video for ‘Brooklyn Girls’ and then play a free show at Baby’s All Right on 07.17. It promises to be a colorful night.

There’s nothing generically slacker rock (or generically post rock, for that matter) about Gross Relations’ new EP, “Wasted Time,” released June 25th, which showcases the band’s best songs and production to date. If one were to cut any of the four songs in half, you’d have a perfect example of one genre or the other, but together, their futuristic synth-wave keyboards throw simple, catchy bar chord licks, and muffed, reverb-heavy vocals create a cool break from convention, and a nice trip back in time. Neither side of the project is overdone to become self-evident. Just when you think a song is going to be wholly one, the other injects itself seamlessly, all complimented by a heartfelt vocal harmonizing that acts as an added layer of reverb or fuzz. Check out title-track "Wasted Time" below. – JP Basileo