It looks like the 1.21 Gigawatts crew managed to grab every single decent to good to great indie rock band that’s up and coming in Brooklyn today for their upcoming 4 day yearly festival at Radio Bushwick on July 17-20: Bluffing, Big Neck Police, Infinity Shred, Sunflower Bean, Shark?, Tonstartsbandht, Celestial Shore, The Gradients, hell they even got Fiasco on the bill?! I remember listening to Fiasco in high school wishing I was cool enough to go to their shows, but back then I wasn’t in it for the music as much as trying to find an identity in this fucked up city we call home (calling all high school indie rockers: don’t be ashamed, you may not be old enough to drink yet but you are allowed to fuck up as many times as you want, so go to these shows, maybe you’ll get lucky and they won’t draw the X’s on your hand too deep!)

There will be also teen indie folk talent and recent Deli Record of the Month Frankie Cosmos. I could keep going, but the bottom line is that 1.21 Gigawatts is having a fun party with lots of talented NYC artist – I’ll be there! – Jake Saunders

It’s nice to see our Artist of the Month winners ascend to higher skies – it’s the case with Brooklyn dream pop quartet Field Mouse (see their Deli chart rankings), who – after winning our poll in 2011 have been patiently working on consistently good material – that’s the only way to make things happen! The new single ‘Everyone But You’ (streaming) displays an improved production and the usual catchiness, courtesy of Rachel Brown’s dreamy melodies. The band will be releasing their debut LP ‘Hold Still Life’ on July 22nd – release party at Pianos on August. Check out their recent video for ‘Tomorrow is Yesterday’ here. 

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

Going through our digital submission queue always gives us a glimpse of the incredible variety of music made in NYC, but we rarely find an artist whose work efficiently encompasses many different genres without losing its core identity. When that happens, though, it’s a real treat. We didn’t know much about the songwriter who goes by Manett other than that she hails from the post punk band called Cholo, yet her vocals contain a distinct clarity that makes her music something easy to relate to. Although most of her tunes contain a similarly up-beat and brightly colored aura, there is an incredible range of tonalities; the songs alternate between primarily electronic sounds to acoustic, at times her vocals are distorted and at other times crystal clear. Take note of the artist who successfully masters inconsistency, it’s not an easy task. – Jake Saunders

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

Where the genre of “psych rock” will usually refer to “psychedelic rock,” Skull Practitioners take it to a level where the meaning “psychosis rock” would be more appropriate, hurling harsh guitar tones and thumping bass haunts, along with an avalanche of drum fills, into a whirlwind of amplified delirium. The NYC trio produces a heavier and more diverse wall of sound than most five-piece bands out there, swelling and punching up and down scales and arpeggios, blasting through fuzz and decay, resulting in a bleakly intense look into a mind lost. With different vocalists featured on various tracks, it might be difficult to discern an established frontman, but does it matter? The sounds coming from Jason Victor and Ken Levine’s amps, back Alex Baker’s drums are the huge focus here. – JP Basileo

We can’t call it a day over here without a Deli dose of rootsy music, and today we have a treat from you from one of NYC’s best kept folk secret, duo She Keeps Bees, who are scheduled to drop their new album ‘Eight Houses’ in September 16th on Future Gods Records. Featuring the band’s close friend Sharon Van Etten on back-up vocals, ‘Is What It Is" (streaming) reveals a new direction for the group, with a minimal use of electronic drums in the background and an overall sound stripped down to the very bone. Thing is, this is a band with beautiful bones. See them at Cameo Gallery on August 21.

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

For the fourth time in as many years, lower Manhattan’s South Street Seaport will host the Village Voice’s day long. free entry 4Knots Music Festival. Happening on Saturday July 12 from 1-8 pm, the event is rain or shine, and as in previous years bands will perform on two alternating stages. An eclectic assemblage of artists is scheduled to appear this year, running the gamut from legendary status, those solidly established over the last year all the way through to fresh and emerging acts.

One noteworthy band on the rise who has recently released their first full length album titled “Slumber” is Brooklyn’s Dead Stars. Currently embarked on an east coast and midwestern tour, the band will wrap that up with a homecoming appearance at this event. The new collection of songs takes what was already appealing about this band and multiplies it exponentially. Opening track “Someone Else” grabs hold with the chorus hook a mere 50 seconds in, and memories of every uptempo, Americana band you ever loved runs wildly through your head. The timely “Summer Bummer” (streaming) leans heavily on the solid backbeat dropped down by master sticksman Jaye Moore. Cousin Jeff’s playful lyrics echo Joey Ramone’s casual nonchalance towards negativity, while John’s bass lands squarely on Lou Barlow’s groove.

Another up and comer performing who proudly represents the borough of Queens is Juan Wauters, also known as the songwriting force behind lo-fi Brooklyn gem The Beets, now signed to Captured Tracks. Though he claims his songs represent an evolving search for that specific sound which will never come to be, the 60’s era folk groove of his first 7” single “Sanity” belie such nihilism. While the track’s lyrical subject matter may explore darker corners of human psyche, its rhythmic groove evokes original British invasion folk-poppers like Peter & Gordon. The vocal delivery and overall vibe conjures up images of Austin Powers leading a line dance down Carnaby Street.

This year’s big name headliner is 90’s legends Dinosaur Jr, who reunited a few years ago and have consistently put out new material ever since, and are probably one of the most influential band in Brooklyn’s current 90’s rock revival. Other acts scheduled to perform are Mac DeMarco (he’s a New Yorker now!), Those Darlins, Speedy Ortiz, Radkey, Viet Cong, Nude Beach and Re-TROS. – Dave Cromwell

So how do you know when you’re partying too hard? For Good Times Cocaine, the answer might be ‘never.’ Tracks like ‘Weekend Friend’ and ‘Kings of the Summer’ are the perfect late night companions. Turbo-charged with high-velocity riiffage and sweet ass harmonies perfect for sipping (or gulping) down a couple beers. But these aren’t just jock rockers either. While most tracks off the pop punk duo’s debut EP ‘#selfie’ will become the soundtrack to your weekend, one of their best songs might be album closer ‘Back To You:’ a bittersweet memory of someone they’re remembering while ‘marching through the longest of days.’ Check it out below, and see the band when they play Pete’s Candy Store on Saturday, July 19th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

Dynasty Electric – one of our favorite NYC party bands – just released this new video that reads like some kind of documentary of the lifestyle your average Deli (male) writer lives here in Brooklyn: nightly parties with hot women and lots of cash flying around! (As a matter of fact that’s what Deli writers normally contribute to these parties: piles of flying $100 dollar bills – NEVER miss a Deli party again!). The song feature emerging hip hop starlet  Luminahdi, and was born from an improvised studio session. 

Merging disparate influences comes natural to Half Waif‘s Nandi Rose Plunkett, maybe because of her Indian, Irish, Swiss and American roots, as well as classical training, love of electronic instrumentation, and a natural inclination towards a pop hook. New track ‘Ceremonial’ (streaming) might take a while to enter your system, but once it does, you’ll be transported by its grace and unexpected depth. From globules of bouncy pop to classic low string style synths, the song shifts through genres with surprising dexterity. There’s a slight off beat to the 4/4 rhythm underpinning the various sonic layers, suggesting a slight element of conflict between the inner and outer, a transience, like that of the waif. Even her voice constantly shifts – crisp enunciation falls on the beat, punctuated with chanting gasps, followed by a soaring bridge with stretched vocals. A downshift in tempo two minutes in does not seem out of place in a track only 4 minutes long, but instead augments its simple symphonic quality. Featured in our latest Best of NYC year end list, Half Waif is currently working on her first full length album, and you can see  live on Friday 11th July at Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn. – Francesca Baker

Rock pop outfit Cheap Blue Yonder‘s first full-length release, titled ‘Light Sleeper,’ came out in March 2014. With tunes like "I’m Not Trying" and "When You Woke Up…" (streaming) that walk the balance beam between elegant melodies, dissonance and straightforward rock ‘n’ roll, Cheap Blue Yonder gives us music that’s hummable and intriguing at once. The band’s lighthearted stage presence, in a scene dominated by extremely serious musicians, is an extra plus. See them live when they play Rockwood Music Hall on Friday June 27.

LINKS: Read Christine Cauthen’s interview with Cheap Blue Yonder.

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

In their latest EP ‘WIND & RAIN‘ Brooklyn’s dreamy folksters Wild Leaves got us used to a really, really slow pace, so the video of new, upbeat single ‘Forever Moonlight’ (streaming below) sounds like some sort of warm-season-induced awakening of senses, and perception and summer – together with traveling – seem to be central themes in the video. The band is gearing up for a Rough Trade show with Deli favorites Streets of Laredo, scheduled for July 10.

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

The aggressive grunge punk trio known as Low Fat Getting High puts a bullet bursting with energy, catchy choruses and rough edges right between your eyes. The band has been slowly making a name for themselves thanks to their energetic live shows, and has captured that sort of flare on their latest 4-song EPs: 2013’s ‘Bad Yoga‘ and recently released ‘Poor Circulation‘ – a fanzine/EP collectors might want to own (the band’s songwriter Michael Sincavage is a skilled illustrator who has contributed with his work to various issues of The Deli). Interesting doors have been opening for the band in the last year, including shows in support of Titus Andronicus, Jon Spencer and Bass Drum of Death, and – on June 24 – they’ll be celebrating their (internet) TV debut at the Chris Gethard Show.

LINKS: Read Michael Haskoor’s interview with Low Fat Getting High.