If in the 90s the world realized what women could do with a (distorted) electric guitar in their hands, the 10s will probably be remembered as the decade when femal musicians embraced technology to make some of the best records of the new millennium. Yes, we are generalizing of course, but if you can think of another decade that expressed this many female artists/sound designers/producers (Santigold, St. Vincent, Au Revoir Simone, Julia Easterlin and Tei Shi, to name just a few out of NYC) give us a shout. 

Emerging Toronto /Brooklyn artist Lydia Ainsworth belongs to this talented bunch. She’s been cultivating an enviable musical vocabulary, touching on anything from Enya-esque vocal abstractions to orchestral soundtracks rich with lush strings, and even vaguely oriental sounding industrial experiments. But her new track ‘White Shadows’ (streaming) brings her output to a new level by gathering all these elements together, organically, in an actual song. We are looking forward to more tunes like this one in her debut album ‘Right From Real Pt. I’ – out on June 10. While waiting, you can see Lydia Ainsworth live at Rooftop Film Festivals ‘Dark Toons’ night at  iconic Brooklyn landmark Industry City near Sunset Park.

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

Uber stylish, NYC based, jazz chanteuse Niia (another artist featured in our Best of 2013 list) seems to have embraced the electro-soul-ballad genre, and after unveiling first single ‘Generation Blue’ and its intriguing video, she is now disclosing – quite appropriately, on Vogue magazine – a new track entitled ‘Seeing Red’ (streaming). Both tracks will be included in a full length scheduled for later in 2014. NYC fans and industry people will be able to preview the record early at a May 27 live performance at Sleep No More in Manhattan.

Let’s face it: most musicians aren’t exactly known for wearing suits and ties very often. In fact, a fair number of them don’t even know what a tie is. But for the select few that do make an attempt to dress well for their gigs, the effort does not go unnoticed. Take The Boston Boys for example. The electric folk quartet dresses about as tastefully as they sound, with singer/songerwiter Eric Robertson’s pristine voice at the helm, backed by some of the finest musicians our city has to offer. Their new EP ‘Idea of Love‘ (released on 05.20) is a demostration of how imagination can be applied to the more traditional genres to stunning effect. Indeed, if The Punch Brothers decided to do their thing with amplified instruments and a drummer instead of their acoutstic calling, you might end up with something that sounds like Brooklyn’s The Boston Boys.

See them don their suit and tie in the studio-based video for latest single ‘Get Back Up and Walk’ here, check out our favorite track "The Beginning" strewaming below, and see them live when they play at their EP release show this Friday, May 23rd at 9pm at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Psychedelic surf-rock comes to Brooklyn and finds itself fitting right in with Bodega Bay, a band who made our recent list of Best Emerging NYC Artists at #88. With only a few singles recorded, the quartet already has a slew of shows under its belt, and looks forward to a potentially bright future as a standout lo-fi sound in this music Mecca. The recordings are raw and honest – we like that – barebones drum parts with clean and hazy guitar flowing over them and droning, with sometimes intensely monotone vocals cutting through it all. The band doesn’t seem to have mastered the art of posting songs on Bandcamp or Soundcloud (or maybe they are just not interested), but they do have a few songs streaming on Youtube, here’s a good one. – JP Basileo

P.S. By the way, FYI Youtube is owned by Google while Soundcloud and Bandcamp (as far as we know) are smaller independent entities, so… there’s no excuse not to use them. 

Call them buskers, subway musicians, platform performers or what have you, chances are you may have already heard Too Many Zooz, whether you have traveled through Union Square at the right time, or have stumbled upon their viral videos online (this one is approaching 1 million views, folks!!!). The trio comprises of trumpeter Matt Doe, Leo P. on Baritone Sax and David Parks on drums / various percussion. Taking to the streets with a 3 piece hybrid of dance, samba, big / marching band is never an easy feat. Typically you hustle by these performers during your commute, when  time is of the essence, and there is no reason to slow down, and rarely are drawn into the hypnotic soulfulness that is live music. However, Too Many Zooz gives us something tangible to hang our hat on, the hustle bustle sound of the city personified in every beat, breath and note. For that reason alone people stop in their tracks, take a minute to listen, groove, dance and yes drop a few bucks into their cases before calling it a day. One thing is certain, Subway performers good or bad are there for a reason. To bring art into our daily lives, and Too Many Zooz has struck a note in the New York bloodstream that simply can’t be ignored. – Joey Fish @Squidterm

Featured on the cover of The Deli’s NYC issue #33 (winter 2013), People Get Ready is still one of the best kept secret of the NYC scene (their live shows are particularly entertaining). Hopefully the new album "Physiques," scheduled to be released on June 24 on The National’s label Brassland, will undisclose their edgy and theatrical art pop to the masses. The preview titletrack is an inventive mid tempo that showcases the band’s signature quirky but heartfelt melodies, and their penchant for angular arrangements that somehow sound extremely organic. Don’t miss their next live shows: River to River Fest on June 19 and Album Release Party at Rough Trade on June 24.

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

In the last couple of years we’ve been highlighting the resurgence of soul influences in the NYC scene, and we often used the term "Alt Soul" to describe artists who reinterpreted that musical tradition in a more modern and alternative way. But we never stumbled upon something quite as edgy as Pegasus Warning‘s new single "Change" (video streaming below) – a song that rather than "Alt" requires the prefix "Avant." Accompanied by a chilling, beautifully shot video, this track thrives on the tension between the warm vocal melodies and the glacial arrangement and effects. The result is a vaguely soul tune where the genre’s proverbial heartfelt-ness is almost entirely buried by a cold cerebral layer. Which is something rather unique. The video enhances the "anti-soul" elements by exploring the relationship between success and the feeling of emptiness that can come hand in hand. Pegasus Warning is the brainchild of frontman Guillermo E. Brown who has collaborated with like minded artists such as Twin Shadow, Das Racist, and Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear.

While a good video can enhance a song and invite you in, only a great video is able to meld with the track it’s supporting to create a new experience where both visual and audio form an inseparable piece. This was the feeling we had when watching Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Lexie Roth’s new video for ‘Lost Memory,’ opening track of her 2012 self titled debut album. Both audio and images explore decaying worlds and fragmented memories, but through the power of warped VHS footage, the video takes Lexie’s haunting lyrics and rushing drumbeats to new heights. Listening to the song alone is an experience, but you’re not hearing the whole thing until you see what director Dan Cashman does with it. Check it out below while waiting for Lexie’s new EP she’s finalizing. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets).

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

Brooklyn dark wavers Papertwin – a band we tirelessly mix up with Twintapes – just unveiled this suspenceful video for their song ‘Alkaline,’ opening track of their upcoming EP ‘Vox Humana,’ scheduled for a June release. The band will be playing Glasslands on June 07 and Baby’s All Right for their release party on July first.

LINKS: Read Sam Kogon’s recent interview with Papertwin.

If we were to make a chart of the most important attributes that we think an indie rock band should have, attitude in the lead vocals would be up there together with songwriting and presence on stage – that’s one of the reasons why we like Foxygen so much. Gowanus, Brooklyn based Lightouts score high points in that department, in particular in their new single "My My" (streaming), a fast paced, jangly song that deviates from its natural pop trajectory thanks to lead singer Greg Nelson’s vocals, which, with their character vaguely reminiscent of Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ian McCullough, take everything in a decidedly rock’n’roll direction. The song was recently released in a double single also featuring the song "Disappear."

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

Fronted by NYC indie-hip-hop phenom Creature, Rebelmatic in a live setting bound and swagger across stage conjuring the spirit of Henry Rollins mixed with Tupac. Creature has been working the beat literally and figuratively for years, collaborating with Hip Hop’s biggest and brightest stars from Atmosphere to Kool AD. Rallying under the banners of the NYC Hardcore scene, the Afropunk scene and the Indie Hip Hop scene, Rebelmatic is the hand-grenade in your iced coffee. They play Mercury Lounge on Saturday May 23rd with Radio Daze. Catch them at this intimate venue before they go places. – BrokeMc 

Some music is for lovers, and downtempo normally is. Silent Rider is the moniker of Brooklyn based producer Reed Kackley, who has a knack for blending angelic melodies reminiscent of The Beach Boys with sparse and tasteful electronic arrangements, without ever venturing on the upper side of the BPM rate (apparently an electronic song should be within 90-120 BPM to belong to the Downtempo genre). The band, currently comprised of three musicians, just unvelied the single ‘Rave Love’ (streaming) from the upcoming EP by the same name. If you are in the mood for some sonic softness, you can see them live at Glasslands on May 30.

P.S. Silent Rider should meet the High Highs and tour with them, a match literally made in heaven.

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