If you follow us faithfully you’ll know that, even though we blog about a lot of different music, bands that sound truly different make us go: "what?" – hey, it’s the NYC scene we are talking about after all… Brooklyn’s Star Rover is a band that defies the genre categories we are so fond of, and this earns them extra points. But it doesn’t mean that we won’t try to throw a label at them: instrumental-prog-roots-rock-that-doesn’t-suck-although-this-label-would-make-you-think-so. You can catch all that at their upcoming Monday night April residency at the Manhattan Inn, in Greenpoint. They’ll also share the stage with other rather "weird" bands we like like Celestial Shore, Steve Marion (Delicate Steve) and Benjamin Lazar Davis (Cuddle Magic). First show on April 7 with Celestial Shore.

The collaboration between Brooklyn based Dee Dee Penny (Dum Dum Girls) and San Diego’s Brandon Welchez (Crocodiles) Haunted Hearts was many years dreamt, one cold winter realized. The duo’s debut full-length, entitled ‘Initiation,’ will be released on May 27th 2014, but we have a video for the single right here and right now, and it’s intriguing us. Dee Dee’s lazy vocals lay a stretched melody on a dilated background of what sounds like an everchanging drone of reversed guitars, creating a suggestive atmosphere reminiscent of a hybrid of Best Coast and the Velvet Underground at their droniest. Bicostal indeed! We are digging the lo-sci-fi video as well!

It’s certainly not easy to "sense" summer here in NYC when the temperature out there is still around freezing, but some people are indeed getting ready for the sunny months – and a band with a name like "Hurray! a Bolt of Light!" couldn’t possibly have any other plans. The NYC pop group will release their sophomore album with a show at Rockwood’s Stage 2 on April 5. It features sun drenched tunes like streaming single ‘Ten Feet Tall,’ where a perky rhythm section animates the band’s hummable melodies, building up to borderline epic choruses.

If you like unassuming, short and charming pop songs about high school, firemen and buses, look no further than 19 year old singer-songwriter Frankie Cosmos. In her just released first full-length ‘Zentropy,’ (though she’s put out at least 40 other digital records on Bandcamp over the years – no joke!) Greta Kline reveals much of her inner child, whether singing about what her dad is up to or how birthdays don’t mean you’re getting older. But ‘Zentropy’ equally exposes a young lady just beginning to wrestle with explorations of love and life anxieties. It’s a fascinating journey just begun, and songs like "Birthday" (streaming below), showcase a melodic talent that’s not afraid to experiment with tempo changes and assorted influences, without losing her signature, intimate style.
If Frankie Cosmos manages to keep half these levels of prolificity in her 20s, we can definitely expect a bunch of hits from her. Because great music – like everything else – is all about trying hard.

See her when she plays at Glasslands on April 28th with garage-pop quartet Toons. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

Singer-songwriter/actor OJR might have been raised in Virginia, but his heart belongs to New York. One-half stone cold rocker, one-half rootsy folkie, Oliver John-Rodgers is a missing connection between Dylan’s acerbic lyrics, and Lou Reed’s deadpan rock posturing that’s desperately needed out there in the jungles of Bushwick. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This artist submitted his music for coverage here.

The Bottom Dollars are that well-worn pair of jeans you can always rely on to get you where you’re headed: no matter how dirty they may get. It’s that classic rock energy that works like nothing else as your reliable late night, bar-hopping soundtrack. Coming off a recent album release and a string of dates at this year’s SXSW, the Brooklyn band is currently touring the West Coast  after releasing their new single, ‘Smoker’ (streaming). Taken from their recent debut full length ‘Meet Me In Cognito,’ the track powers through an admission of guilt over a nasty habit. Through pounding drums and down-home guitar solos, the band tries persuading you that ‘momma didn’t raise a smoker.’ Listen below to one of the catchiest tracks from the album, and see if you’re convinced. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Folks, since garage, punk and 90s guitar rock are back in fashion big time, we created a new Deli NYC Playlist featuring the best tracks by local bands who play similar genres – check it out HERE!

We’ll keep updating it with new tunes by the best NYC based guitar rock bands we blog about.

The Deli’s Staff

In a world that seems to lack answers to important topics (what happened to Flight 360? Does Putin go to the gym?) Brooklyn garage-pop quartet Toons has been trying to address some fairly weighty – and obviously borough-related – questions… like: "where did all this milk come from? Where did all these cows come from?" And with these solid interrogations, these hard-rocking doods have just launched the crazy fun behind their latest full-length ‘Born2Milk.’ It’s a shit-kicking, good time, perfect for anyone who remembers K Records’ bouncy dance tracks from back in the day. Check out ‘Milkn’ below and bring your milk moustache out with you when you see them play at Glasslands on April 28th with talented lo-fi female songwriter Frankie Cosmos. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

Brooklyn based, and Chicago born Amatus – who wears what’s likely to be the most glorious afro in the borough – is a composer, singer and clothing designer, and has just released a new collection of soulful post-R&B tracks entitled ‘Broken Compass.’ Production on the five-track record is a little gritty, but this doesn’t hide the artist’s potential. We like in in particular opening song ‘Messin’ (streaming), an its abrasively stylish, powerful electro-soul track. The rest of the album is slightly more minimalistic, and nods heavily to the Phildelphia neo soul sound of the late ‘90s and early millennium. – Jordannah Elizabeth

We are suckers for mellow, psychedelic bands with sulrty female vocalists. That’s why we are writing about Brooklyn group Metal Mountains and their droney single "Structures in the Sun" (streaming below), full of references to the glorious days when acid was the shit, and the Hammond organ the hippest of keyboards. A violin – filtered through guitar pedals – adds an extra layer of beauty. The band released a 7 track album a few months ago (you can find it on Spotify), that’s consistently mellow, dreamy and… drumless. Check them out live at Baby’s All Right on Sunday March 23 with Zachary Cale.

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

LA/Chicago/NYC based one woman band Fielded (wow, that’s a lot of cities for one person!) is the project of producer Lindsay Powell (originally one half of sister duo Festival and part of experimental prog project Ga’an), who creates loop based music featuring random percussive sounds, synths and several layers of her voice. Latest single "Reign" (from upcoming EP ‘Universally Handsome’) sounds like a truly genreless – although vaguely african sounding – pop gem.  Refreshingly, unlike most electronic acts out there, Lindsay doesn’t feel compelled to fill up the sonic spectrum with all sorts of parts, if not – occasionally, and appropriately – to propelle the track’s chorus. 

This is a talented, original artist that deserves more attention; you have a chance to see her live in Brooklyn at Death by Audio tomorrow (03.21).

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

Black Bird White Sky describe themselves as a "rock/electro band from NYC with a taste for tragic romance, lyrical melodies and throbbing beats" – and we thought to bring them to your attention because we thing we all need a little bit of "tragic romance" in our lives… We stumbled upon them randomly while checking out what Brooklyn post punkers Grassfight were up to – the two bands are sharing Pianos’ stage tonight, March 20th. Check out their latest video "Talk Talk Talk" streaming below.