This is the third time we’ve blogged about NYC’s electro duo Cardiknox, and they just keep getting better.

Last week they premiered their new single “Wasted Youth” on Earmilk. The track is driven by Lonnie Angle’s lead vocals which pierce through charged electronic beats and 80s style production with a ferocious quality – think Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Robyn.
Like their previous singles “Technicolor Dreaming” and “Hold Me Down” – “Wasted Youth” breezily walks the fine line between being pure and sweet and edgy and dirty. Cute, poppy beats and playful synths are casually laid over lyrics like “I can’t get laid in this town without these pointy f***** shoes”. With sexy live show to back up their stand-out sound (they rocked Brooklyn Bowl last week) Cardiknox are a band to watch at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin. – Brescia Mascheretti

WIth a smoke-filled voice fitting equally well in piano bars as it would rock clubs, Selena Garcia’s latest self-titled EP keeps one foot in the grave with the shit-kicking ‘Brother,’ and another in friendlier waters with tracks like the luminous ‘Eternal Sunshine.’ Selena brings her angels and demons together for a wild up-and-down of broken hearts and huge piano strokes. Listen to ‘Brothers’ below, and see her when she plays Rockwood Stage 1 on Friday, March 14th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

It’s our pleasure to premiere The Colorines‘ brand new EP, Paleontology, which is the first batch of songs ever released by this soon to be fountain-of-music. The Colorines are Robosco, Dwreck, Ozkr and Grim, and formed earlier this winter. “Each member brought a song or two from either a previous band or one they had been sitting on” Dwreck tells us, creating a mini-smorgasbord of instant classics.

The EP starts off with “You’ll Forget This”, which is possibly the most memorable song of the lot (go figure). A beautiful melody paired with a muted bass and baroque harmonies reminds us of something off of The Beach Boys’ “Holland” or "Friends" records.

Other stand out tracks include the haunting and retrospective ballad "Pseudosyde", the theme song to the 21st century loner. Dwreck takes lead on the number singing lines like: “everybody thinks that I died” and “I don’t see them crying over me, everyone’s having some, and I’ma get me some”. One can’t help but feel optimistic, although this song seems to be derived from nostalgia and those crappy high school years of days gone by.

Though we are totally getting into the darker tones of The Colorines, adding a more upbeat song like “Haircut” towards the end of the EP comes with a sigh of relief. A stream of consciousness about haircuts, hot moms and Facebook-stalking paired with Dr. Dog-like harmonies and a catchy bass and rhythm section that a young Beck would have been jealous of, makes this a great song to welcome Spring (or at least welcome the extra hour we’ve been rewarded by daylight savings).

The EP closes with “The Postmodern Life”, which hits us back again with darker notes but also remains to be the most driving song we’ve heard yet from the Colorines. The chorus is catchy and relatable to every 20 something living in the city: “…coming off a bad year, tell me where you’ve been all the time? …even if it’s greener on the other side, keeping a live but you can’t make it high…” Maybe it should be renamed "The Postcollege Life"?

The band says to be on the look out for NYC show dates this spring and a full-length in the very near future. We are patiently waiting for more from the Colorines.- Sam Kogon (@samkoogon)

Love is a complicated thing. In Evan Patrick’s latest synth-R&B single, ‘Body,’ the NYC artist challenges how we’re used to thinking about the mysterious bond between partners.

The song is taken from latest EP ‘Night Visions,’ and is as much a lusty, after-hours R&B jam, as it is a telling indictment of how we see our physical shells in the digital age. The video pictures Evan in search of Taiwan’s famously over-the-top love hotels: complete with roses plastered on the walls, enormous hearts found on the bed, and a very patient young lady. Watch the video below, and plan your next vacation.

It’s about time someone realized how sexy bubbles can be. Rush Midnight’s video for latest single ‘In Your Room’ pairs sexy ladies with Brooklyn synth-pop crooner Russ Manning for a very special bubble bath. It’s one of his smoothest songs yet (as former bass player for Twin Shadow, he should know a thing or too about smooth pop jams), and should get you hyped for his upcoming self-title debut, due out May 27th. See him when he plays tonight at Glasslands Gallery for more of his special kind of late-night sexy charm, and watch the new video below. Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Bear Hands, who graced the cover of the 23rd issue of The Deli NYC back in 2010 just came out with this new video for single "Giants" from the new album "Distraction." The band is currently co-headlining a US tour with fellow Brooklynites Miniature Tigers (coincidentially a Deli CD of the month that same year), with support from Total Slacker. The band is also performing at five showcases at this year’s South By Southwest in Austin, TX, including appearances at the KCRW Showcase and at Stubbs with The 1975. 

There’s nothing like some raw, ragged punk rock to revive you from your slouchy, beginning of the week blues. Tournament will do just that. Their in-your-face, muffled and razor sharp tunes will take you back to the days of Black Flag and the old school Hermosa Beach punk rock scene. The muffled vocals of Montana Masback will kind of remind you of Lee Ving from Fear. Listen to their infectious track titled "Scattered" that they leaked last month from their newest unreleased EP. The band just played a loud BrooklynVegan show at St. Vitus with Japanther and Tiny Moving parts. Stay tuned for upcoming live performances. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

Any Broadway fan (singers Eryn Murman and Jason Hite performed in Spring Awakening and Bare) should check out 5J Barrow for their fill of drama-tinged folk music. The band was selected as Best Manhattan Artist at WNYC’s latest Battle of the Boroughs. Taking their everyday experiences as evidence of the magic we overlook too often in NYC, first single ‘Talking My Soul’ discusses streets named after wheeping trees, and why it’s better to discuss your life while at sea… not to mention a fiddle freakout halfway through that could raise the dead.

Taken from their upcoming debut LP ‘From the Dim, Sweet Light,’ the track should help you see the city for the stage it really is. The record is scheduled for a June release – just in time for the final round of the battle! – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

Emerging from the ashes of previous incarnation Religious to Damn, ZorahAtash and Joshua Strawn have spent the last year creating a compelling new sound and image as Azar Swan. Their recently released full length album “Dance Before the War,” available from Handmade Birds Records, presents a technically modern sound that at times pays homage to the 90’s goth rock canon. The band recently toured the West Coast with NYC witch rock project Delphic Oracle and opened for Suuns at a memorable Death by Audio show on February 21.

LINKS: Dave Cromwell’s interview with Azar Swan. – We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Electronic songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Don’t call it a rock opera. Despite his orchestral composition, lyrics that are a dialogue between characters and a “necessary” song order, Ellis Ludwig-Leone, mastermind behind San Fermin, says their self-titled debut is just, “…a sort-of indie-pop record, that’s thoroughly composed.” The band had a hell of 2013, and it’s ripping the rewards with a two month tour that will take them from the US to Europe, with a single appeareance at SXSW on March 15 at Latitude 30. They’ll be playing the BRIC house in Brooklyn on March 28.

Links: Bianca Seidman’s interview with San Fermin.

NYC’s alt-folk quartet Cheap Blue Yonder spices up the traditional form of folk music with slacker rock influences a la` Pavement, although Troy Chryssos’ vocals have a Paul Banks sorta twist. They’ve put out a few singles and EPs since forming in 2011, but they are set to release their anticipated debut LP "Light Sleeper" on March 10th. Preview single "I’m Not Trying," which will appear on the album, is calm and textural until a dissonant and loud chorus kicks in to take you… back where you started. The band is scheduled to play at Mercury Lounge on 3/13 in support of the album release, and you can also check them out at Pianos on 3.27. You can stream the entire album here. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

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

All-girl, ukulele-wielding, NYC band The Prettiots – featuring members of ex teen band Supercute! and the Trachtenberg Family Slideshow – is coming up on everyone’s radar, including The Village Voice and even the Huffington Post. Their folk-pop sound has feminine charm, and no-nonsense, edgy flair. Almost reminiscent of Joan Jett’s iconic kick-ass-ness, The Prettiots are full of fun, energy and fiery style. Check out their single “Dreamboy” (streaming), and their Misfits’ cover of Skulls and see them live at Baby’s All Right on 03.15. – Sammie Spector