The new record from Bird Courage is a creative homecoming of sorts. After releasing ‘A Promising Flee’ in 2012, Sam and Erik have gotten back together with creative partner Sean McMahon to record the emotionally charged folk statement ‘music store ‘Māia Manu’. An album that kicks you in the stomach, even as it makes you comfortable with winter’s hibernation. Just check out their moving song ‘Constellation’ (streaming), or listen to ‘Mayshower’s gentle strums and lilting textures, and you’ll start warming up to the idea of staying indoors when it’s too cold outside. But only after you see them at the Masquerade showcase at Professor Pete’s Acoustic Lodge on Friday night (12.13). – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets), photo by ahsleykbarnes.com

Rock quartet Von Shakes have a love for NYC that seems lost sometimes on people that have lived here all their lives. Moving here a few years ago from Ireland, the group is bringing our city the kind of anthemic rock joy ingredient that’s somewhat scarce in our local rock music.

And considering how large their studio recordings sound, it’s easy to imagine how insane they must be when you find yourself in the middle of a sweaty set. So get your butt down to Shea Stadium tonight and see them when they play a just-announced gig, and check out a live recording of the charging ‘Robinson Crusoe’ here. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Hopefully one day will come when we won’t act surprised when we find an all-female band that truly rocks. We apologize profusely for that instinct just in case, and proceed to introduce you to Sharkmuffin, a Brooklyn female trio that plays garage-rock propelleded by some seriously high octane sonic fuel. The band will be celebrating the release of new EP "1097" at Shea Stadium tonight (12.11), a show that will in all likelyhood generate a lot of mosh-generated heat, which can’t be bad considering these days’ temperatures. Check out "Foul Play" below, and ‘meet’ the ladies in the band’s recent video for "Mermaid Sex Slave" here.

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

If you are looking for ways to spend an unsettling Friday the 13th, Glasslands gives you the perfect opportunity with a show with Brooklyn’s Glass Gang that night. The electronic band’s repertoire is all pretty dark and tense, but new track "Sell It All" (streaming) gets downright into disturbing territory, with sped up ghostly sampled voices that create bizarrely nightmarish melodies, on top of a macabre, plodding arrangement, dominated by suicidal vocals, droney synths and snappy drum machines. There’s enough crazyness here to blow up anybody’s mind – we dig! 

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

With something reminiscent of Destroyer’s uncanny ability to reveal hidden meanings in otherwise placid seeming events, there’s more than meets the eye in Brooklynites Inner Outlaws‘ self-titled EP – the third they release in 2013. Like in the record’s cover, everything appears well from the surface; The band’s practically begging you to jump in… but watch out. There’s an underlying sinister tone here in tracks like ‘Bodies of Water’ that might make you think twice before taking a dip yourself. And that’s all the reason to listen to all 9 minutes of vaguely Pink Floydian (circa 1975) track ‘Bodies of Water’ below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

I kinda wish I could be in Misterwives. Where other groups take themselves a bit too seriously, these guys obviously know how to have fun, even when living off PB&J alone on tour (or so says lead singer Mandy Lee). They had one of the most talked about shows during CMJ, and haven’t even released their debut yet! With an electro-disco backdrop set against Lee’s roof-raising vocals, this is not a band that shies away from the spotlight. So I’m looking forward to listening to their EP ‘Reflections’ when it comes out early next year. See them when they play Rough Trade NYC on Jan 7 at the album release party, and listen to their single "Twisted Tongue" below, from the upcoming EP. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

Brooklyn’s ambitious contemporary alt rockers Water Knot bring you their bluesy, piercing guitar stabs, tense power chords and rock’n’roll antics in this sexually-charged video for the song “Lust" (below), off of their debut EP titled ‘Sometimes.’  The band just released the 5-track EP in November and the video was premiered on MTV Europe earlier this month. The song is also featured in the new Sylvester Stallone movie ‘Homefront,’ which premiered on Thanksgiving. Although there doesn’t appear to be any tour dates scheduled, keep an eye on these guys for more to come! – Michael Haskoor(@Tweetskoor)

Silverbird draws from a fairly wide palette, jotting through excavations of folksy whims and lo-fi fuzz. Like a trippier Deerhunter.. but on totally different drugs. This is the sound of well-remembered but slightly overcast memories, and their air of nostalgia should make it easy for you to find something of yourself in their silky, laid-back tones. Like in ‘Smile,’ a tender ode to a treasured gesture, that will find its way burrowed through your ears, inside your muscular reflexes, and just might make you find something to turn your cheeks up about. Check it out below. See the band live tomorrow (12.10) at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg with Hurrah! A Bolt Of Light and Stephen Nielsen. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

I have a feeling The Landing doesn’t quite walk on the Earth the same way the rest of us do. The band that bills themselves as Space-pop, instead orbits the Earth in a cloud of hazy synths and dense harmonic smoke. While their popular track ‘Anxieties’ wrestles with an unfortunate human need requiring most of us to go to sleep every once in awhile… something tells me this band is not quite as anxiety-ridden as their smooth pop posture would otherwise indicate. Check out one of the group’s first singles below, and stay tuned for more releases to follow soon. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

The new video for ‘Clementine’ from singer-songwriter Gina Cimmelli, taken from her EP ‘Summer Singles,’ offers a rare glimpse into the private world shared between herself and a traveling musician boyfriend who finds himself transplanted in NYC. It’s a touching ode to those quieter moments shared privately between two lovers, from an artist consistently surprising us with her honest lyrics and probing sentiment. Watch the video premiere below. – (Mike Levine @Goldnuggets)

With the release of teutonically sober single "SOS" (streaming) Brooklyn electro duo Color War is announcing the release of their debut album "It Could Only Be This Way," scheduled for March 2014. There’s something reminiscent of (very) early Simple Minds in these guys’ compositions, in the melodies and sometimes even in the use of the electronic arpeggiators. Hopefully the band won’t hate us for saying this, since Jim Kerr’s band ended up becoming one of the symbols of cheesy late 80s arena rock. But their first 3-4 albums (unknown to the masses) kick asses and sound incredibly original. Besides, I’m sure they wouln’t mind a career as long and rewarding as theirs…

Never straying too far into experimentation or playing it too safe with conventionality, Walking Shapes do a very good job of caring for the audience. Whether this is intentional or not, it doesn’t really matter because the Shapes accomplish the ever difficult task of creating their own musical world, a complex sonic universe that is far from predictable. With a lineup looking like you traditional rock band – two guitars, bass, drums- the quartet creates arrangements so layered that it’s hard to remember that. This band has unpredictability on their side, and a great vocalist – always good allies in pop music. Check out their new video for "Horse below. – LINK: Jack McGovern’s interview with Walking Shapes.