After touring their experimental alt-rock around Argentina and France for the past several years, El Rio have now taken their particular sound science back up to NYC, where they just seem to get weirder and more addictive. First single ‘So Old As To Have Become New Again,’ (off the record of the same name) highlights a nod to ’80s synth cool, while ‘We’ve Both Got Fire’ captures a sunnier soul in unapologetic 8-bit riffs and lullaby steel string rhythms. With a sound all mixed up together in one tropical destination, it should be a pleasure for NYC music fans to witness them live at Pianos this Saturday 09.21 at 9 pm. Listen to ‘We’ve Both Got Fire’ below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Somewhere between Prince and Def Leppard, NYC group Meridian is a fuzzed-out, synth-laden, soulful tribute to 80’s soundtracks and acid-washed denim. Their sound washes over you and lifts you into the ether with invigorating melodies and thoughtful songwriting.  The video for their lush summer jam “Magic” (streaming) shows principal songwriters Yohimbe Sampson and Bradley Valentin on a mystical quest through the haunting menagerie of Brooklyn’s subconscious gauntlet. Replete with painted angels, shadow-drenched choreography, and jaw-dropping costume design, it will certainly leave you spellbound.  Visit their site for a free album download! – BrokeMC

With all the energy of high-powered arena rock brought down to a local level, Brooklyn’s Rocket & The Ghost is a band with ambitions. First single ‘Goodbye’ off upcoming self-titled EP chugs along with an anthem’s urgency, while latest single ‘Shame,’ announces itself with all the punchiness that singer/songwriter Kiyoshi Matsuyama can deliver. On top of that, the track features the backing vocals of Lily Claire from Lily & The Parlour Tricks for added awesomeness. Check it out below, see them when they play Littlefield in Gowanus on September 19, and look out for the release of their debut, self-titled EP on November 5th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

It’s always nice to hear back from old friends. We highlighted Brooklyn dream rock band Ohnomoon in our 2011 Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll and we kind of lost track of them in the last year or so – their Facebook profile confirms a lack of news in that period. The band is now finally re-surfacing with a 2 track new single and a show at Pianos scheduled for September 22.

The "A Side" (so to speak) "Turncoat Blues" showcases guitarist Corey Oliver’s progressively building a wall of distorted and intertwined riffs partly reminiscent of Blur from the "Parklife" era, while Kat Lee’s ethereal but full vocals convey a more shoegazey vibe to the tune. Side B "I Only Have Eyes For You" is a slower number, where Kats vocals stretch through a spacey atmosphere where melody, volume and dissonance flirt seamlessly with each other. 

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

Brooklyn fuzz-pop trio Dead Stars takes your lost early 90’s passion and makes it relevant again. Their catchy choruses and deceivingly lackadaisical vocals will have you humming their songs for days, catching your ears and keeping them intrigued with raucous power chords and sudden change in dynamics. Check out “Waste Away” (streaming below) and see them open for White Fence and Jonathan Rado at Glasslands Gallery tomorrow (09.18) as part of the Converse Rubber Tracks Live series – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

Dallas Heron‘s folksy meanderings contain a large, haunting and uncontained sound, vaguely reminiscent of Band of Horses or Tyler Ramsey. Hailing from Hobart, Tasmania’s thriving DIY scene, Heron now calls New York home, and has brought his steel string and signature finger picking style on the trip with him. A truly unique experience, both foreign and familiar at once, Heron and his music will envelope you in lush soundscapes, and make you forget how easily he’s able to construct these wandering dreams, in tracks built around swinging guitar lines (‘Comedy Gold’) and a lost tenor (‘Mistakes’). Get to know him below with latest single ‘Harlem Bound (demo-ish).’ – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This artist submitted his music for coverage here.

Every year, in our Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll we get at least one band (picked by one of our jurors) that is so obscure it doesn’t even have music online – not to mention a Facebook profile. In the latest 2012 edition, this band was Blanche Blanche Blanche. Although Google didn’t share much info about them, between 2010 and 2013 they had already released not two but seven full length records, recorded – of course – on the very retro multitrack cassette format.

If you were to imagine how this band’s music sounded from they way they describe it, you probably wouldn’t even give them a shot: "For Breaking Mirrors we wrote material designed to be played in unison by a rock instrumentation against a vocal countermelody. The bassist & guitarists were provided with melodies in the form of series of named eighth notes ( 3F 4E 2A 2C, begins "Fisted" ) but were free to determine their movement between octave registers."

But words don’t matter too much, and the preview single "I Just Wanna Know" (streaming below) is a super fun, super fast and super quick lo-fi pop gem featuring nasal vocals, odd tempos and sudden changes reminiscent of the Pixies. Some kind of frantic toy drums dictate a neckbreaking tempo, followed faithfully by super effected guitars, while a series of well placed noises contribute to an overall atmosphere of tightly organized chaos. We dig! – Photo by Christina Schneider

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

Workman Song is a solo project fronted by Sean McMahon, a 25-year-old Boston native currently living in New York. In his quiver of folk songs is a collection of unforgettable melodies that tell of his journey through the city – finding love, loosing love, loosing himself, finding himself. The core of the songs lies in the familiar interplay of guitar and vocal, but he is often joined on stage by friends playing a number of different instruments including tambourine, mandolin, upright bass, piano, melodica and drums. McMahon describes his sound as ‘vintage with storytelling elements’.

His influences are eclectic – he lists medieval European music, North Indian classical music, Greek devotional chants, gospel and Neil Young as some of his inspirations. Though this combination might sound like a jumble of rejects you’d find at a junk store, what McMahon has developed is a sound that transcends anything currently in the New York music scene.

Workman Song has an upcoming show at The Rock Shop on October 5th, and an album in the works scheduled for late November. – Brescia Mascheretti

With a rock anthem’s arc, and a sprinkling of Americana thrown in for good measure, Brooklyn-by-way-of-Baltimore band Animal Years is making rock sound big again. Tracks like ‘Meet Me’ and ‘Let Go Of Your Head’ for instance, aren’t soft and intimate moments. These songs stand as large, immovable mountains built on a solid foundation of blazing guitars in the back, and singer Mike McFadden’s barnstorming tenor up front. The band’s debut album ‘Sun Will Rise’ drops next Tuesday. Drop by the release part at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 at 8 pm to see how huge they make this small venue sound. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Wild Leaves brings comforting, warm songs into an often fast-paced and cold city. It’s a quite welcome sound. The mid-westerners share some affinity with folk stars Fleet Foxes. In a time when psychedelic music and folk are having huge resurgences in popularity, Wild Leaves already have strong foothold in the NYC scene, playing both folk and Indie-rock bills alike. Wild Leaves was kind enough to share their history and creative process with the Deli, which sheds some light on their hazy-folk music. – Link: Paul Jordan Talbot’s interview with Wild Leaves.

After suffering a rather traumatic run as Viva Brother, a band who rapidly went from NME cover stars to British music press whipping boys after a series of PR gaffes, frontman Lee Newell and his group left their Slough home for Brooklyn seeking a fresh start. Alongside fellow Englishman-in-New-York Ally Young (formerly of the group Mirrors), Lovelife is a total change in direction for the ex-Viva Brother members. Ditching the jaunty guitar pop, the group have quickly created a body of dark, dense electronica that draws from eighties New Wave and modern R&B in equal measure. It’s a run of creativity that, according to Young, has been largely stimulated by the change of scenery. – Links: Dean Van Nguyen’s interview with Lovelife.

One of orchestral rockers Waking Light’s strongest characteristics is their ability to incorporate catchy melodies over rattling guitars and unpolished vocals. Rather than evolving past the feel of their previous work, the band in their new record "Weeknights" (available September 24) expanded on the themes that define their sound, without getting too pretty. Waking Lights is hosting an EP listening party at Webster Hall’s Sports bar on Friday, September 13. In the meantime check out this song from previous release. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.