Cardiknox  – a new NYC duo we blogged about for the first time a few weeks ago – offers electro pop numbers that sound exuberant and thoughtful at once. They just released a brand new single entitled "Technicolor Dreaming," check it out below – it’s climbing the Hypem charts. This band will have an interesting CMJ Music Marathon, they are scheduled to play an official show at The Mercury Lounge on 10.17.

We had the chance to see Lora Faye live at our NYC B.E.A.F. Fest in June – in case you missed her, be aware that this lady’s got the songs, the voice, the attitude and also the looks! She’ll be playing a double EP release at Joe’s Pub this Friday and Saturday, highly recommended.

Can you imagine an updated, more jolly version of grunge, which is actually really good? That’s what the Brooklyn power trio Slonk Donkerson sounds like to us. They list themselves as a generic hard-rock and post-punk fusion, and look back to golden indie classics like The Replacements and early R.E.M., but we feel like "The Donks" give us more than that. Their songs are hardcore enough without getting to the point of being unbearable, leaving plenty of room for fetching, grungy vocals. Listen to the title track from their latest EP “Watching Every Channel at Once” below via Bandcamp, which has an incredibly high production value for its lo-fi-ish quality. The band is set to play Cake Shop tomorrow (09.13) with legendary Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü, Nova Mob) and Franny and Zooey. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

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

At only 19, folk-pop artist Raveena Aurora is getting a head start on things by already having released three separate albums, including rooftop sessions, and her latest EP ‘Where We Wander.’ The video for ‘Grey Eyes’ off the album shows the singer-songwriter wandering the shore in search of grey and green, and perhaps a chair that’s found its way into the ocean, all while showing off her rootsy and sentimental alto.

She’ll be playing this year’s CMJ fest, so stay tuned as dates are announced soon. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

The first single released by Thomas Benjamin Alexander, who goes by Imaginary Persons, comes from a familiar place with its country-tinged lo-fi approach, yet boasts a full-bodied sound that should translate exquisitely once he decides to take it into a live setting. But the real news is how ‘Give,’ being his first release, sounds so poised and self-assured, with a warm, earnest feel that recalls the intricately layered melodies of other fellow Californian Jason Lytle. Whereas he wants to take his project into a spacial conceptual frame is a story for another day, since not much has been said of the project besides releasing a full-length by the end of the year, though Alexander does share a fondness for psych-informed pop in song form; meaning, his heart is certainly in the right place where he to take it in a more sonically intricate direction. What we can say for now is that the minor-key simplicity of ‘Give’ makes it one of the strongest offerings of the local scene of this year, a wistful mid-tempo cut that shimmers with its sheer tunefulness.

We stumbled upon this video posted on our Open Blog by noise female duo Clinical Trials for single "Polly Got Away." The band will be playing SPiN (48 East 23rd Street) on September 21. Enjoy da noise!

Its been a couple years now since Norman Vladimir‘s pop soul was transplanted from Nashville’s country-soaked streets to whatever New York City’s streets are soaked with. And with sensual, emotive tracks like ‘Feelin’ Up’ (streaming) and the charging ‘120 Volts’, it’s no wonder he was voted #8 in Deli Magazine’s Best of NYC Emerging Artists poll of 2011. After spending much of this year in Europe, the soulster has come back home with a couple of shows lined up for his hometown, including Tammany Hall this Sunday, Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 on the 19th, and The Living Room October 17th. See him then, because it’s not every day you get to watch someone who’s performed for the president and first lady. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Tonight (09.11) will mark the 2nd appointment with Brooklyn Invisible Days‘ September residency at The Cake Shop – tonight it’s a free show. The trio creates atmospheres that are at once dreamy, laid back and loud, with Sean Finnigan’s tenor drawing psychedelic melodies on top of a thick wall of guitars. Around since 2009, the band has released a handful of EPs with just enough songs between all of them to make an LP – we’re patiently awaiting the full length. – Sam Kogon (@samkogon)

Straight out of Brooklyn, the orchestral pop phenomenon San Fermin will be releasing their debut self-titled LP on September 17th via Downtown Records. Fronted by classically trained composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone, the band (named after the Spanish festival of San Fermín, which features the often gruesome bull run) was assembled after the album was already written and arranged by the young songwriter, who has worked with classical composer Nico Muhly. The album comes together for a hearty, full-bodied emotional and enticing joyride. You can listen to the preview single “Sonsick” below via Soundcloud and check out the video here. Make sure to check them out at Le Poisson Rouge on 9/20/13. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

It’s quite rare these days to stumble upon some quality psych rock that’s truly "out there" – but in a good way. Brooklyn duo (turned quartet) Seequill has been refining the psychedelic art of being sonically unpredictable for quite some time, and kaleidoscopic single/video "The Wall" might well be the culmination of such effort.
A Morriconian musical environment brought on by Mike Gamble’s polychromatic guitars perfectly blends with the acid tone of Devin Febbroriello’s vocals, while the rythm section flows underneath like some kind of unruly stream of consiousness. The song builds to a pause that only serves as a reset button to build to a clusterfucked finale, perfectly represented in the video’s apocalyptic end.

Sequill is releasing their EP "Social Life" today, and are currently on a short Mid West tour. See them at Nublu when they return to NYC on September 15.

Brooklyn darkwave texturalists ERAAS have announced the follow-up to their highly regarded self-titled debut with the soon to be released “Initiation.” The full length is set to hit the streets November 12 on Felte Records’ imprint. First single “Old Magic” reveals how the band’s sound continues to evolve. Built on a steady percussive beat and progression-defining bass line, initial surrounding spaces come filled with what sounds like the subtle crackling noises of an old vinyl record. Ominous falsetto vocals – rather melodic compared to the band’s previous material – present the song’s lyrical content as sleigh bells enter the mix, giving the percussive element additional focus. Later, muted synth textures further contribute to a disquieting atmosphere. The next opportunities to catch them live is September 21 at Death By Audio and the 26th at Bowery Electric. – Dave Cromwell