With only a handful of compositions to their name, Brooklyn’s SKATERS have very quickly taken a giant leap beyond the usual blog space race, garnering attention from The Guardian and The New York Times, among others, who have joined the legions captivated by their refreshingly undiluted take on classic melody-driven punk rock. Catch them live at Webster Hall on October 9. – Link: SKATERS interview.

The NYC power-pop trio Wise Girl, fronted by the amiable Abby Weitz and her robust vocals, take their passion for rock and roll and radio-friendly hits and put out tunes that are catchy, colorful and honest. Abby’s 60’s rock background and her passion for pop really shine through. The emerging artist recently released a self-titled EP (which you can listen to below via Reverb Nation) that helped attract an audience eager for an LP, one that they will release on 9/10. Check them out at Arlene’s Grocery on 9.7 with American Darlings and Next Best Friend. -Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

Brooklyn/Boston hybrid Happy Lives is a shape-shifting monster of sorts – and we mean that as a compliment. Sometimes a duo, sometimes a trio, they’re part band, part computer: thundering drum machine-wrought vibrations march tracks along. In "Slacks and Slippers" (streaming below) off 2012’s self-titled debut, this pulsing drive mingles with garagey guitars to craft some kind of 90s alt sound. You can catch them live at Free Candy tomorrow (September 7). – Read Corinne Bagish interview with the band here.

Wolf in a Spacesuit is one part glo-fi, and one part epic synth-pop. But don’t get me wrong, this is no ’80s soundtrack re-hash. Latest single, ‘IMOK’ (streaming), from upcoming record ‘Blighter Days,’ is everything ‘The Safety Dance’ never was. Filled with huge synths, charging drums, and a conceptual narrative that could only be found from a singer/songwriter with a name as cool as Algebra Huxley, (its true, I’ve checked), I have yet to be able to predict where things are headed in any of what I’ve heard so far from the Queens-based artist.

Like showcased in last record ‘Overlord of the Mountain,’ which charts 30+ chapters/songs (in just 10 tracks) and 20% of the proceeds go to protect natural waters, Algebra has some big ideas, and his vision couldn’t be more enjoyable to decode. That’s why we are curious to hear the new record when it finally comes out this November. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out! This band submitted their music for coverage here.

Young talented rappers are a dime a dozen in NYC. But add in the social awareness of Dead Prez and wordplay that would make MF Doom chuckle and you have new name in the game worth following: YC The Cynic. His latest album “GNK” was released in August, and the album is beyond hot. Fans of Kid Cudi don’t want miss this, which is similar in sound (at times) but miles away in terms of lyrical content. Frank Drake’s production on the album is just as impressive as YC’s emcee-ing, with groovy beats filled with old soul samples. Fuel your body and mind with fresh NYC Hip-hop!

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

New York duo XNY have always had a knack for crashing the party with their shove-it-in-your-face high energy folk-punk – or is that anti-folk, as some people call the mixture of those two genres? This isn’t a band you bring home to mom. They’re a group you sneak out to go see and come back late at night regrettably drunk and very much alive.

New track ‘Ride On’ (one of the highlights off their new album ‘Orange’) moves from deep confessional to unexpectedly roaring anthem. It’s a song with enough twists and turns to keep you very surprised when you finally reach your destination. Check it out below, and see them when they play Rock Shop on Sep. 21st. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – Photo by Diggy Lloyd

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

It’s time to feel big again. Met City is as epic as Opera, as large as Tchaikovsky, and as bubbly and fresh as any pop tune you want buzzing around your head. And if you have any doubts, just watch their swashbuckling medieval court re-enactment for ‘Chess Street.’

Material like the four tracks from their last EP ‘Stockholm Fancy‘ infuses the best sentiments from all of these worlds. It’s a string quartet unleashed atop rolling piano lines. All held together by singer/songwriter Loren Beri’s perfect pitch baritone, infusing the group with a breezy sound not unlike Ra Ra Riot’s earlier material. The band promises to play new shows soon, so keep your passenger pigeons on the ready, and check out ‘Chess Street’ below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

Two talented NYC female artists, Emily Wildwood and Charlene Kaye, will be performing at Cameo this Friday (9/6). Synth pop-soul band, Talkfine (pictured) will be the opening act, and their 1970’s style of singing paired with dads old casio keyboard is sure to amuse. Emmy Wildwood, (formerly of VELTA) will bring her pinup/cheerleader looks and dance-punk, pillow talk music to the stage. After releasing her solo debut this past July, Emmy is building buzz thanks to a strong live show and song that certainly don’t lack hooks. Hawaii Born Charlene Kaye will headline the bill – she’s been making waves in the music world with her vibrant vocals and upbeat-girl-power pop. Music starts at 8pm. – Sam Kogon (@samkogon)

A few weeks ago we posted Grooms‘ single "I Think We Are Alone Now" from their new album "Infinity Caller," and hearing it again in the video below made us realize that… it’s a great tune! Led by Travis Johnson – whose day job is building stompboxes at A Place To Bury Stranger’s pedal company Death by Audio – Grooms is a staple of the Brooklyn scene, and has been delivering quality guitar rock tunes since the mid aughts. The band is scheduled to play three US dates with legendary British group Clinic, including a show at Glasslands on September 16.

Grooms – "I Think We’re Alone Now" from stereogum on Vimeo.

It’s always rewarding to find new promising artists, even in a city ripe with talent like NYC. Jesse & Forever is a project lead by saxophonist/singer Jesse Scheinin. At its best (as in the single "Memories," streaming below) the band plays a mellow brand of art pop with orchestral inclinations, in the vein of Grizzly Bear but with a loungier, gentler approach. The rest of the material in the band’s self titled debut album reveals a strong jazz component, cristalized in smooth ballads that – if they didn’t get hijacked by unexpectedly loud orchestral dissertions – would work perfectly as soundtracks of a melodramatic Broadway play. 

The band will play Dingus‘ two year anniversary party at Free Candy on September 7 with Happy Lives, Napoleon and Just Kids. 

One of NYC’s new avant-rock quartets, named No Shoes, just put out a fresh, ubiquitous new single called "Party Poetry (Billy Milktruck Drops the Meth Bomb)" that has caught our attention. The band claims they offer post-apocalyptic pop, but their dissonant prog rock vibes, heavy use of track panning, and lack of open melodies place their music in the calderon of genres we call avant-indie – with an extra dose of math influences. The nature of their instrumentation, paired with distortion, odd time signatures and vocals sung by what sounds like a somewhat numb crowd, makes for a fun listen – including its puzzling finale. Check it out below! – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor) – Photo by Rose Lou