For the latest generation of soulsters, artists like the Weeknd and Drake, darkness comes naturally. denitia and sene. (spelled all lower caps and with a period – which makes our inner editor angry) also see the shadows behind the lights of love and sex. For their Facebook featured track, the haunting ‘breathe.dream.scream,’ singer Sene takes us through his troubled thoughts in and out of evening and morning spent with his lady. Good times are here, but anxieties have taken over. It’s a soul jam with serious trouble lurking behind, and will pull you in with each thumping heartbeat. Take a listen and catch their set live at S.O.B.’s this Saturday, June 9th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

If you wish to be written up by an Italian music blogger, all you need to do is play music with Ennio Morricone influences… it took us 5 seconds to detect them on Baltimore and NYC based band’s Golden Animals‘ single ‘You Don’t Hear Me Now’ – streaming on their Bandcamp page. That happened about 2 minutes ago by the way… such was the URGE!!!

The single, which should be featured in a (psychedelic) indie remake of "For a Fistful of Dollars," is a preview from a full length scheduled to release in September. The band will also have a split 7" with Baltimore’s Flying Eyes out soon under German label H42, to coincide with the two bands’ late summer mini European tour, consisting – at this stage – of 3 gigs in Germany. Let’s call it a Germany mini-tour. Can’t wait to have these guys back in NYC!

Composing a diary of bohemian and bourgeois life, filtered through a twee-pop lens, defines Long Island City band The Secret History. Their second full-length,  “Americans Singing in the Dark,” paints character studies and love with a polished, orchestral production – a lighter turn from the ghost stories and “crisis-pop” of 2010’s, “The World That Never Was” – which was our CD of the Month at the time.

Moody influences like the Smiths and Lou Reed still show in moments of songwriter and lead guitarist Michael Grace Jr.’s lyrics, but rising synth chords, jangly guitars and upbeat drums create a wistful pop sheen.  Lead singer Lisa Ronson (daughter of Bowie-Morrissey-Mellencamp riffmaster Mick Ronson) sings smooth, mid-volume pop that runs from moments of early ‘80s Blondie or Linda Ronstadt to slower pleading-over-tambourines a la The Cranberries. Grace Jr.’s turn at the mic is kissing cousin to his friend Kip from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. 
Since Ronson moved to London, the band plays stateside without her and raises money on Kickstarter to book shows on the other side of the pond. 

“Americans Singing in the Dark” drops June 18 on Cloudberry Records.  The record release party is tonight, June 5, at Glasslands.  Listen to a single, “The Age of Victoria,” streaming below. – Bianca Seidman

Veterans of the NYC scene, formerly known as La Pieta, and now partly based in Providence, Summer Hours will be making a rare appearence at The Living Room in Manhattan this Saturday June 8. In February they released their 4th album, ‘Closer Still’ on their own label, Technical Echo Records – this is announced to be the band’s final record. Summer Hours gentle sound blends indie pop and folk elements, featuring a signature bass-guitar interplay and Rachel Dannefer delicate soprano. 

We’ve been fans of Yellowbirds‘ imaginative and dreamy take on Roy Orbison’s crooning songs for awhile (the band’s debut album ‘The Color’ was our CD of the month back in 2011) and it’s great to see Sam Cohen keeping at it. The band released their sophomore album ‘Songs from the Vanished Frontier’ last week and it doesn’t disappoint. Check out the video for ‘Young Men of Promise’ below, another video for ‘The Ceiling’ here, and/or stream the album on Spotify. You can see Yellowbirds live during their June residency at Rockwood Music Hall: they are on every Wednesday in June – starting on 06.05 (tomorrow).

The Beets’ Jaun Walters just came out with this uber lo-fi but rather funny video for ‘Sanity,’ from his recent solo records. Only ladies with a sense of humor will appreciate. The video is said to be a tribute to the late prankster/entertainer Andy Kaufman. See Jaun Wauters at Shea Stadium on July 09.

You know those days you just want to totally flip out without having to explain yourself? Well goddammit… you now have Palm to thank for making it happen for you. Lead singer Gerasimos Livitsanos barely has time to extract her thoughts from the page in the EP’s titular track and opener ‘Ode to Scott’ before the band kicks into high gear. And that’s pretty much what you can expect from the noise-rock quartet. Lots of fuzz, lots of mayhem, tension you can cut with a knife, and plenty to shake the walls apart. Check out their new EP and get your destruction on. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This band submitted their music for consideration here

We blogged yesterday about Lora Faye, who will be playing our mellow folk bill tomorrow at Spike Hill. While we were "looking her up" we stumbled upon this remarkable video of her single ‘Old Gas Station,’ debuted this past October. Wow, now we can’t wait to see her performance!

For anyone like me who’s been slightly disappointed with the Strokes’ weird new direction, The Rotaries are here for you. An angular band playing a sort of Strokes-meets-REM brand of campus rock, The Rotaries have plenty to get off their chest, and songs like ‘Red Letter Day’ and opener ‘Tomorrow’s Game’ (streaming below) from latest LP ‘Before Leaving,’ will be too much fun for you to realize they’re actually working through some intense therapy sessions too. See the band live when they play The Knitting Factory on July 20. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

The opening night of our NYC B.E.A.F. 2013 at Spike Hill in Williamsburg won’t be a very loud one, showcasing a selection of truly gifted emerging singer songwriters and rootsy acts featuring a gentle sound. A lot of women on this bill, headlined by St. Claire and Wilsen (pictured, Deli Record of the Month last September) and their beautiful dream folk. On similarly ethereal coordinates dwells the trio now known as Basinger (formerly Makeout Room), who will open the show at 7.15pm. Lora Faye will bring a darker vein to the night with her country ballads tinged with jazzy noir elements. Songwriters Lisa Jaeggi (and her new band So So Apropos), sami.the.great, and French import Kiddo, will bring their personal approach to the genre, featuring varying degrees of pop influences.

Times, ticket prices and full fest schedule can be found here.

Featuring 36 emerging NYC artists includiung Spirit Family Reunion (currently on the cover of our Best of NYC print issue), The Stationary Set, Mree, Apollo Run, Manicanparty, Modern Rivals, Cultfever, Beast Patrol and Wilsen, The Deli NYC’s Best of Emering Artists Fest is set to begin on Wednesday June 5 and end on Saturday 06.08 – full schedule here.

We won’t claim we have all the best emerging local artists booked for this fest, but definitely a fair amount of them.

Hope to see you!

The Deli’s Staff

Bluffing is exactly the right way to deliver solid indie rock anthems. Fast, dirty, and as big as possible. This Brooklyn band is a whirlwind of stormy distortion and muddled vocals (Olivia Drusin and guitarist/singer J. Boxer) coming at you from all directions at once. Sorta like NY’s recent locust storm… but much, much prettier. I’m looking forward to more of these tasty little nuggets when the band releases more singles soon from upcoming EP "sugar coated pills of wisdom." – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This band submitted their music for review here