Here’s the new video by one of the most original (and awesome) NYC bands, Buke and Gase, who graced the cover of our summer 2009 NYC issue. A band Pitchfork has a hard time giving a "best new music" tag to, because [the critic’s] "ears just get worn out by all the airless staccato, longing for more open chords or smooth continuous tones". That is such a wonderfully irrelevant statement, I’m sure this guy would have said something similar after listening to Sonic Youth’s "Daydream Nation" – only referred to the dissonance and darkness rather than the staccato – or even, say, the debut album by Television: "I get tired of all the genius guitar parts and incredible songs, my ears long for some dissonance and mediocrity just for the sake of variety". And this is why we don’t really do negative reviews here at The Deli: because they are just opinions in the end, and more often than not stupid sounding ones. Check out "general Dome streaming below in the form of a (new) video which was premiered on… ahem… Pitchfork.

Queens based Juan Wauters – frontman of The Beets – is about to release his first solo album. Faithful to his signature lo-fi garage-pop sound, in the preview single ("Sanity," streaming below) the guitarist/vocalist from Queens offers a more acoustic and direct approach, but not necessarily less fuzzy. Wauters released 500 copies of the record, and will play a few shows in the local NYC area, including the Mercucy Lounge on March 3rd and The Bowery Ballroom on March 8th. However The Beets will be back in full swing later in the year, having already a show booked at Death By Audio on May 04.

First off, I can’t be the only one who finds this band’s name hilarious, can I? But Sensual Harassment’s moniker isn’t all that drew us in. We’ve written about them before; their music reincarnating disco into the new body of indie electro pop makes for a unique sound of nostalgic guilty pleasure. They’ve released a new EP “Escape From Alpha Draconis” featuring the single “Make Me Human Again” which could very well be mistaken for something released over 30 years ago. They’re hitting the road next week, starting in Philly on the 6th, and making their way south until they reach Austin for SXSW. – Lucille Sherman

This band submitted their music for review here.

Alt-Folk balladeer Sam Amidon (not to be confused with fictional character Sam I Am) is gearing up for the coming of his new album “Bright Sunny South” with the release of the first track “My Old Friend.” The album will be the fourth full-length recording for the Vermont native and New York resident, who croons with a Nick Drake tone, which is especially noticeable in the track’s frenetic plucking matched against his sullen vocals. The album was recorded in London, and shows off some of Amidon’s multi-instrumentalist skills on banjo, fiddle, and piano, in addition to his acoustic guitar. “Bright Sunny South” will be released on May 14th. – Devon Antonetti

If – as Bill Clinton suggested during this latest election cycle – our political system is plagued by a lack of sobering math, it seems to me our prose is in even worse shape. During a recent lunch at Cafe Juliette in Williamsburg, I marked down every time that the trio at the table next to me said the word “like” during a five- minute span. Can’t say the results weren’t depressing, but perhaps serendipitously, Body Language’s new (and free) electro-soul EP, "Grammar," takes today’s rhetorical dilemma and makes it fodder for the cannon. What with mopey titles like “The Chasing,” “What’s the Point?” and “I’m a Mess,” Body Language prescribe the most obvious (yet ardent) of all pop music elixirs: Fun. In other words, if your romantic life sucks, bring your problems to the party and, like, leave ‘em on the dancefloor. But for chrissakes, get out of the house. Mathematically, nothing can happen until you do. Body Language is finishing their debut LP and will be doing a co-headline tour with Vacationer down to SXSW (both bands played The Deli’s UN/OFF party at last year’s Austin fest). – Brian Chidester

Fronted by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Matt Sumrow (The Comas, Ambulance LTD), Brooklyn’s Heaven plays a precise and controlled kind of dream rock. Complementing Matt’s lead vocals is keyboardist and sometimes bassist Ryan Lee Dunlap (Fan-Tan). In addition to providing buzzy synth textures, Ryan backing vocals and harmonies contribute to this band’s signature sound. Their song "Mountains Move" is moody, dark and dreamy (all rolled into one). Matt’s outstanding guitar work alternates between clean-note arpeggios and wah-wah effected choruses. Other tracks like "Once The Heartache," "Falling Apple" and "Centuries" add majestic keyboard pads to clearly defined chord progressions and atmospheric dream-gaze vocals. Respected drumming powerhouse Mikey Jones (The Big Sleep, Snowden) completes the trio, giving the band a tightness often lacking in this genre and a forceful edge in the live environment. The band will be playing at SXSW 2013 and is currently  finalizing the debut album, which will be released on Goodnight Records. – Dave Cromwell

If you told Sun Ra he had to write a record with the Dirty Projectors, you might get something out of it that sounds similar to Brooklyn’s Throw Vision. The quartet does indeed blast into outer space, with crazy harmonies and stop-start rhythms intact, exploring new spaces in sound through tracks like ‘Hold Your Tongue’ and ‘Water Basket’ off the group’s surprisingly fun debut. Saying this band takes leaps and bounds with their fugal harmonies would be an understatement, but they’re also just as sure to include you in all the sonic explorations. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

If it seems like it was only last year when The Lone Bellow was still playing local venues and gathering fans one by one, it’s because it was. Nowadays, you’re more likely to catch the group on their upcoming national tour, or playing ‘You Never Need Nobody’ recently on Conan. The folk trio’s been everywhere these days, but lucky for you… they still have plenty of upcoming dates in NY to choose from. After what will surely be an exciting SXSW the band will be back in town with two nights at the Beacon Theatre opening for Brandi Carlile on March 22-23. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Voted runner-up in our Austin Best of 2012 Poll for Emerging Artists, The Couch seamlessly blends rootsy influences with electric indie-rock guitars, creating energetic folk ‘n’ roll with quiet/loud/quiet moments reminiscent of the glorious alt bands of the 90s (think Pixies and Nirvana). Dual female/male vocals add extra interest (and harmonic layers) to this prolific band’s music catalogue.

For all those quiet places you usually ignore or otherwise keep buried, Eddi Front has found the chords to pull them out into the open. In some ways an old artist, other ways brand new, Eddi Front has let loose her inner demons in her debut self-titled EP. Filled almost exclusively with delicate piano parts, the weight of her words is what’ll keep you from getting too comfortable. But with lyrics like: " …while you’re fucking some dusty chair, I’ll be eating bananas", you’ll have no choice but to keep listening.

Check out latest video for ‘Gigantic’ below, and see her when she opens for Youth Lagoon at Bowery Ballroom March 6. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

On the surface, Cultfever has nailed every cliche in the contemporary indie playbook: Two-person band delivers angst-ridden lyrics over hazy electro instrumentals. It’s the perfect soundtrack for next week’s opening credits to the HBO show, "Girls." Yet, as the lyrics to Cultfever’s new single "Animals" proclaim: "There’s a fish at the end of this hook." In this case, it’s the way Tamara Jafar’s sexy, vulnerable vocals go up against Joe Durniak’s tripped-out guitar lines, neither of them landing square on the melodic nose, instead using every bit of feedback and falsetto swoon to transform the simplest of electro ditties into a full-blown psychedelic club experience. Nab a copy of the 7" of "Animals" (backed with the quadrupedal "Chicken") at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 2nd, where Cultfever open for AVAN LAVA . – Brian Chidester