If you’re a Duran Duran fan, you may want to check out the NYC artist who is currently touring with them: MDNR’s debut record ‘Feed Me Diamonds’ is a sweat-stained roller-coaster mixing chilled electro grooves supplied by Peter Wade, alongside sultry bombshell vocalist Amanda Warner. The Chelsea loft-ready group has been releasing singles since emigrating to New York from Oakland back in 2010, and are set now to embark on their own dates, where towels and energy drinks are highly recommended.

Join them in saying goodbye to the summer for their album premiere party this Thursday the 30th at the TriBeCa Grand Hotel. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

One of the most interesting LA based artists of the new decade, Julia Hotler just announced a touring schedule which will include dates on the East Coast, the Moogfest and the Unsound Fest in Poland. She also released this interesting video created by visual artist José Wolfffor the vocoder heavy single "Goddess Eyes I".

For those of you out there who might remember the head-on post rock of Connecticut’s Apse, it’s time for something decidedly… different – from some of the same musicians, now based in Brooklyn. Where that band reveled in complicated tapestries of ambient texture, Eraas dials the textures down, preferring to slice with a fine-tipped scalpel instead. Their two latest tracks exist in the same shadows as the eerie cover art for their self-titled debut set for release on October 1st. "Fang" especially sinks its claws into a booming sub-bass and demonic vocals that swing across it’s canyon space. A stark vision in contrast to the band’s older work, it’s about time someone tried to scare the eardrums off the L train crowd. Watch it happen yourself when the band plays The Mercury Lounge on September 4. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

An artist usually known for Bossanova influenced piano-based tunes, Bird Call has now cast her spirit in an entirely new direction. Returning after a year spent exploring how artists on other planets approach music making, singer Chiara Angelicola is returning this fall with a new full-length to match this new orientation, in ‘Will we Get to Mars?”

Apparently this record was titled before Mars Curiosity touched down on the red planet earlier this week. But no matter, according to Chiara, the new record is “not about the landscape, it’s about the emotion you’re trying to get across in the song.” Nevertheless, the new landscape couldn’t be more exciting. The video from the first single ‘Miracle Man’ (streaming below) finds the singer cast as the shamanic vision of exotic dancers and cosmic hallucinations, backed by hand percussion and droning synths courtesy of producer Bryan Senti. The new direction might take you away from the world, but the emotion will pull you inwards. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Oakland-based doom rockers Weekend have decided to become…. no longer Oakland based. The trio will be abandoning their hipster wasteland satellite metropolis for the mothership. That’s right, Weekend are moving to Brooklyn!! Washing up on a wave of reverb and distortion, Weekend will take a break from craigslist furniture searchings to make their East Coast Society debut at Cameo Gallery on Tuesday, September 25th. Also taking the stage will be Woodsman (see post below) and Eraas (currently on our Artist of the Month Poll).

Brooklyn transplants from the mile high city, Woodsman, are releasing new cassingle (that’s right … a cassette single) "All Tangled Up" on October 9th.  Recorded during sessions for their upcoming 3rd LP, "All Tangled Up" is a droney instrumental with oriental sounding guitar ornaments. Denver roots shine through the twinkly waves, grounding the title track with some earthiness. Don’t miss the spacey, floaty, ambient goodness of the cassingle’s A-side, streaming below. Can’t get enough Woodsman? You’re in luck; the four-piece will be embarking on a September tour in support of the release, including 2 NYC dates – the first one is at Cake Shop on September 14. – Corinne Bagish

The independent Hip Hop scene in New York City is a dynamic and competitive array of artists striving to establish themselves as your new favorite headphone haven. The best way to experience these acts, however, is of course to see them on stage in full swagger and bravado. On Friday September 7th, the Tiger Stylez Party at Paper Box in Bushwick will deliver some of the best and the brightest emerging local hip hoppers The Deli has encountered in the past few years. As if the aural excitement weren’t enough, there will be a smattering of world-class street artists adding color to canvas while the rap groups bring the house down. From Strange Famous Records’ Metermaids (pictured + streaming) to Brooklyn Sweat-fest Deathrow Tull to the Lyrical Boom-baptivism of PremRock and Willie Green, this show is perfect for seasoned indie rap aficionados as well as the curious and uninitiated.

Somewhere, creeping through scattered reverberations of vocals and guitars, Total Slacker’s sonic beauty splinters through their sarcastic lyrics and lethargic lo-fi vibe. Tucker Rountree and Emily Jane belt out undeniable, neck-tingling harmonies atop steady drum grooves and searing guitar solos, leaving little to the imagination of the vast range of talents this band possesses. Total Slacker brings all the warmth and charisma of Summer of Love surf music, with a witty side that was all too ironic to rear its stylized head in the 60s. See them live at Public Assembly on 09.21.- Read Ed Guardaro’s interview with the band here.

Annie Lynch has a lot of traveling in her background, so she finds it easy to stir America’s pot with her music. Hailing from Cape Cod, studying at Berklee School of Music, and finally landing with her band The Beekeepers in Brooklyn, she’s made good use of her Bonneville, a car dear to her that has also made it on to her new record’s cover photo. Lynch’s music takes you through coffeehouse blues, extended folk jams, and torch songs that show off a confident, affecting voice. Annie’s been to a lot of places, and seen a lot of transformations, but her upcoming record, "My Bonneville," is her most ambitious yet. – Read Mike Levine’s Q&A with Annie here.

a couple of years ago, High Highs came from Australia to the Big Apple with a mission: get frantic New Yorkers to chillax a little. They are succeeding, and while they are at it they are spreading their gentle and soothing vibes in every corner of the world. The band is in the studio finishing their debut album, but found the time to realize this incredibly pretty video of the single "Once Around the House" – which is today’s Vimeo "staff pick".

Brooklyn’s Skaters are hard at work to become one of the most fun indie rock band in NYC. This is the second video they release this year. Probably inspired by* the [orange sexy alert if you browse from work!!!] Esquire video of Daisy Lowe dancing on the track "Tiger" by Dave Sitek’s Maximum Balloon, their new video of "I Wanna Dance" focus its attention on a cute African American girl dancing in various places – probably in Brooklyn. Enjoy it below and don’t miss their next show when they’ll be opening for the Whigs on September 19th at the Bowery Ballroom.

*Some of our more open minded writers (we pretty much only listen to NYC bands) suggest that this video could be an answer to the [blue sexy alert if you browse from work!!!] Black Keys’ video of "Lonely Boy".

With their sound that often builds on heavy drum patterns as single stroked guitar chords chime down over distant synthesizer pads, and passionate vocals frequently giving way to atmospheric lead guitar figures, ambient psych-pop band Fort Lean will headline a free end of summer party at Rockaway Beach Boardwalk this Sunday, August 26. Songs like “The Precinct” come at you with measured pacing by way of a deceptively calming descending chord progression, until the big coda crashes you over the head with layers of guitars, cymbals and voices.

Also playing are (The) Tony Castles, who operate on an even dreamier level as on their song "Black Girls in Dresses," offering also a distinctly soulful element carried by lead and background vocals. Atmospheric and spacious, the instruments used in their songs are unpredictable, creating an appealing sense of wonder.

There are two more NYC bands on this bill: theatrical rock quartet Workout and synth-droners Behavior, while a DJ set by Timmy (Of Call Box Lounge Fame) will keep the crowd pumped after the live music. – Dave Cromwell