Here come House of Blondes. A groove-based synth trio, the band owes a heavy debt to ambient purveyor Brian Eno. Singer John Blonde especially sounds like the innovator from ‘Here Come the Warm Jets’ in the slow build of ‘Do It Yourself (Landscape).’

As I understand it, Eno’s ambient music works equally well when played in the background of a room as it does when closely payed attention to. This is the spirit behind tracks like ‘Come Running’and ‘Supermoon’ (streaming below). These are songs that exist in their own universe of synth-generated noise and persistent drum machines that take on a life of their own as they evolve and develop over the space of over 9 minutes in some cases (‘Love 2 B Looped’). A band that doesn’t fit in with conventional pop formats, the time it takes to discover their soaring soundscapes is well worth the wait. See the group play this Sunday at Spike Hill at 7:30 pm with Photoreal. – Mike Levine

The free all ages 4Knots music fest will kick off in high gear on Saturday July 14 from 1-8 pm downtown at the South Street Seaport. Browsing through the NYC based acts performing, we decided to focus on Brooklyn’s Team Spirit, since we covered all the other acts abundantly in the past (Devin, Hospitality, The Drums). This band’s repertoire comprises boisterous and disorderly stompers that have the potential to inflame any rock’n’roll craving crowd. "Jesus, He’s Alright!" (streaming below) merges 80’s era Clash with the farfisa organ sound of Elvis Costello & The Attractions. The vocal phrasing and overall timbre, however lean more towards Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels of the mid 1960’s. "Teenage Love" careens along at a similarly frantic pace, as a tale of initial love found inevitably derails and crashes. While "Fuck the Beach" (video here) weaves between the hard riffs and harsh lyrics of the verses to a bouncier surf-rock chorus. Headliners Archers Of Loaf, and Crocodiles round out an excellent day of free music in this (insane) NYC summer heat. – Dave Cromwell

NYC’s Lightouts have released another free single titled “The Big Picture” (streaming below). The song veers in a poppier direction, although maintaining the band’s familiar rock influences. Their website supplies fans with free downloads , all hosting a clear influence of 90’s alternative music with a modern twist. Along with their summery new single, the band also announced news that they would no longer be a duo. The lineup will in fact expand by adding a permanent drummer and bass player. Lightouts  performed at the CBGB Festival on July 5 at the Highline Ballroom. – Christine Cauthen

Rather than scratching their heads like every pop culture scholar over a question with no shortage of answers – i.e ‘what the ‘ell is punk anyway?’- Brooklyn’s Sleepies made its past their playground, juggling anything from oi to pop-punk influences to craft fast and fun music. Godmode Records having recently released a preview of the band’s next LP ‘Weird Wild World’, we can all get a taste of the album to come! First impressions? Arrogant. Deliciously arrogant. Judging by the tone of ‘Seriously’, teasing game of distortions served with attitude and the stability of a tantrum, ‘WWW’ should be one more treat for those who like their punk with a middle finger up. Welcomed with a party at Dead Herring on the 17th of August, the LP will be released a few days later on the 21st,.Before that, catch them by the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk on July 21st!

The precise, direct stabs of singer/songwriter Laura Stevenson are the telltale marks of a true assassin lyricist. Hers are words that carve a fine point through anyone caught listening to the singer/songwriter’s haunting vocals, and rich instrumentation provided by tight rock outfit The Cans.

The Long Island-based chanteuse dives into her material with an enormous weight; whether hocketing through ‘Baby Bones’ (from the band’s second full length ‘A Record’) or challenging a violin for dominance in the comforting title track ‘Holy Ghost,’ from her debut EP. Stevenson’s spark and energy doses the band’s music with an epic quality perfectly suited for such personal tomes.

Her new full-length record ‘Sit Resist’ is no different. First single (streaming below) ‘Master of Art,’ paints a convincing method for bottling time spent between lovers with all the passion and denial necessary to make a statement like that actually work. This is what makes Stevenson such an enduring presence… and also what makes her an assassin.

Catch Laura Stevenson and The Cans when they play Bowery Ballroom on July 21. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

NYC quintet, Outernational, have had a whirlwind of a year so far. Touring since last year and recording all last spring/summer, these rockers have masterminded their second release, “Todos Somos Ilegales,” an 18-track album that revolves around the issues that haunt the American southern border and aptly combines fiery rock in English and en Espanol, rap, and World music vibes. Just a week ago, the title track’s eye-catching music video, featuring musical collaborators, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Residente of Calle 13, Pop/Latin Rock Producer, Thom Russo, and photo/video submissions from over 100 fans worldwide, dropped and has nearly 34,000 views and counting on YouTube along with heated commentary and debates. “Todos” made it onto a segment of CNN en Espanol and has aired in Venzuela, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and the UK so far. Check out the video below and visit www.weareallillegals.com to download the album in its entirety. Outernational will be headlining Bowery Electric on July 11 before heading back out on the road for a summer/fall tour. — Meijin Bruttomesso

The masters of keeping gritty blues and old time rock ‘n roll alive, The Dead Exs, are serving up a brand new single for the 4th of July. Recorded at Converse’s Rubber Tracks in Brooklyn, “Relovolution,” streaming below, showcases the New York-based duo’s signature slide guitar-driven garage blues merged with energetic rockabilly, teasing fans with a fun track that builds anticipation for the rest of The Dead Exs upcoming record. – Meijin Bruttomesso

Since his last EP, filled with holiday-themed cake throwing and wailing guitar solos from behind the driver’s seat, it’s been two whole years since Brooklyn based psych-folkster Fletcher C. Johnson‘s had a release.

Thankfully, the psycho-scorched jangle of ‘Messin’ with My Mind’ has just been released to 7", crafted especially for all your messy road trip fantasies. The pleasantly twangy guitars are ready-made for sun worshipping, while Johnson’s vocals fill a nice space between the folksiness of Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold and the brassy energy of Primus’ Les Claypool.

No matter what kind of dust you’ve got kicking around in your head, you’ll always find something new to put in it with Fletcher C. Johnson. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Brooklyn rave rockers My Best Fiend have been around since 2005, and their persistence got recently rewarded with a record deal with UK forward looking label Warp. In their Warp debut "Ghostlike Fading" the band puts an almost spiritual twist on a sound that introduces itself quietly, only to erupt into a full-on psyched-out jam. The single "Cracking Eggs" starts out with gently strummed acoustic guitar and stark, spacious piano chords, while emotive vocals sing about "the crack in the egg that provides relief." It’s not long before full band pomp and stomp fills the sonic spectrum as harsh textures lift the listener into the clouds. Another favorite song, "Higher Palms" (streaming below) turns to an electric piano for keyboard figures, as full instrumentation is then added in, creating a high western plains feel. Vocals are layered and embedded in hallways of reverb, enhanced by synthesized textures extending the tones. Guitars join in from multiple angles, merging with the rising sonic tide without obscuring the defined rhythm. – Dave Cromwell

It’s quite rare to find an artist who gives us a Christmas song on a record released during the warmer time of the year. But with The Devyl Nellys‘ latest release, you get ‘Hot Santa‘ along with plenty of other tracks.

All this from a band clearly rooted in Country Americana, but whose ambitions are far flung. The New York group’s debut full-length ‘Charm Land’ moves from James Bond-style riffing in the mysterious ‘Attracted,’ to a doo-wop chorus in radio-ready ‘Hush.’ Singer Nelly Levon handles most vocal duties, but guitarist James Mastro’s voice shines in the lush ‘Airport’.

For the Devyl Nellys, diversity is their strength. ‘Charm Land’ is a full-bodied debut to suit most tastes, and just might work equally well in any season. Stream the record here and see them when they play Gizzi’s Cafe on Jun 20. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Here is the new video from the world’s raddest raga-soul-pop lady Santigold – for the song "The Keepers." She just wrapped up her Spring US tour in support of Master of My Make-Believe, and she will be appearing at festivals internationally throughout the summer including Lollapalooza, Reading and Leeds.

Los Encantados most likely write their music by forcefully giving each other high fives until the music spontaneously happens. This is just an uninformed guess of course, but with the band’s name loosely translating to ‘The Enchanted,’ it wouldn’t surprise me. The septet deals with the same chapters in life shared by most of us, city dwellers. Only when they do it… it’s actually uplifting!

Their latest EP ‘Same Damned Soul,’ opens with a barnburning athem to lost loves (‘Ghost’), and continues at this speed ’til you arrive at the beach in time for the party with closer ‘Maritime.’ This is quite a bit of fun to be sure, but nowhere near as good a time as seeing the six-piece live. So check them out on July 6th when they play the CBGB fest at The Delancey. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – Los Encantados submitted their music for review here.