Singer and keyboardist of the band Au Revoir Simone Erika Forster has released the first track “Hidden” (streaming below) off her upcoming self-titled solo EP under the moniker Erika Spring. The EP will be out on July 10th by way of pop label Cascine. The song provides a dreamy landscape of keyboard melodies and distorted drum samples. Erika’s smooth crooning guides us through the composition, which is driven by equal parts sparse instrumentation and loaded with samples. Be sure to check her out while she’s still in New York on July 12th at the Ivana Helsinki Space in Manhattan. – Bob Raymonda

Apophenia creates music that surrounds you in every direction. It’s like listening to their lush and powerful orchestrations from the bottom of a canyon. Whether discussing the final steps before reaching the gallows, or the freedoms of the open road, singer Seamus Kerley and band bring a majesty to their stew that mixes their ingredients with hearty soul and pointed harmonies. Recalling groups from CSNY to Sunny Day Real Estate in their latest self-titled LP, the three-piece paints with a large brush to cover such a wide territory.

Songs like ‘To The Gallows (our green mile)’ and ‘Open Roads’ begin the record with an open invitation, and even when exploring rockier fields in later tracks ‘Serenity’ and ‘I’m Coming Home Soon,’ the Long Island group always keeps a large view on whatever situation they find themselves in. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

The Sunday of Northside was not exactly your typical relaxing weekend day. For one, The Deli’s showcase at Cameo Gallery was in full swing. The peppy and preppy Spacecamp melded a geeky exterior with a rock interior and penchant for (beautifully performed) dance beats and catchy melodies, while Papertwin’s mellower psychedelic synth vibes enveloped the venue. A scurry to the basement of The Charleston brought me to happy- go-lucky pop rock bunch, Fast Years, who smiled more than any band I’ve seen (not counting Matt & Kim). A far walk took me to Warsaw, “where pierogies meet punk. “ However, two non-punk bands were creating dance beats for hoards of hipsters. Upon arrival, Chicago’s YAWN was onstage enabling the crowd’s excitement for headliners Starfucker (STRFCKR) with trippy synth-pop tendencies that were less sleepy than their name implies. Portland’s electro-dance pop quartet, STRFCKR transformed the venue into a nightclub, not only with their thumping rhythms but strobes and array of lights that burst out over the audience. My last leg of the night ended back at Trash Bar. Closing the evening and my festival weekend, 60s-inspired psychedelic rock quartet, The Living Kills (pictured and streaming below), hypnotized with organ drones and waves of heavy bass. Overall a fun-filled weekend of music, Northside showcased the thriving variety of emerging artists. –Meijin Bruttomesso

From June 14-21, Brooklyn hosted the annual, Northside Festival (organized by The L Mag) which involved over 350 bands, 50 films, and 120 panelists throughout 60+ venues. Although I got off to a late start, as the music portion began the 14th, I got my fair share of the offerings. A band from “just down the street,” Clouder, began the night at Trash Bar with their psych-garage rock formulations. Immediately following, W.A.L.N.U.T.S impressed with Dylan Robert’s powerful pipes and vocal range atop upbeat and feel-good styling. Power-walking to The Charleston, atmospheric Estrostratus and punky The Black Black blew out the venue’s basement ceiling with piercing guitars and rambunctious drums. Back at Trash Bar, The Gypsy West (pictured and streaming below), who also “curated” the show, stood out with intriguing melodies and harmonies of lead vocalist/guitarist, Alex Giorgetti, and bassist Andrew McCarthy’s nuanced vocals. Giorgetti’s elaborate guitar work carried the band into moments of psychedelia, jazz, grunge, funk, and heavy rock, creating an outstanding fusion and listening experience. The three piece will be at Bowery Electric on August 4 and should not be missed! The night maintained its high with the explosive and theatrical New Madrid, who kept the adrenaline pumping to the very last note with their “rock en Espanol.” —Meijin Bruttomesso

Selling out the Bowery Ballroom is probably one of the top dreams of most (if not all) indie musicians familiar with the beautiful Lower East Side’s venue, and it’s very satisfying to see that, in an era obsessed with the latest and newest acts, this was accomplished by a band that’s been around (while growing in popularity) for 3-4 years like Savoir Adore – we are referring to the June 22 show. Led by a singing boy/girl duo Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro, Savoir Adore’s charming electro pop has been evolving in a dreamier direction, as testified by the new EP and video (streaming below) appropriately entitled "Dreamers."  – Read a Deli 2009 interview with Savoir Adore here.

What strange frequency does Manicanparty exist on? Not an easy question to answer. With singer/songwriter Jessica Corazza overlaying obscure references on top of ethereal imagery – and of producer Patrick Morrissey’s endless interventions – the group seems to create their world anew with each song they add to their site.

Just check out the intensely chanted gymnastics of ‘Monarch,’ and you’ll wonder if a new tribe has formed somewhere in Brooklyn, and you’re the last to know about it. Latest track ‘Animal’ – a Miike Snow Cover – takes the Brooklyn duo one step further. You will most likely find it impossible not to fall in love with Jessica as she takes on all manner of shapes and suggestions in the track’s just-released video. Animal, human or otherwise, this is a band that beams all of its music down to Brooklyn from another place entirely.

Manicanparty played BMI’s New Music Seminar’s showcase at the Gramercy Theater yesterday (June 19) – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

New York City’s Relations revive the intense aesthetics of post-punk’s heydays through an eclectic set of four tracks exploring the unsettling contradictions of the genre’s heritage. Only steps away from the explosive 1980s wave of uptempo self-loathing, old-time friends Terrence Murren and Michael Sanders build – upon head-bopping offbeat rhythms and rolling bass lines – a fast-paced narrative, tinted with nostalgia and that effervescent angst of young love. Get ready for a disturbingly pleasant journey to the center of their minds as the duo celebrates the release of the eponymous debut EP with a show at Matchless on June 28. In a refreshingly dark alternative to the gleeful connotations of most synth-based acts, their screeching guitars and dissonant dialogues bring a twist to unforgettable Factory & Co influences. Tempted? Sample or purchase the EP on the 100mrecord store, you’ll get the gist. – Tracy Mamoun

Mary J. Blige sounding too contemporary for you? Try Orly, a young diva who could rightfully be described as the soul throwback Queen. The Manhattanite’s fixation with vinyl groove soul shows her capably belting out funk jams (‘Now’s the Time’), love weary power ballads (‘Get Together With The One You Love’) and ladies’ night anthems (‘It’s Alright’) the way you remember them best from dad’s record collection.

Utilizing a timeless blend of virtuosic singing picked up when studying voice in Australia, coupled with revealing lyrics in her debut LP ‘Distraction,’ this old soul is breathing new life into a genre too often distracted with gimmicky props, when really all that’s needed is the right singer to bring it’s grooves to life. Orly will smooth even the most frazzled of Sunday morning nerves, and get you moving at the same time.

See her when she plays The Blue Note on July 13th, and check out ‘Distraction’ here. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Brooklyn’s avant pop band Conveyor presents a sonic palette composed by an intriguing blend of styles and influences, combining the percussion of afropop with moody electronics and rhythmically patterned vocals. Many of the songs in their upcoming self-titled album are the result of a collaborative writing process, resulting in intricate arrangements reminiscent of Animal Collective’s more melodic experiments. Time signatures out of the 4/4 mold also reveal musicians not content to rely on the safety of familiar patterns. The band will celebrate the release of their debut full-length (under Paper Garden Records’ wing) with a show at The mercury Lounge on June 28. Recommended! – Dave Cromwell

We’ve always had a weak spot for Violens. This brand new song and video "When to Let Go" marries their light shoegazer sound with some kind of new-romantic aesthetics from the 80s.

Like My Morning Jacket and affiliated supergroup Monsters of Folk, Isle of Rhodes succeeds in combining the musicianship of groove-based jam bands with a folk core that reminds you these guys don’t just know how to play, they’ve got something to say too. For the band’s just-released debut full-length ‘All Rivers and Oceans,’ singer/Rhodes obsessive Rob Farren digs these dreamy statements into some seriously washy reverb treatment, drawing on topographical references to illuminate the thrill of new love in ‘Young Love.’

But his heart really seems to lie in the freedom of life off-shore. From opener ‘Oceans’ (streaming) to the stomping ‘Eyes Like The Sun,’ Farren paints a world of surf and sand where one experience melts into the next, and innocent pleas against change get washed away with the next tide. Wherever Isle of Rhodes take you, it’s usually an elevated place to match the screeching alto Farren has mastered.

Check out their new full-length here and see the band when they play at Don Pedro on June 23rd. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – Isle of Rhodes submitted their music for review here.