Some bands have the desert in their sound. Equals, with their spacious, instrumental and atmospheric post-psych-rock, is one of them. The band is about to release their debut CD, out on Manateam records, with a show at Emo’s on August 25. These dudes deliver live big time, so don’t miss the trip!

Although TECLA describes her music as “Tropical Electronic Pop,” I was unable to decipher any electric ukuleles or steel-drum machines in Strangers in Masks. However, the undertone of calypso and reggae rhythms tastefully layered with lush and throbbing synths did have me feeling like I was at a summery shimmery dance party on a beach on the moon. Am I contradicting myself? That’s fine. The way TECLA’s music mashes genres is so forward-thinking, it’s easy to get dizzy (and giddy). Picking up where M.I.A. left off, she weaves socially conscious and delightfully eccentric lyricism with a gift for infectious melody. You can think about it, but you don’t have to. You can just dance until your brain wakes back up. It’s that good. Download it for free here. – BrokeMC

Awesome NYC indie pop band Arizona formed in NYC in 2006, was on the cover of The Deli in 2007, and disbanded in late 2009. They’ve gone on to form new bands and work on new creative projects, but Friday night they’ll all be back together to play a some old Arizona tunes and to share some of their new music. The show is at a (not so secret) secret location in Williamsburg, though all are welcome. Directions can be found here. If you missed Arizona the first time around, this will be a rare chance to seem them play in their native land.

Using her Kate Bush-y soprano for intricate vocal parts, and supporting it with all sort of musical influences – ranging from garage rock to dream-pop and even post-rock – Brooklynite Idgy Dean (real name Lindsay Sanwald) creates poppy DIY music that’s original and hard to pinpoint. Her new EP "Heart & Lung" showcases a promising vulcanic creativity, which you’ll be able to witness live on August 18, when she’ll celebrate her record release at Pianos.

The Brooklyn-based four-piece Virgin Forest, featuring members of Phosphorescent, will be releasing their debut full-length in January, 2012. The band plays gentle chill-folk with jazzy accents. Stream or download the mp3 "South Beach" below and go see them live at The Knit on August 16 – opening for One Hundred Dollars.

Mp3: Virgin Forest: "South Beach"

Not many artists force me into the uncomfortable position of waxing philosophical about their performance.  I don’t like it because it conjures bad memories of drinking coffee at 4am and yelling at a lamp.  You don’t like it because you feel like I’m drooling on you.  So thanks Theodore Robinson. Thanks much.
On a certain level, I’m concerned I’m just not hip enough. Be that as it may, there was a show where he dropped his guitar, galloped off stage, released a roll of tinfoil by the door.  He unraveled it like an astronaut with limited means repairing his ship.  He proceeded with sharpie, scrawling verses, one of which included the word Love.  The foil ripped, the mosquitoes played on, the experience was both kinky and heartrending.  At another show he adorned his band with squishy strobe light rings.  He killed the lights and howled; we wanted to howl along with him but when we opened our mouths no sound came out.  And then that show where he built a shrine for an exquisitely deceased crab…  He howls and turnips rage and if you listen closely enough, bizarre references emerge.  Tiny fountains of Japanese Pop, the Downtown Scene, Sorcery, pulsing underneath this carpet of deep blues, railroad hymns.  Ted makes me feel like I am at a birthday party in an EE Cummings poem.  He makes me want to do things like pass out cough drops to everybody on earth. – Catch Ted Robinson w/ Suspenders @ Zebulon on 8/22. – Valerie Kuehne

Drawing such comparisons to songwriting luminaries such as Joan Baez, Suzanne Vega, Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell, Linda Draper has still managed to carved out a sound that is all her own. In the last several years, she has toured in the US and UK, and she has shared the stage with Regina Spektor, Kimya Dawson, Jeffrey Lewis, Lucy Wainwright Roche, The One AM Radio and Theresa Andersson among others. Her next show will be at "happy hour time" at The Knitting Factory Brooklyn on Friday August 19. Doors open at 6 pm, Linda Draper kicks things off at 6:30 PM. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

Two years ago, NYC via Copenhagen Mikkel Hess produced one of Time Out Magazine’s Top 10 Albums of 2009 on Nublu records: it was his debut under the moniker Hess Is More, offering smart, minimalist, and atmospheric electro-pop. Since then Hess has evolved this project, collaborating with local musicians and fellow Dane, co-writer/producer Rasmus Bille Bahncke on new album, "Creation Keeps the Devil Away", out on October 11. Find his single’s free download down here here. – Caitlin Clive

Mp3: Hess is more: "Creation Keeps the Devil Away"

Here’s the video for Milagres‘ "Here to Stay" single, out of their upcoming 2nd full length "Glowing Mouth", due in September on Kill Rock Stars Records.

I skimmed the press release for Little Gold’s new LP, Weird Freedom. There it was, in the second paragraph. "Folk feral enthusiasts." To be fair to whoever crafted this press release, it was referencing Woods, the old band of Little Gold’s leader, Christian DeRoeck. But the term is equally fitting for Little Gold. Folk with edge, a lo-fi swagger…I mean sometimes they even bust out the electric. The band is not really that much of a departure from Woods, the album even includes an old Woods song, "The Kid’s Got Heart", but, as Christian DeRoeck’s showcase, it’s a pretty impressive portfolio, and "Half the Time" (streming here) it’s a heck of a pop song. You can currently stream the entire "Weird Freedom" album here, its physical version will be released on the Loud Baby Sounds label on August 23, 2011. – allison levin

We just stumbled upon this video by Ford & Lopatin – Joel Ford and Daniel Lopatin’s project formerly known as GAMES. The video was released a few months ago but we must have missed it – yeah, we are not ashamed to say it, nor to promote it now! The band placed third in The Deli’sYear End Best of NYC Poll for emerging artists and were picked by legendary analogue synth manufacturers MOOG to play the MOOG Fest in October.