Caroline Says recently put forth 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong, a new album where the only mystery lies in the title. That doesn’t mean that the album is not subtle. It is perfect for the coming Autumn atmosphere, especially "Winter Is Cold", emanating the desire to curl up with a book and cup of tea, watching the world from the comfort of your seat. "My Fiance’s Pets" and the mildly upbeat "Ghost Pokes" share this intimacy and effervescent quality. That is the warmth and homespun quality felt from the album, making listening an enchantingly subdued and peaceful moment in time. 

Mother Falcon’s presence is creative, it’s assertive and it’s tight.  They’re an orchestral indie band with enough technique for them to have their own band camp for kids, where kids can learn about writing songs, orchestrating bands and practicing their instruments; sounds like a sweet alternative to School of Rock.  Their sound is incredibly rich, combining rock n roll energies with orchestral instruments and structures.  Particularly worth listening to is their live album of their performance of Radiohead’s, OK Computer, in it’s entirety which they appropriately titled MF Computer.  It’s a successful re-imagination; the closing of Paranoid Android in particular gave me goose pimples.  You can catch Mother Falcon live on August 27th at the long Center Concert Club and then again on the 30th at The Mohawk.  Don’t miss it.  -Jake Saunders

If you’ve ever been a nine to fiver in New York City you’ll know that walking through the subway with the hordes of grumpy New Yorkers can be borderline existential.  It can make you feel small, insignificant, and the realization that you are indeed one of the billions of people in the world trying to float in life becomes very real.  Bronx-born Sal Mastrocola is the guy behind the project, No Nets, and he’s got a lot to say on the matter.  "Nobody wants to be average, but that’s all I’ve become" he sings on his song "Average" off his debut album, Affabel & Ready For Small Talk.  The album is a compelling tribute to the feeling of being just another one in a million.   The subjects are carried through both the creative high to low dynamics, and Mastrocola’s confident vocal and lyrical sensibility, amounting to an infectiously catchy pop record. You can catch No Nets at Fontanas Bar this Wednesday (8/13) and stream the song "Average" below.  – Jake Saunders

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

Foxes in Fiction started out as a project based around Warren Hildebrand’s interests in tape machines, field recordings, and sampling and the manipulation of those mediums.  His music is ambient, intimate, and surreal; almost all of his tracks feel like they’re floating on air, existing in a dream like state.  The manipulation of the sounds from the environments that surround us has long been explored (starting with the futurist painter Luigi Russolo and his manifesto, The Art of Noises, in 1913!!), and it brings us joy that there are people still exploring those mediums in the NYC DiY community.  Taking music past the point of what our ears are conditioned to experience, Foxes in Fiction near the connection between music and Earth by combining the two: the world is an instrument, and Foxes in Fiction shows us this in a beautiful way.  

Hildebrand also co-runs Orchid Tapes, who put out records by both Alex G and Elvis Depressedly.  The reason I mention those names specifically is because all three of those artists are playing a show at Shea Stadium this Saturday August 16 along with Emily Reo.  Alex G was our best emerging artist of 2013 for the Philadephia blog, and Elvis Depressedly is soon to be no more, so it’s definitely a show worth checking out.  Stream Foxes in Fiction’s song "8/29/91" below -Jake Saunders

There’s something really quite special about the fuzz rock that comes from the minds of 60’s psychedelia-influenced artists like Ty Segall, The Orwells, The Black Lips. Here’s one more for you, straight out of Brooklyn: Dances is a three piece that just put out an EP, Whiter Sands, featuring four glorious songs worth of gut busting, psych-rock fuzz-jams.   Specifically telling of the band’s style is the quite surreal video they just released for their song, "Doc Youth."  The song features a guy being followed around by another guy toting a rifle and garbed solely in tight whities and a freaky looking mask.  It’s definitely one for the books.  Peep the video below. – Jake Saunders

The Motor Tom are a dance rock group out of New York whose recent album, Tracks, was produced by Gregory Lattimer (Albert Hammond Jr.’s Yours to Keep).  The record is hook-heavy, with themes that embody New York City street wandering, from being haunted by Elizabeth Browning, to being stranded on the subway tracks.  There’s no question that one of The Motor Tom’s main priorities is to get you up and moving.  The songs are aggressively catchy – you might find it hard to prevent your head from bobbing as you stream the song below. You can let your dancing instincts loose at their live set at The Mercury Lounge on August 12th. – Jake Saunders

As The Gradients are gearing up for their debut LP, they’ve been pumping out singles which have tickled our fancies.  Their latest release is "Shelf", another indicator of the band’s continued development.  One of the interesting things about this band is how accurately they depict the anxieties of an age not just lyrically, but musically.  The attention deficit riffs and melodies come from multiple directions at once, and provide consistently compelling and unexpected structures. They sing about an age and a situation where nothing is certain, and often times the only place to look for support, recognition, and reassurance is in others around you.  "Am I the only one?" is the line that rings out from this track, and it’s a question that everyone is oh so familiar with. East coasters will have the chance to see The Gradients live as they tour those lands next week (dates here). Last date in NYC at the Studio on 08.15 – Jake Saunders

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

The Due Diligence‘s new record, Are You Down?, is something of a throw back, taking the concept of revival a step further.  The songs on the album – with their gritty guitars, simple three chord structures, fun lyrics and charismatic attitude – seem to be almost fighting the current trend of taking influences from scattered pieces of music history, and just put you smack dab in the middle of 1960’s garage rock era. Indeed, this is a sonic environment that suits lead singer Sir Isaac Diligence, who has a wonderful presence on the record, and has become somewhat of a character thanks to his wimsical, playful, feel-good attitude.

However, the band takes this outdatedness and uses it to its advantage, turning it into a comment about what’s "cool," a word that – for better or worse – in recent years has been monopolized by our good old borogh of Brooklyn, where the group resides.  In a place that is so romanticized as a setting where you can be unique and "cool" in your own way, Sir Isaac Diligence and The Due Diligence have found a way to kick all that bullshit out the window, and simultaneously celebrate it in a way that’s not contrived nor pretentious, but mostly just… fun.  We recommended hitting up their album release party at Shea Stadium tomorrow (8/07) with support from Zula, Slonk Donkerson, and Pinegrove.  -Jake Saunders

Otis the Destroyer are packing serious punches with the psych rock sound that they’ve managed to masterfully wield on their latest EP, Dark Arts, which was out this past May. It’s four songs of wonderfully crafted psychadelic jams. Their recent video for their track "You’re The Wealth" tells a story of a guy whose world becomes a trippy, surreal reality as soon as he puts on a pair of 3-D glasses. The video is an excellent depiction of their style, as the band takes after 1960’s and 70’s rock with incredible taste.  Check them out tonight at Hole In The Wall.  -Jake Saunders

 Blynd Birds has recorded a mixed set of tracks that will hits in more than one spot. The diversity of genres in their 4-track release is perfect for the restless listener. It’s all there; styles including blues, indie, folk, garage, and punk rock. On their bandcamp, they ask that listeners "excuse the quality," but I think the lo-fi fuzz only adds to their edge. Stream their music below. -Rebecca Blandon

Divining Rod is a project lead by Miuki Furtado, a multi-instrumentalist who operates in the New York and Baltimore scenes.  The A side off their recent single, "Those Were The Dais," is a wonderfully epic jam, packed with drawling, Lou Reed-esque vocals, not-too-pretentious guitar solos, and a great nod to the 60’s and 70’s vibes with references ranging from Simon and Garfunkel to Bert Jansch. Stream the single Below.  -Jake Saunders

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

 A Giant Dog has one foot in punk, another in indie pop, and two fists in the air.  Their melodies are ferosciously catchy, popping out with a supremely bright energy akin to The Stooges while Sabrina Ellis-Gibb’s vocals come out strong and true.  Not to mention their live shows are full of energy, which is why we’re suggesting you attend their show at Cheer Up Charlies on August 16th.  Stream "Lady Slut," a track from their most recent release, Bone, below.  -Jake Saunders