Harry & the Hitmen are a soul-laden six piece that rely heavily on lighthearted, loose takes on some of the most influential sounds of Motown. Each member is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and well-versed in on-the-spot improvisation, making every experience a unique and certifiable hit. Last fall they released their debut album, Deep In Your Soul, and are gearing up for a string of live dates this fall. – Joshua D. Huver

Los Angeles/NYC-based pop duo Prince Fox has collaborated with actress/singer Bella Thorne on a new synthpop single, "Just Call" (streaming below). Featuring dancey beats interrupted by heavily filtered vocal melodies, the single has gone viral in the last few weeks, pushing Prince Fox to the top ten of The Deli’s NYC charts for emerging artists (third item in our NYC homepage). Prince Fox will be playing at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco on July 28th. Listen to the single below! – Ethan Ames

Bay area funk sensation, Big Sticky Mess, is playing Boom Boom Room on July 22nd in support of Victor Little’s Big Hit. Big Sticky Mess is at once a tongue-in-cheek homage to ’70s funk, and an impressive display of musicianship, with wah-laden guitars, saxophones and punchy percussion abounding on their 2016 full-length release, "It All Looks the Same in the Dark." Listen to the title track below! – Ethan Ames

New York’s Sean McVerry, who made our Best of NYC Emerging Artist Poll 2017, is a proverbial musical sponge. A skilled pianist and guitar player, McVerry incorporates elements of electronica, neo-soul and indie-pop to create a sound that’s shifting but always recognizable, thanks to his signature, soulful voice. On his 2016 EP, Hourglass Switchboard II, McVerry’s detexerous falsetto undulates effortly over drum machines and reverb-drenched, chordal piano work. Check out a live version of "Strangers" below, and don’t miss his upcoming live show at Bowery Electric on July 27th.- Ethan Ames

New York’s indie-pop quartet Lightning Bug is playing at Baby’s All Right on July 8th, at the release show for the immigrant rights benefit compilation entitled "So Many Singing." Lightning Bug’s most recent EP, ‘the torment of love,’ showcases the band’s affinity for atmospheric bedroom pop, as well as melodic folk-rock sensibilities reminiscent of Joni Mitchell. – Ethan Ames

Evan Lanam and The Live Oaks is a rowdy folk rock and roll outfit from the San Francisco Bay Area. Hailed by some as the “Anderson Paak of folk music,” Lanam fills his band with friends and plays whenever and wherever he can. The band just wrapped a three-show residency at The Boom Boom Room that spanned over a month and a half, but they aren’t slowing down. Catch them next at the Uptown Nightclub in Oakland, CA Back Focus by Evan Lanam & the Live Oaks

San Francisco electro-soul act, The Crooked Stuff, are kicking off their summer residency at San Francisco’s Boom Boom Room on July 12th. With influences ranging from The Doors, Bad Brains, and Funkadelic, to Jamiroquai and Massive Attack, The Crooked Stuff are sonically experimental and unreserved. The band’s residency continues July 26th, August 9th and 23rd. – Ethan Ames

Homebrew, the rag-tag five-piece metal/rock outfit from Santa Cruz, CA is anything but your typical band. Borrowing from the framework of bands like Metric and Evanesence, Homebrew is fronted by the fierce personalities of Alison Maupin and lead guitarist Matt Kotila. Bassist Nel Barrow joined the rest of the group in 2015, most of whom have been playing heavy music together since 2010. – Joshua D. Huver 

Soft News, the NYC alt-folk project of Erik Laroi, is releasing a four-song EP of Everything But the Girl covers entitled The Only Way Out is Down. The four covers dramatically reimagine the originals, stripping away the sophistipop masters’ electronic arrangement in favor of a chamber instrumentation. Cello and violins abound on this release, and the instrumentalists’ mastery of dynamics lends a contemplative, melancholy air to the songs. The Only Way Out is Down is out today. 

Agouti, a self-described "DIY psych" band fronted by Carmen Caruso, has released a new single entitled "Chameleon." An intriguing blend of Euro-rock influences ranging from Portishead and the Cranberries to hints of early Radiohead, "Chameleon" is a coolly melancholic dirge that laments existing in one’s own skin and illustrates a longing for disassociation. Listen to the single below! – Ethan Ames

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

Brooklyn punk quintet Ellen and the Degenerates will play at Bushwick Public House on July 1st in support of Remnants. On their most recent single, "My House," the Degenerates tap into the high-energy, anthemic sensibilities of ’70s punk with a catchy but appropriately defiant hook ("This is my house/You need to get out"), and a driving rhythm section that brings the song to a screeching halt at just under two minutes. – Ethan Ames, photo by Jeanette D Moses. 

Asbury Park’s Deal Casino, a promising new indie-rock quartet that made our recent list of Best of NYC Emerging Artists, has released their first single, entitled "Red Balloon," from their upcoming debut album. The track, inspired by the Oscar winning, 1956 French comedy-drama going under the same name, is an uptempo, punchy romp that will tickle the ears of fans of The Black Keys and Dr. Dog. Like the movie, it’s a playful song, but also features an underlying feeling of sadness, which the band says will be a recurring theme in their full length. Deal Casino is celebrating the record’s release at The Stony Pony in Asbury Park on July 21st with Born Cages and The Cold Seas. Listen to the new single below! – Ethan Ames