Vagabon is the indie rock project of New York’s Laetitia Tamko, whose emotionally charged electric folk songs often focus on moving or wandering from place to place in search of a purpose and loved ones. The trio released their debut EP Persian Garden in November of 2014, which features six lush tracks that are brimming with honesty and delicate instrumentation. The album’s opener “Cold Apartment Floors” is a ballad characterized by shifts between soft, quiet sections and guitar charged climaxes. Following track “Shadows” (streaming) speeds up with folkier elements and lyrics that center around following a loved one wherever they may go – even when the feelings aren’t mutual. Vagabon will be playing the Silent Barn on July 28th in support of Fear of Men. – John Honan

Boston band PowerSlut have never played by anyone’s rules but their own, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. The lead single off their second LP "Girl Crush," is as evocative, or even moreso, than the ironic alt-rockers have ever been, telling the story of a girl the singer has a "girl crush" on.  The lyrics are hilarious, espcially the chorus where Linnea Herzog repeats "Girl crush, girl crush, no homo," bringing back a phrase that most people probably asummed had died alongwith other unfortunate high-school sayings. PowerSlut have always demonstrated a real talent in creating music that messes with the listener’s expectations and pokes fun at society while still satisfying sonically as well.  PowerSlut are set to release their second album titled The Second Coming on 8/5 alongwith a release party at Out of the Blue Arts Gallery and More. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Brooklyn-based soul crooner Peter Wise offers a "back-to-basics" approach that’s experiencing a resurgence in today’s RnB. Like for his contemporary Gallant, the pillars of his sound are his range-y voice, and simple but impactful instrumental arrangements that let the vocals take center stage. His latest release, "Sweet Solitude," illustrates this perfectly, as Wise implores, then begs a partner with his gripping alto (and impressive falsetto at times) not to leave him in "sweet solitude". His voice is acompanied by Wise’s own seemingly Santana-inspired guitar part that reinforces the track’s vintage quality and adds in nostalgia of its own as well.  "Sweet Solitude" is a promising single from an EP due in September, and you can check him out on August 6th at C’mon Everybody, a new Brooklyn venue between Clinton Hill and Bed Stuy that’s booking quality artists. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber, Photo Credit: Toby Seifinger

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

Scully formed after the breakup of California-based garage rock group The Splinters, when three of its core members reunited in Brooklyn. Their perfectly self-described brand of “California sunshine, Brooklyn grime” features easy going pop melodies blended with heavy psych influences, along with the scuzzy and lo-fi nature of garage rock. Last year the band released a split with La Luz that featured their track “Don’t Want That”. Scully’s latest single “Wave” puts the band’s poppy psych sound on display with shimmering guitar tones and hazy vocals. “Wave” is the first single off the four-pieces upcoming EP No Sense, which will be released on August 19th through Fire Talk. Scully will be playing Union Pool on July 28th in support of fellow psych-garage rockers Honey. – John Honan

Teen Body‘s debut LP Get Home Safe flows between wispy, delicate sections and more agitated moments filled with with tension. The four-piece recently released a music video for single “Bored Window” that also plays along this dichotomy, opening with lighthearted and playful scenes of band comradery, at least until they start killing each other – in all likelihood because of creative disagreements and ego conflicts related to the band! The group’s placid dream pop acts as a surreal commentary to the final, bloody scenes, in a way remoiniscent of Spike Lee’s use of loungy jazz over violent sequences. Teen Body will be playing live July 27th at Shea Stadium. – John Honan

Influenced by indie rock and post-hardcore, Brooklyn’s Haybaby‘s sound also ventures into the noisy worlds of thrash and sludge metal. Whether lead singer/guitarist Leslie Hong is utilizing her hushed whispers or loud screams, she’s always able to maintain a commanding presence and controlled delivery. Their recent EP Blood Harvest, released this past srping, starts off with three tense songs that put Hong’s quietly mesmerizing vocals on display. The final two tracks almost sound like a completely different band, but in a way that still fits in with the rest of the EP. “What It Is” features frantic drumming and abrasive, drowned out yelling, while the final track “Pig” relies on a slow, droning, and sludgy pace to forge one of the band’s most experimental moments. Haybaby will be playing Shea Stadium tonight (7/22)! – John Honan

A sputtering drum rhythm with a blazing guitar riff shimmies open “Disconnect,” a bright, spunky track layered with warm, raspy vocals and jovial abandon on Hello Dharma’s EP Disconnectionism (streaming below). The Virginia-based band cites Rooney, Arctic Monkeys, and 90’s grunge as influence and it is clearly evident in their EP, whose tracks shift from the bubbling alt rock (“Disconnect”) to a more chaotic and broody grunge-centric number (“Vitamin” and “Anabelle Leaves”). Whether melodic and effervescent or gloomy and aggressively in your face, Hello Dharma doesn’t shy away from going full throttle in each and every song, giving you no choice but to jump and sing along every step of the way. Catch Hello Dharma shake things up at Velvet Lounge on August 30 and listen to them below. – Adriana S. Ballester

Have you ever wondered what would happen if all the toys in a kids playchest came to life? Plastic trains chugging along faithfully in a circle, lights twinkling, and robots beeping into existence– what little mayhem would they cook up? Music, that’s what, and it would sound exactly like The Galaxy Electric. True to their name, Galaxy Electric sounds much like the universe in a child’s room woke up, some light switch magically flipped on. The electric tinkling and spacey synths can almost call to mind brilliant hues of neon blues and magentas blinking on and off, coaxing us to fall down their temporal rabbit hole and diving into the electronic dreams sonically curated by some warped fusion of The Doors and Broadcast–the psychedelic textures of the former melded with the gentle vocal touch and space age pop sensibilities of the latter. A truly trippy experience to listen to make sure you catch their live performance at U Street Music Hall tonight and at DC Nine on August 2. – Adriana S. Ballester

Navy Gangs is a DIY garage rock quartet made up of Brooklyn transplants with a bio that screams rock’n’roll. The three founding members are originally from Omaha where they dropped out of high school, and took up jobs at the local zoo to save enough money to move in, with guitarist Noah Kohll’s grandmother, to New York City. Keeping the tradition of the DIY ethos alive, the band turned her home into a studio to record their debut self-titled EP. Hopefully, a book will be written about this story one day, but for now we can enjoy their musical output, which is intriguing to say the least. Recently, they premiered lead single off the EP “Special Glands” (streaming below), which features undeniably smooth and winding riffs reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr.. Its message is about self-love and finding confidence even when it seems like no one likes you. Navy Gangs will be releasing their EP on September 14th via No Roads, and – after ending a ten date tour, will be playing Baby’s All Right on July 25th! – John Honan

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

Brooklyn based musician and producer, XHOSA, does not try to puzzle us with obtuse metaphors or elaborate fabrications – she says exactly what she means.  Blending a variety of genres, from Hip Hop and R&B to ’80s synthpop, in her latest single, “FEEL REAL,” the artist offers a reassuring message.  Throughout the song, she repeats “I feel real, I feel okay, everywhere that I stray,” emphasizing the rawness of both herself and of life in general.  The song ends not with XHOSA singing, but speaking of the excitements of life and the thin line between dreams and reality. You can see her live on July 24th at Aviv. – Madeleine Grossman

Live hip-hop bands are truly a diamond a dozen nowadays, making a new single from NYC’s Deathrow Tull all the more special.  The Hip-hop/Soul band’s first release since 2013, "Fire (like we do)" is a fast-paced joy-ride through music old and new. Clocking in at over six minutes, the heavily danceable track uses it’s length to its advantage, managing to enfold genres ranging from soul, hip-hop, and reggae all into one song. It has some rock leanings too, mostly contributed by a Tom Morello-esque guitar part that stays in the background much of the track, only to suddenly break out into an out of sight solo right past the song’s mid-way line. Adding to the guitar part’s references, on Friday the 22nd Deathrow Tull is taking part in "Pulse Against the Machine," a benefit show for the victims of the shooting of the Orlando club, where they’ll play Rage covers to finish off the night. Check out their latest track below. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

While some people are ok with enjoying the good stuff life brings to them, others prefer to prevent future pain. Happy Now, the debut single from Brooklyn natives, Shapes in Calgary, is an aching account of finding someone that’s almost too lovely to let go, and the claustrophobic pressure that builds when one realizes it’s just not the right person. Dressed in a clean 80’s synthpop, Alyssa Ciorciari’s words have a devastatingly biting quality from the track’s first moments, and her casual vocal style gives the impression of an overheard late-night confession. The song is all too familiar for any veteran of love’s misfires, and it reveals emotions so universally honest, one may swear that someone’s been rifling through his or her diary! We’re looking forward to the 5 song EP that will be released this fall, but for now you can stream the single below. The band will be playing at Alhpaville on September 3rd. – Olivia Sisinni