Boston singer-songwriter Rachel Hael seems to be capable of performing every type of music associated with the super-genre that is Americana. Throughout her repertoire she’s comfortably gone back and forth between upbeat country jams to folk elegies, hitting every stop in between. Just because her music has a large breadth, however, doesn’t mean she sacrifices any emotional depth. On the contrary, Hael posesses the rare quality of being able to inject her vocals with whatever emotional tone the track posesses. Her voice drips sultriness on singles like "Say my Name" and overflows with melancholy on others like "More Like ‘Painsville.’ The simple but tasteful instrumentation and occasional backup vocals give her sound a nice well-rounded fullness. With two EPs to her name, we’re excited to see what Hael and co. could do on a full length, bur for now you can catch her at O’Brien’s Pub on both 7/7 and 7/14. Check out upbeat folk-pop track "So Far No Good," streaming below. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Yucky Duster is a new project comprised of members of Brooklyn-based bands Bluffing, Slonk Donkerson, and The Gradients. Their self-titled debut album was released on June 3rd, and is a colorfully catchy record that takes on a charmingly melodic sound with bits of 60’s surf rock and punk influences scattered throughout. The track “Friend Zone” (streaming below) is characterized by its snotty vocals that ask the question “does that make me a bitch?”, mocking society’s view of a woman who puts someone in the “friend zone.” “Blue Elvis” however deals with the desire for someone you know is bad for you. The song starts off as a slow paced doo-wop before evolving into a surf rock inspired punk tune. While the record is just shy of hitting the 20 minute mark, it packs a ton of different sounds – and fun. Yucky Duster will be playing Aviv on June 15th in support of Melt.

The sound of Tancred, solo project of ‘Now, Now’ guitarist Jess Abbott, hits a nice grey area between punk and power pop. Abbot’s striking vocals and guitar work definitely get the blood pumping, but the band behind her doesn’t miss a beat, integrating the songwriting through skillful and at times subtle dynamic shifts that underline the songs’ tension and release sequence. Rounding out the band’s aeshtetic, Abbot’s lyrics are often incisive and contemplative, and give the music nice emotional and intellectual qualities.  Their latest project ‘Out of the Garden’ shows a developed, refined sound, and we’re surprised they slipped through the cracks of this blog’s coverage.  The band is about to wrap up a US tour with Speedy Ortiz, and will perform next at Great Scott on 6/22. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

This past fall, Nashville-based experimental rock project Boom Forest (aka songwriter John Paul Roney) released a sublime chimera of an album with ‘Post Knight Errant.’ Starting with the guitar-soared “Silver Hair,” which elegantly segues into the a capella-flecked “Been” and then leads to “Cameron” (streaming below), an electronics-flirting track that pleasantly recalls ‘White Album’-era Beatles, the work is both dark and warm, anxious but welcoming, and emerges as something of near beatific power. Roney recently relocated to Brooklyn, and quickly landed a three week residency at the Knitting Factory – the last night of which is next Wednesday (6/15). – Zach Weg 

NY’s American Pinup formed in 2010 out of Westchester County and combine elements from punk rock and power pop, blending catchy pop hooks and melodies with the spirit and energy of the punk ethos. The track “Living the Dream” off The Radio EP is a swift punk song characterized by its infectious drumming and West’s snotty vocals reminiscent of Gwen Stefani. “Start” highlights West’s contrasting vocal styles as she bounces back and forth between her smooth, crooning vocals and a raspy yell. The singer channels Brody Dalle of The Distillers with a little more bite to her vocals, while still remaining catchy enough to be good for radio play. American Pinup will be playing Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ on June 9th, and then The Bowery Electric on June 20th. Stream their track "Radio" below! – John Honan

Some artists aim to make music that make you think, whereas others seek to make you feel, or move. Recent Brassland signee Fusilier somehow manages to play music that does it all. His electronic-funk sound enters through the ears and spreads to the rest of the body like a virus – a virus that only dancing with abandon can cure. Simple drum grooves drive ‘The Moment,’ while his seductive R&B vocals and the track’s shifting arrangements contribute in forging a very personal sound. Bringing it alltogether is Fusiler’s rock pedigree, as his distorted guitar riffs and bass paterns add a pop to really make the music standout.  Fusilier’s sound is fresh, no doubt, and we can hopefully expect an EP from the ex-RIBS member soon. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber – Photo by Chris Oquist

Boston indie-pop band Amy and the Engine are going places, though their polish and quality could lead you into thinking they were already there. The band employs all six of its members to full advantage, and the result is a pop sound that is deceptively layered and easiliy listenable. The lead and rhythm guitars interplay freely, producing rich melodies and countermelodies that serve as the driving force behind each song.

Alongside this understated complexity is the diverse set of influences the band posseses, as they flirt with genres like country, hard rock, funk and even a little R&B at times. Their ability to do this owes largely to lead singer Amy Allen who can seemingly do it all with her impressively enormous range. You may not be able to catch this band for much longer before they fuly hit the mainstream, and you can do just that outdoors on June 9 at City Hall Plaza. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber

 In 2015 Gretchen Shae joined U2 on stage to play guitar on the song “All I Want Is You”, but that wasn’t her first time taking the stage. Shae is the vocalist and guitarist of the self-proclaimed Boston-based glam punk band The Knock Ups. Joined by Cat Verlicco on bass and Daniel McCarthy on Drums, the band brings blends energetic instrumentation with politically charged lyrics reminiscent of the riot grrrl movement of the 90’s, and borrow from the movements key players such as Bikini Kill and Sleater Kinney. “Shut Up (and put on your dress)” off their self-titled EP is characterized by it’s brevity, and the band’s fast paced riffs and pounding drumming that never drowns out Shae’s vocals. The track “1969” is a slower track that features compelling melodies and a catchy chorus that begs the listener to sing a long, however it doesn’t lose any of the band’s signature punk energy. The band will be playing tonight (6.03) at Club Bohemia in Cambridge. Check out their single “Dionysius” below! – John Honan

New York has a long and rich history for heavy music. Many metal and punk acts have gotten their start coming through the five boroughs, and 2016 has proven that the heavy scene is still thriving in the city, where "black" venues like Greenpoint’s St.Vitus do a great job to book the loudest artist around – locals included. We found three NYC artists in that venue’s calendar that are worth covering:

Primitive Weapons (pictured) is a Brooklyn-based noise/metalcore outfit that just released their sophomore album The Future of Death on April 15th. Their brand of metallic hardcore is reminiscent of unforgettable metalcore acts like Botch, Converge, and Cursed, while also taking influence from post-hardcore acts such as Refused. Their track “Ashes or Paradise” highlights the band’s metallic crunch and aggressive style, but also puts their more melodic moments on display. Primitive Weapons will be playing St. Vitus on June 4th in support of Wax Idols & King Woman.

Also from Brooklyn, River Cult is a new heavy psych rock band who just started playing shows in April. Their self-titled EP was released in February, and it features three lengthy songs that use their runtime to create evolving layers of music. The track “Shadow Out of Time” starts off with squealing guitars and slow, looping drums until the tempo shifts and the band explodes into a fuzzy rock sound reminiscent of 90’s stoner metal act Sleep. River Cult will be playing St. Vitus on June 13th. Check out “Shadow Out of Time” below!

Sick With Bloom is the latest album from the black metal outfit Yellow Eyes. Released at the end of 2015, Sick With Bloom is a suffocating record characterized by an atmospheric nature and frenetic layers. The title track (streaming below) lulls the listener into a brief state of tranquility before erupting into a fury of shrieking vocals and relentless carpet of in that sets the pace for the rest of the record. They will be playing St. Vitus on June 9th.

In their latest singles, “17” and “Party Down the Street,” Brooklyn-based band, What Moon Things blend elements of synth pop, post punk and shoegaze, while maintaining subtle melancholic undertones.  Their lyrics read like nostalgic poetry, accompanied by raw guitar riffs and the even rawer voices of John Morisi and Jake Harms.  “17” and “Party Down the Street” giveus a taste their upcoming full length, “Someone Who Isn’t Me,” set to be released on July 15th, 2016. From the sound of it, it looks like it’s going to be a little bit more pop-oriented than their previous releases.  The band is playing several New York shows before the album drops, the soonest one being June 4th at Sunnyvale. – Madeleine Grossman 

As their name implies, Blasteroid‘s sound is at times an explosive blast of noise, but can also be calm and composed. Since we covered them last (in October 2015) the Brooklynites released their debut EP Pretty Good, a carefully crafted but edgy sounding record, that channels genres as disparate as pop, noise rock, psychedelia and even prog-rock. Opening track “Artie and the Mountain” establishes this right away by starting off with a swirling ambient introduction that erupts about a minute into a bizarre song that juxtaposes monster math rock distorted riffs with more casual moments reminiscent of Pavement. On “Wet Dog” the verses feature hushed vocals and calm instrumentation that come to a head during the grungy chorus with fuzzy, distorted guitars. The band handles these transitions between soft and loud parts with poise, but its unpretentious, "semi-slacking" attitude prevents it from sounding pompous. ‘Heater‘ strikes the best balance between classic song structure, and tension/release dynamics, with its memorable chorus and exploding bridge – while an out of key guitar solo contributes in making things a little bit more random. Enjoyable and imaginative, powerful and melodic, the Pretty Good EP is definitely more than that. 
Blasteroid will be playing Alphaville on June 3rd in support of Holy Tunics. – John Honan

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

Long Island quartet Giants at Large released their first album in three years, ‘The American Dream is Dead,’ in March of 2015. The band’s pop-punk sound is characterized by intelligent (and intelligible) lyrics and sincere vocals, something that certainly contributed in securing them a young and growing fan base. They just released a full band version of the track “Sympathy”, which appeared on The American Dream as an acoustic track. This version of the track allows the band’s catchy hooks, pop rhythms, and personality to shine, and takes more influence from melodic pop-punks acts such as Saves The Day, Yellowcard, and The Ataris. Giants at Large will be playing at Palisades in support of Have Mercy on June 17th and will be at Amityville Music Hall on June 19th in support of Brandon Reilly. Check out “Sympathy” below! – John Honan