Some of us are starting to feel old, hearing genre names like "emo revival". Whatever happened to emo music after those side-bangs days of myspace yore? No matter the year, there will always be kids getting their hearts broken apart and making bold eyeliner decisions, and the music must follow. DC’s two-piece The Obsessives have been pals since childhood, and channeled the final bits of their collective teenage angst into a debut LP entitled "Heck No, Nancy" (a direct quote from Slaughterhouse Five). The LP was written and recorded within their last few weeks of high school and will release this September. They put a single out just a few days ago – "Daisy"- that follows two people from the first time they meet and discuss books and solitude (love-at-first-sight seems to hit peak hour during study hall/detention) to the present where their friendship "has grown into a sad display". This may be their debut LP, but it will be the duo’s fourth musical release within the past three years. The Obsessive’s have got the spunk of The Front Bottoms paired with the proud fetal position perfected by Dashboard Confessional. "Heck No, Nancy" is available now for pre-order via local label Near Mint on vinyl and Bandcamp.

– Leora Mandel

Baltimore’s Jenn Wasner doesn’t need much of an introduction, she’s made quite an impact both locally and internationally with her experimental electo-lyrical duo Wye Oak and solo project Flock of Dimes. Wye Oak’s "Shriek" was one of the standout indie records of 2014 – since then Wasner has been touring with the fantastic Sylvan Esso, getting her next solo release ready, and working with Andy Stack on new band material. None of her new songs are available online yet, but if you make it to one of her live shows you’ll most certainly hear what’s in the works. Flock of Dime’s next Baltimore show isn’t until September 26th at Druid Hill Park, but if you’re as impatient as we are you might enjoy some sonic treats to tide you over. Warner has been releasing some killer collaborations, one being a dark pop song called "Automatic" with producer Alan Wilkis on his project Big Data. Wasner brings her dream-gloom magic into a more traditional pop set up, delivering cryptic hooks like "Here I am, Don’t you want me to do it again?". Sylvan Esso’s lead Amelia Meath, having started her career in the primarily a cappella trio Mountain Man, is no stranger to finding haunting harmonies. When Wasner and Meath get together to take in and take on Gillian Welch’s "Everything is Free" in a video for The A.V. Club’s cover series, they cast a spell. This can’t really be described. I hope you’ll give it a watch, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve gotten shiver-skin from hearing something beautiful. – Leora Mandel

Song starts at 0:30

Quick, let your hot date know there’s a change in plans tonight because at 9:30 at The Penthouse Baltimore’s total dreamboat Wildhoney will be playing a show on a diverse lineup with bands from Baltimore, North Carolina, and Britain. It’s kind of your chance for one of those summer of love dance scenes you’ve always sneered at in movies but secretly practiced in your bedroom. But if you don’t catch them tonight before they continue on their U.S. tour with Spook School, you’ll have more chances when they play DC9 Nightclub in DC on 6/25 and Metro Gallery in Baltimore 10/07 (plenty of time to plan for that one). Wildhoney’s latest 3-song record, "17 Forever", gets pretty and gritty with the band’s swooning, atmospheric blend of lo-fi shoegaze and post-punk. The title fits a collection of songs that glitter and brood through a teenage girl’s daydream. Airy vocal harmonies delightfully steer through surrounding storms of percussion, warm fuzz/bass, distancing reverb, and slicing guitars. They’ve been killing it in the past few months : a tour with Whirr, a new music video, and they’ve announced their next EP is due out later this year. Keep at it guys, we’ll be keeping an ear out!

– Leora Mandel

DC’s art-pop rockers Pree released a video today for "The Dog", their single from that great fancy-dancy record they put out this May, "Rima". The video features lead songbird, May Tobol, doing something many of us would never consider — following a strange clown into dark alleyways and empty playgrounds. Together they explore spinning colors, magical swings, and strange signs on the wall while the song’s narrator explains a tipsy-turvy world and a desire to escape into someone else’s shelter using a pity story : "time to climb/ into the cab and take a drive…/guess I needed another pair of eyes/ so I woke them when I made it to your door/ "I lost my dog"–you let me in/ although I know/ I’ve told you that before." This is a solid album with funk, psychedelic, and blues explorations, electronic decorations, displays of lyrical and vocal strength, warm choral flushes, and occasional distortion. Whenever they’ve been asked to describe themselves they’ve never left out the word colorful. Check out the video bellow, and if you haven’t given "Rima" a listen, get on it! Pree will be playing Brooklyn’s Northside Festival this week (congrats!) before returning home.

– Leora Mandel

Orchestral pop/soul quartet Feathers + Eyes have released the first single from their first and upcoming 8-track EP, ‘Beauty for Ashes’. “Haze” is a powerful handshake as far as musical introductions go. Alisha Roney’s lyrical narrative suggests influence from realms of performance poetry and R&B. Her dramatic lines ring out amidst synths, crackling beats, and patches of orchestral arrangements. When playing acoustic shows, baritone ukulele, cajón drum, and electric bass flesh out the sound. This may be the band’s first release, but they’ve been playing all around NYC for a while at venues like The Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery, and Black Bear Bar. They’ve explained that their curious name is a reference to the cherubim depicted in Ezekiel – singing four faced angels who are covered in eyes and move like wheels within wheels; when they are overwhelmed by beauty they cover their many eyes with their many wings. – Leora Mandel

Stop goofing around. You may know BRNDA as that friendly post-punk quartet that likes blowing up balloons, singing to apple queens and carefree manatees, and parrot fronted metal, but they can totally beat you up (ok, or give you a stern talking to). These self-proclaimed snack core rockers are “a serious band from Washington DC”. If you don’t believe me, listen to their latest single “Serious Band”, in which they make this themesong-like claim maybe 20 times. If you’re wondering, why so serious? Well they also claim to be quite angry! Why so angry? They yell out “Alex Kozen!” (the group’s vocalist/guitarist) a few times. We’re not exactly sure what that guy did, but theoretically there are plenty of reasons to be angry at any given moment in the life of an ethically aware human being. Ease up, these buds have been on a super tour with Teen Mom but they’ll be back to play a home show at Above The Bayou on 6/15 with Pupppy, O-Face, and Swings.

-Leora Mandel

Lucas W. Nathan’s lyrical/avant-polka project, Jerry Paper, is taking off for a European tour this summer following the release of his latest, brilliant, rather Eno-esque record, “Carousel”. You can catch him in Brooklyn at Aviv tonight (May 22) and at Rough Trade on June 12. After entertaining the experimental music lovers of Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris, he’ll come back to play a home show at Shea Stadium on 7/31. Don’t let the man’s upbeat quirky tunes confuse you—listen closely and many of these songs are stern critiques of society, police, and politics. They ask questions and point fingers. Despite his primarily cynical outlook, in the song “Doesn’t Matter/Take Me” the narrator experiences and analyzes beauty, determining that whether life came about by chance, mutation or invention, and despite its excess of problems, experience is meaningful: “if my inner life/ is just a silly mutation/ is it any less amazing, uh huh/ than if some dude in sky/ dreams us all from birth til’ we die/ all the love and the tears and the beauty/ all so a code can copy copy copy// i’m not saying i know shit/ about if the clown is real or all in my head/ all i am trying to say is life is beautiful either way/ from clown or DNA.” – Leora Mandel

On June 16th, NYC indie surf poppers Little Racer will see the release of their new EP, “Foreign Tongues”. While we wait, we’re listening to the two singles already available for streaming: “Montevideo” (streaming) and “Jack Knife.” The sound here inspires visions of The Shins on a surfing trip to a secret beach. The melodies are sweet and smooth and the vocals spill from early 2000’s indie rock into chillwave. This sincere, relaxed aesthetic brings to mind summer love, beach towels, holding seashells to your ear – or at least dreaming up such things while getting by “on a lousy 9-5”. The band will be performing at The Living Room on June 11th within the Northside Music Festival. – Leora Mandel

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

Eula’s magnetic front woman Alyse Lamb and her musical partner/illustrator Chris Mulligan have added kickass avant-garde saxophonist Kate Mohanty to their project Parlor Walls. As great as their self-titled EP is to enjoy at loud volumes (not to mention free to download off Bandcamp), this is a band you really must experience live. Aside from rocking our favorite stages, they played a live score to a screening of The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari in March. Their songs navigate through tense, distorted worlds with a driven voice, colorful brass howls and hiccups, and bouts of enthusiasm. Even if you hate moving your feet, don’t be surprised if you’ve caught yourself with a case of bobble-head syndrome. Parlor Walls is playing a slew of shows this summer, beginning with: 6/2 at Shea Stadium, 6/5 at Big Irv’s (381 Hooper St., BK), 6/10 at Alphaville, 6/25 at The Cake Shop, and Alyse’s birthday show on 7/2 at Alphaville. Eula is playing Palisades 6/13 with Xiu Xiu. – Leora Mandel

The Deli has enjoyed following the prolific progression of Gabrille Smith’s sharp and intimate songwriting/arranging project, Eskimeaux. Over the years this songstress has gathered up hearts in butterfly nets with achingly insightful and narrative lyrics set into refreshingly inventive sounds and structures. Her newest record, “O.K.”, is a bit more smoothly produced, hyper, and traditionally written than her previous glo-fi records— fortunately, this transition hasn’t sacrificed the soul of the project. Along with new tunes, she’s brought some older favorites into the new soundscape. It’s great to hear “While you were breaking your neck trying to keep your head up, I was breaking my neck just to stick it out for you” again with some added punch, along with versions of "Everything You Love" and "The Thunder Answered Back". Nostalgia aside, we’re excited to give this record some time in our players and see which tracks will nuzzle their way into the repeat-button this time. Celebrate the release of "O.K." with Eskimeaux, Emily Reo, Free Cake for Every Creature, and other musicians in the lo-fi neighborhood tonight (May 15th) at Shea Stadium! – Leora Mandel

We’re sad to hear 5-piece, surf-angst band Clouder might not be long for this world—this June guitarist Steve Spinella will be disappearing into that speculated wormhole between Brooklyn and California. In a rather elegiac sounding Facebook post the band wrote “we just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us throughout the years– we’ve played with some really fantastic bands and made a lot of wacky friends along the way. thank you for getting sticky with us and for catching eric every time he jumped off the stage mid-song.” In better news, they’ve announced a split EP coming out this spring with their buds Pow Wow!, so keep a look out. – Leora Mandel

Garage-dreamfuzz trio The Yin Yangs will be playing Palisades May 23rd and Bohemian Grove’s super scrumptious BBQ Festival on May 30th. If you can understand more than half of the lyrics on their debut record, “Cowgirl”, you might want to think about offering your talents to a top-secret government organization, or that X-Men mansion supposedly placed up in Westchester County. These songs are smoky, spacey, and sometimes the guitars turn into ray guns. Available both digitally and on cassette. Sounds like a healthy helping to us. – Leora Mandel

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