The psych-tinged blues of recent Deli LA poll winners Las Brujas infuses a smoggy, fuzzed-out sound that can take one on a leisured drift. The Echo Park foursome are strictly devoted to the tenets of rock n’ roll though, embodying a murky, vaporous mist that falls somewhere between the rustic hard rock of Screaming Trees and the frayed modern-blues of Califone when they were still known as Red Red Meat. Its coarse-grained guitar tones do give it a sludgy distortion that recalls grunge when it was going through a period of evolution and confusion, calibrated with a mildly apathetic and placid temper. But the band does have an ear for a powerful hook, so their sound does occasionally flirt with the kind of winding guitars that give power pop that lustrous sheen (even the hushed, front-and-center vocals of Brian Jarmon have the same pristine, harmonic quality of Matthew Sweet). It’s too early to say how Las Brujas will further their sound just yet, but their recently released self-titled EP proves their might as confident players ready to push their craft in unforseeable directions. Have a look at their latest video "Sweaty Windows" below, and make sure to catch them at TRiP in Santa Monica on January 10th. – Juan Rodríguez

A celebratory atmosphere will be tangible at The Echo tonight as local favorites, LA Font, will be officially releasing their sophomore full length along with a raucous cast of noisemakers. The band has been slowly teasing out songs from the new album for several months. The official video for the title track, "Diving Man" encapsulates the band’s straight forward, non-nonsense approach. Apparently the video is a 3-minute version of a larger mumble core film frontman Danny Bobbe and director David bores created together. Frontman Danny Bobbe is devoid of pretention and so the songs come across as such – sincere, vulnerable, and undeniably catchy. Head to The Echo tonight to catch the band in their element along with Spaceships, Washing Machines and Wax Children. ‘Diving Man’ is out now. – Jacqueline Caruso

A riff drenched in delayed tremolo crunches atop a steady drum beat as Imaad Wasif and Josh Garza stand alone in a blank, white space. This is your introduction to Electric Flower Group, or EFG as they’d like you to call them. The video for “Eclipsed,” seems minimalist, allowing you be carried away by the song itself. But it wouldn’t be psych rock without a twist. What you see is not what it seems as the image suddenly morphs – slowing down, degrading, and warping, like a an acid trip. The song’s integrity stays in tact, though, with its modern garage rock undertones casting a hazy shadow over what is a truly catchy pop tune lathered in classic rock vibes. – Jacqueline Caruso

Sydney Wayser has re-tooled her singer-songwriter sound, changed NY for LA, and released some new songs under a new name. We’re excited to share with you what she’s been up to since she played our showcase at SXSW earlier this year. Donning a new identity as Clara-Nova, she recently wrapped up a residency at The Bootleg. Her approach to jangly indie pop has matured; her voice more relaxed and open, her melodies more refined, and her presence as bewitching as ever. There’s a quality to the new tune, “One of These Days,” that brings back my memories of a free-spirited, sparkly shorts-wearing Lissie, whose delight in mere hand claps and tambourine slaps couldn’t be contained in the small room in which we were all crammed to watch her perform. That same feeling is encapsulated in Wayser’s new approach as Clara-Nova that oozes out of the speakers and lifts your soul right up. Give it a listen and try to fight its charm. – Jacqueline Caruso

The term power pop has been resurrected into the music lexicon in the past year or so, though most of the current acts that follow its roots are giving it more of gritty garage sound. But every so often, a band like Punch Punch Kick reminds us of how playful and simplistic a pop song can be, nonewithstanding that powerful crunch that gives it a sense of melodic urgency. Their first shout-out to the world, "What The Kids Don’t Know", is all-around likable, boasting a straightforward hook that morphs to the rhythm of their vocal harmonies like a good old-fashioned pop rock song should. Think of a more bubbly Surfer Blood mixed with the tight guitar dynamics of the Cars and, of course, the youthful, self-referential naivete of early Fountains of Wayne. Stream the track below, which is part of their recently released self-titled EP.

John Isaac Watters, the folk/country crooner with grainy gravitas in his voice and a camp of incredibly talented musicians surrounding him, has released yet another collection of intimate and moving songs titled, ‘Campanas.’ His sincerity is always striking as he tenderly ushers you into the worlds he creates in each song. Standout single, “Outside the Bar in Winter,” features Watters’ signature poetry and the ethereal backing vocals of Alex Rhodes, all building to a rousing movie moment chorus. The songs swing with the ease of a see-saw between dusty folk tunes and demented carnival stylings with New Orleans horn sections like those on “Ragman.” Watters reaches into every corner of alt-country, spooky folk, and indie rock to pull together his best effort to date. His storytelling shines with pristine production and a backing band worthy of the Opry. Stream the entire album on his bandcamp now. – Jacqueline Caruso

Former US Marine and world class drummer, Jacob Summers, took a break from the glitz and the smog to hide away in the frozen tundra of Alaska. It was there that his ruminations simmered unencumbered into what has become Avid Dancer. Lucky for us, he brought this new project back to LA for our aural pleasure. Last week, SPIN premiered the first single, “Stop Playing with My Heart.” Summers’ haunting vocals have an endearingly heartbreaking quality. Perfectly paired with the vintage-style production that evokes 60’s psych in a lost bedroom tapes kind of way, his time away from the unrelenting sun and sand proved worthwhile. Stream the track below, and catch Avid Dancer live at The Echo on January 21 for Pop Shop West. – Jacqueline Caruso

The highly anticipated project from 22-year olds Sean Guerin and Isaac Franco is finally available for public consumption. It was announced a few months back that the duo were set to release their debut LP on Innovative Leisure next year, but without any clue as to what they were up to sonically. Well, now we have the preemptive EP to keep on repeat while we wait for the full length. Released by Scion AV (yep, the Toyota owned company), the five song EP is an impressively dense and unpretentious glimpse into the world of De Lux, which I’m sure we will become more acquainted with in the coming months. The first single, “Better At Making Time,” is a post-disco groovy dance tune rife with catchy synth lines and an uncanny David Byrne influence. I first saw them live at The Echo when The Deli LA presented the last night of the Haunted Summer Residency. They had a seven piece band pulling off every element from these recordings in a way that stunned the crowd. De Lux is the new wave of the future. – Jacqueline Caruso

While you were wasting away taking naps between shows on your tour, Tyler Parkford of Mini Mansions, whiled away the downtime collaborating with Alex Nicolaou to create his new side project, Mister Goodnite. The first video for what is quickly becoming my favorite song of the year, “You’re Too Cool,” is a demented trip to the beach. Parkford dons a suit as he spookily croons atop perfectly mixed samples, whilst Nicololaou lathers himself with an unnecessary amount of sun screen. This new project is based on a short story Parkford wrote about an LA based lounge singer in the ‘90s. He’s a man down on his luck, who eventually dies. That’s just where the story begins, though, as he then spends an eternity in purgatory singing without a backing band, using only the memory of other ghosts. An immensely creative and talented duo, Mister Goodnite is psych pop with a sense of humor. Be on the lookout for much more from them soon. – Jacqueline Caruso

Over here at the Deli’s imaginary headquarters we’re big fans of noise pop band Tennis System, who back in 2011 released the mini-LP "Teenagers", one of our favorite local releases of that year. They’ve been a bit quiet as of late (presumably working on a new full-length?), but to alleviate some of the wait time they’ve partnered with PaperCup music to release a live recording of one of their last appearances at The Echo, in which they performed as part of the Part Time Punks series that runs there every Sunday night. The five-song EP features a handful of new cuts, all of which truly capture the essence of their stark, yet glistening live performances. It will only be available at a limited run of 500 vinyl copies, and the first hundred will receive a translucent blue vinyl copy.

Squally indie rock band Strange Markings are certainly an anomaly in the local rock scene – they’re bringing back a musical tension that embraces the dynamics of hard rock without discarding its more subtle melodic sensibilities. So they’re on full-on swagger in their latest single "Lights Out", and all the better for it –  the song quickly ricochets with a crunchy riff that transforms its classic Bo Diddley beat into a solid backdrop of punchy percussion and barely-there synth strokes. The propulsive track is now accompanied with an inventive music video, which explores the world of virtual reality by following the journey of a man who seeks the pleasures of cyber-hedonism in the city of Tokyo. And no boarding passes were necessary to shoot it – director Calder Greenwood made made everything in the video out of home-based supplies like cardboard, construction paper and foam core, including the subway car and the model of the city. It comes off the release of their latest full-length, titled Coyote.