San Francisco four-piece The Silhouette Era serves garage rock on a silver platter. Their surfy summer anthem for punks, “Waste Me” (streaming below), combines fun, gritty, guitar-driven rock with a notable level of musicianship (two out of four members study music composition at San Francisco State.) Their music is reckless yet clean, rowdy but with a purpose, and perfect for streaming all summer long. The rest of their self-titled EP will be out on June 22nd, and they will be celebrating with a show at the East Village Coffee Lounge in their hometown of Monterey the next day. – Lilly Milman 

You may already know her from Boston-based funk-soul outfit The New Review, but that’s no excuse to sleep on singer-songwriter Aubrey Haddard’s solo project. Her most recent single “I Should Know Better” (streaming below) is dynamic and rhythmically complex, bringing an edge to her relatable and catchy lyrics (“now every night Im a 2AM hot mess / and every day I get a little more heartless.”) Don’t miss your opportunity to see Haddard play live at Once Ballroom in Somerville on May 18th. – Lilly Milman

Sun Kin is the project of Oakland-based Kabir Kumar, a baroque indie pop project with psychedelic sensabilities. Kumar’s most recent release is the single “Honey, I’m Whole” (streaming below), which is a tribute to his grandmother. The tender lyricism of the song is contrasted with the upbeat arrangements, delivering a heavy dose of nostalgia that is much more sweet than it is bitter. In Kumar’s own words, “This song is about wishing that someone you’ve loved forever could meet someone you just fell in love with.” – Lilly Milman

Throwin’ Bo’s is back again with another installment; so, if you’ve been kicking yourself for missing opening night last month, then it’s your lucky day. This month’s lineup promises a night of dreamy, indie rock—all from Bay Area locals. Hailing from San Francisco are dot Vom (streaming below) and FRONDS, both of which offer nothing but the sweetest doses of echo-laden goodness. Oakland’s free paintings will also be joining the party, topping off the set with their own personal blend of art-rock and shoe gaze. – Lilly Milman

The event will once again be at The Elbo Room, and it is 21+. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Make sure to RSVP on Facebook! 

If you haven’t listened to the debut EP (Y) by Saalt, the musical creation of Alisa Saario, then you need to do yourself a favor. Soon. The moody slacker pop of the Oakland songstress is fantastical in its ability to marry the lo-fi with the energetic. This release makes use of kinetic energy; despite the dreamy and distant nature of her vocals, songs like “Wasted” (streaming below) still come off as anthemic and replay-able. There’s no one doing anything quite like Saario right now in Oakland, meaning that her music video release show at the Milk Bar on May 16th is unmissable. – Lilly Milman  

The debut EP Rain or Shine by the San Francisco-based jam rock quartet The Fixins proves that they are not just the Bay Area’s fair-weathered friends—they’re here to stay. After playing countless live shows, they’ve finally laid down a recording. Their four-track EP is Americana influenced, with the occasional bluesy swell. It’s smooth and intricate, riffing off classic jam inspirations to create an extremely energetic record. Quite frankly, it’s something you and your dad can listen to together—easily. The release of their EP is kicking off a long string of summer shows for The Fixins, starting with a show at Peri’s Silver Dollar Bar in Fairfax on the 3rd. They will also be at San Francisco’s own The Plough and Stars the next day. – Lilly Milman

Listen to our favorite song "Rock and Roll" below! 

Since winning The Deli SF’s Artist of the Month poll last year, the fuzzy Bay Area indie rockers Talkie have been hard at work on their forthcoming album Fundamental Things, slotted to be released on April 27th. The Deli is excited to announce the premiere of the single “Costa Rica” (streaming below), a catchy and quirky track that we just can’t get enough of. The strength of this song is in its deceptive simplicity; meaning, the way the four-piece can make interesting guitar parts, tight percussion, and smooth lyricism all sound so easy and carefree. But, that’s just Talkie in a nutshelll. Stay tuned for the release on April 27th, and make sure to mark June 9th on your calendar so you can see Talkie take Bottom of the Hill. – Lilly Milman 

There are few words that can describe the intimate, synth-psych sounds of Oakland’s Meernaa. Or, perhaps, too many: fresh, relevant, relaxing, soulful—maybe, at times, even solipsistic. But these only seem to scratch the surface. So, let’s just focus on their newest video, “Wildest Eyes” (streaming below), which is also the first single to be released off their forthcoming debut EP Strange Life. Both track and video alike soothe, while something stirs under the surface; there’s an anxiousness that can’t quite be pinned down. An urgency that pushes itself to the forefront of front woman Carly Bond’s jazzy vocals, and then pulls away just as quickly as it came. It’s exciting, it’s new, and it’s Oakland doing what it does best: inspiring innovative art. The rest of the EP will be out in June, which just can’t come soon enough. – Lilly Milman

There’s something very genuine that comes across in the debut single “Space” (streaming below) by the new Oakland post-punk outfit Normies. Besides being easy listening, the track is well-crafted from top to bottom, without losing the lo-fi appeal. The vocals rise and fall alongside the driving guitar parts, all while maintaining a dreamy appeal. This track is a strong start for the three-piece, and leaves us excited for what’s next. You can find them tomorrow (April 13th) at Eli’s Mile High Club, alongside Freak No Hitter, Scrim, and Screaming. – Lilly Milman

With a forthcoming debut EP set to be released this summer, the Oakland “hydra-hiphop” duo FR333 has already carved out a space for itself with the release of excitingly fresh—and aptly named—single and subsequent video “Contagious Spirit ft. ASTU” (streaming below.) Made up of rapper MADlines (Maddy Clifford) and producer XOA (Allie Howard), FR333 brings a feminine energy that hits hard to the hip-hop scene. Created in celebration of black girls and women, the video is ethereal and fluid, cycling between images of surreal dancers, nature, and everyday life. – Lilly Milman

For the musicians behind the smooth alt rock of the Oakland group Deep Well, authenticity is key. Made up of the musicial veterans Elijah Behar (vocals and guitar,) Sam DeMello (percussion,) and Jordan Sperry (bass,) the band is dedicated to creating clean and stylized rock—as seen on the latest double single (streaming below), recorded live at the legendary studio Tiny Telephone (which has held sessions for Death Cab for Cutie, Deerhoof, Spoon, and more.) Reminiscent of the earlier work of alt-stars Imagine Dragons, the tracks “Control” and “666666” are both soulful and dynamic, an effect that is only intensified by the fact that they were recorded live. Deep Well will be playing their next show tomorrow on April 11th at Brick & Mortar. – Lilly Milman

The newest EP, Puzzle Dust, from Hollister-based trio Conserve takes the band in a completely new direction from their debut self-titled album. In their sophomore release, they completely strip down their sound and rely solely on acoustic guitar and vocals—whereas Conserve is heavily punk and garage influenced. This isn’t a surprising move for a band that is determined to escape the confines of genre, and they do it well, bringing a distinctly grunge sensibility to singer-songwriter tracks. Catch their next show at The Colony on April 29th. – Lilly Milman

Listen to our favorite track “Inside Looking Out” below.