Unorthodox as can be, the music of Maine collective Dog Park is a ride into the sublime unknown. The group’s debut full-length record Scotty is a playground of short but meaty sonic treats that range from gruff garage rock to full-blown noise rock: tracks like “Red Cabbage” are tastefully rhythmic with their lo-fi coating while songs like “Walter” are gooey in pace with lead basslines to savor. The record’s lead single “Zebra” slithers along with its industrial-psychedelic influences, contorting into a noise rock brevity that you cannot help play again. The group jams it out in the album’s final track “Horsey,” and the euphoria that surely sparked this record is exposed with gusto. Since not a single track makes it past the two-minute mark, this album is a bag of treats for the feral (or adorable) dog in you. Sit! And stream the record below. – Rene Cobar

The five artists that form the Connecticut collective known as Glamour Assassins have released a new EP we urge you listen to. The new wave-glazed Everything Dissolves contains in it tracks like “Yellow Dogs” showcasing fist-pumping choruses that are quite sticky, and funky guitar riffs to spare. The title-track is pensive, with a stout bassline that provides a foundation for anthemic chants that would give The Killers a run for their money. In “2nd Amendment Blues,” the group lets loose, with a dance track that is powered by a drumbeat as speedy as it is majestic. The quintet lets the colorful synth embellishments take over in “Darkness Lights The Way,” and by then, the sonic canvas the group was filling is a glorious portrait of themselves. Stream the fantastically fun track “2nd Amendment Blues” below and let go of worries. – Rene Cobar

Somerville’s Mike Morrissey is back at it with a breezy single that will kick off your weekend, and year, splendidly. Truthfully, here at the deli, we must confess we are big fans of what Morrissey brings to the deep pool of talent that resides in the city northwest of Boston he calls home: the artist has a quiet confidence about him that shines through his alternating indie-rock/indie-folk/Americana styles. In the Grant Bloom co-produced “Align,” Mike is playing with the latter style as he allows the song to brew, giving time to each acoustic guitar strum, each water-drop synth embellishment, each subterranean-like bass bump; Mike’s unaltered and tranquil vocals complete the portrait worth admiring. “Align” is a snapshot of a moment in time, brief in conception perhaps but lasting in memory; the song is a fragment to hold on to, and its tune rings clear to all who have ever stopped to remember a good time, a good person. You can catch Mike performing inside the Canopy Room of Bow Market on January 26th or visit the Aeronaut Brewing Company, where he hosts a monthly open mic, on February 5th. The track was mastered by Luke Sullivan and the bright artwork is by Belinda Riggs. We are delighted to premiere Mike’s single here for you; that alto saxophone by Callum Mackenzie at the start of the song is buttery smooth. – Rene Cobar

With each introductory chord, ardent and lingering, Boston-based group Faxi Moto unearths its riveting debut single “Underwater,” a sophisticated-nostalgic song comprised of the purest elements of indie-rock; a piece that transports wholly takes shape from profound emotion and submerges listeners with fierce intent. The elegant vocals of singer/bassist Anne Marie Green move ever so gently past crystal-clear guitar riffs, the vibrato, rich as it is, colors delightfully. Like water glistening stones downstream, the music eventually picks up its pace until reaching its sonic lake of dreamy harmonies, snappy drum patterns, and robust basslines. The collective of Green, Kyle Maldjian (vocals, guitar), Max Williams (guitar), Enric Adillon (synth), and Alejandro Hervella (drums), is primed for success: five young minds from Boston’s collegiate scene crafting their live shows, writing thoughtful lyrics and energetic tunes, fearlessly embracing evident skills—what more do you want? We are calling it: this is a must-see band for 2020, and you can catch it at Midway Cafe on February 3rd. Here at the deli New England, we are fans and proud to debut this beautiful single for all. – Rene Cobar

Roxbury, Massachusetts continues to brew some of the hottest hip-hop talents in New England: often referred to as the "heart of Black culture in Boston” and the “Bronx of greater Boston,” the neighborhood is home to Young Sham. The hip-hop artist known as Young Sham released a sonic three-headed dragon of an EP titled Out the Mud that is equally sharp no matter which of the three tracks you listen to. “BlokBoy” creeps in with a piano lead that provides an ominous mood for Sham’s relaxed-confident flow. “R.I.P” is more atmospheric and sees the artist opening up, discussing his determination and mission of success. “Drug Talk Freestyle” has an infectious rhythm to it, driven by a heart-beat bass drum that outlines Sham’s sharp-shooting rhymes of honesty. Like contemporary Roxbury artists such as Oompa, Sham lifts the neighborhood to a light well-deserved indeed. Stream “Drug Talk Freestyle” below for a taste of raw hip-hop that lingers. – Rene Cobar

Towards the end of 2019 a quite-the-noisy record was released: Blase’ Faire, the prog-rock album by Salem, New Hampshire group Strange Conversations touched down with its killer beats and swirling synth embellishments. The grandiose guitar solos that throwback to ‘80s hair glory found in tracks like “Stranglehold (Like Yesterday)” are thrilling and perfectly placed. From thunderous instrumental breakdowns to more serene-pensive tracks like “Better Late Than Never,” the band showcases its versatility and instrumental prowess. The new record has an old-school feel to it but a very modern edge sharpened by a solid production. Listen to the sick guitar riff that slithers between the atmospheric instrumentals of “Spirals” from the new album below. – Rene Cobar

It is always nice to see New England artists joining forces to showcase their music to fans of the area and beyond. Boston bedroom pop act TIFFY is touring New England alongside Lowell’s Tysk Tysk Tysk. Stops include Pawtucket, RI, Portsmouth, NH, and Portland, ME, with the tour culminating at O’Brien’s Pub in Boston. Those familiar with TIFFY know Tiffany Sammy deploys a unique brand of fuzz-pop able to take hold of any venue with its robust basslines, distorted guitars, and stormy synth swells. The tour is in support of TIFFY’s latest EP Fire Sale, released back in June, filled with an array of tracks that range from cool lo-fi pop to jagged indie rock. Tysk Tysk Tysk, for its part, has a new single out now titled “Yeah, Right.” Stream TIFFY’s title-track from the new record below and catch the groups at one of the mentioned stops listed here. – Rene Cobar

For those foggy New England days and beyond, the folk music of Windsor Connecticut’s Ben Mueller is uplifting: the sparkly electric guitar chords, lively drum beats, and merry-reflective lyrics brighten up the most somber of moods. His latest work under the project Low Ceilings titled Learn to Sew has tracks like “Alter Ego” which showcase all the previously mentioned elements of cheer while songs like “Forget the Fence” have an indie-rock edge to them, with reverb-dipped vocals leading the way past arpeggiating bass runs and shivering cymbals. The title-track gallops at a soothing pace as its rich harmonies add to the feeling of tranquility, and all seems well. The album, recorded at Janky Studios in Windsor, is indie-folk in its purest essence: exquisite with a slight spice. Listen to the contrast of overdriven guitar chords and acoustic strums in “Everybody Knows” from the new record streaming below. – Rene Cobar, photo by Abigail Baldwin

Maine’s Desmo seems to have compiled years of reflection, anger, and hope into his latest effort, F*cked Up Kid: the record is filled with life stories, told to the beat of his tracks, exquisitely-produced to contrast against his somewhat crude vocals. The title track, like most in the EP, opens up with atmospheric instrumentation that plunges into an abyss of memories where a sustained bass rumbles on. Echoes, warm piano notes, heavy reverb, and more burst out of each track. From upbeat-yet-ominous songs like “Phantom” to a refreshing take on Puddle of Mudd’s “Blurry,” the record is a delicious alternative rap cocktail, prepped in Portland for all to savor. If the new record is something of a life story for Duncan Cook, the man known as Desmo, then it is well-executed poetry because from one track to the next, there is a feeling of genuineness, both tragic and uplifting. The vulnerable track “Come Home” from the new record is streaming below. – Rene Cobar

Igniting with no apologies, the Connecticut collective known as The Burning Sensations debut with a self-titled album that does not take itself all that seriously, and that is its appeal. The opening track “Wanting More” has a bite to it, why with its sharp-lingering guitar chords, slithery bassline, and playful vocal delivery, it is wide open to listener interpretation: funky, alternative, retro—take your pick. Tracks like “Murky Water” have a tinge of that same theatricality and over-the-top vocal delivery that shot Modest Mouse to fame at the start of the new millennium. “Sensitive Guys” is as hilarious as it is tragic, and “Do Me” is upbeat and tough with its rock edge. Overall the album introduces the band with clarity because the group’s sound is well-established, and that is a great selling point. Listen to the cool and groovy guitar in “Sweat Wiper” from the new record below. – Rene Cobar

One can imagine Rhode Island’s Will Orchard thoroughly immersed in the writing and recording of his folktronica 2020 record Old Friends On The Mountain: the richly-layered instrumentation, the most-sincere emotion in the vocals, and the tranquility of it all are tell-tale signs of a sweet escape for the artist. As a listener, one is both witness and partaker of an experience carefully orchestrated for attentive ears. For both the sonic epicurean and casual listener, there is plenty to dab in, such as the serene acoustic strings of the opener “Until It’s Found,” which join an irresistible rhythm where Orchard’s voice reverberates. Tracks like “My Belly Is Full Of Hydrangea” are much more upbeat, and topped off with buttery smooth trumpet solos. There is an emotional tinge to the record, not a forceful one or so evident, just right for the man-nature connection it establishes. Listen to the heavy-exceptional bass in “Turning Back Again” from the new record below. – Rene Cobar

If you are in the nostalgic mood most of us are in after the decade came to a less-than-spectacular end, then we recommend a surefire stimulant: Maine’s Mousa has just released Mousatron X, a solid record worth the six-year wait. The album is a short treat that hits all the right spots as it fluctuates from galactic-noise themes like those in the opener “Silent In” to bedroom pop/psych-infused synth swells that complement a sonorous croon. The record captures the intimacy and infinity of its concept: the music found in tracks like “Cower” drains into the listener’s mind to create nostalgic images so infinite. Stream the delicate balance of grand sounds and homely vocals that is the album’s closing track “In Between Dreams” below. Happy New Year, New England! – Rene Cobar