If your way of staying warm during the bleak New York winters has less to do with sipping cocoa by a fire and more with sweating it out in the middle of a mosh pit, Death Vacation’s new EP may be more welcome than a holiday trip to Florida. The NJ/NY-based singer, Michelle Mancuso, spits and snarls her way through the 5 tracks that make up Bones Grow Cold, and her gut-busting vocals are paired with grindcore beats that are coated with enough grime to satisfy even the nastiest hardcore fiends. Though the tunes definitely have melodic moments, the real payoff here is in the visceral, chomping percussive-ness of the tracks that grate against your ears alongside all the blood and noise. Check out the band’s track "Parasitic" streaming below. – Olivia Sisinni

If there’s one thing Baltimore-based rapper Kotic Couture is trying not to do, it’s blend in. The artist delivers punchy hip-hop tracks that are as stand-out as his glam, neon-tinged appearence. Navigating the space between thoughtful lyricsim, and club-ready powerhouse anthems, Kotic Couture’s latest EP, Abstract, is 4 tracks worth of eclectic tunes that are sure to make an electrifying impression. Check out his track "Go Awff" streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni 
 

Chances are, you haven’t heard a band quite like Hula Hi-Fi. The Nashville-based threepiece, consisting of Sarah Bandy on ukulele, Annie Clements on upright bass, and Josh Kaler on lap steel, produce haunting, ethereal melodies that have the feel of 50s-era Hawaiian imports, but lack the saccherine sunshine. Like black sand on a beach, Hula Hi-Fi’s music is dark and unexpected, but perhaps all the more beautiful because of it. Check out their new release, Hawaiian Noir: Volume One, and listen to them streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

Did you think that New Wave was totally dead? Well, allow Baltimore-based PLRLS to prove you wrong. The 5-piece band has an uncanny knack for creating angular melodies that are as bizarre in scope as they are outright danceable. This one is definitely for all the nostalgia chasers out there. Check out the band streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

Veve & Tha Rebels have a penchant for casting entrancing music that manages to be both soft and strong-willed. The self-branded gangsta-folk band blends traditional folk with elements of afro-beat, R&B and hip hop; crafting a sound that pays homage to roots rock but feels decidedly fresh and original. The instrumentals are paired with singer/guitarist VeVe Marley’s soulful and hypnotic vocals to produce a potent concotion that’s sure to reel you in. Check out "Sistars" off the band’s appropriately titled The EP streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

Tessa Violet, the Nashville-based YouTube vlogger turned electro-pop artist, is known for crafting danceable, quirky songs with piercing lyricism and her latest EP, Halloway, is no different. Featuring 5 tracks worth of certifiable bangers, Halloway explores love, loss and the difficulty of navigating the spaces in between. In conjunction with the release, Tessa Violet also returned to her familar medium to produce several music videos that accompany the EP, and are just as stunning visually. Check out her lyric video for the song "Haze" below.-Olivia Sisinni

 With dulcet vocals, minimalist keyboard loops, and soaring choruses, indie pop artist Trella certainly has a firecracker of a song on her hands. "Retreat," the latest release from the Nashville-based artist, was written with her Jacksonville Florida roots in mind, and explores the places that we retreat to and can find respite, both physcially and within our minds. Check out the track streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

When Von Sell released "Ivan" back in 2015 at the request of some friends, the electro-pop artist developed a following seemingly out of nowhere. A few releases later and the Brooklyn-based artist decided to return to his debut single, giving it the finishing treatment that could only come from 2 years of experience and reflection. With cascading synthy layers, a strong pop sensibility and driving, gritty basslines, "Ivan (Revisted)" is a gem of a pop hit, and our favorite new earworm. Check out the new single from Von Sell streaming below. – Olivia Sisinni

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

If hooks could kill Sinclair would have us all in serious trouble. With soaring choruses, beats built for the dancefloor, and upbeat lyricism, you can bank of getting any of the tracks off of the artist’s latest EP, CLRBLND, stuck in your brain. It’s feel good music with some serious heart (and some serious grooves). Check Sinclair out for yourself and listen to title track "CLR BLND" streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

With winding, spacey instrumentals, ethereal, guitar-driven melodies, and a fair helping of chugging grit, MD’s Time Columns serves up progressive rock with a decidedly post-rock feel. The band’s latest single,"Body of Ash", is a much darker departure from the Chon-like, bouyant melodies of their previous releases, but the track hits hard in all the right places, and still manages to marry all of the elements that give the band their distincitve sound. Check out Time Columns streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

 

"Love is Love/Alien and Strange" croons Baltimore-based Natural Velvet on their latest single, and though the band’s sound may be a bit alien and strange itself, we’re certainly in love. A post-punk act with a serious dash of psych and noise vibes, Natural Velvet invites listeners down a fuzzy, swirling, spacey, rabit-hole freak out with its thick instrumentals and dark vocals. Check them out for yourself, and stream Natural Velvet’s "Love is Love" below. – Olivia Sisinni 

Noah Kittinger has made a name for himself by crafting complexly textured music with a minimalist structure, and his lastest release, Bloom, further refines that sonic path. Showcasing his keen sense of depth and darkness, the EP prominently features Kittenger’s hazy, haunting vocals, which are contrasted against echo-y beats that almost feel as if they edge toward the void. It’s 7-tracks worth of layers to peel, and single N.Y.E. (streaming below) is a good place to start. – Olivia Sisinni