NYC-based indie rockers NØMADS describe themselves as "two people in a room hitting things hard and trying to communicate life," and if that doesn’t sound like the perfect way of navigating through all the things life hurls at you, then I don’t know what does. With understated vocals and catchy riffs, the duo crafts tracks with strong hooks and engaging verses, but there’s a decidedly noisy streak that creates the real magic in the band’s songs. The band will have a May residency at Pianos starting on the 9th. Check out NØMADS’s new track, "ATAXOPHOBIA" streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni 

With a name like Heavy Traffic, you have to ensure that you’re a band that’s bringing down the heavy jams, and the Brooklyn-based four-piece definitely does not disappoint. Delivering stoner/doomy riffs layered with fuzz and grit, the band’s psych-influenced vocals and blunted percussion make them a driving, unadulterated display of sludgy metal that stands out from the pack. With tunes this heavy, you can practically smell the oil pits and diesel fumes from here. Check out single "Medicated Bed, streaming below, and – if you dig it – mark your calendar for September 23rd, when they are scheduled to play Arlene’s Grocery. – Olivia Sisinni

With creative beats, innovative samplish and lush synth layers Brooklyn-based Prism House crafts electronic bangers that feel a bit brooding if not totally enigmatic. Their music is moody but bewitching, and takes cues from both the dance floor and the found-sound techniques of musique concrete–creating an overall sound that is at once jarringly unstable and sonically irresistable. Check out "False Future," the first track off the band’s 6-track Landfall EP streaming below, and if you are into it don’t miss their upcoming show at Alphaville on 05.04. – Olivia Sisinni

For those out there searching for an artist that perfectly balances the sounds of garage and psych while proudly wearing a strong blues influence on their sleeves, Brooklyn-based five-piece, God Tiny, might be exactly what the doctor ordered (think Blue Cheer but with a more friendly, modern facelift). We here at the Deli are excited to premiere the band’s latest single: "Cosmos." The track lays down grooves chock full of fuzzy garage goodness, but also offers bluesy riffs that hit like a sledgehammer (stream it below). Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for The Space Inside Your Head, the band’s new album out 5/26, and catch the band live the same day at the Knitting Factory alongside Stuyedeyed, Ghost King, and Greasy Hearts. – Olivia Sisinni  

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

Jackals have the reputation for being sly, wild, and dangerous, so it’s fitting that a Brooklyn-based noisy, garage-punk quintet would steal their name. With vocals that snarl, beats that kick and a delrious mashing of psych and punk aesthetics Damn Jackals deliver the type of garage rock that riles up crowds. On the band’s latest video for new single "Stop N’ Cop," singer/guitarists Beau Croxton croons his way through a surprisingly smooth melodic hook and growls through the verses with the blitzed-out filter of an am radio. This, accompanied by blistering instrumentals and visuals that reflect the playfulness of the band, make "Stop N’ Cop," a track you don’t want to sleep on. Keep your eyes peeled for the band’s new EP "That’s It" out tomorrow 4/28, and catch them live tonight at the Mercury Lounge. – Olivia Sisinni, Photo credit: Will Foster

Twiggy Branches plays the kind of rock ‘n’ roll you thought was dead. With snarling vocals and driving instrumentals, the NY-based artist is making a strong argument that it’s worth reviving. The band’s music straddles the line between garage-punk and old-school glam, but it’s the loose, uncalculating "classic rock" grit that really makes their tracks worthy of multiple plays. Check out Twiggy Branches’ "Never Gonna Be Tall" streaming below, and catch them tonight live at The Gateway alongside Plaid Dracula and Better Head. – Olivia Sisinni

Bewitching enough to draw you in, but posessing the raw power of an ever edging powder keg, Brooklyn-based duo, Shiny Wet Machine is a sublime blend of indie rock and punk aesthetic. A project uniting Sizzy Rocket and Alex Fitts (aka the Kickdrums), Shiny Wet Machine’s tracks are infectious, hip-shaking tunes with unapologetically jagged teeth–sugar and spice and whatever manages to fall in between. Check out what can only be an explosive set when the band plays the Studio at Webster Hall 4/23, but in the meantime stream new track "Euphoria" below. – Olivia Sisinni

A pillar of the NYC indie pop scene (the group has been active since the late aughts) The City and Horses are back at it again with another absolutely delightful LP called Ruins, and if you’re anything like us–chomping at the bit, unable to wait for the release to officially drop tomorrow–then we have a really killer gift for you: The Deli is streaming Ruins a whole day early. The album is 12 tracks worth of dynamic, wistful, and often quirky indie pop that draws on mastermind Marc Cantone’s commanding lyricism and pop-writing prowess. The City and Horses describes the release as being "about a girl, a boy and his OCD," but there’s so much more going on here, as the band manages to navigate a myriad of topics, feels, and genres–all while remaining infectiously catchy. Seriously, we dare you to not be humming these tracks after the first pass, but the songs are well worth spending the time on multiple listens. Check out Ruins streaming below and check back on their site tomorrow to get your paws on the downloadable version here. – Olivia Sisinni

A gate occupies a liminal space, it’s the difference between here and there, and crossing it (or jumping over it) signifies a kind of transcendence and a breaking with whatever it was on the opposite side of the fence. It makes sense then that this NJ, New Brunswick-based band would adopt the name Gates. With soaring vocals, and precise technical playing that never gets too in the way of itself, the band specializes in shimmery post-rock with a transcendental flair. Their latest LP, Parallel Lives, features 11 tracks of spacey goodness to sink your teeth into, but if you want to check out the live experience, you can catch Gates at the Knitting Factory 6/17, alongside Vasudeva and Head North.– Olivia Sisinni

The word "music revival" normally implies two sorts of bands: acts that try and recreate authentic facsimiles of history, and others that hold a mirror to the past, drawing inspiration from it while opening fresh dialogues and contributing something new to the conversation. Brooklyn-based Shining Mirrors is the latter kind of band, reflecting their influences in gritty garage and indie rock and yet possessing a sound whose time period is much more difficult to place. The track’s quality pop songwriting is in part reminiscent of the overlooked Scottish genius of the ’80s Lloyd Cole & the Commotions. Check out  below "Everybody is Christ," (a track that ends with a quote of a quote, the Ramones quoting the Rivieras) and see what I mean. – Olivia Sisinni

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

If you’ve been on the hunt for “a major funk odyssey,” then thelvnguage just might be your dream band. The NYC-based four-piece combines thick and creamy funk with some serious psych vibes, but wraps it all up in a neat, indie-pop package. Their latest single busts out the jams with major disco guitar chops and the blare of that delicious old-school organ sound, and features singer, Rob van Zandt’s svelte vocals. But our favorite track is the instrumental "Something Ellis Said" from last year’s "moothC@" single, streaming below. Catch them live at Rockwood Music Hall 5/12 – Olivia Sisinni

On the heels of sharing the stage with Twenty One Pilots and Circa Survive, Saint Slumber probably has a pretty solid idea of what’s cool, so it makes sense they’d write a song about it. Their latest release, “Cool” (from the upcoming " YOUTH//1 EP," out on April 28) starts off with crackling fuzz, background noise and a blitzed out synth before launching itself into a smooth melodic synth lick that later frames the song’s sweeping chorus. It’s an instantly catchy track that melds elements of indie rock with R&B, post-rock and EDM, but packages them all in a radio-ready way. Check out “Cool” streaming below, and catch the band live at the Delancey 4/29. – Olivia Sisinni