Swimming Bell is an artist that seems to be in sync with the universe, and on "Desert Song (a lullaby)," she stitches an intricate tapestry of folksy, ambient soundscapes. Every sprawling atmospheric drone feels perfectly aligned with the subdued, yet colorful guitar production. Heavenly vocals feel less like falsetto for the sake of falsetto and more like the meditative channeling of ideas bigger than all of us. A song this packed with ideas could feel pretentious, but it ends with a staticy broadcast of an entirely different song, as if the listener just happened to tune in at the right time to take a serendiptous walk through the cosmos. Swimming Bell just started her U.S. tour in California but will be performing at New York’s Trans-Pecos on Nov. 3. -Tucker Pennington

Music producer BLK SLK is an emerging electronic artist and DJ, known for his collection of imaginative electronica. This artist merges synth samples as though quilting together bits of sounds, blending both smooth and hard-hitting beats to form rich, well-produced jams. There isn’t one moment that lulls in either of his debut singles, “Could Be” and “Hook Me Up.” Propelled by dancey beats, BLK SLK’s tracks move along with a fluid yet calculated flow, creating tension in the combination of mellow energy and convulse beats. Remarkably, their production achieves a sense of cohesion, notwithstanding the tapestry of busy sounds. Fitting for either a motivating housework soundtrack or a pre-night out pump up, this artist’s bright sound is an ideal middle ground for any situation in need of a electronic morale boost. Check out BLK SLK’s material below, now streaming on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. – Rebecca Carroll

In September, NYC’s Jigsaw Youth released Sorry for the Distortion, an EP that follows 2017’s album, America’s Sweethearts. Made up of Natascha Beck (guitar), Julia Mannarino (drums), and Maria Alvarez (bass/vocals), Jigsaw Youth hearken back to the relentless wrath of bands like Bikini Kill and Hole; but their inspirations draw near and far—from FIDLAR to Fugazi. They rip through a lot more than just punk in their songs, navigating hardcore, metal, and grunge influences with dexterity and fury. You can catch the trio play at Trans-Pecos on October 26th, where they’ll be playing with So Over It, Mean Siders, and Bad Kiss! – Sara Nuta

Former Deli New England artists of the month Birdgangs, an indie rock quartet from Boston, could be considered coastal traitors. The inform their clean take on classic rock and roll with distinctly West Coast, surfy overtones. This may be most visible in their newest single, "Greasy Spoon" (streaming below), an eclectic tune that is bursting with life. The main riff, written by lead guitarist Matt Bates, sounds like it should be soundtracking your favorite surfer movie. A completely new genre is born when it’s directly juxtaposed with the grungy breaks in the track that pull you right back into a Boston basement show. The transitions are at once extremely disorienting and undeniably effective, a nascent appeal to the diverse music scene of the city. The track is also the first to be written by the band since the addition of drummer Fernando Echeverry, according to lead vocalist Jack Davis. He said, "There’s a uniting element to the process that brought the song about. I heard Matt playing the riff that ended up in the song and that was definitely what set it in motion. The lyrics tell a story of an unfortunate misunderstanding between people that leads to some awkward hilarity and delightfully unexpected batches of late-night pancakes.” Birdgangs will be playing their next live show at Opus in Salem at 9 pm. – Lilly Milman, photo by Hannah Blauner

Stream The Deli’s exclusive premiere of "Greasy Spoon" below.

Last April, Brooklyn jangle rockers Holy Tunics put out their excellent debut LP entitled Butter Dish. On that album the four-piece breeze through ten tracks in a way that feels effortless, but never sloppy. Blending the warmth of college rock and the loose, airy melodies of more contemporary indie pop, Holy Tunics sound  familiar and fresh in a way that’s reminiscent of bands like The Feelies, Real Estate, or even early R.E.M. On Butter Dish, some guitar parts are unambiguously twangy while others can veer into the more distorted direction of garage rock—but almost each track on this record is a real jam in its own right. You can catch Holy Tunics live on October 18th at Alphaville, where they’ll be playing alongside Your Dream Coat, Joy Cleaner, and Algebra II. – Sara Nuta

Sir Babygirl’s recent debut has already caught the eyes and ears of the queer community with her coined ‘hardcore bubblegum’ pop and transgender diva attitude. Positioning herself as a voice for LGBTQ individuals, this artist uses her shamelessly effervescent sound and relatable content as a tool to disrupt our culture’s binary view on gender. Her songs provide tastes of her own conflict with identity, using her music as a medium to reach those grappling with similar issues. The lyrics in debut singles “Flirting With Her” and “Heels” teeter between exposing the insecurities of transitioning and divulging candidly about queer romances, appealing to both sides of the emotional spectrum. “Heels” shimmers with hope and insight, intertwining lyrics such as, “I know it’s hard when you think you’re the only target, the mind’s a funny fruit to sell at the market” with passionate vocal swells, all wrapped in a package of cheerful, pristine pop. This artist has created music that shows the extent to which the pop genre can serve as a platform for community and activism, and intends to harness it. Listen to Sir Babygirl’s new material below, and keep an eye out for her full-length album Crush On Me, set for release January 1. -Rebecca Carroll

It’s hard in our contemporary technological landscape to appreciate all of the new music released on a daily basis; existing artists roll out albums with increasing speed, and it’s never been easier for new bands to release music independently. Sam Barron, frontman and guitarist of New York post-punk (or maybe post-garage?) trio The Come On can relate in a personal capacity – fueled by an anger of necessary breakneck art consumption, he wrote the band’s newest bop, “Checker Charlie,” simultaneously lashing out at society’s lessened attention spans and smartphone-induced social habits. Fittingly, “Checker Charlie” is a scorched-earth scream into the heart of darkness that is the recording industrial process, a track bolstered by discordant guitar riffs and sing-speak lyrics by both Barron and keyboardist-vocalist Mimi Oz. It’s an earworm rebuke of the present made stronger by the track’s reliance on classic rock and roll energy.

If you also share a strong desire to abandon social media and destroy your iPhone, you can catch The Come On at The Bowery Electric on 10.18. Before you do that though, watch their video for "Checker Charlie," directed by Dylan Greenberg, below. – Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Brooklyn indie-pop five-piece LEGS are back today with a new single called “Buddies,” a moody track with ominous visuals to match. Opening with a sparse vocal part, “Buddies” slinks into a slow-building electro breakdown about halfway through. The Juan Miguel Marin-directed video finds frontman Tito Ramsay in (presumably) a cab as he watches vignettes of the city from the vantage point of the backseat. As the track picks up, so does the speed of the car; the lights and images of the city at night blur and flash by, creating a real sense of momentum both sonically and visually. Sara Nuta

The brainchild of Meghan Rose and Jake Ripp-Dieter, NYC alt rockers Loud Soft Loud inhale different music styles and breath out something that’s both accessible and edgy. Bringing to mind a blend of Queens of the Stone Age’s heavy riffs and Joan Jett swagger, their new song/video combo ‘Date With Myself’ is an ode to self-love which perfectly demonstrates the band’s searing distorted sound and Meghan’s powerful voice. They’ll be performing next at the Footlight on Sunday 10.28. – Evan Zwisler

Oakland singer-songwriter Emily Brown’s LP Bee Eater is larger than life, featuring baroque arrangements and her own powerhouse voice. Wide in scope, the album moves from the vibrato-filled opener “That’s Not Me” reminiscent of the quirky vocal stylings of Regina Spektor to the heartbreaking “Beautiful Baby” (streaming below,) where Brown’s vocals swell over perceptive lyrics like “I was not your manifold lover / I was your miracled world / You and I weren’t made for each other / I’m not that beautiful girl.” Bee Eater is triumphant in its honesty and transcendent in its genre, showing there’s a lot more to the singer-songwriter than meets the eye. – Lilly Milman

Paco Cathcart lets his evocative storytelling ride backseat on his 2018 release, Bag of Holding, his illustrious world-building a secondary component to the lush instrumentation that characterizes each defiantly quiet track. That’s not to say that Cathcart, who records under project name The Cradle, doesn’t have something to say – rather, the sparse anecdotes of past people and places are shared in a way that feels dreamily distant, accented best by a swell of chamber pop orchestration that embeds the entirety of Holding with a sense of pleasant nostalgia and good times. Memories of last year’s New Years Eve, of driving along the eastern seaboard, the long strange trip that lead Cathcart to the present-tense, are presented in a way that feels hazy and bright, the sonic equivalent of looking at an aged photograph of old friends – to speak those memories into the present too aggressively does a disservice to the contemporary, albeit slightly faded context that gives them meaning.

You can catch The Cradle speak truth to memory at The Glove on 11.19, performing alongside Floury, Privacy Issues, and No One & The Somebodies – in the meantime, stream Bag of Holding below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt), Photo by Craig Zirpolo

Williamsburg’s National Sawdust is kicking off the fall season up a notch this month with another date of The Revolution – a Deli sponsored event. The lineup will include more NYC-based artists that showcase the emerging and wide-ranging talent of our city’s local scene. Volume 32 will feature live performances from Ayoinmotion, Apex Sky, and the brand new sounds of recently formed project LADY BUG. Ayoinmotion’s electrifying Afrobeat is expected to bump this venue with beat-heavy dance jams and the energetic backing of live performers. Having an experimental and ethereal style, Apex Sky’s live show has been noted for its cinematic presentation, driven by meticulous instrumentals and rich melodies. Debuting her soulful new material, singer/songwriter LADYBUG will open the show with her smooth and sultry performance. Come check out some of New York City’s favorite artists, both well-known and on the rise, on October 27 – click here for tickets and more information.