Sweden has given music some of the best voices in pop, and singer Anna Ternheim – currently a NYC resident – can be added to that growing list. Ternheim is more Lykke Li than Robyn, an inevitable comparison given their backgrounds and similar melancholic tones, and is already topping charts in native Europe with “The Night Visitor,” her fifth full-length release. The album combines more folk elements than some of her previous work, and is ornamented with her echoing vocals of solitude and contentment. Songs like “Walking Aimlessly” featuring Will Oldman on backing vocals (streaming below) and “The Longer the Waiting,” sung with Nashville engineer and “Night Visitor” producer Dave Ferguson, show that Ternheim has earned a place among Sweden’s most talented imports. You can catch her live at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC on May 26. – Devon Antonetti

Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery is hosting a garage-rock lover’s wet dream on Saturday, May 5th. Headliners, Wild Yaks bring their cheerfully haphazard, loud rock and unified choruses to the stage. Once already lovingly referred to as "Brooklyn’s drunk folk-punk icons" by The Deli, their live performances are a guaranteed good time regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with their tunes – check out a recent video here.
Raccoon Fighter pave the way for the Yaks, with their rockin’, seductive garage jams. their big, raw sound and powerful guitars are soulful and even bluesy when combined with their emotive vocals – here‘s a video from last year.
Self-proclaimed "American dance-punk band", The Toothaches will open the night with a lively set including multi-part harmonies and undeniably fun, catchy pop songs. Members often perform in costume and/or without face paint. Also on the bill Boston’s Girlfriends. Since we covered Wild Yaks and Raccoon Fighter quite a bit in the past, we are giving picture and streaming tune to The Toothaches. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

We’ve always been big fans of Luke Temple, and it’s good to see that, together with the Here We Go Magic crew, the man is keeping at it with increasingly beautiful records and videos. The band’s new album "A Different Ship" (stream it here) will be out on May 8, and betrays at least a partial return to Luke Temple’s more intimate and melodic sound from his solo repertoire – in this regard, lend a ear to "Hard to Be Close," "Alone but Moving" and "Over the Ocean". This is welcome news for fans like us who always thought that in most HWGM material Luke’s noteworthy songwriting skills seemed a little sacrificed on the altar of textural experimentation. This doesn’t mean that the band’s signature hypnotic, impressionistic sound is lost – it’s just that these two elements work together better than they did in past records, and this is what makes this album one of the NYC highlights of the year so far. Indeed, this collection also features songs more in line with the band’s past releases ("Make Up your Mind", "I Believe in Action"), which follow on the steps of brainy-pop icons like Brian Eno and The Feelies, but there’s definitely a balance here, also betrayed by the almost perfect alternation of melodic songs and less traditional ones.The just released video of "How Do I Know," telling the story of a rejected dancing robot that ends up revitalizing an older man’s appreciation for life, seems to reflect on this brain/heart, mechanic/organic dichotomies and somehow bring them to unity. – PDG

Now that Jack White is going solo, the crown for the "best male/female dirty blues-rock duo" is vacant. San Diego’s Little Hurricane could be a serious contender for this title, propelled by the fresh release of their debut album "Homewrecker," and also by above average photogenicity – the guys here at The Deli’s headquarters have already unanimously elected CC (the girl in the band) "Deli Drumer of the Year" – a title they made up today, which we guess might NOT be based entirely on musical skills.

Many blogs and publications already anticpiated us in proclaiming the somewhat cliche` statements "Little Hurricane might be a duo, but they have a big sound" and "it’s hard to believe that a musical duo can pack as big of a punch" – we should find new ways to say that, dunno… like: "this band is basically a sextet minus a quartet, but they pack the punch of 2 evil quintets!" – Anyway, punchy or not, the music is what counts and we are digging this tune streaming below. Check them out live at the Detroit Bar at Costa Mesa on May 05

I think it’s possible that Backwords recorded their latest EP while serving burgers at a barbeque. Their latest EP, ‘By the Neck,’ captures a particular moment of sunshine in their campfire-ready anthems where the beers are still cold and the sun is still warm, and this is all thanks to how intimate and close-knit this bunch of friends is.
Even when the group misses a note or two (as happens on occasion), it’s all in the family. This is music for anyone to sing along to. Let’s just see you try and stop your foot from moving to acoustic guitar charmers like ‘Break My Spine’ and ‘Hey Kid!’ (streaming below). See them when they play The Rock Shop on May 10 or at Union Hall on May 19. – Backwords submitted their music for review here. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Hollands music is packed full of twists and turns. Unexpected lyrical declarations and sideways turns suddenly give way to bent harmonies and surprising acoustic inventions… and somehow it all comes together in the simplest of manners. With lyrics like ‘glory to god, i’d like to meet your mom,’ Hollands is a band with the wit of Stephen Malkmus, and penchant for pop gold that might make Randy Newman envious. There’s quite a bit going on here, but there’s also an honest delivery to it all that keeps you in expectation the whole time. Make no mistake, Hollands may very well be that band to keep track of this year. See them when they host a Tuesday residency in June, upstairs at Pianos. – Mike Levine

Though Skaters (#30 in our latest year end Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll) may be the new kids in town they’re hardly giving off the newbie-vibe. In fact, members of Skaters have already been around the block a few times, just in different bands. Their debut EP "Schemers" is a lot of fun — good old-fashioned leather jacket sporting, skinny jean wearing, punk-tinged garage pop-rock. Punchy, power chord-laden romps with sing-along choruses are elevated to anthems with generous reverb. If you weren’t already drinking a 40-ounce, you will be once you give them a listen. – AL

Ms Mr is a NYC based duo that plays moody and rather sensual electro pop, with an interestingly dark soul component, and a female lead singer with a voice to kill for – by the way, we’ll have to write a feature about the resurgence of soul in NYC… Although the band is very new (so new that we can’t find images of them – ah, these clever promotion tactics!), they seem to have everything in place to build some serious promotion in the upcoming months. They already have a summer tour booked opening for Marina and the Diamonds, plus 3 east coast shows in August – one of them at Webster Hall. This song streaming here called "Bones" is very intriguing, and we heard some unreleased material which sounded even more promising. You may want to keep an eye and a couple of ears on these guys.

Any fan of The Swell Season will find themselves at home with DeKoven Street’s deeply felt stories of love’s simultaneous frustrations and catharsis. Singer Nick Dragisic might recall the breathiness of crooners like John Mayer in his approach, but in songs off the band’s newest acoustic EP, ‘Varick Sessions,’ like the nostalgic ‘The Town,’ or the driving ‘Letters,’ the band showcases a charm and songwriting sensibility you don’t hear enough out of NYC. It’s a good thing this band’s moved here from their native Chicago. See the band when they play The Living Room May 12. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – Thi artist submitted his music for review here.

One of NYC’s most interesting new "non-DIY" artists, Snowmine boasts a hypnotizing and beautifully delivered live show. The band gave us yet another proof of it on April 26, when they opened for WIM at Pianos. Their melodic, atmospheric compositions were complemented by a rare onstage energy and intensity, which allowed the band’s sophisticated studio sound, made of layered background effects, swelling soundscapes and controlled distortion, to be recreated faithfully in the live setting. Lead singer Grayson Sanders’ confident falsetto at times brought to mind Vampire Weekend Ezra Koenig’s voice, covering an impressively wide range. The band will headline The Deli’s NYC B.E.A.F. (Best of Emerging Artists Fest ) with Lucius at Cameo on Saturday May 26. The fest, hosted by 4 Williamsburg Venues in 4 days (May 23-26), will involve more than 40 of the best NYC based emerging independent artists. Full schedule here. – Chelsea Eriksen

I haven’t tried this out yet, but I have a distinct feeling that Brooklyn’s Candidate might provide a pretty good soundtrack for the next international flight you find yourself stuck on. The band’s steady spaciness and alt-guitar chug-chug energy could work as an excellent backdrop to aviation… and likewise, the band has some lofty dreams, coming a long way even just since their singles posted from last year.
Their newest song, ‘April Again,’ charts singer Cedric Sparkman’s realization of not getting what he wants out of love, while his bandmates’ backing vocals provide a down-to-earth muse to second his thoughts. This back-and-forth between the trio’s members is a great strength, and makes the group’s shiny guitars and rolling bass lines work together as a well-oiled machine. Though it also sounds like this girl might still be giving him some issues… Catch them when they play The Trash Bar on Thursday May 17th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Having already established themselves as heavyweight psych-rock contenders, Brooklyn’s Naam are about to release their new EP "The Ballad of the Starchild" with an ambitious scope that further enhances their claim to the "Psych-est Band in NYC" title. "Sentry of Skies" blends unadorned acoustic and mournfully bended electric guitars with a folky tale of being lost in space. The full band emerges halfway through, propelling the track to its psyched-out conclusion. "Lands Unknown" pulses along on rubbery guitar figures and keyboard chords as bass and drums keep a steady pace for the sonic fireworks soon to explode over top, while "History’s Son" introduces mystical percussive elements to an acid-trance groove, serving as a shamanistic bridge to the EP’s thematic centerpiece "The Starchild." At nearly 11 minutes in length, this ambitous tour-de-force rides on a sinuey bassline, allowing crunching guitar chords and thunder-crack drums to throttle the center of your mind. Organ textures fill in open spaces when needed, creating a sonic hybrid that melds elements of bands like The Doors and Pink Floyd with the bombast of Black Sabbath. – Dave Cromwell