Throwing their hat into the ever-growing ring of drone-fi, psychedelic, garage groove bands are Brooklyn’s Dull Edges. The two tracks available for free download at their bandcamp profile showcase a band not afraid to flirt with atmospheres which would perfectly fit a scary pagan ritual. “Sonned” slithers along deep bass and snare drum rumble as guitars snake their way around the forward marching progression. Murky, reverberated vocals appear to be delivering a cautionary tale of paranoid delusions. “Polarity” chimes like tubular bells from hell, with even more ghostly distant vocals. Big psych rock chords emerge from the depths like bubbling volcanic lava bursts. See them play at The Delancey on Tuesday, April 24th. – Dave Cromwell

Hurrah! A Bolt of Light! (who placed at #20 in our latest Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll) landed a 4 week residency at New York’s Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 – starting on May 4th. For four successive Fridays, the band will pound audiences with its derelict version of American rock/country space-funk. Each week will feature a set of hits by some of the artists that have especially influenced the band plus originals that highlight the connection. After intense debate (read: battle royale) in their closet-sized rehearsal space, the group has chosen to feature the music of Tom Petty, Foo Fighters, R.E.M. and the Pixies. Fridays – May 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 10pm Hurrah! A Bolt of Light! Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2) 196 Allen Street, New York, NY Admission: FREE – (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.

This summer is shaping up to be a busy one for dreamy psych-pop quartet Beat Connection – while the rest of us can look forward to enjoying the season’s sunny days and abbreviated nights, they’re set to release a debut LP and launch a North American tour. The group is hitting the road following the release of their Think/Feel single, featuring crystalline vocals provided by Seattle-based graphic designer Chelsey Scheffe. The single is the first suggestion of what’s to come on their upcoming summer release, a full-length effort entitled Palace Garden. With rippling, synthetic undercurrents and echoing, faded, and delayed vocals, the track recalls the overexposed, gauzy pastels of a summer photo album (you know, the Instagram kind). Deftly layered beats and harmonies create the auditory equivalent of a swinging hammock – comfortable, hypnotic, and inviting. "I feel too little and think too much", coos Scheffe, but it’s likely that the opiating, lullaby-like tune will leave listeners with the opposite problem.

– Kate Shepherd

With her soft, elegant soprano that draws in listeners with its delicate strength, Shenandoah Ableman (their debut EP was a Deli Record of the Month last year) has the rare quality to sound so familiar, but so unlike anything else. Fronting the pop quintet Shenandoah and The Night, Ableman’s voice itself is the poetry. With moody, whimsical music to accompany her, it’s almost hard to believe the band’s forthcoming release “So High, So Low” (out on May 08 on Family Records) is from this decade and not pieces from past years compiled onto old, newly discovered vinyl records. The band will be performing around New York throughout Spring, including a free show at Barbes in Brooklyn on April 26. – Devon Antonetti

Brooklyn’s Ex Cops (#90 in The Deli’s best emerging NYC bands of 2011 Poll), will be releasing their debut single "You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb" on 04.21 under Other Music’s label. The duo plays music that some have thought to categorize as devotional tropical goth. That three word description might be unique enough, however a thorough listen to their material reveals a more complex sound. Older songs like “Broken Chinese Chairz” point towards the minimalistic new wave stylings of the early 80’s new wave: carefully layered chunky guitar chords, brass and flutey synths all support the female vocalist’s sweet single note melody lines. The mysteriously titled “S&HSXX” clacks with a percussive force reminiscent of Brian Eno ’s “In Dark Trees”. The tracks from the upcoming single (streaming below) also differ greatly from one another, but definitely showcase a more mature and uniform sound. "You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb" revisits the dreamy, uptempo melodies of the bands from the  Madchester era and dips them in a mid-fi sonic context, while the second track "The Millionaire" (in the video) is an arresting dream pop gem which halves the bpm and doubles up in reverb. – Dave Cromwell

Pieces from various places and parts of Aly Spaltro’s world exude throughout the colorful lyrics and retro tunes that make up her moniker, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (who placed at # 61 in our Best NYC emerging Artists of 2011 Poll. A southwest-meets-northeast history and a current Brooklyn base gives way to the whimsical language, imagery and tone of much of Spaltro’s music. She has engagedaudiences with her original approach to songwriting and sound, as well as offered an artistic outlet for fans to share their creativity through their visual artwork, a unique concept found in the indie music world. This artist/fan connection is evident in any Lady Lamb performance, as she thrives off of the energy and feedback she feels in performing for her loyal and loving fans. – Read Christina Morelli’s interview with Aly Spaltro here.

In an era when zealous music blogs compete to be the first to unearth potential new stars, the spotlight often seems to fall on young musicians who’ve done little more than strum a few simple guitar chords in their bedroom and upload the recordings to Bandcamp or Soundcloud. Take Brooklyn band Friends. Having not yet put out a release longer than a single, the five-piece has still garnered much positive attention from seemingly every online music resource, as well as mainstream press exposure from The New York Times and The Guardian among others. The group was even named one of NME’s Top 50 Artists of 2011, was nominated for BBC’s “Sound of 2012” poll, and placed 4th on The Deli’s Best NYC emerging Artists of 2011 Poll. Having captured the imagination of critics and fans despite a limited output, Friends have actually moved beyond the whispers of being an Internet buzz band to one riding a huge wave of excitement and positivity. – Read Dean Van Nguyen’s full feature on the band here.

Post punk rockers The Yellow Dogs will be releasing the EP "Upper Class Complexity" on May 8th. Although punk is quite commonplace in Brooklyn, the band’s home since 2010, it’s quite the opposite in Iran where the trio hails from. After The Yellow Dogs appeared in a 2009 documentary about Tehran’s underground music scene, they faced potential arrest. But that may have been good for their music career: Koory, Looloosh, and Obaash have recently been granted asylum status – so hopefully they are in the States to stay. Vocals are injected with vintage attitude — slightly warbling drawn out notes pack individual retro-punk punches. Fierce keys add a dancey touch at times, and yowling guitar keeps the edges sharp. – Corinne Bagish – photo: Danny Krug

A noteworthy 2 stages bill of great emerging NYC bands tonight (04.19) at Public Assembly, for Tiny Victories‘ CD release party. Highly recommended, here’s the lineup:

8 — New Moods
8:30 — The Forms
9 — Evi Antonio
10 — North Highlands
10:30 — Slam Donahue
11 — Tiny Victories
11:30 — Dinowalrus
12 — NewVillager

And here’s some new material by Tiny Victories:

Feisty and fun, New Jersey-based alt rockers The Static Jacks have an exciting Spring coming up as they embark on tour with The Wombats. Beginning next Monday, April 23, the two bands begin at the nation’s capitol and head West. In conjunction with their tour, NYC’s The Static Jacks have made their new single, “Young Guns” (streaming below) available as a sample of their forthcoming EP, “Spray Tan.” Channeling their recognizable New Wave-Indie rock energy, the track gives listeners a taste of anticipated new material. Be sure to check out their tour schedule to catch them with The Wombats this April/May. – Meijin Bruttomesso