Brooklyn’s dark rock band Tyburn Saints announced the release of their new EP "You and I in Heaven" for March 27. Containing four original tracks, the record evokes influences from rock bands from the "peak" of the 80s, like U2 and The Cure, although the lyrical tone and subject matter lean more towards the later. Songs like "Broken Bottles" alternate bright guitar figures against synth lines. "Last Time I Sing For You" positions a solid drum beat central in the mix, allowing shards of strummed guitar bursts to dance left and right through the stereo field, while title track "You And I in Heaven" references a similar 80’s pop-goth vibe, its overall spirit leans more towards Bowie/Psychedelic Furs elements. –Dave Cromwell

Tiger Flowers offer an eclectic mix of complex post-hardcore on their eponymous four-track EP. This NYC troupe implement spurts of spastic noise with an alarming use of disjointed riffs (“Cuts”), slurring staccato beats, and heavily effected heaviness to create a devastating mix of metallic destruction that takes the time to strip the lowest common denominator down without leaving a trace behind (“Drag”). Understanding the power of the breakdown as well as the effects of its aftermath (“The Weight”), Tiger Flowers shakes foundations with jarring switches making their spiraling out of control sound. www.tigerflowersnyc.com –Mike SOS

I guess we’ll call this "Electronic, one-man-band-Friday"… Brooklyn’s atmospheric electro-pop project St.Lucia made some deserved waves in the blogosphere recently, and also placed at #58 in The Deli’s Year End Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll. The band just premiered the video of their single "We Got It Wrong" and announced March tour dates ending in Austin during the SXSW fest.

If you’ve ever seen DC based avant-indie duo Bluebrain (ex NYC based Epochs) live, you’ll know that their aesthetic endeavors have the two brothers exploring and pushing both sonic boundaries and the visual landscape. When performing live, their haunting and multi-layered electronic music, rich in deep tones and timbres, textured with interesting instrumentals and various string arrangements, and characterized by dynamic transitions in pace and rhythm, is often accompanied with strange and mystifying visual effects, making them just as much of a performance art act as it is a music show. Their three EPs Soft Power, Cult Following, and Ten By Ten continue to captivate indie rock fans beyond the DMV area. Recently, Bluebrain took their sound to a whole other level of unique art by joining the ever growing world of apps (with location aware album-apps to be specific), and hosted a boombox walk through the U.S. Botanic Gardens earlier this year.

Jonathan Dagan – aka J.Viewz – doesn’t do things by the book. He writes the book. And, after watching his Grammy nominated project for his newest album, "Rivers and Homes," unfold before our eyes, we see why. Each song on the album, which was 100% powered by fan love and funds, allowed him to create spontaneous music for real people, in real time. The end result? An unwavering fan base and a seamless surge of eclectic, electro-moods, infused with immediacy, and flowing with euphonious ease from break beats-to-trance, funk-to-reggae. – Read Tuesday Phillips’ interview with Dagan here.

Fans of the dark electro-pop sound of the 80s don’t want to miss 2 Brooklyn based bands that are obviously inspired by the slightly robotic scene that expressed rad bands like Eurythmics and Depeche Mode. The bands in questions are Rewards (led by ex Chairlift guitarist Aaron Pfenning) and Val Loper ‘s young brainchild Rubbing Alcohol, which released a debut 2 song EP streaming here last December.

On Dead Leaf Echo‘s most recent single "Kingmaker," (streaming below, now out via Custom Made Music) you can almost feel the spirit of 90’s dreamgaze bands like Chapterhouse flowing through this modern updating of that classic sound. This shouldn’t surprise, since DLE was hand picked by that legendary band to open their reunion show in Brooklyn last year. Other similarities may be evident due to the hiring of legendary 4AD producer John Fryer, who added his ethereal mixing touch to the track. The song is more complex than much of that era’s simpler compositions, and showcases the band’s evolution towards a more personal sound. The track will be included on their forthcoming album titled "Thought and Language." The band is also is planning another 7" split single, coming out on the California based Green Fuse Records this spring/summer. Two new videos are also in the works as is a March tour, which will take them down to the SXSW Festival. – Dave Cromwell

Fronted by Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen, NYC’s The Pretty Reckless combines killer lyrics with seriously spirited guitar riffs on the debut album, "Light Me Up." Momsen’s voice is a perfect accompaniment to the band’s solid alt-rock sound – adding a feminine and yet dangerous edge to the music. Momsen, who is just 18, wrote all the songs on the album, with the band’s lead guitarist, Ben Phillips. Their breakout hit, "Make Me Wanna Die" caught the attention of hard-rock loyalists everywhere, while the ballad "You" (see its rather sensual official video here) took care of the layer of fans more interested in sentimental values. Their second EP, "Hit Me Like a Man," is set to be released on March 6th and will feature three new songs and two live songs from their "Light Me Up" tour. – Jen Mergott

“Second Year In Swine” may not roll of the tongue very easily, but mid-fi rockers Rotary Club nonetheless dubbed their sophomore album with the odd phrasing after seeing it on a flyer years ago. Headed by multi-nstrumentalist Tom Devaney, the New York-via-Boston ensemble mixes a little art with a lot of melody, offering a sound that mixes psychedelic layers with rock attitude and feels like a Meat Puppets/Love collaboration. The band will celebrate the album’s release with East Coast shows this Spring, starting March 3rd at Red Hook Bait and Tackle in Brooklyn. – Devon Antonetti

Mrs. Magician might be only a couple small steps away from Spacemen 3 in sound, but in personality, they hail from an entirely different sounding garage. Channeling dissatisfaction with everything from God to nightlife to the ’80s, singer Jacob Turnbloom and guitarist Tommy Garcia are able to make the blues come out sounding about as sweet as you’ve ever heard it, like something went wrong on their way to being pissed off, and before they knew it, their catchy hooks got the better of them. Perhaps some of the band’s strange fascination with the supernatural will be satisfied when their sophomore record ‘Strange Heaven’ drops April 17th on Turnbloom’s own label, Thrill Me! Records. The album includes crowd favorites, like the unexpectedly catchy ‘There is no God,’ and the jangly drug anthem of the year: ‘I’m Gonna Hangout With The Lesbians Next Door & Drop Acid.’ This is an album that delivers its medicine with plenty of sugar the whole way through. Preview their new record here and see them at The Troubadour on March 29. – Mike Levine

The SXSW-bound Craft Spells will be partnering up with Brooklyn-based indie pop band, the Drums, for a spring tour. Shamelessly retro and unabashedly catchy, the Seattle-based band has produced a full-length album and two EPs of buoyant pop tunes as indebted to Morrissey’s melancholia as they are to the synth-happy songsmiths that they so resemble. Craft Spells pair lighthearted and nostalgic instrumentation with frontman Justin Vallesteros’ whispery utterances, and the combination makes for dreamy soundscapes reminiscent of Vallesteros’ native California. Their first full-length album, Idle Labor, captures the dichotomy in 11 tracks. “Party Talk“ walks the line between dreamy and visceral, with airy melodies and hauntingly morose vocals squaring off against toe-tapping synthetic beats and decidedly party-ready guitar lines. Originally a one-man project, the addition of Jack Doyle Smith, Peter Michel and Javier Suarez adds layers of pulsing rhythms and humming guitars. Stoked by effusive online coverage and approval, the band’s success has taken them overseas on international tours, moving from bedroom recording sessions to headlining slots in a matter just a few years.After six appearances at the Austin festival, the latest Deli Band of the Month will kick off a 19-date tour on April 21 that will take them across the U.S. and Canada. Craft Spells will wrap the tour at this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, WA.

– Kate Shepherd

Kit Oh Nein! is the latest musical endeavor of The Hotwalls’ singer, Ryan Milligan. Their debut album, which was written entirely by Milligan, is a departure from previous projects into a more distorted and reverb-happy version of an indie pop group. "KON!", an acronym for the band’s name, is a fast moving album with an average track time of around two minutes. The album has a distinctive garage band sound with a polished indie twist and the songs are a disorienting trip down the rabbit hole. Echoing vocals, guitar reverb and spacey organ riffs give Kit Oh Nein!’s songs a dream-like quality. – Jen Mergott