THE DELI

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

Sometimes the simple things are best. That’s true for the music of Fraidycat, an indie rock group who play no-nonsense songs about — as their Facebook page professes — "stuff that came up in therapy." For anyone needing a good dose of catharsis in the form of some upbeat tunes, Fraidycat will play ALPHAVILLE on May 6th, along with True Dreams, Yucky Duster, and Haybaby. It’s all to celebrate the release of Other Better Places, their debut LP, which includes short bursts of poppy emotion in the form of tracks like "Best Pie" and "Fortune Cookies." You can stream the latter below. – Will Sisskind

Lost in Society is an alternative rock band from New Jersey that fosters a punk ethos – both sonically and lyrically. Their songs take an almost Marxist lingual approach by critiquing dominant cultural narratives and power structures. “All these people working / just to live check by check / sinking down into a hopeless death” a Linkin Park-esque voice screams in the first verse of the outfit’s most recent release, “I Want To Know”. With the themes Lost In Society tackles becoming increasingly relevant in the authoritarian direction taken by our politics, it’s no surprise they’re starting to gain a lot more local and national attention. What makes this band special is that they refresh a punk tradition with leftist roots by immersing it in the circumstances of the present. Don’t miss their next performance on Thursday, May 11th at the Knitting Factory.

Inspired by the mind expanding sounds of the ’60s, Send Medicine began as the solo project for Toronto based singer/songwriter Julian Hacquebard in the summer of 2012. Now based in Los Angeles and expanded to five members, the band, in last year’s debut album "Scary Aquarius Daughter" honed a sound that updates psychedelic folk to the current times. They just landed a prestigious residency at the Satellite for the month of June, starting on the 5th. Check out their latest single ‘Translucent’ (streaming below).

If you are into guitar pedals, check out this feature where Julian Hacquebard on our sister blog Delicious Audio.

Readers who’ve been sticking around for a while may remember Rachel Trachtenburg from teen indie band Supercute! (active in the NYC scene around 2013), and then also as the drummer of ironic folk pop band The Prettiots. Rachel, who is also an actress and model, has recently formed her own group, called Wooing, which is about to release its debut EP through a live show at Pianos on May 10th. The show is part of a monthly residency that will see the band perform at the Ludlow venue every Wednesday of the current month, starting tonight (05.03). The three songs available online showcase a trio uncommitted to a particular genre (we hear, intermittently, folk, noise rock, dream pop…), but generally inclined to find any good excuse to get really loud and noisy, as you can hear in streaming track ‘Tear World.’

In 2017, folk music is far from being simply a revival phenomenon. In the last few decades, the genre has been undergoing a healthy evolution, incorporating elements from pop and indie rock, often flirting with melodic and "dreamy" components that don’t necessarily belong to its most authentic roots. This process had the effect of widening a sonic palette that started to feel and sound outdated. You can hear all that in NYC songrwriter’s new release ‘Rain on the River.’ Her single ‘Alexander,’ which was included in the April 2017 "New Folk" playlist by Indie Feed Music, is a delicate and passionate folk-pop ballad about ex-lovers and the ageless question "…do you think of me the same way I think of you?" The all-consuming melancholy such thought could induce is tempered by Sydney’s light tone and breezy melody, which makes it sound like an afterthought – at least until everything goes quiet and the crucial issue comes up: "have you found another girl? […] Are you happy now?"

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

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