The emergent Brooklyn sound in the aftermath era of lo-fi electro from successful acts such as Small Black and Violens seems to be bigger, bolder, more anthemic choruses. "Modern Tongues," the debut EP by Ghost Beach, goes one further, blurring the lines between disparate genres like yacht rock, electro-funk and (amazingly) boy band rubbish. The appropriately-titled EP starts out with “Miracle,” whose chiming guitar licks recall the Smiths, until singer Josh Laviolette unleashes a riotous chorus worthy of Rivers Cuomo’s most throat-shedding vocals. “Tear Us Apart,” the lead single from Modern Tongues, shimmers like Simple Minds at their medieval peak, layered over an industrial backbeat that feels defiantly current, despite its retro proclivities. “Been There Before” (streaming) is the EP’s best moment, a song of such joy and pathos that it’s destined to send live crowds through the roof. Clocking in at just under 22 minutes (five songs), I found myself running to start the whole EP over, as my living room crowd was having far too much fun to switch to something new just yet. To join the party see the band live at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on December 08. – Brian Chidester

Traveling peripatetically in his records almost as often as he moves to new locations, Sam Friend stumbles his way from genre to genre in the hope of achieving what might be called a quasi-emotional honky-tonk bliss. Like confessional rockers before him (think: Matthew Sweet or John McCauley), Sam Friend winds his songs up like a frustrated yo-yo, exploding into his tunes when his pent-up energy gets to be too wild.

A lot of his music has the feel of country-western saloon jams that have recently become acquainted with basement rock. Songs like ‘Bedlam’ and ‘High Hives’ from Sam’s new EP sampler ‘Spirit Mirrir’ push and shove against beer-soaked arrangements (including a handsomely dressed version of ‘On A Plain’) and surprising collaborators. Truly a trip worth taking.

For this artist who discovers some new trail to go down with each record, ‘Mirrir’ might be his biggest departure yet. Check it out on his bandcamp and see him when he plays next with his band The Freckles. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – This artist submitted music for review here

Neo-No Wave band TV Baby continue their onslaught of metal machine music with the summer 2012 single “New York Is Alright.” The duo (Matthew McAuley and Brain McPeck of downtown noise act A.R.E. Weapons) send up the city’s cultural (read: pretentious) aspirations with astute lyrics like: “New York is alright if you’re 12 years old sittin’ in your bedroom all alone at home dreaming about being Lou Reed or James Chance, doin’ some brand new 21st Century dance across the skyline of Manhattan where anything can happen.” TV Baby had a chance to play with Chance (a.k.a James White) at Don Hill’s (511 Greenwich Street) last year in support of their self-titled debut EP, itself a wild if derivative ode to No Wave pioneers like Suicide and the Bush Tetras. The duo’s squelching guitars and grimey synth sound took on ironic material by Bo Diddley, Little Richard and an echoey version of Chuck Berry’s “Mabelline” that was slowed down to reach maximum sensuality. Three years along, TV Baby have yet to transcend their obvious influences, but this latest single should be enough to keep interested parties, well, um, interested. – Brian Chidester

A few days before I started writing this article, I learned of a serious fight involving NYC drummer Kevin Shea and the son of the owner/talent buyer of an East Village venue, iconic for its historical interest in avant jazz and experimental music. The owner wanted the musicians to pay her $50 bucks since no one came to hear them. The owner’s son punched Kevin in his left eye when he refused. The musicians chased him into Tompkins Square Park. Read Valerie Kuhne’s essay ‘The Sporting Life: Being Experimental in NYC’ here.

Brooklyn, NY’s Call of the Wild is an unhinged rock ‘n roll trio that plays from the heart and goes for the throat on their eight-track endeavor LEAVE YOUR LEATHER ON. When corresponding with guitarist/vocalist Johnny Coolati, we spoke about the origins of their band’s name, what makes them a must-see act in the NYC scene, and the process of making their debut recording. Having kicked off a US tour last week, the band will be off the roads November 21st – stay tuned for new local dates & read Mike SOS’ interview with the band here.

Stream ‘Autobahn’, off ‘Leave Your Leather On’ here.

If at The Deli, we’ve seized just about every opportunity to share some love for Buke and Gase, a relief initiative definitely seems as good a chance as any, so here’s spreading the word. Joining the effort of many local musicians to raise funds for the victims of hurricane Sandy, the band released a new single off their forthcoming album ‘General Dome‘, the adequately-titled ‘Hard Times” (streaming below), the proceeds from which are being donated to the Red Hook Initiative.

Coming back to the point, Arone Dyer & Aron Sanchez will be playing a Red Hook benefit at Saint Vitus, alongside Walter Schreifels, Believer/Law, Neon Indian and Bloodyminded, tomorrow evening (11.10 – $10 minimum donation). Find all the info here. TM 

It’s pretty clear that the US music blog establishment is MUCH keener to give exposure to any lo-fi indie band (no matter how instrumentally inept) rather than to highlight deserving, original, "mellowish" folky acts (rocking ones have more luck). It’s a shame because there are a lot of fantastic bands in NYC that craft quality music of this kind (Lucius, Pearl & The Beard, Swear & Shake, to name a few), and who – onstage – can tear to pieces 90% of the indie rock bands out there.

Mostly driven by Jessie Murphy’s thoughtful songwriting and Marcia Webb’s multi-instrumental talent, We Are The Woods – whom we had the pleasure to see live at our CMJ rootsy show in 2011 – is a band that manages to blend an exhuberant creativity with the intense nature of the rootsy genre. They just released their full length "Whales and Roses" in November, and we recommend you go see them at Mercury Lounge on November 11.

Time to get magical. I’m talking about that all-night trip that can only be properly delivered by skinny doods dancing and singing along to deep bass, chirpy keys and auto-tuned lead vocals. This has become the sound of revelation for late-night revelers, so maybe Black Light Dinner Party have plenty to be happy about… but they’re admittedly very good at making this combo work.

With a sound conjuring Passion Pit’s penchant for inserting anthem-ready hooks into deep house grooves, BLDP have a couple good reasons for you to stay up late tonight. From the ridiculously catchy ‘Older Together’ (streaming below), to the house-party ready ‘Gold Chain,’ these guys have to dance about, and that’s probably what we need right now. Check out their sampler on their Facebook, and tell them to start announcing some more dates! – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Sharp trash-talking lyricist, style icon on the rise – Mykki Blanco poppped onto everyone’s radar o nly few months back, this intriguing crossdressing character that would instantly seduce most, and for the others, inevitably become a case study in some scholarly debate on gender issues in rap. Getting ready for the release, tomorrow, of debut mixtape Cosmic Angel: The Illuminati Prince/ss, Blanco couldn’t resist but drop a track a couple of days ahead. On Wednesday, Kingpinning, with its organic beats and eerie signature stripped-down sound, came to introduce a first full-length for which the rapper surrounded himself with some of the country’s most prominent DJs/producers, such as Gatekeeper, Flosstradamus, or Brenmar (the man behind ‘Wavvy’). Mykki Blanco will be performing tonight (11.9) at Cameo Gallery, for this year’s Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival before kicking off a first US tour on November 12th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, opening for Death Grips.  

Download Cosmic Angel: The Illuminati Prince/ss via The Fader.

We know, lately we covered these guys a little too often, but they always give us a good reason for some extra content – I guess you should follow their example if you want to be featured on this blog! Check out People Get Ready‘s new video for "Windy Cindy." Full length out in January.

Much has been made of Wilsen’s unique combination of dream pop and folk, which has been dubbed as “dream folk.” Yet there is a much easier way to describe the NYC-based singer-songwriter: really, really talented. Her debut album, “Sirens,” is eerie, confident, and a fantastic first step for this bright artist.

“Sirens” opens with “House On a Hill,” which is highlighted by some strangely ominous whistling over a melodic guitar line. Wilsen then moves to her folk roots with “Dusk.” Here, her vocals softly shine while even softer instrumentation ornaments the dueling senses of comfort and apprehension.

Throughout the album, Wilsen experiments with different sounds and styles, although her overall sound keeps faith to early Leonard Cohen’s sparse, pensive approach. The guitar work on “Lady Jane” has an almost Middle Eastern feel, while the vocals on “Springtime” bounce with a jazzy swagger.

Closing “Sirens” is the ten and a half minute epic, “Anahita” (see the video here). I’ve already sung the praises of this track, yet its breathtaking power cannot be overstated. The moment halfway through the song when the stunning guitar line gives way to aural chaos is one of the best recorded musical instances of the year. – Josh S. Johnson – Listen to "Sirens" on Spotify.

New York’s Street Smells may be named after various aromas that are sometimes inescapable in this town, but their music appears to be more firmly rooted in Scotland, circa 1990. "Jerky Ride" ambles along with the casual cool of Jim Reid’s swagger and his brother’s guitar textures. "We went down, down (so far down) that I don’t believe we’ll ever come around" is the nihilistic searching for kicks message. "Lemon Yellow Rasberry" slows the shuffle down even further, presenting a heavier, near dirge-like quality. Tambourine on snare shot beats and dueling guitar layers create the proper level of foreboding. "The Slippery Slope of Being A Drug Dealer" takes its obvious message and positions it against a rhythm closer to The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Dirty guitar lines shear the top off power chords churning underneath. "Ghost In The Sky" returns to a shuffle rhythm while updating the two chord churn of The MaryChain’s "Birthday" for maximum effect. – Dave Cromwell