When Rush Midnight’s lead singer Russ Manning croons “the music starts to creep back in” on the band’s lead single, “The Night Was Young Enough,” it is as much a celebration of youth as it is a declaration of synthpop’s unexpected elasticity over the past decade. With a voice that evokes new romanticism and a video that feels like “Let’s Get Physical,” slowed down and bohemianized, Manning (former bassist of Twin Shadow) continues indie-electro’s move out of the mumbly moodiness of every Washed Out copycat into more sensual, soulful territory indicative of fellow-Brooklyn acts like Body Language and MSMR. Rush Midnight’s debut EP, +1, lands on October 30 via Cascine Records and a short tour kicks off at the Studio at Webster Hall (NYC) on November 9th.- Brian Chidester

The boy/girl duo of Bridget and the Squares might not initially strike you as badass and full of rage, but trust me… this is a band out for blood. Their two latest EPs Kill and Destroy take you down a dusty road littered with broken people and failed relationships. Riding epic piano lines through the desert in tracks like ‘The Animal and ‘Nothing Right, Nothing Wrong,’ singers Laura Bridgett and Kyle Thompson chart the wreckage they find through the love and passion they bring to every subject excavated. Get on over to their bandcamp for more, and catch them on November 9th when they play Bushwick’s Paper Box – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Dystopia’s probably the track that’ll best define their universe, with its menacing beat-heavy thick horror soundtrack crumbling around high pitched synth lines, and random alien-like hyper-distorted vocals cutting in. Spitefully charging through crunchy cold-blooded jams, the three ZZZ’s ladies re-appropriate dark dissonant no-wavey/industrial atmospheres to twist them into their own, using just about every trick in the book to avoid falling into routine. Originally from Japan, they formed the band in NYC in March 2012, playing some 50-odd gigs around the US, and more recently, a couple of shows during this CMJ; and seeing as, according to their Twitter, they’re leaving the city at the end of December -not sure how long for- we’re hoping to hear more dates announced soon. Meanwhile, check out their music below. – Tracy Mamoun 

Brooklyn’s reigning quirky-pop princess sami.the.great finds herself in the throes of an exuberant and incurable case of optimistim in latest video for "Hear Me Now." Part of her strong debut, ‘Hear Me Now’ is one of my favorites off the record. With so much druggy, after-hours dance music hitting the charts these days, it’s refreshing to hear the Brooklyn singer/songwriter use hard-knocking beats for what they’re there for: kicking shit down the road and celebrating how awesome you are. And with all these bright colors bouncing around the green screen for this production, you’ll be able to bottle some of Sami’s energy for yourself. The video is directed by psychedelic director Joel Fernando, and moves back and forth between trippy screensaver-esque visuals, and Sami herself conjuring various magic. Check it out below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

After a little over a year in the making, pow wow! has debuted their first full length record, Don’t Stop To Look, streaming and available for download now on their bandcamp and soon available on Itunes, Spotify, Amazon (& More) as well as a limited run vinyl LP pressing before the end of the year. Voted one of of L Magazine’s NYC Bands You Need To hear in 2009 and covered extensively by Brooklyn Vegan, Time Out New York, Village Voice, and various other local and international blog’s after having released a handful of EP’s and singles between 2009-10, pow wow! returns in 2012 with "Don’t Stop To Look," their most diverse, yet focused and finely crafted pop record to date. Keeping true to their march to your own beat mantra as a band, the offerings on Don’t Stop Look marry 60+ years of international pop music influence while honestly narrating an experience that is quintessentially New York. Passive and passionate; Yearning yet resigned. Candid, sometimes cryptic, but always conversational in delivery. Check out their latest video here. (As posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

You remember ‘White Boyz’ right? The song that tried to make white male timidity into a cool thing, while being picked up for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2012 to soundtrack catwalks across Bryant Park. Indeed, Cold Blood Club are almost too catchy for their own good. Well, now the group is back with their first official EP, ‘Headlines & Firefights.’ Lead vocalists Kendra Jones and Brad Peterson are not exactly known for being timid, so you know when they do something new, it’s sure to turn heads. And based on their increasing penchant for loud, obnoxious party music, and loud, insane parties… it’s bound to be a thing best experienced live. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

“Wonderchamber,” the new video by Brooklynʼs Psychobuildings, creeps along like an arachnid lullaby poised to disintegrate into a danceable labyrinth. Subtly political, its Nietzschian lyrics deadpan the sensual allure of an omnipresent cult leader who speaks with “glitter in his pockets” to crowds more than willing to drink his kool-aid. Psychobuildings leader Peter LaBier prances across the singleʼs video in a shirtless jiggle, gently balanced by the kaleidescope ballet effects that brings to mind Damien Hirshʼs larva collages. When LaBier emerges halfway through in a psychedelic unitard, the whole affair feels somehow enlightened and utterly irresistible. Five live shows during CMJ last week cemented the bandʼs devil-may-care aesthetic to dizzying response. – Brian Chidester 

And finally, we get to the last day of this CMJ fest. Far from tired, I’m in a place where, buzzing off the large amounts of live music I’ve been restlessly taking in for the last four days, I’m just NOT sure what to do with myself once this is over. Converse might be hard, as one: I’ve gone partially deaf, and two: all I’ve been doing all week is chat and shake hands, to the point where if I have to say once more ‘Tracy from The Deli’, I might just die. But before I unplug my brain for the whole of Sunday, time to take you through the final leg of this run. Read Tracy Mamoun’s report of CMJ’s Day 5 here. – In the picture and streaming: SLEEPiES, who by the way have planned a sweet Halloween bash mit Pixies, Ramones, Siouxsie and The Banshees and Joy Division covers, check it out here! 

Well, isn’t this bittersweet. After running the CMJ Marathon, I’m certainly exhausted, but I’m definitely sad to see it go. CMJ was so life encompassing that it’ll probably take me a week or so to adjust back to the normal day-to-day. If you happened to be standing by any door this week and I, out of habit, hand you my driver’s license and put my wrist out to be stamped, then I’d like to apologize in advance. Read Josh Johnson’s report of CMJ’s Day 5 here. – In the picture and Streaming: Black Wing Halo

There ain’t no rest for the weary as my CMJ Friday starts bright and early at noon at the Rockwood Music Hall. Why would I voluntarily begin my day so early? So I can see two folk acts featuring guy-girl vocal harmonies, which is essentially catnip to me. First up was A Brief View of the Hudson, a five-piece band centered on the vocals of Ann Enzminger and Nick Nace. – Read Josh Johnson’s report of CMJ’s Day 3-4 here. – In the picture and Streaming: Wilsen.

To understand how much of a treat this Friday was, I guess it makes sense to first explain how major a let-down Thursday turned out to be. With a tight schedule sorted for the last two stretches, I’d gambled on the fact that, venturing from one venue to the next, I’d eventually find a few good NYC bands to write about, or at least some that worked with the scenes we cover. But no. Not in the slightest. A complete failure. – Read Tracy Mamoun’s report of CMJ’s Day 3-4 here. – In the picture and Streaming: Unstoppable Death Machines.

The third day of CMJ is the festival’s Humpday. Once Day Three ends, the festival is already more than half-over. Now that I’m halfway done with running the CMJ Marathon, I feel pretty good about my journey towards the finish line, although I realize that while my marathon numbers are solid, they aren’t as good as Paul Ryan’s. Of course, Ryan made up his marathon times on the spot, so at least I’m winning in the endurance department. – Read the full report by Josh S. Johnson here.