The Deli NYC premieres Hot Curl‘s new single, "Endless Summer", a six-minute psych track dropped just in time for warm weather and top-down drives to the beach. According to lead singer Prescott Horn, the song took shape during the coldest months of winter in the back of the now defunct Bushwick venue, Silent Barn. Nevertheless, the song delivers the torrid and laid-back aura of a ’60s surf film with billowing bass lines and blown-out drums to help drive the jangly guitars and acid-trip soundscape. If you enjoy Slowdive or DIIV and want a new addition to your Summer 2018 playlist, "Endless Summer" is your jam. You can experience it in a live setting on May 24th when Hot Curl releases it at their show at Berlin. – Will Sisskind

New Jersey quartet The Nectars is opening up a space for the rock of 20 years ago to spill like a smashed Capri Sun back into our consciousness. Their songs are about having fun, being free and in love, and offer a sound appropriately reminiscent of those positively punchy, female fronted, power pop bands of the late ’90s/early aughts like No Doubt and Paramore. Singer Jessica Kenny has the presence and vocal prowess to take this band beyond the local circuit (as a matter fact, they are already touring the UK) and songs like "I Want It" (our favorite) and recently released "We Will Run" (streaming below) have the melodic appeal to win over the new generation of rock seekers.  After a string of singles accompanied by lo-fi-ish videos, the band is set to release debut album Sci-Fi Television on June 1st.

Jessica Kenny describes the band’s new music video for "We Will Run" as “a love letter to simpler times. A tribute to the New Jersey of our youth." Set in a low rent rehearsal space and peppered with shots of the band just hanging out and riding bikes, the video’s mood is set for the juicy nostalgia the band aims to embody while letting us feel it new again. "We are sci-fi television love" Jessica repeats in the bridge. Somehow I’m reminded of Indiana Jones re-runs on TV, when the internet took so long to load that it wasn’t worth it, when having nothing to do on a Saturday was normal and blissfully boring – and getting a new CD was the best treat there ever was… – Meghan Rose

Every now and again, a special kind of artist falls onto our radar—one that is able to give nods to music history, while also successfully innovating and pushing boundaries. One such artist is Scott Alexander, whose new project Some Professional Help is ambitious to say the least. Backed by a rotating 16-person band, Alexander leads the eclectic soundscape with his knowledge of orchestral music (if you think that there isn’t enough bassoon in pop music, then you and Alexander may be cut from the same cloth.) The self-titled debut EP is a glittering, baroque take on orchestral pop. With vocals akin to that of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and arrangements that whisper influences from Sufjan Stevens, this project shines as a standout singer-songwriter debut. Some Professional Help will be performing in Oakland at Uptown Nightclub on May 24. – Lilly Milman

Stream the full Some Professional Help EP below.

Demanding NYC indie rock fans who are struggling to find original, fun, and entertaining new bands should go check out Cloud Becomes Your Hand when they play live at Alphaville on Juse 9th, within the Northside Festival. The avant-post-punk (!?) collective was on the cover of our 47th issue of The Deli, and for a reason: their debut album "Rest in Fleas" was the most refreshingly fun thing we happened to listen that year, in particular single "Hermit," streaming below ("Sand of Sea" and "Bridge of Ignoramus" are pretty darn awesome too). Their live show is some kind of perfectly excuted experimental theatrical production that’s tightly paced without ever falling in the traps of self-indulgence. Do not miss!

Since 2016, Brooklyn artist pronoun, the brainchild of songwriter Alyse Vellturo, is on a catchy single roll: her debut EP "There’s No One New Around You" exposed a talent able to forge memorable yet intimate pop songs dealing with troubled personal feelings, in the tradition of The Magnetic Fields. In 2018 the project has already released two singles, "Run" (streaming below) and "Wrong," which was recently included in Stereogum’s "Best 5 Songs of the Week." Alyse will be performing live with band at Brooklyn Bazar on May 26.

Connecticut-based americana singer-songwriter Kerri Powers has seen it all, and she intends to tell you about it on her debut album Starseeds. Her experience is obvious from her simple, yet earnest way of storytelling; her confident, yet not overzealous vocals; her subtle, yet astute reworking of age-old tales like that of Lady Godiva. Take lead single “Mine the River” (streaming below), where she is able to blend the seemingly overused combination of bluesy guitars, a soulful voice, and Americana storytelling to create something original. She is currently touring and will be playing her next show on May 18 at Washington DC’s The Hamilton. But fear not, she’ll be back in Connecticut in June to play a show at Bridge Street on June 24. – Lilly Milman

The debut video (streaming below) of Oakland stoner-pop group Saalt (fronted by Alisa Saario) follows a similar pattern to that of a strange dream. Saario is pictured singing while skiing down a mountain, maneuvering her way through the powerful chorus of the track “Wasted” while dressed in an all-white ski-suit. When combined with the clips of her skiing with her guitar, or emptying out pink dust around the mountain, the overall picture only becomes more ethereal. Despite her unquestionable recklessness, Saario’s vocals and her carefree smile coax you into her world — as if saying, don’t worry about me. She almost convinces you, even, but the last frame tells a different story. Check out the video below and keep an eye out for future releases from one of our favorite artists right now. – Lilly Milman 

Advice columnist Nedelle Torrisi’s musical versatility heads toward the domain of soft adult contemporary in her upcoming album Only For You, with allusions to the pitfalls and complexities of monogamy no doubt gathered from her time writing as Advice from Paradise. A steady fixture of the indie scene, Torrisi is known by some for her work as one half of experimental project Cryptacize, as well as for her contributions to Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Sufjan Stevens, and John Vanderslice.

Listen to the featured single “Complicated” before Torrisi’s album release party tonight at the Bootleg Theater. Only For You comes out on May 18 via Frenchkiss Records.

Sultry and confident, in their latest video for single DDT, New York’s alt-rock trio Uni makes good use of a mix of vaguely S&M imagery, glam-rock sartorial choices and the fetishization of all the iconography it portrays. The song itself is lumbering and heavy, with swelling organs, crunchy guitar riffs and powerful lead vocals by Nico Fuzz. Glam Rock had roots in NYC with the New York Dolls and David Bowie’s formative years; times seems ripe for a revival in the city. – Ethan Ames

The delicacy of Oakland-based Al Harper’s jangly, soft rock solo project is reminiscent of dreamy vocals of the indie pop duo Tennis, but with her own added edge. Her breezy falsetto carries the listeners through angsty lyrics with ease, like the school-girl sounding “The New You” (streaming below) where she sings about a person that’s changed but “it’s cool, I still want the new you.” There’s an empowerment behind her effortless sound as she embraces femininity in a way that brings her up to the ranks of other beloved female artists like Snail Mail and Evil Seagull. She will be celebrating the release of her tape About Power and to play a few unreleased tracks on June 2 at Abbey’s Tavern. – Lilly Milman, photo by Kelsey McClellan 

The new single, “Heartbreak In A Box” (streaming below), from Boston’s seven-piece group JUICE delivers the dose of sweet, upbeat neo-soul that—at this point—is to be expected from them. The septet met as freshmen at Boston College, and after winning a Battle of the Bands contest in 2014, have been bringing their funk-influenced play on pop to venues all over New England. Their sophomore LP Workin’ On Lovin’ will be released on June 15. They are currently on tour, with upcoming shows in Burlington, VT on June 9, Nantucket on June 12, and Boston on June 15. – Lilly Milman

Brooklyn by way of Tel Aviv artist O Mer employs DAW, synths and electric guitar to create minimalistic pop gems that are as catchy as they are arresting. Started as a one man band, the project has recently expanded to comprise a full band, which has brought the sound to new heights of sonic refinement. O Mer will be performing live at Berlin on May 25th, check out the video for single Icarus, streaming below.

Our friends at Delicious Audio asked O Mer a few questions about the creative process and his favorite gear, you can read the Q&A here. – Photo by Noel Woodford