Bootblacks offer a gothic melancholia bounced back and forth on synth-pop beats, a menacing vision of gloom that’s infectious. Bootblacks’ post-punk/new-wave sensibility is beautifully paired with Panther Macdonald’s vocals. They’re straight out of the post-punk catalog: romantic, dramatic, seductive. The band promises a seedier vision of NYC, one of decadence and decay. They shared their preference about synths with our sister blog Delicious Synths, check it out!

Some bands are like wine, they get better with time (sadly, most don’t). The Majorleans’ 2013 album "Black Belt" showed a confident band with solid songs and production values. Armed with a sound that could be described as "classic rock sans-cheese,"  and blessed with the character of songwriter Nicky Francis DiFonzo’s vocals, the record brings to mind Tom Petty and the electric Bob Dylan of the ’80s. But new single "Black Magic Woman" (streaming below) takes things to a whole new level: it’s a blue blues made even darker and vintage sounding through a noir, loungey arrangement that flirts with psychedelia and The Beatles of Abbey Road. The trio will be performing at Berling on November 11, we recommend! 

Three NYC based bands with a surprisingly similar sound (rather mellow but edgy, electronic and melodic, featuring female lead vocals) will share the stage of Baby’s All Right in occasion of the headliner’s Iris Lune release party. The other two are Lip Talk and MMEADOWS. We created a compilation of their songs for you, it’s really good, check it out!

We are very excited to inform you that avant-electro-psych band Guerilla Toss, who graced the latest cover of our NYC print issue, will be performing their first live show since that issue hit the streets of NYC in mid October. The band’s latest album, entitled GT Ultra and released through DFA Records, is an exuberant, multifaceted explosion of sound inspired by mysterious government sponsored experiments and The Greatful Dead (althoughg it sounds nothing like them). The band recently unveiled this new video for single "Betty Dreams of Green Men." The live show will be at Baby’s All Right on November 16, be there!

Upper Wilds are an experiment in distortion. Their debut album, "Guitar Module 2017" (Deli NYC record of the month last month) is one frenzied wave of noise going through the entire body. Once the senses accept this new experience, the lyrics can finally be appreciated. Somehow, through all the glitchy melodies come these heavenly vocals that find a near-perfect blend of pop and punk. This is another band that shouldn’t work but totally does. To hear it, to believe it, check out Upper Wilds’ upcoming show at Gold Sounds on November 18, right after the band’s brief east coast tour. – Amanda Ogea

Earlier this year, Mark Crozer and The Rels released their Planting Seeds Records LP “Sunny Side Down” on vinyl. Although a Brooklyn resident, Mark recorded the tracks with his band at Mitch Easter’s North Carolina studios with an emphasis on live energy interplay. The intro to “Here Comes the Storm” (streaming below) adopts backing vocal stylings reminiscent of the Beach Boys, keeping the mood light and airy, as it attempts to hold off emotional thunderstorms, soon to be delivered through the chorus, where a melancholic chord selection backing lyrics “to put a smile, on my face again” evokes an aching romanticism. An ending coda repeats the title like a mantra, drums rumbling across toms and a white noise build-up creating the sonic equivalent of weather borne chaos. The band will support The Jesus & Mary Chain (whom Mark also plays bass in) on an east coast tour that arrives at PlayStation Theater in NYC on 11/17. – Dave Cromwell

Avant-pop duo, Reliant Tom, is nothing if not absolutely striking. The two-piece combines clever instrumentals and cutting edge musical tech with sultry vocals and sharp-tongued lyricism. Last week, the group dropped their latest music video, for "Poor You" a trippy and disorienting display that provides the perfect visual accompaniment to the song’s haunting tone and minimalistic sensibilities. Check it out streaming below. –Olivia Sisinni

Bodies Be Rivers’ newest single "None the Wiser" (streaming) from their forthcoming debut LP Things I’ll Tell You When You’re Older, is simply delightful. The listening pleasure begins with the ear-catching, nuanced arrangement which builds into a confident full band breakout. "Your weather never changes / your curtains always stay" sings singer and songwriter Lauren Smith, displaying wistful yet confident resignation. Her vocal timbre gives us a little more of this delicate self-assuredness, guiding the track and keeping us grounded. If the rest of the album is in line with this gorgeous first single, we’re in for a treat. By the time "None the Wiser" had ended, I didn’t want it to be over. – Geena Kloeppel

Their third release in two years, What You Say and What You Mean is the newest project by DIY alt-rockers Remember Karen. The Oakland-based quartet specialize in melodic tracks that mystify with their cryptic, abstract lyrics (“your ghost always sits in a suburban chair / traces of the not-yet in a parking lot”), yet stay far, far away from the cringe-worthy realm of fake depth. The best part is, they don’t take themselves too seriously, either. They aren’t afraid of rhyming “modesto” with “unimpressed-o” in “Afternoon Waking Life” (streaming below)—a move made even more successful by the whirlwind chorus that follows it. Their music nods at the early work of indie rock legends Death Cab, working in a similar stripped-down style to their debut LP Something About Airplanes. However, that is not to say it is derivative. This is not a recreation of something that already exists, but rather, a revival—one that we’re excited to see unfold. Remember Karen will be playing their record release show at 924 Gilman on November 12th at 6 pm. – Lilly Milman, photograph by Kevin Steen

Until then, you can exclusively stream the entire record below. The album will be available on Remember Karen’s Bandcamp page starting on November 10th.

Brooklyn-based art pop quartet, Milan to Minsk, is gearing up to release their latest EP, Welcome to Hitler (out 12/1, EP release on 12.06 at Trans-Pecos), but for fans interested in getting a glimpse of what’s to come, the Deli is excited to premiere the band’s new video for the album’s title track. As the title may have you guess, the album offers a timely observation on what forces elevate people in different positions of power, however the new video is unexpectedly entertaining in a fun way, and its bright colors and whimsical feel reads like a trippy Wes Anderson flick. With smooth lounge-style vocals, whirling instrumentals and a mind-melding saxophone solo, "Welcome to Hitler," is a strange and shimmering track, and easily our latest earworm. Stream the video below. – Olivia Sisinni 

Four-piece Fovea release their debut LP pencil me in on December 8th under the boutique label Omad. The group – made up of Skidmore grads Steve Shaw, Max Weigel, Jake Denicola, and Halley Furlong-Mitchell – have a sound that they describe as "dancey dream pop", which falls somewhere between Ra Ra Riot and M83. You can hear that sound in motion on "Cost Of", one of the twelve tracks on pencil me in, as well as at their show with Woolly Mammals and Ritual Talk on November 25th at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Check out "Cost Of" below. – Will Sisskind

Maybe you’ve been thinking “wow, there are a lot of bad things going on in the world right now—like the hurricane damage to Puerto Rico—I wish I could do something about it.” Or maybe you’ve been thinking “what my life needs is a band that sounds like The Ramones, but isn’t The Ramones, and maybe features acoustic guitar and occasional Spanish.” Either way you should probably be watching Tall Juan at the Que Lio! Fundraiser show for Puerto Rico on November 5th.

Sometimes it’s just hard to figure out how to do good and contribute to a cause, but being part of a benefit makes it easy. Sometimes it’s just hard to listen to The Ramones—actually, no it’s not, if you feel like it’s hard to listen to The Ramones I cannot offer sincere understanding… But that’s beside the point. Tall Juan’s Joey Ramone-esque vocal delivery and incessantly bopping rhythms clearly pay tribute to the early NYC rebels, but there’s also a garage rock, almost lo-fi sensibility to his taste and style (Mac DeMarco recorded his debut album). It’s a sound true to New York from The Ramones, to The Strokes, to that band you saw a couple weeks ago in Brooklyn that sounded way better live than on Bandcamp.

Below, you can watch his new video for “Time Bomb”—a Ramones cover that sounds even more Ramonesque than the original—featuring shirtless Tall Juan, skateboards, and hip little dance moves. And don’t forget to stop by the Que Lio! fundraiser at Baby’s All Right. It’s a donation-based daytime show (12-4 p.m.) on a Sunday, so no excuses. – Cameron Carr, photo by Audrey Del Piccolo.