NYC transplant (by the way of Toronto), Jill Peacock, may not have the ostentatious fervor of the bird who shares her name, but her music might give you a reason to strut like one. Her self-titled EP is 5-tracks worth of engaging soul-pop that prominently displays her effortless vocals against minimalist R&B instrumentals. It’s a release that will tempt even the most rigid listeners to head-bob along to the velvety beats. Stream her single "Sunshine," streaming below, and see her live at Pianos on October 22nd. -Olivia Sisinni

New York college student Emily Yacina has been quietly uploading music to Bandcamp since 2011, making her part of what’s becoming – for better or for worse– a somewhat ubiquitous subgenre of bedroom pop: DIY dream-writers. But unlike a lot of those artists, Yacina actually leaves her bedroom. And she gets pretty far, like all the way to Alaska far. That’s where she lived this summer, working at an environmental nonprofit. Her most recent release “Heart Sky” reflects that; it’s expansive but intimate, vast but quaint, like the state that inspired it. It’s wandering melodies most likely mirror her exploration of the state, and most definitely mirror our exploration of the album. She’ll be performing live at a very interesting event inside a New York church on October 27th with like-minded artists Florist and Lizard Kisses. It seems like the ideal setting for music that’s this quiet and intimate. – Rachel Kerr

National Sawdust is dropping yet another eclectic showcase with their latest Revolution show. On Saturday, October 21st, Revolution #20 will play host yet again to Brooklyn and Harlem based artists that are pushing the evolution of their genres. This weekend features Chandanie, Looms and Shareef Keyes and The Groove, who has a new a single coming out on 10/21 that features Ghostface Killah. According to the National Sawdust, the "series supports revolutionary artistry and how important music is to healing, in all aspects of life." Check it out for yourself here, and in the meantime, stream these video by the three local artists, below. – Olivia Sisinni

Fresh off of an appearance on WFMU’s The Goddamn Dave Hill Show, Benjamin Cartel returns to Rockwood on October 21st to release his newest album, Flickering Light. The record contains more of the indie sound which propelled Cartel’s songwriting and musical abilities to the eyes and ears of New York audiences as a solo artist and as a member of his duo, Kaiser Cartel. Cartel will play Stage 3 with his band; Violet Skies, soul artist Arthur Lewis, and the Andre Carvalho Group will open. Watch the video for "Down Now", a single from Flickering Light, below. – Will Sisskind

The Nuclears might sound like a some unearthed garage-y gold from your latest crate digging escapades, but the five-piece have only been tearing up the NYC-scene for not even a decade. The band plays raw rock ‘n’ roll the way your daddy used to like, with all the electricity of old-school punk acts, and they even dabble in dirty rock-a-billy for the discerning rock purist. Check them out live at Sunnyvale 10/21 and be sure to check out their music below. – Olivia Sisinni

Brooklyn-based Plates of Cake serves up sweet, creamy psych pop that manages to be trippy without ever being jarring. With a sound that’s reminiscent of a more Beach Boys-y Syd Barrett, the easy listening aspects of Plates of Cake’s songs are matched by their layers of sonic experimentation. Their new release, "Let’s Not Deprive Each Other" is no exception; the album is surprisingly moody, somewhat cynical, and most interestingly, seems to defy simple time-period classification. Strong melody writing, undeniable hooks, and great instrumentation are all on display here, so make sure you catch them live at Berlin 10/19. – Olivia Sisinni

The pulsing, free-flowing rhythms on “Kindness, Calmness” parallel the song’s buoyant vocals in mood if not in genre. In fact, the melding of electronic beats with lounge-y vocals leads to an overall effect that’s mildly jarring.

But lovely.

“Kindness, Calmness” is the second single from Novelty Daughter’s forthcoming LP Inertia (out November 3). There’s an almost strangeness to the work of the Brooklyn based artist that resists categorization (NPR labeled her a “jazz-electronic-pop” musician). 

“Kindness, Calmness,” as well as Inertia’s first single, “U Want What I Want” feel a bit out of step with the times, a bit outside, a bit otherworldly. And that’s a great thing. –juan leon

Pill’s fourth release to date, entitled ‘Aggressive Advertising,’ seconds the axiom according to which crazy sounding bands that manage to stick together only get better with time. The Brooklyn quartet’s earth shattering, saxophone-armed brand of noise/math rock finds a new musicality and maturity, both in devilishly aggressive tracks like "Empathizer (Rat in the Box)" (streaming), and more spacious numbers like "Side Eye" (streaming), which manages to blend a variety of disparate influences, including Morricone’s cinematic guitars, Naked City’s unexcpeted sonic assaults and Fugazi’s stilish, bass driven post-hardcore. The band, led by screamer in chief Veronica Torres, is a force to be reckoned with when on stage, so don’t miss their upcoming shot at Baby’s All Right on October 19th.

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

Darkwing’s music exists in the weird crossroads of lo-fi indie rock and garage-fueled punk, an intersection featuring catchy hooks and the dankest of memes for street signs. This is the self-aware punk of the Cyber Age, the soundtrack for stoned conversations after a night of longboarding. The Deli is excited to premiere their newest single, “Big Red Heart.” It offers a more subdued and intimate experience than previous work (a result of a Tascam 388 and a living room recording) while still preserving the same attitude. Celebrate with the band at Baby’s All Right on 10.18, a benefit show for fellow scene member Chelsey Pickthorn also featuring Fruit & Flowers, Grim Streaker and Hot Curl. —Amanda Ogea, photo by Thomas Ignatius

With electronic music becoming more popular than ever, it’s not surprising that bedroom artists are popping up all over the country. What is notable, though, is the producer that actually gets out of the bedroom and plays a live show. California native Alec Lee is of this rare breed, performing his soulful, Chet Faker-inspired electro-pop across the Bay Area, opening up for acts like Smash Mouth and Tender. His newest EP Life in Pastel is a cross-section of all his best qualities as a creator. His singer-songwriter side comes out in “I’ll Be Ready,” a stripped-down track that straddles the line between soul and pop, while “Found You” (streaming below) is a full-out explosion of upbeat electronica. – Lilly Milman

Hit Like A Girl is an attention-grabbing artist name that definitely raises expectations (and eyebrows) for the music you’re about hear. And Nicolle Maroulis’ new album You Make Sense certainly is attention-grabbing, though perhaps not in the ways you’d expect. Most of the tracks on the record follow a pretty standard rock-arrangement: guitars and drum tracks are well-executed throughout, though they don’t break down any walls, musically. What’s disarming and breath-taking are Maroulis’ voice and lyrics. "And although I never met your mom and dad / you were the best thing that I ever had" she sings on "The Song I Hoped You’d Never Hear." Gut punch. Moments like that are scattered throughout the album, knocking the wind out of you when you least expect it. You Make Sense may seem like a traditional alt-rock album- but if you really listen, there’s a fragile intimacy and unexpected beauty. – Geena Kloeppel

Def.GRLS are energy itself, a lazer-light show of heavy psych-pop madness. It’s impossible to listen to their music without feeling the grit of glitter in one’s teeth or hair. Def.GRLS, as contagious as they are, are helpfully releasing their first LP “GRLS GRLS GRLS” on 11.17 to keep the party going. But, just to get a hit of the glitter to make it until then, they leaked their single “Good Time” for us to premiere! Tomorrow Def.GRLS open for Andrew W.K., the party-master himself, at Warsaw. Don’t miss out! —Amanda Ogea