Though fans that complain about rap deviating from its roots often come across as old curmudgeons, those contemporary emcees who practice vintage rap don’t seem to ever go out of style. Take BK rapper Latasha Alcindor (aka LA)’s latest track, "Revoke Thee," for example. Over a jazzy instrumental with attitude, LA delivers hard-hitting lyrics in varied flows that could very well have been blasted out of the boomboxes of yesterday. Like her ballsy predecessors Lauryn Hill and Queen Latifah, she also exudes a great deal of swagger in her lyrics. With "Revoke Thee," and its accompanying video (streaming below), LA has proven she is an emcee to watch, and a crucial one at that. She has a an LP due out in February. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

A gentle sweetness emerges within the deeply resonant female vocals on “Abalone,” the preview track (streaming below) from Brooklyn-based Softspot’s forthcoming album “Clearing.”  While open guitar chords provide counter-melody and the simple bass line drives its rhythmic center, a churning percussive track underneath parallels the same mysterious wonderment of penultimate Kate Bush/Hounds Of Love track “Running Up That Hill.”  Harmony vocals appear at crucial points within the emotional arc, dreamily elongating end of line words. At over five minutes in length, there is plenty of room for extended instrumental passages featuring bright guitar figures, deeper bass only transactions and swelling synths.  An extended outro features an angular time signature that ultimately gives way to a beat-less ambience. This is an outstanding track from a full album set for a February release on Arrowhawk Records.  The band will appear live at Union Pool on 1/22 as part of the (le) poisson rouge presents series with Alpenglow and Norwegian Arms. – Dave Cromwell

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

Genre bending duo April+VISTA bring an eclectic modernist approach to traditional soul sounds. With electronically chopped R&B drum beats and soaring soul vocals, the duo brings to life what they call “FutureSoul”. Amidst the group’s slow grooves and passionate lyrics are touchingly restrained ballads like “Touch”. Check out April+VISTA’s latest EP, “Note to Self”.

Dams of the West describes itself as “the bad boy of British tennis” and “probably fifth-wave ska but maybe neo-no soul”. But it’s best defined as the solo project of Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend. That band’s world pop tendencies are audible in the project’s repertoire, with flecks of Leonard Cohen and Reel Big Fish thrown in for flavor. On February 24, the band will release the album Youngish American, a collection of songs produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. It will include the songs “Death Wish” (streaming) and “Tell the Truth”, for which there are music videos directed respectively by Emily Tomson and Edward Bursch. In March, Tomson will perform as Dams of the West at SXSW in Austin. While rumors of a 2017 Vampire Weekend album are in the air, nothing’s set in stone. – Will Sisskind

It’s almost impossible to not be immediately smitten with the Fantastic Plastics. With their bright colors and quirky demeanor, the Brooklyn-based duo re-imagines retro-synth pop for the 21st century. While they’re sure to delight nostalgia seekers, the band’s catchy, fun tracks have a wide appeal that’s sure to draw in even the most discerning Brooklynite. The artists were kind enough to talk a little bit about their expansive synth collection, and just what dimension the Fantastic Plastics come from. – Olivia Sisinni

Read the Q&A with The Fantastic Plastic on Delicious Audio.

 Released by local DC label Sister Polygon records, Cigarette’s “warm shadows” is a dreamy mix of 90s shoegaze and the music of 2009’s chillwave summer.  But it’s not just nostalgia for dated genres that keeps their music interesting, Cigarette uses lush string and brass orchestration to add an extra nostalgic aesthetic to their music.   

Catch Cigarette with Governess and Scanners January 18^th at Black Cat. 

If Long Island’s Oogee Wawa was a meal their ingredients would include a cup of reggae, a spoonful of rock & pop, a pinch of hip hop and a lot of feel good sauce to top it all off. Their chill, upbeat music – paired with a sunny day like today’s – has the power to make you forget that it’s the middle of January in NYC. Oogee Wawa is following the sun this winter with dates later on this month in Florida, but first, they will be making a stop at Amityville Music Hall tonight, January 13th. Check these guys out live for some guaranteed fun, and if you’re wondering why you might have already heard their music (like streaming 2012 hit "Spliff"), it’s because they have opened up for big names including Slightly Stoopid, Sublime with Rome, and 311. – Jocelyn Huggler

NYC’s Golden Suits is the solo project of Fred Nicolaus of the band Department of Eagles (Grizzly Bear Daniel Rossen’s original project,  responsible for one of our favorite videos ever). They recently released debut ablum ‘Kubla Khan,’ an indie rock record with folk overtones. They recently unveiled a video for single ‘Don’t Let Love Go By,’ shot at the Brooklyn location The 1896 where David Bowie filmed his final video. The video is a collaboration of dance, music and technology, filmed using the VR 360 technology, which – although really cool – we find a little distracting, at least on a PC screen. Daniel Rossen has recently released a cover version of a Golden Suit song ‘You are Crossing a River‘ (we assume) to help promote his friend’s new release.

The Undercover Dream Lovers’s cover might just have been blown. The NYC synth-pop band recently sold out Rough Trade, and has been getting attention from a glut of music blogs. I guess it’s hard to stay covert when you’re busting out catchy dancehall tunes–especially when tracks sound far larger than the bedroom they were recorded in. The solo project of Brooklyn-based Matthew Koenig, The Undercover Dream Lovers delivers synth-heavy hooks, angular instrumentals and soft, understated vocals that together have the kind of magic that will instantly draw you in. Catch him at Our Wicked Lady 2/4 with Saint Marilyn and Violent Sands, but in the meantime, stream his latest single below. – Olivia Sisinni

With a sound expansive enough to get lost in, Cavern serves up stoner metal vibes with the atmospheric depth of post-rock. Fuzzy but tight soundscapes adorn their latest record, Outsiders, but there’s also tons of angular riffage to chew on as the band weaves between full-force metal grit, and more nuanced, dulcet melodies. Catch them at the Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge 2/25 with Foghound, Caustic Casanova, and Mantis Toboggan and in the meantime, listen to them below.-Olivia Sisinni

Howard County Maryland resident Brandon Perry is K.A.A.N, or “Knowledge above all nonsense”.  Sporting an unstoppable flow, brutally honest lyrics, and groovy beats, Perry’s music is a veritable tour de force.  Unafraid to broach heavy subject matter such as police brutality and depression, Perry says he wants his music to be emotionally serious, not just for people to party to.  To Perry, making music is a cathartic experience, one that offers emotional release.

Check out K.A.A.N’s music video for the song “Phoenix” and the song “Concealed the Outro” available on Soundcloud. 

Slay gurl, SLAY. Ex-girlfriends’ new single is fierce, fun, and catchy as hell, and we here at the Deli are stoked to be able to premiere it. "Slay" is the latest release from the all-girl garage punk band, and the track is a dirty, glitz-and-gritz romp that pulses with the fervor of a bare-knuckle brawl at a glam rock show. Fearless, in-your-face, and just oh-so danceable, "Slay" is a slice of lo-fi goodness that you won’t be able to resist sinking your teeth into. Stream Ex-girlfriend’s new single below, and catch what can only be a livewire performance from them on 2/2 at Shea Stadium playing with Fruit & Flowers, Kino Kimono and Sutro Baths. – Olivia Sisinni