Chances are, you haven’t heard a band quite like Hula Hi-Fi. The Nashville-based threepiece, consisting of Sarah Bandy on ukulele, Annie Clements on upright bass, and Josh Kaler on lap steel, produce haunting, ethereal melodies that have the feel of 50s-era Hawaiian imports, but lack the saccherine sunshine. Like black sand on a beach, Hula Hi-Fi’s music is dark and unexpected, but perhaps all the more beautiful because of it. Check out their new release, Hawaiian Noir: Volume One, and listen to them streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

After being blessed by Pharrell Williams’ seal of approval, which got a lot of eyes on her and ears on her track ‘Alaska,’ NYC’s songwriter Maggie Rogers is trying to capitalize on the attention by unveiling a trilogy of videos featuring that single and two new songs. The second one of the series, ‘Dog Years’ (streaming below), resumes the atmospheric, electronic-pop-soul sound of ‘Alaska’, including the subtle African music influences. Maggie has also announced three legs of a winter/early spring tour that will take her – between January and April 2017 – from the east coast to Europe to the west coast and back, with a final date at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom on April 11. We are sure the third video will drop just before the tour begins, in early January.

Ring in the new year with eclectic orchestral six-piece Emanuel and the Fear at Knitting Factory on January 10th. The band had quite a productive 2016, between releasing their latest EP Primitive Smile and going on a trailblazing tour through Europe last November. They posted an Instagram in early December stating that they were "Back in the office. Lots of exciting things to come. Stay tuned." This can only mean more music and electric live performances from the group. If you’re a fan of orchestral pop drawing from the styles of Arcade Fire, ELO, or Sufjan Stevens, jump on the bandwagon and treat yourself to Emanuel and the Fear’s body of work.

The opener for this show is indie pop artist Frances Cone, who released her single "Arizona" last January and set off from there on a whirlwind year of playing around NYC and the Northeast. Head to Knitting Factory on January 10th to hear both her and Emanuel and the Fear perform. – Will Sisskind

The psych poppers of Zuli bring their music to Baby’s All Right on December 22nd, just in time for a much-needed holiday weekend. Zuli have had quite a year racking up hits on Spotify, with their 2015 EP Supernatural Voodoo still making waves with audiences in New York and around the world. Disparate influences like Animal Collective and Elvis Costello shape Zuli’s experimental but enterntaining nature. Zuli will share the Baby’s stage with chamber rock band Great Caesar and Oceanside-based post/math-rockers It Came From Space. The night’s theme is a cross-cultural and religious celebration of Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus, with the goal of getting merry in cooler ways than average. – Will Sisskind

Danz Johnson, aka Computer Magic, is by no means a tyro when it comes to navigating the music scene. In just 6 years, the Brooklyn-based synth-pop artist amassed 10+ releases, became something of a sensation in Japan, and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Her latest EP, Obscure But Visible, smacks of  a more mature artist capable of fulling flexing her songwriting abilities, but has the same fresh feel and innovative vibes that her fans have come to love her for. Recently, the artist unveiled a new video for single ‘Dimensions’ (streaming below), agreed to give us a glimpse into the magic that happens behind her computer and talk about her songwriting processes and experiences performing. – Olivia Sisinni

Delicious Audio Interview: Computer Magic’s Synths and Creative Process

From its opening chords, Willie Green‘s Doc Savage crafts a cinematic journey into a magical land of beasts and heroes. Green’s discography is extensive, his connections run deep into the molten core of this tumbling space rock. For this record he enlists a staggering 30 compatriots to enrich his bombastic beats including Open Mic Eagle, Billy Woods, Premrock, and Googie. If you’re unacquainted with the best of what Independent Hip Hop has today, this album is a great place to start. – BrokeMc

If you know what 4AD and Tindersticks are (hint: the latter is a UK band that should have been on the former, a record label that put out a lot of wonderfully dark and dreamy records in the ’80s), in all likelyhood you’ll enjoy Brooklyn Nicholas Nicholas‘ shy, ghostly tracks. With a sound as introverted as it gets, this band creates sonic soundscapes trapped between a bedroom with a sound and a wandering mind – giving the impression that their songs are private notes we were not really supposed to see or hear. The band released LP ‘About Town’ in November, check out singles ‘Texas Architecture’ and the video for Medallion, below.

If you have ever wandered how The Feelies would have sounded if they played their instruments like Fugazi (you obviously haven’t, have you?) you’ll find the answer in ‘Pre-Campaign,’ a pretty darn tense post punk gem by Brooklyn’s Language. The track opens their latest EP ‘Junket,‘ which proceeds along post-punk/post-hardcore coordinates, showcasing an invetive attitude sprinkled with math tendencies. Check out second track ‘Lex’ below, and – if you are in the mood for some sublime, loud noise, don’t miss them live at either Pine Box Rock Shop on December 17th or at Alphaville on the 22nd.

Ladies and germs,

Issue #49 of The Deli NYC is out, and wonderful indie folkers Big Thief (check out their recent video ‘Humans’ below) are on its cover. The issue features also a Q&A with NJ’s indie pop group Forth Wanderers (video also streaming) and an article about the Best 2016 Records by Emerging NYC artists!

Our friends at Gearphoria bring you guitar pedal related content in the second half of the magazine.

Enjoy!

The Deli’s Staff

Our Best Emerging of NYC band or 2015, psych garage trio Acid Dad will be headlining Baby’s All Right on Saturday 12.17 with two other gritty vintage sounding local bands, Gymshorts and Rips. Enjoy their tunes below, but if you want to experience their true brute sonic power (and irresistible sensual antics), don’t miss them live!

On their Soundcloud profile, The Upperclass Men describe themselves as a mix between The Roots, The Beastie Boys and recent Trump confidant Kanye West. Self-written or PR-written band descriptions are often bogus, but this one, despite its apparent haughtiness, really does offer some insight into The Upperclass Men’s abrasive hip-hop sound. On their latest release, "Recipe," the emcees of the band trade jabbing lyrics about partying, reminiscent of the early Beasties. The instrumental has crisp ?uestlovian drums, and tumultuous horn-like synths that wouldn’t be out of place on Yeezy’s latest album. It’s rare for a group to be able to wear such prominent influences on their sleeves without getting weighed down, but The Upperclass Men do so and even manage to soar. You can see them live at SOB’s on 12/28. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Hailing from Brooklyn, Phresher has quickly become one of his borough’s brightest emerging emcees. Rooted firmly in the trap sub-genre, he delivers crisp lyrics in a distinct, raspy voice and with energy always dialed up to 11. On tracks like his most recent "Wait A Minute," Phresher simply doesn’t quit, delivering perfectly cadenced bars, over a synthy, almost sinister beat. The song showcases his unique ability to evoke and convey electrifying images and emotions: Listen to "Wait A Minute" and you may feel like you can run through a brick wall, or at least make it through to holiday break. Phresher is the type of artist that sounds even better live, catch him at SOB’s on 12/20. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber