Miniature Tigers first release since 2014, I Dreamt I Was A Cowboy is a short departure from the group’s previous releases–often unpolished, organic, and lovingly displaying the dirt and hiccups that come from recording via couch surfing. Charlie Brand, the band’s vocalist, guitarist, and one of the main forces spearheading the recording of the album, was kind enough to talk to our sister blog Delicious Audio about the making of the record, his inspiration, and some of the gear that gives the band their distinctive feel – check out the link to the interview below!

Miniature Tigers talk about gear and the creative process behind ‘I Dreamt I Was A Cowboy.’

Our friends at OhMyRockness know a thing or two about what band plays where in NYC, and every year in December they publish the list of the local artists that played the most shows in the past 12 month: it’s the ‘NYC’s Hardest Working Bands of 2016’ list. It must be noted that, since OMR’s deals with "Indie Rock" live listings, you won’t find any songwriters or DJs or funk bands in this list. It seems like all bands are guitar based too for some reason. Since we were in the mood, we created a Soundcloud playlist of these ten artists, check it out below!

On Zula‘s new single "F*ck This," from their new 8 track mini-album ‘Grasshopper,’ at second 22, after a plodding intro, a misleadingly incoherent drum pattern triggers the thought that "this band actually wants to f*ck with us" – a thought to be read in the somewhat platonic acception most commonly used in the sentence "don’t f*ck with me!". Here at The Deli, though, we never say that because we absolutely love to be f*cked with in any possible way, but in particular when the f*cking ‘agent’ is music. Often we actually go through long periods of sadness due to the fact that we don’t find any bands interested in f*cking with us, dammit! So let’s enjoy Zula’s new single and video together, from a band that already gave us a NYC Record of the Month back in 2014. Like Italians, Zula do it better – don’t miss their upcoming live show at Trans-Pecos on January 6th.

Did you think that New Wave was totally dead? Well, allow Baltimore-based PLRLS to prove you wrong. The 5-piece band has an uncanny knack for creating angular melodies that are as bizarre in scope as they are outright danceable. This one is definitely for all the nostalgia chasers out there. Check out the band streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

The struggle is real. When Prince Harvey’s computer broke down a couple years back, he recorded all the vocals for his album at the Apple Store Soho. His perseverance shines through in his work. In the video for “Sometimes,” he Bob Dylans his way through the subway system dropping placards of his lyrics like “pay bills during the day, dream at night.” He’s an everyman rapper keeping to the tenets of Sex, Drugs, and That Life. With a predominant ’90s vibe recalling acts like The Pharcyde and Digable Planets, he’s an easy addition to your headphone arsenal. If Hip Hop is about making it with what you got no matter the cost, then this dude is as Hip Hop as it gets. – BrokeMC

Veve & Tha Rebels have a penchant for casting entrancing music that manages to be both soft and strong-willed. The self-branded gangsta-folk band blends traditional folk with elements of afro-beat, R&B and hip hop; crafting a sound that pays homage to roots rock but feels decidedly fresh and original. The instrumentals are paired with singer/guitarist VeVe Marley’s soulful and hypnotic vocals to produce a potent concotion that’s sure to reel you in. Check out "Sistars" off the band’s appropriately titled The EP streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

Tessa Violet, the Nashville-based YouTube vlogger turned electro-pop artist, is known for crafting danceable, quirky songs with piercing lyricism and her latest EP, Halloway, is no different. Featuring 5 tracks worth of certifiable bangers, Halloway explores love, loss and the difficulty of navigating the spaces in between. In conjunction with the release, Tessa Violet also returned to her familar medium to produce several music videos that accompany the EP, and are just as stunning visually. Check out her lyric video for the song "Haze" below.-Olivia Sisinni

 With dulcet vocals, minimalist keyboard loops, and soaring choruses, indie pop artist Trella certainly has a firecracker of a song on her hands. "Retreat," the latest release from the Nashville-based artist, was written with her Jacksonville Florida roots in mind, and explores the places that we retreat to and can find respite, both physcially and within our minds. Check out the track streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

Feel like sending a chill through your old, mortal soul? Put on the eponymous, debut EP from The Shacks, which is our new, NYC Record of the month. Shannon Wise’s adorable, whispery voice and her simple but memorable melodies certainly charmed us to the core, but it was Max Shrager’s production, which updates the dream-pop genre in welcome ways, that brought the point home. Catch a cover of Ray Davies’ “Strange Effect,” which – slowed and stripped down – is the haunting opener. The more experimental “Orchids” – for which there is a music video, as shown below, follows lullaby "Left it With Moon," and shows off the musical variety and exploration for which The Shacks strive. More traditional dream-folk track “Tidal Waves” evokes dreams of summer, while the reggae-infused “Hands In Your Pockets” – with joyful bursts of slide guitar and innocent-sounding harmonies – bubbles with repressed youthful angst; a beat holding back a torrent of emotion. Least but not last, the collaborative track ‘Strange Boy (with instrumental NYC band El Michels Affair), offers a glimpse into the ways this band’s sound could evolve in the future with a more produced approach.

The Shacks just announced an early 2017 extensive tour in support of Chicano Batman – Will Sisskind

Since the appearance of Donald Trump on the US political scene, we’ve been receiving several submissions of protests songs, most of them filled with apocalyptic imagery and often also insults. We haven’t published any of them, maybe because… we felt Michelle Obama was right when she said "when they go low, we go high." Single ‘Funeral’ by talented Brooklyn songwriter Sonya Kitchell certainly raises the level of the conversation, analyzing the complicated swirl of emotions brought by the 2016 elections, appropriately compared to the ultimate ritual of loss. Not new to the scene, Sonya earlier this year released her third full length album ‘We Come Apart‘ after a long silence (her previous release is dated 2010), check out the video for single ‘Mexico’ below.

Rising up over an eternally dreamy shoreline comes the latest single “In Between” (streaming below) from Brooklyn’s cleverly named Surf Rock Is Dead.  Over a forward driving quickly-paced beat, layered reverberated guitars create immediate blissful waves.  Those soaring guitar lines fill a number of instrumental passages while shimmering chords create lyrical space.  Vocals hark back to the style of early 90’s MTV stars like The Ocean Blue which conveyed a sentimental nostalgia via a clipped, conversational delivery.  “Go on, go on, back to where you used to be” ultimately emerges as the catchy dual voiced chorus hook, expressing that “in between” feeling of not knowing where you belong.  Having recently wrapped up a 10 date tour supporting Australia’s The Jezabels, the band now prepare to release an EP this Spring. –Dave Cromwell

"We are pissed and we came here to dance."

So reads the last line of the synopsis to Love Without Domination, the newest, largest, and arguably most political release by Los Angeles-based label Zoom Lens. With a title referencing Jenny Zhang’s essay "Against Extinction", Love Without Domination is a 22-track charity compilation from artists across diverse genres of local and international fame, galvanized by recent events and connected by an urgency to create sounds of protest. New songs featured include Meishi Smile‘s post-industrial catharsis "Hate Floods Slow", as well as contributions by Plaster Cast & The Sleep, Thought Tempo, and Magic is Real. New local artist debuts include the noise rock duo Comrade(s) and post-techno producer pleasure promenade.

The release of Love Without Domination comes at a precarious time for artist communities, only one week since the tragic fire in an Oakland DIY space and one month following results of the 2016 presidential election. But in spite of these troubling events, in spite of increased crackdowns on DIY spaces and rising hate crimes, Zoom Lens compels listeners to act against the oppression and injustice of marginalized communities through nuanced self-expression.

"Through art, make dialogue and break boundaries. When dealing with an oppressive force who is meant to pacify our feelings, self-expression is rebellion. Utilize your skills, your privileges, and your strengths in all forms. Militarize yourself with unforgiving self-love and radical passion. "

Love Without Domination is free to stream and available to purchase—listeners can name their price, and all proceeds will go to fund the non-profit organizations ACLU, Border Angels, and Planned Parenthood. – Ryan Mo, Album Art by Brian Vu