Last year, Saara Untracht-Oakner and Glenn Van Dyke of BOYTOY released their delectable debut LP, Grackle. Approximately one year later to the day, the Brooklyn garage-poppers unveiled the video for single “Wild One”, which chronicles a wild night of Untracht-Oakner and Van Dyke roaming around Las Vegas, leading to their rambunctious desert romp as depicted in their music video for “Your Girl”. As of now, BOYTOY are on the last leg of their first European tour. Throughout October, they’ve rocked venues throughout Italy, France, Spain, and the UK. In the days ahead, they’ll entertain the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland before heading back to Italy for one final performance in Varese. Check out the list of remaining dates below, and don’t miss the shows if you happen to find yourself floating around those parts of Europe. – Will Sisskind

Turtle Bugg (from Brooklyn, pictured) is, like most artists associated with Bunker Records, of the retro/’80s house persuasion. He plays Analog on the 12 th within the Brooklyn Electronic Music Fest, alongside other locals Mike Servito and Honey Dijon. The latter, BTW, is probably the most completely retro house artist at BEMF this year, what with her use of full-throated soul singers and hard 4/4 beats, which sound life-affirming and totally non-cliché. For a full schedule of the BEMF, go here. – Brian Chidester

Brooklyn via Burlington lounge-dance band argonaut&wasp seems to have grown… a band since we last covered them! The duo led by Trey Schibli and Theo Klein, now a quintet, just released their sophomore EP ‘Ha! Fiction,’ and we can already sense good vibes taking over our lives. These guys just can’t make you feel blue, not even with a song titled "Loser Like You," their latest single streaming below, which somehow ended up making us think about something we’d like to say to Donald Trump. These guys’ more crowded live show should be fun, you’ll have a chance to witness it when they will be playing Rough Trade on October 29th.

Ro James’ music is cut from the cloth of a pristine vintage denim jacket. It’s the kind of neosoul music that would sound best on a record player in a candlelit room, or from a jukebox in a swanky room. On his recent debut album ELDORADO, James captures elements of the past, and immerses them with those of the present to create tracks and a project that’s even greater than the sum of its parts. At the center of his soul music, like all good soul music, are the vocals. All over the record James flexes his vocal range, elevating his suave, honey-whiskey vocals at will to devastating effect. His lyrics have a similiar conversational, casual quality to Frank Ocean’s.

The more contemporary elements of the album come in the instrumentals. James sings over arrangements that only take what they need, often featuring only percussion and distorted synth or acoustic guitar.  They provide the perfact backdrop for James to reach past speakers and touch hearts directly with his vocals. ELDORADO is overall a really strong effort, and should solidify James in the pantheon of his genre’s best along with the likes of Gallant and .Anderson Paak. You can catch him at MSG, of all places, on 11/10. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Those of you enamoured with the minimalistic and suspenceful sound of early post punk (think Joy Division, Bauhaus and The Cure from the Pornography years) should check out San Francisco’s duo All Your Sisters, who released their second full length album ‘Uncomfortable Skin‘ this past summer and is currently touring the whole of Europe, a land inhabited by music fans who, on average, appreciate that sound more than Americans do. The tour is a month long, 25+ date tour de force, and has already taken them from Germany to Moscow in two weeks. After playing St. Petersburg and Zurich back to back in the last two days, they’ll head to Zagreb, Basel, Paris, Amsterdam, up to Helsinki, and back east again to Warsaw and Berlin. Legendary stuff! They’ll be back in the US in December with a show at LA’s The Echo on the 4th.

If you still haven’t gotten up the nerve to talk to that special someone you’ve been eyeing for days, then this song’s for you. In his second single “Talk To Me” (following his debut track “Lean,” both streaming here) Brooklyn based synth-pop artist Blonder imagines what it would be like to finally have that interaction. “Talk To Me” brings out the flurry of emotion that would arise from such an experience—excitement, relief, wonder, and perhaps a touch of nausea?—through heaps of funky synths, jingling and jangling percussion, and soft, slurry vocals. Listen to the tracks down below and keep an eye out for more coming soon. – Ashley Muniz

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

Sneaks, the one-woman project of Eva Moolchan, produces music that seems mezmirzingly simple, but is wildly potent. Gymnastics, the latest LP from the artist, is a bass-driven/drum machine-backed work that could probably be loosely filed under "avant-punk." But while the album feels like it encapsulates part of the DIY aesthetic, Moolchan’s polished vocals–that alternate between conversational talk-singing and hushed whispers–add an eloquence to the tracks. While the instrumentation remains minimalist, her voice fills in the cracks, making you question why people even add guitars to things anyway. Listen to Sneaks streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni
 

Inter Arma might just be the sludgy saviors of doom metal. The VA-based band serves up tracks that are not just heavy, plodding metal licks, but instead offers dynamic, quaking aural-scapes that reveal a world of more merciless gods. "Transfiguration," a 9-minute stand-out track off the band’s latest release, Paradise Gallows, is operatic in scope–utilizing guitar sweeps that echo the glissandos Mussgorsky used on "Night On Bald Mountain" to conjure demons–and threatens to place the listener into the desperate throes depicted on the album cover. The sonic imagery is so trenchant that it’s easy to feel gripped by the terror of being ensnared by a mighty, black sea. For metalheads, Inter Arma is a band to watch, and Paradise Gallows is a staggering juggernaut of an introduction. Check them out streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

The only thing that I’m truly apologetic about is that I’m having a really difficult time jamming Boston-based We Can All Be Sorry neatly into the lines of any clear genre. The band’s latest release, Weekend Sorry, is arguably their most acessible album, and one where they really seem to have gelled comfortably into (mostly) coherent grooves (think the power pop vibes of old-school Weezer), but throwing adjectives out there like punky, poppy, jazzy, or post-whatever really does the band a disservice. Sure, there are muscular melody lines and a powerful sense of song structure, but there’s also something delightfully off-kilter about the band’s sound. There’s the almost-reckless display of atonal play, unexpected chord progressions, and clever use of dynamics that manages to be salient on the recording, but never overtly so. It’s a delicate balance that screams classical training, but is so totally devoid of pretension or obvious eye-roll-inducing technique-flexing that would cloud the real meat of the songs. The result is a refreshing display of talent that never edges toward tipping its own hand. It’s also 10 tracks of kick-ass tunes you’ll find hard to not be humming the hooks of. Check out We Can All Be Sorry streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

After gracing (two thirds of) The Deli’s 2016 SXSW issue‘s cover, Rockaway Beach, NY’s avant-soul-pop duo Lewis Del Mar had a pretty exciting year, which culminated in the recent release of their self titled debut album, and the following US and EU tour. The band started turning ears in 2015 with a series of memorable singles that blended an overall acoustic sound with electronic experimentation. The new single "Painting" (video streaming below) confirms their edgy sound and souldful songwriting. 

Check out this interview on our sister blog Delicious Audio: Lewis Del Mar talks about gear and the creative process.

The Boston-based trio of "sarah, jake and derek" have given themselves one of those classic band names that I’m a little bothered I didn’t think of first: Fucko. Their latest release, Dealing with the Weird, is a fun punk LP–catchy as all hell, tongue-in-cheek at times, but not to be confused for an album without a ton of heart. Singer/guitarist Sarah, whether belting out hooks or delivering her lyrics dryly, sings with a relatable earnestness that is instantly translatable–even on a first-blush listen. But then again, who out there isn’t dealing with their own weird? Check out Fucko streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni

Having created an early buzz via their raucous live show, New York City’s Navy Gangs self-titled debut EP captures a similar raw appeal. Piercing extended vibrato guitar melody lines and sludgy bass-drums accompaniment create a feel comparable to Dinosaur Jr.’s (very) early days. While “Special Glands” (video streaming) may exhibit requisite “slacker rock” attitude, its central hook depicts a surprisingly direct vocal refrain. “Instant Play” bounces along in that J. Masic covering The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” way where it straddles the line between serious and ironic. A guest female vocalist provides tandem vocals, smoothing out the rough edges. “Mondays” stomps with Americana inflected group chorus vocals while their instruments capture The Replacements ragged attitude. EP closer “That Party Sucked” alternates between Mascis-level burning guitar figures and softly sung verses, creating a heavy-light atmosphere enhancing the impact of both. The band play this Friday the 28th at Warsaw on a bill with Cold Fronts and Hinds. – Dave Cromwell

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