Brooklyn-based musician, Lunifred Benjamin – who recently played Rough Trade – crosses genre lines with his mellow prog-folk, while evoking a rootsier-sounding Destroyer with a voice reminiscent of Girls’ Christopher Owens.  In his most recent release, “Atheist Anthem” Benjamin also strays away from common subjects, claiming “Nobody knows what happens when you die” and bringing up (unsurprisingly given the title) the topic of atheism in a rather casual tone.  Using strings and subtle guitar riffs, Lunifred Benjamin obviously enjoys to be in a category all his own, leaving us wondering what unexpected musical elements he can bring next. – Madeleine Grossman

We’ve talked about Henry Hall’s versatility before here at the Deli, but the NYC artist keeps impressing us in how often he manages to redefines himself. Hall worked on the Introduction EP with electronic producer Ellis, and the result was five tracks of soulful vocals supported by soaring, and at times poppy electronic arrangements. Recently, he has released a video for one of those tunes, "More Tiny," where Hall is singing around Times Square masked by various Snapchat filters. It’s one of those videos that’s either meant to be deeply symbolic or sardonically funny, but either way it suits the track well – check it out below. Henry Hall will kick off a monthly residency at The Bowery Electric tonight (09.07). — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

"Punk-Rock" is one of my favorite adjectives, in particular when preceded by the word "very." It helps me describe in a fun way otherwise gross scenarios (the constant influx of garbage entering my car, the shoes I wear with holes in the sole). This gritty aesthetic is something I’ve held near and dear to my heart since high school. The trap of listening to a lot of punk music though is that, after a while, it gets damn near impossible to yield to those primary principles that separate the punks from the poseurs, without like a thousands other bands. It becomes easy to get lost wondering just what punk should sound like in 2016.  Well, I’m going to lobby for something like Shop Talk.  Formed by members from both Liturgy and the Pygmy Shrews, the band delivers a sound that’s so immediately compelling that I was smitten from the first jagged riff on their EP s/t. Shop Talk is dirty, catchy, and threatens to burst at the seams any second. Check them out at Cake Shop supporting Sleepies and Joey Sprinkles on September 16th.-Olivia Sisinni

Brooklyn’s Swoon Lake are releasing today their debut EP Like Being In A Mouth, and earlier this summer they shared the appropriately titled lead single “Narcolepsy”. The “spooky folk” trio take a wonderful minimalist approach in their compositions, using delicate guitars and ambient synths. Front-woman Melodie Stancato wrote this song on her ukulele after spending her first night in her New York City apartment, alone. Her gentle crooning drives the haunting, joined occasionally by her bandmates with subtle harmonies. Swoon Lake will be celebrating the release of their EP tonight (September 6th) at the Silent Barn. – John Honan

Lina Tullgren is a New England-based singer-songwriter who composes raw and intimate music that seeks to find the balance between light and darkness. Tullgren’s latest EP Wishlist is a charming blend of honest folk and indie rock tunes that feature only Tullgren’s mellow, dreamy vocals and lightly strummed guitars. The album was influenced by her childhood growing up among many New England-based musicians and artists. On “Older” Tullgren sings in a hushed toned about wishing she didn’t have to grow older when its all she wanted as a kid. The track employs a minimalist style using only layered vocals and slow, dreamy guitars similar to Julien Baker. Lina Tullgren will be playing the Ian Sweet LP release show at the Middle East on September 6th! – John Honan

First and foremost, Foursix isn’t an artist, but rather a collective of seven, including rappers, producers, songwriters, a singer and a guitarist. Their output on Soundcloud so far has been limited to three tracks by a duo of emcees named J-Payso and Verdé Madera, and each song has demonstrated a ton of potential both on the rapping and Foursix’s producers side of things. J-payso and Verdé both have abstract, yet unpretencious flows, often stretching aproachable lyrics with complex rhyme schemes over several bars. Foursix’s producers then do a good job of accentuating their rapping with minimalist beats that give the lyrics enough room to shine. A good example of this is "Favors" (video streaming below), where the duo rap about being sick and tired of being asked for stuff while getting nothing in return over a fresh, keys-driven trap beat.

As a bonus, they also released a hilarious music video for the track which you can check out below. You can see them live at SoB’s on 9/6. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber, photo Credit: Brandon Todd

A sun-dappled song that soulfully tackles inner ennui, “The Cross I Wear” (streaming below) by Nashville-based singer/songwriter Sam Lewis is quietly pretty. Emanating a lilting alt-country feeling that warmly recalls My Morning Jacket or Hiss Golden Messenger, the keys-fleeted track (off Lewis’s eponymous debut album) is the yearning of a man with aching worries but, in its very existence, its sheer sounding out, is the coddling of those concerns, too. Sam Lewis is currently touring the country, and has a home town gig scheduled at The Basement East on September 23rd. – Zach Weg

As if there weren’t enough crazy sounds to keep you up all night, Brooklyn Wildlife is back for their annual music/art/burlesque/film/griot riot festival.  It’s eight days of music of all genres performed by 150+ performers at ten venues.  There’s something for everyone, and everything for anyone wanting to rep Brooklyn as hard as Brooklyn comes.  For more info on how you can wild out with Chris Carr and his snarling entourage, visit their facebook page here. Check out a selection of tracks by NYC artists performing, below.

Cat Be Damned is the lo-fi recording project of Richmond artist Erik Phillips, whose latest album Daydreams in a Roach Motel was released in May via Joy Void Records. His intimately soft tracks reflect on his introverted and antisocial tendencies, while also examining religion and what it’s like to be queer in the South. Drawing from inspirations such as Elvis Depressedly, Neil Young, and Elliot Smith, Phillips’ sleepy tracks employ the use of hushed vocals and melodic synths to shape his placid sound. – John Honan

Cruel Youth is perhaps the Marvelettes stuck in a black treacle, electro-acid dream. It is the smokey allure of 60’s R&B wrapped up in dark, hypnotic beats and dripping with the power of a femme fatale. After premiering track "Mr. Watson" a few months back, the all-female trio fronted by Teddy Sinclair (FKA Natalia Kills), is set to drop an EP this month. If the first single is any indication, the EP is sure to be lead by Sinclair’s soulful vocals and biting lyricism, deliciously paired with hazy instrumentals and sampling that makes the group’s pop-soul tracks sound driving and even "avant" at times. Keep a lookout for Cruel Youth’s EP dropping Sept 16th, and in the meantime listen to their single below.-Olivia Sisinni

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

Baby Shakes have been perfecting their jangly power pop rock and roll since 2004, and in 2015 they self-released their long awaited second full length Starry Eyes. Its spirited pop melodies combined with its gritty and raw punk attitude are enough to appeal young rebels in the market for party time, while carrying on the tradition of celebrated vintage acts such as The Ramones and The New York Dolls. The quartet’s layered harmonies and poppy vocals shape their fun summery vibe with simple lyrics that celebrate the freedom and light heartedness of youth. Baby Shakes just finished playing some shows in China and Italy, and will be performing at Berlin on September 3rd! – John Honan

>

Animal Flag have been around the Boston music scene for a while now, dropping their first album in 2009. Late last year the band released their latest EP 2 via Broken World Media and 1997 Recordings. It takes a much darker and heavier approach than their previous EP, which had a more upbeat and folky sound. The opening track “Jealous Lover” demonstrates the tonal shift by channeling the haunting guitars and drums of Devil & God era Brand New. The lyrics are wonderfully crafted by singer Matt Politoski as he explores themes of religion, family, jealousy, and lost love. Instrumentally, the album is very breezy and quiet, but there are sudden bursts of noisy cymbal crashes and blaring guitars over Politoski’s impassioned vocals. Animal Flag will be playing Great Scott in support of Violent Soho on September 11th! – John Honan