Influenced by indie rock and post-hardcore, Brooklyn’s Haybaby‘s sound also ventures into the noisy worlds of thrash and sludge metal. Whether lead singer/guitarist Leslie Hong is utilizing her hushed whispers or loud screams, she’s always able to maintain a commanding presence and controlled delivery. Their recent EP Blood Harvest, released this past srping, starts off with three tense songs that put Hong’s quietly mesmerizing vocals on display. The final two tracks almost sound like a completely different band, but in a way that still fits in with the rest of the EP. “What It Is” features frantic drumming and abrasive, drowned out yelling, while the final track “Pig” relies on a slow, droning, and sludgy pace to forge one of the band’s most experimental moments. Haybaby will be playing Shea Stadium tonight (7/22)! – John Honan

Today, Brooklyn alt rockers Slothrust debuted "Horseshoe Crab," the first single off their third LP "Everyone Else." The band also announced a fall tour together with Highly Suspect, another NYC alt rock trio that has gathered  a considerable amount of buzz in the last year, and who delivered its best single yet at the beginning of 2016 with "Bloodfeathre" (streaming). The local date will be at Rough Trade on November 1.

A sputtering drum rhythm with a blazing guitar riff shimmies open “Disconnect,” a bright, spunky track layered with warm, raspy vocals and jovial abandon on Hello Dharma’s EP Disconnectionism (streaming below). The Virginia-based band cites Rooney, Arctic Monkeys, and 90’s grunge as influence and it is clearly evident in their EP, whose tracks shift from the bubbling alt rock (“Disconnect”) to a more chaotic and broody grunge-centric number (“Vitamin” and “Anabelle Leaves”). Whether melodic and effervescent or gloomy and aggressively in your face, Hello Dharma doesn’t shy away from going full throttle in each and every song, giving you no choice but to jump and sing along every step of the way. Catch Hello Dharma shake things up at Velvet Lounge on August 30 and listen to them below. – Adriana S. Ballester

Have you ever wondered what would happen if all the toys in a kids playchest came to life? Plastic trains chugging along faithfully in a circle, lights twinkling, and robots beeping into existence– what little mayhem would they cook up? Music, that’s what, and it would sound exactly like The Galaxy Electric. True to their name, Galaxy Electric sounds much like the universe in a child’s room woke up, some light switch magically flipped on. The electric tinkling and spacey synths can almost call to mind brilliant hues of neon blues and magentas blinking on and off, coaxing us to fall down their temporal rabbit hole and diving into the electronic dreams sonically curated by some warped fusion of The Doors and Broadcast–the psychedelic textures of the former melded with the gentle vocal touch and space age pop sensibilities of the latter. A truly trippy experience to listen to make sure you catch their live performance at U Street Music Hall tonight and at DC Nine on August 2. – Adriana S. Ballester

We booked Brooklyn ambient-pop duo Girlyboi for our latest Northside Fest show (on the day of their anniversary!) after they became our artist of the month a few week earlier. The item has been working hard on their upcoming album, which in all likelihood will gather the various singles they have been releasing since 2015. Here’s a brand new one they just released, entitled popular songs, and slightly more upbeat than what they got us used to.

Navy Gangs is a DIY garage rock quartet made up of Brooklyn transplants with a bio that screams rock’n’roll. The three founding members are originally from Omaha where they dropped out of high school, and took up jobs at the local zoo to save enough money to move in, with guitarist Noah Kohll’s grandmother, to New York City. Keeping the tradition of the DIY ethos alive, the band turned her home into a studio to record their debut self-titled EP. Hopefully, a book will be written about this story one day, but for now we can enjoy their musical output, which is intriguing to say the least. Recently, they premiered lead single off the EP “Special Glands” (streaming below), which features undeniably smooth and winding riffs reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr.. Its message is about self-love and finding confidence even when it seems like no one likes you. Navy Gangs will be releasing their EP on September 14th via No Roads, and – after ending a ten date tour, will be playing Baby’s All Right on July 25th! – John Honan

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

Brooklyn based musician and producer, XHOSA, does not try to puzzle us with obtuse metaphors or elaborate fabrications – she says exactly what she means.  Blending a variety of genres, from Hip Hop and R&B to ’80s synthpop, in her latest single, “FEEL REAL,” the artist offers a reassuring message.  Throughout the song, she repeats “I feel real, I feel okay, everywhere that I stray,” emphasizing the rawness of both herself and of life in general.  The song ends not with XHOSA singing, but speaking of the excitements of life and the thin line between dreams and reality. You can see her live on July 24th at Aviv. – Madeleine Grossman

Live hip-hop bands are truly a diamond a dozen nowadays, making a new single from NYC’s Deathrow Tull all the more special.  The Hip-hop/Soul band’s first release since 2013, "Fire (like we do)" is a fast-paced joy-ride through music old and new. Clocking in at over six minutes, the heavily danceable track uses it’s length to its advantage, managing to enfold genres ranging from soul, hip-hop, and reggae all into one song. It has some rock leanings too, mostly contributed by a Tom Morello-esque guitar part that stays in the background much of the track, only to suddenly break out into an out of sight solo right past the song’s mid-way line. Adding to the guitar part’s references, on Friday the 22nd Deathrow Tull is taking part in "Pulse Against the Machine," a benefit show for the victims of the shooting of the Orlando club, where they’ll play Rage covers to finish off the night. Check out their latest track below. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

While some people are ok with enjoying the good stuff life brings to them, others prefer to prevent future pain. Happy Now, the debut single from Brooklyn natives, Shapes in Calgary, is an aching account of finding someone that’s almost too lovely to let go, and the claustrophobic pressure that builds when one realizes it’s just not the right person. Dressed in a clean 80’s synthpop, Alyssa Ciorciari’s words have a devastatingly biting quality from the track’s first moments, and her casual vocal style gives the impression of an overheard late-night confession. The song is all too familiar for any veteran of love’s misfires, and it reveals emotions so universally honest, one may swear that someone’s been rifling through his or her diary! We’re looking forward to the 5 song EP that will be released this fall, but for now you can stream the single below. The band will be playing at Alhpaville on September 3rd. – Olivia Sisinni

Typically I’m weary of the word patio, after seeing it applied to countless local ads for senior-home condos or the over-friendly neighborhood brick layers stumbling through radio commercials. The Brooklyn trio Patio however has lightened my jaded little heart with their perfect blend of sweet melodies and post-punk grit. Marked by subdued vocals that read in a genuine post-cool way, Patio’s first EP, Luxury, is driven by mobile bass lines and punctuated snare hits. The band emphatically paints anthems for the current malaise plaguing twenty-somethings and their infectious tunes are furthered by the band’s sense of fun and loving devotion of chicken sandwiches. See Patio live on August 8 at Shea Stadium supporting Ovlov, Happy Diving, and Peaer, and check out their single ‘Arbitrary Numbers’ below. – Olivia Sisinni

When we last saw The Sun Parade , they had released their 2014 single, "Heart’s Out." Since then they’ve played a ton of shows, sucessfully crowd-funded for a debut LP and are now putting on the finsihing touches of that said album.  Due to these devleopments it seems like some re-introductions are in order, no? Their offerings to date have all bursted with melody, espeically their tom-tom heavy percussion.  Their vocalist also has that unique quality of being able to inflect boat loads of emotion into his voice without making the music feel sappy or overwrought. Tying these ends together are clean, simple but not dull guitar patterns which provide a nice anchor for the previously mentioned elements. You can check out The Sun Parade at The Great Scott on 7/30, where they promised they’ll play tracks off their forthcoming full-length. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber, Photo by Georgia Rae Teesma

Poet/educator Amy Leon is born artistically of the Nuyorican Slam scene. As such, anthems about love and strength are fueled by undercurrents of social justice and feminism; soul and gospel vibrate from every fiber. Look for a solo debut this summer and in the interim check out her latest music video for "Burning in Birningham" (Streaming below) and catch ebullient live show, which includes often politically charged improvised spoken-word, on August 5 at Joe’s Pub. – Jason Grimste