Anika Pyle’s DIY pop-punk project Chumped ended their short careers in February, but Pyle and drummer Dan Frelly have started a new project called Katie Ellen, named after Pyle’s grandmother. The band is noticeably more lo-fi than Chumped, but the melodies and charm of Chumped are still present. In January they released a demo entitled “wild <3”, which features the single “lucy stone” (streaming below) that was released in late 2015. The track is centered around the anxieties associated with the pressures and expectations set by society, family, and loved ones. Pyle’s intimate vocals and poignant lyrics shine through the band’s lo-fi and fuzzy recordings. Katie Ellen will be playing the DIY space Suburbia in Brooklyn tonight (July 1st) and will play Aviv on July 17th. – John Honan

Boston band Covey has been making some interesting noise as of late, releasing quality singles within the dream folk realm and opening for huge acts such as Hozier. Now potentially furthering this upward trajectory, they’re premiering here "Bows," a track that may be most emblematic of their bourgeoning sound. Frontman Tom Freeman’s expressive alto, partly reminiscent of The Tallest Man on Earth, takes both the roles of lead singer and backup vocalist through production magic. His passioned melodies are supported by a simple but well orchestrated guitar part and a reverberating high pitch drone, creating a spacious sound that evokes melancholy and emotional desolation. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber

This 4 piece grunge band from Toronto is starting to make a serious buzz. Currently making their way all the way through the USA right now; they get a brief break back home before heading to Europe in the New Year. I’m diggin’ their latest single "Desire" from their recently released album "Sore". This track just oozes 90’s rock n roll. Basically soft grunge with beautiful atmospheric 0ooh’s that would almost make Kim Deal jealous . You can tell they’re still just dying to unleash some intense overdrive all over the place. The track "Purple Rage" is a good example of this as they show off a little more anger although they never lose the tight rhythm and catchy melodies ….as I’m writing this I got completely off track while playing the video game on their website. Needless to say… Dilly Dally is doing some cool shit and you can see them live at the Horseshoe on November 27th.

The members of electronic duo The Familiar share a Norwegian heritage, and are based one in Brooklyn and the other one in a place called Tromsø, which appears to be a Norwegian city that’s closer to the North Pole than Iceland. No wonder they sing about "Patience" (the title of their single streaming below) in ways that are not exactly heart warming! Of course this is very stereotypical of us, but it’s undeniable that the amount of sunlight a country gets has a direct influence on the kind of art it produces – it’s no coincidence that northern cultures are the primary creators of anything "Goth."  The Familiar isn’t exactly goth, but they are dark and sober in ways reminiscent of electronic bands of the ’80s, and they acknowledge all we said by defining their music as "Dark Arctic ElectroPop." Fortunately though, Ruth Mirsky’s voice breaks the "aural ice" with her simple melodies and thoughtful lyrics full of melancholy. The band just released their sophomore EP "Seconds," which can be streamed in its entirety here.

After having played in a variety of bands throughout his life (including NGHBRS), New York musician Ian Kenny is now focusing on his solo rock project, under the moniker of King Neptune. The band’s first and only single released to date, “Black Hole” (streaming below) is an honest and infectious break-up song about the perception of knowing someone and the realization that it’s not true. The song starts off as a passionate, slightly angry rock ‘n’ roll anthem, slowly evolving through a disorderly succession of the five stages of grief. Acceptance seems to set it in the mellow ending, until the final sentence "I knew you" pretty much denies any progress, sending the author back to the stage of "denial." King Neptune is set to play the Cake Shop tonight (06.30). – Madeleine Grossman

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

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

Despite being now three years old, the only single released to date by Brooklyn-based shoegazers Vivienne Eastwood still manages to have heart-wrenching and mind-altering effects on us.  The track is entitled “Rose Pedals,” (with a "d"), which is either a clever play on words linking back to shoegazer music, or an hilariously appropriate typo – we experienced something similar a few years ago when one of our interns thought guitar pedals was spelled ‘petals‘ – awww… 
With its expansive reverberation and undulating guitars, this is a song that may cause the listeners to lose track of their surroundings. If they enjoy it, they may want to regain awareness before the weekend and find their way to Sunnyvale, where Vivienne Eastwood will be performing with Teen Body and Treatment on July 2nd. – Madeleine Grossman

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

One of the noisiest bands to grace the cover of The Deli Magazine (back in 2014, issue #37, which also featured an interview with Todd P), Total Slacker announced today the release of their third LP, entitled ‘Parallels,’ by unveiling single “Turn on The Lights,” which features epic overtones, ’80s and ’90s references and the usual wall of guitars; a wall that, in this song – rather uncharacteristically for the band – features "holes" that leave space for mellower interludes. ‘Parallels’ is scheduled for an August 19th release.

While some bands of the emo-punk variety have the unfortunate tendency to let emotional expression get in the way of the quality of their music, this is not the case for Bostonian three-piece sports. This isn’t to say their music lacks feeling, but, rather, their tight sound lets the emotional qualities of their music shine, rather than being distracted or muddled by it. One key to this is that the instruments and vocals feed off of one another. As the guitar and drums transition to heavier sections, the lead singer is able to match them by going from mumbling to shout-singing whenever the music calls for it, or vice versa. Their latest release is a three-way split EP with Lions and Perspective and a Lovely Hand to Hold. they’ll play O’Brien’s Pub on 7/2. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber 

Throughout their more than decennial career as a band, Letters to Nepal have continuously redefined their sound, and they show no signs of settling. On past projects, the New Yorkers by way of Siberia have showed ambient post-rock inclinations, building atmoshperic arrangements to emphasize Evgeniya Kuznetsova’s mellow but vivid voice.  Their latest track, "TRICKY," shifts towards a sound that’s more electronic, with trip hop overtones (hence the title?). Kuznetsova’s vocals are pushed more to the forefront than ever before, her poetic lyrics meshing nicely with the tranquil electronic production.  "TRICKY" is a promising new-new beginning for Letters to Nepal. See them live at Rockwood Music Hall on 6/30. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber

In July The Unending Thread brings Southland twinklecore up the coast during the summer tour circuit, and are slated to release a split with Berkeley Emo quartet Forget It. through Old Press Recordings. From July 7 to 18th, The Unending Thread will trek up the 5-Interstate to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington before coming back down for two more shows in San Francisco. The US-based, self-proclaimed "mediocre [tape] label" (with amazing bands) made the announcement on June 27 following a relocation to Utah from Maryland.

The San Fernando trio perform next at The Hi Hat on July 2nd with Youtube controllerist R!OT to support nu-jazz duo KNOWER‘s homecoming. Post good boba tea houses to hit up in the comments. – illustration: Renzon Sanchez

Art gallery by day and music venue by night, Pehrspace was known in the southland as one of the better DIY spaces that exhibited local underground indie music. With the rare admission of all-ages for most shows and affordable admission fees, Pehrspace was regionally known as a small, accessible place to enjoy good music with good people. Notable acts include Vice Cooler, HEALTH, No Age, Dan Deacon and Moses Campbell, as well as the highly praised Sean Carnage who regularly DJ’d and hosted Monday nights. Unfortunately, after a 10-year lease in Westlake since their opening in 2006, Pehrspace was handed a 60-day notice to close by a new landlord.

Pehrspace is currently crowdfunding to find a new space with via GoFundMe. – Kaitlyn Tang

Digital punk/experimental pop artist Meishi Smile‘s recently released a music video for the title track to 2015’s pico-noise LP …Belong. Directed by Japanese animator Yuka Maeda, the video subverts the Music Anime Douga aesthetic with 3-D model manipulation and references to cult horror films, psychological drama narratives and video games.

If the feeling is still ripe, watch Meishi Smile play a DJ set with live visuals by DJ Saiato (Glitch City LA) at the 21+ Fakku Panel on July 3rd—Anime Expo pass holders get in free.

Meishi will also perform with Zoom Lens labelmate oh my muu, Kraftmatik & Olek Mular collab YEAR of the OX, and Project Blowed alumnus dumbfoundead at a free concert hosted by Japanese American National Museum on August 18th. You can also listen to May Yim’s newest album "(reclamation)" on the Zoom Lens Bandcamp. – photo by Brian Vu