Brooklyn via Berlin electronic artist Von Sell appeared on the scene last year with uber-catchy synth pop single "Ivan." With his recent second release, a synth-soul ballad entitled "I Insist" (streaming below), the young man showcases a multifaceted talent through his ability to create two very different but similarly strong electro pop singles. His pop-soul inclinations are compensated by arrangements often flirting with unexpected, at times even quirky textural elements, like the flutes towards the end of "Ivan" or the warbly synths in "I Insists." You can catch Von Sell live on June 7th at Rockwood Music Hall. – Amanda McCall

Long Island quartet Giants at Large released their first album in three years, ‘The American Dream is Dead,’ in March of 2015. The band’s pop-punk sound is characterized by intelligent (and intelligible) lyrics and sincere vocals, something that certainly contributed in securing them a young and growing fan base. They just released a full band version of the track “Sympathy”, which appeared on The American Dream as an acoustic track. This version of the track allows the band’s catchy hooks, pop rhythms, and personality to shine, and takes more influence from melodic pop-punks acts such as Saves The Day, Yellowcard, and The Ataris. Giants at Large will be playing at Palisades in support of Have Mercy on June 17th and will be at Amityville Music Hall on June 19th in support of Brandon Reilly. Check out “Sympathy” below! – John Honan

Boston band Field Day excels at creating an indie pop/rock sound that’s a perfect soundtrack for a night on the town. Their simple but powerful guitar melodies are built for foot-tapping, and the two vocalists exhibit great chemistry. Peculiar to this band is the alternating of male/female lead vocalists, something that gives each song a different feel, while still keeping the group’s recognizable sound that makes them so enjoyable. This is a band with a cohesive, no frills pop-rock sound with the potential to make you jump, check them out at the Great Scott on 6/1. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber 

On the surface, Queuelbum, the debut LP of Moldovian, NY-based songwriter Serge Bulat, already stands out. His contained experimentalism is striking, as he is able to coalesce electronic textures and keyboard melodies to create a sound that, flirting with influences as varied as post rock, ambient house, classical and lounge, is overall serene, but not without interesting friction.

Queuelbum, though, is more than just its music.  It’s also a concept album about the fluidity of past and present, with a catch—it’s entirely instrumental. Instead of injecting meaning through lyrics, Bulat provides abstract pieces of prose, images and, alongside director Michael Rfdshir, moving scenes of visual art: Serge provides meaningful guides that seek to stimulate the listener’s thoughts about his music and the album’s central theme, time. The music also reflects this: the songs are kept busy enough to make them interesting, while still allowing for enough space for the intellectual contemplation the composer intends to stimulate.

Queuelbum is an ambitious project that can trigger intellectual though or simply be enjoyed in the background. Whichever way you want to approach it, chances are it will be entertaining in interesting ways. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Started in 2010 as the solo project of multi-instrumentalist/filmaker Dean Tzenos, Toronto’s Odonis Odonis have quickly become a staple of the industrial scene, thanks to a series of records that, although featuring in full display the genre’s signature, clangy noisiness, never lack in the production department, often offering also a melodic component inherited from drone rock of bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Depeche Mode. Their 2016 album ‘Port Plague’ represents a rather obvious change in the band’s sonic trajectory, delivering a sound that removes almost entirely the previously dominant distorted guitar component, relying instead more consistently on synths and samples. The band has a local show scheduled at The Velvet Underground on June 24th, after which they’ll embark on a three week North American and European tour.

Check out Delicious Audio’s Feature about Odonis Odonis gear used in ‘Post Plague.’

Bellingham, WA transplant Devin Kain (now based in NYC) also goes by the moniker DOZER because of his fierce production prowess – as heard on tracks by Grayskul and My Dad Bruce. Stepping up to the mic after a significant hiatus, he has been releasing a string of singles via his soundcloud page since February. “Love Letters” follows a narrative told from a collection of letters written by star-crossed lovers and discovered by the MC in the pages of a Shakespeare book in the library. Its Mediterranean scales and orchestration speak to the fabric of the tale. It’s dusty and sepia and lovely. It’s also a free download – for now. – BrokeMc

Shredding at insane speeds from the outset, Cherry Pits is the Richmond punk band you need to see live and don’t want to mess with. Their stage presence is electric and defiant, blasting out all that’s good about their noise punk flavor and keeping their Sunday night show at Strange Matter going full speed ahead even after a forced guitar switch. Each member of this fearsome foursome performed his piece flawlessly, effusing contagious energy and displaying a mastery of what it means to play in a punk band. Smooth, yet raw, Cherry Pits takes names until there aren’t any left. Give these powerpop-influenced punks your ears and catch a show when you can. -Jonathan Goodwin

With an online presence of only three songs from 2014 to its name, Condor has so far favored quality over quantity. Originating from defunct Mystery Roar, the talented Boston-based synth-pop duo is sitting on nine track album, as they hinted back in 2014, when the trio of singles were originally released. Each song features similar components, with enough variations from track to track to provide the perfect mix of consistency and contrast.  On each song clean acoustic and electronic melodies are orbited by distorted synth textures, while a standard snare pattern keeps the song on track. Hovering above the instrumenation are the singer’s airy vocals, providing a soothing respite for the groovy tempest occuring below. Condor, quite frankly, need to release new music online, as the entertainment brought by the quality of the songs can only be matched by the frustration brought by their lacking quantity.  You can check out Condor at The Plough and Stars on 6/2. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber, Photo Credit: Andrea Morales

It’s always excellent to see a Renaissance person sucessfully blend their disciplines together, and the music of Brooklyn artist SHIRA is a perfect example. A poet, visual artist and musician, SHIRA mixes genres like soul, folk and electronic pop with a painter’s touch, allowing for bold creations while not losing any of the character of the individual components. Her poet’s side makes its way into the music as well, as she injects each track with richly contemplative and abstract lyrics. 

Shira has managed to sucessfully evolve her sound on each project, and her next LP, Subtle Creature, should be no exception. On single "Honey in My Pot," featuring Portland band Joseph, she seems to move her sound out of the sky and instead opts for an earthier approach with a notably more prominent rhythm section. It remains to be seen whether this move will be one that’s consistent across the full length of the album, but there will certainly be no complaints from us if this ends up being the case.  You can presumably catch SHIRA’s two singles off of the new album, and hopefully more, at Cake Shop on 6/6. – Henry Solotaroff Webber

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

Hey new music lurvers!

We just finished updating our Austin Bay Area Best Emerging Artists Playlist, featuring all the best local up and comin talent we covered in the last few years! Check it out HERE!

The Folks at The Deli

Melodic and atmospheric, Brooklyn’s Cold Stone Fox boasts a sound that’s multifaceted but extremely balanced. Their latest EP ‘Tunnel Vision’ harmoniously blends psychedelia with some of that melodic, ethereal but somewhat dark rock of the ’80s (we hear a little bit of Simple Minds and The Church). The band is scheduled to perform at Rough Trade on July 15.

Check out this Delicious Audio feature about Stone Cold Fox’s guitar pedals.

Radclyffe Hall’s is set to release their debut album G H O S T S on June 7th via Cleopatra Records. The electronic Boston-based band embraces the darker and more gothic side of synth-pop music. The eerie single “OMG” (streaming below) off their upcoming album is densely layered with flowing synths and smooth vocals from frontwoman and keyboardist Dhy Berry. The track is about a friend of Berry who passed away suddenly from an illness. Her introspective lyrics turn loss and grief into cathartic pop anthems that have enough groove to make them danceable. Radclyffe Hall will be celebrating the release of their album on June 7th at Great Scott where they will be playing in support of Day Wave. – John Honan