While the term “singer/songwriter” may connote such masters as Sufjan Stevens, Brooklyn-via-Ohio’s Tangina Stone radiates the troubadour spirit in her girl-group poetry. Favorite quip: “Your love so bright you’re giving me a suntan.” Her EP The Fall highlights both the singer’s colloquial talent as well as her pipes, while her latest remix of single ‘Don’t’ (video streaming below) interestingly steers towards soulful, electronic hip hop.  The Brooklyn-based singer will play for the first time music from her new album "Elevate" coming this summer on Monster/Empire. – Brian Chidester

Queens, NY-based trio Dead Waves are set to release their post-psych-noise sophomore record “Living Inside” on May 27. If you are a fan of wild, loose, jammy drumming, distant guitar drone and angst-filled screaming vocals, you’ve found your band here. Calling their music "transcendental post-punk," the direct lineage to early works of Sonic Youth, John Zorn, and Swans are readily detected. Having Martin Bisi produce (who worked with those three artists) solidifies that connection. Some of the albums six tracks introduce a heavier guitar sound in places, while quieter moments evoke the vocal style of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. There are also moments where spoken word segments are introduced a la’ Jim Morrison or Henry Rollins. The band will play Shea Stadium on May 26 along with PC Worship, Martin Bisi, Parlor Walls, Prima, and Ritual Humor. – Dave Cromwell

The sound of Queens natives Special Guest’s is a hard one to nail down  – which is always a good sign. They blend together elements from indie rock, shoegazer, psychedelia, and post-punk to create a uniquely layered, complex musical style. Their self-titled debut album was released in the winter of 2015, and features 12 tracks, each one standing out in its own way. “Quatro” and “Bouncy” rely heavily on psychedelic flourishes and evolving synths, while “Trace” and “Ghost Rocket” feature a more straight indie rock sound. We are diggin’ in particular shoegaze/noise number ‘UNO’ (streaming below) and mathy instrumental "Five-Four." The band recently played a Sofar Sound show and will be performing next at Shea Stadium in support of Banned Books on June 28th.

There’s nothing like some good ol’ nostalgia — even if most of us weren’t around for the music that largely inspires NYC area bands Fletcher C. Johnson and Hector’s Pets (pictured). the former takes cues from rock-pop bands of yesteryear, inundating listeners with prominent, simple guitars and airy vocals to match. Hector’s Pets, too, carry a vintage sound, albeit one that is faster and harsher.  Quick guitar riffs, driving drums and hard lead vocals supplanted with cooing back ups will be sure to get feet tapping. See them both at Union Pool tomorrow night (05.21).

NYC’s mad programmer Sporting Life’s samples are unconventional. They mix hip-hop and techno beats that work for dancing. The rest, however, is a warped mindfuck. Tons of repeated bleeps and blops, vocal effects, frantic percussion—no space left empty. Impossible to ignore. The listener is left with no choice but to reckon with it. The man just released new clangy single ‘Move’ (streaming), which seems inspired by guns and videogames. He is playing a sold out show at Trans Pecos tonight (05.20), with Actress. – JP Basileo

In less than one hour, outsider experimental pop artist Meishi Smile will be premiering a free stream of his upcoming EP “(reclamation)”, an 18-minute voyage of ambience and noise that leads listeners from depersonalizing start to cathartic finish. Mixed and mastered by Warren Hildebrand (Foxes in Fiction, Orchid Tapes) “(reclamation)” explores tones opaque and harsh that were once prevalent in Meishi Smile’s former aliases nono. and Yuko Imada.

""(reclamation)” is to represent the affirmation of the capability I once had to find peace within what I loved. The acknowledgement of my own shortcomings and the pain I bestowed upon those I cared due to fear. This serves as both an apology to some and a bout of condemnation towards others. Ultimately, it is about peace of mind and a restored sense of clarity. A warm pillow of static with no further pretension. The musicality is what it is and indicates no specific direction of the project. It is simply an expression."

The EP will be officially released through Zoom Lens on May 27th, along with a free DL link to Meishi Smile’s full discography until the end of May. To find out more about how to stream "(reclamation)" visit the official website, Soundcloud or sign up for Meishi Smile’s mailing list. — Ryan Mo, photography: MAY

People respond differently to tedious daily life—some wallow while others burst out. NYC slack rockers Spit definitely fall into the latter, but do make occasional forays into the former as well. The sound on their 2015 album Dead Broke For Life can be characterized as mostly hard and up-beat, but this isn’t to say their instrumentation and vocals aren’t carefully crafted. Profoundly passionate lyrics and interesting guitar riffs permeate the record, with an occasional twang that makes their music stand out especially. Spit are definitely a band to look out for, and you’ll be able to do so when they play Cake Shop on May 23rd and Palisades on June 1st. – Henry Solotaroff Webber

NYC’s Acid Dad, elected as The Deli’s Best Emerging Band of 2015 just a few months ago) boast an electric sound that welcomes psychedelia, garage rock, and post punk in constantly varying doses, and a rock’n’roll attitude that screams "NYC late ’60s" (and at times "Manchester late ’80s). The quartet has two shows scheduled in June in support of Toronto’s blues rockers Black Pistol Fire on June 4th at the Gramercy Theater and opening for Deli Nashville’s favorite Diarrhea Planet on June 09 at Brooklyn Bowl.

We asked the band a question about their guitar sound, check out the answer on our transgender sibiling blog Delicious Audio.

One Prayer One Sin conjures spirits from NYC’s rock n’ roll past. Whether channeling the street cool of Lou Reed, or the theatrical postures of David Johansen, this band still manages to stay uniquely strange and future-focused. Lead vocalist Johnny Scuotto cuts a strangely charismatic and haunting figure, drawing you in and giving you pause at the same time. The group’s first single ‘Serpents,’ kicks off a marathon run-time (over 8 minutes with every instrument you can think of, except for guitars), and tells an epic story of Scuotto coming to terms with a loss of innocence, and what it’s like to feel ‘hungry and hollow.’ Check it out below, and see the band when they play at Alphaville (140 Wilson, Brooklyn) tomorrow May 20th with Bambara and Ritual Humor. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

The members of Nervous Dater are originally from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, and Colombia, but they currently each reside in a different borough of New York. The quartet bonded over a mutual love for Domino’s pizza, Rick & Morty, and obscenity. The perfect formula for a marvelous band!Their latest EP, ‘A Hundred Bees‘ was just released on May 13th, and while they’ve only been a band for just over a year, it shows a moture and confident sound. The group’s brand of indie rock features a blend of emo and punk tendencies; Rachel Lightner’s vocals have an upbeat and sweet tone to them even when the issue tackled in the song is how happy people make her sick. Her poignant lyrics give the listener more to relish than just a catchy beat, and make their music all the more relatable. Nervous Dater will be playing Shea Stadium on May 19th in with two excellent Philly bands Thin Lips and Hurry. Check out the A Hundred Bees below!

In any creative field, there is really no way to stick around for long without some level or self-reinvention. Interestingly, NYC electronic musician J.Views (previously known as J.Viewz) found a way to make this process less about "self" and more about others: his new full length ‘401 Days’ was in part created by his fans, who participated in its step-by-step compositional process through commenting, adding sounds and images of their own over the course of 401 Days. The record release will be tomorrow Thursday May 19 at Rough Trade, with special guest Nashville’s Wild Cub, who was featured in single ‘Into the Light," – video streaming below.

Check out this interview with J.Views about the creative process and gear behind ‘401 Days.’