If your mom rocks and loves to laugh (if so, pretty cool mom you have!) we recommend this show next Sunday 05.08 for Mother’s Day: local comedians Catherine Cohen and Steven Markow are hosting a live music event at the Mercury Lounge in honor of our birth-givers. Headlining for the night is Psychobaby (which, coincidentally, is how your mother affectionately called you when you were 2), an alt rock group that combines sharp guitar riffs with robust but overall poppy female vocals. Sharing the LES venue’s stage that night will be the also lady-fronted lounge pop band Madam West, and a New JErsey based hip-hop band, Cook Thugless (pictured), whose latest full-length record could be found here.

If you close your eyes while listening to Negative Gemini you’ll feel like you’re floating in some technicolor daydream. The brainchild of Queen’s producer Lindsey French, has been bubbling around for a few years now but has really peaked with her recent releases. Often wielding her vocals as instruments, French delivers tunes that are dancey and emotional at once, and tightly (self-)produced. Native Gemini is set to release a new album, ‘Body Work,’ sometime this year via 100% Electronica (this will ring a bell if you’ve heard George Clanton’s work) and, if her preview singles are any indication, it’s going to be a treat. Can’t wait? Then catch Negative Gemini tomorrow, May 4, at the Good Room in Greenpoint. Who knows, maybe she’ll play some of her new stuff. But until then, “Body Work” (streaming below) and “You Never Knew” will have to do. – Adriana S Ballester

If you haven’t heard these guys, fix that right now. A rising band in DC, Color Palette is an engrossing electro rock quintet, specializing in lo-fi vocals and enchanting keys. Their latest video is a studio recording, one that feels intimate and welcoming. Seeing this outfit play so resolutely speaks to their confidence and poise, as well as their talent for musicality that’s both titillating and relaxing. Catch their latest video below and don’t miss when they open for Day Wave at DC9, 5/12. $12, doors at 8:30.

Brooklyn based artist Kevin Calaba performs under the moniker Airlands, a sophisticated art pop project that’s about to release its second studio album. Calaba’s liquid vocals encapsulate passion and longing. Single ‘Love & Exhale’ (streaming), off last year’s self-titled debut album, is an intense ballad exuding almost mystical peace and tranquility; it will please the fans of Peter Gabriel from the ‘So’ years. The record is a perfect collection of music for the end of a long day, something many New Yorkers may appreciate. – Amanda McCall

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

There’s a peaceful tide that will wash over you when listening to Boston’s Covey. Each track is suffused with a comforting warmth that’s echoed in the gentle guitar chords and Tom Freemans’ textured croons, a sense of familiarity permeates the simple melodies. Though they have only released two singles since 2013, Covey has already a clearly developed sound for themselves that has left us anxious for more. Keep tabs on their Facebook page for any news on new music and join Covey at Great Scott on May 10.

With their easy melodies, honest lyrics and unpretentious attitude, Brooklyn via New Paltz garage-pop duo Diet Cig has been winning many fun seeking hearts since the release of their debut EP, appropriately titled ‘Over Easy.’ The band recently announced a two week tour of the UK scheduled for the second half of May, immediately after the US tour they are currently embarked on. They’ll be back in NYC on June 10 with a show at Baby’s All Right.

Slacking noise lovers shouldn’t miss this show at Shea Stadium on 05.05, since it features threee NYC bands with a noisy sound and a slacking attitude. Post-hardcore quartet Big Ups – our Best NYC Emerging Band of 2014 – will headline the bill and kick off a three date north east tour in support of their recent release ‘Before a Million Universes.’  Their label mates, slacker rockers Washer will be one of the opening acts; after releasing a split EP with Big Ups in 2014, this past January released their debut album ‘Here Comes Washer.’ on the bill also noise rock purveyors Dirty Dishes, who recently expanded to a trio (picture) and released a new single in February entitled "All of Me" (streaming) and spent the early spring touring the East coast.

Visuals is the brainchild of Brooklyn born producer. musician and vocalist Andrew Fox, who has been spending a fair amount of his recent time in Berlin. The project’s debut EP was released back in 2013 and featured the well received single Slowed Down, a mid tempo track that flirted heavily with the decadent atmospheres and ‘romantic’ melodicism of the European electronic new wave of the ’80s. Fox will be celebrating the release of his sophomore EP ‘The State of Things‘ on May 4th at the Good Room. The record showcases a more polished production, confirming the propension for intensely melodic songwriting that’s at once textured and atmospheric. Check out the title track below.

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

Here’s our usual appointment with new tracks released by NYC area artists that are a little more than just "emerging." This week we have soul pop duo Overcoats, Israeli electronic musician O Mer (pictured), electro pop diva VÉRITÉ, and New Jersey’s Pop and Rollers The Everymen.

We’ve seen our fair share of interesting use of guitars and related gear, but, honestly, the idea of a classical six string associated with garage rock never even remotely crossed our mind. Enter Tall Juan from Queens, NY, who begs to differ! Read what he has to say about it in our Delicious Audio post. Tall Juan will open for Beverly’s record release show at Baby’s All Right on May 5th.

We’ve been covering NYC’s mysterious songwriter with experimental tendencies Ziemba (aka René Kladzyk) since early 2014, raving about her song/video combo for single "Phantom See." From what we can tell, the "nouvelle femme fatale" had very little coverage in the major music blogs so far, but things are about to change. She just announced the release of her debut album "Hope is Never," which mostly gathers songs she had posted on her Soundcloud profile during the last two, impressively prolific years. The album will include "Phantom See" and also "El Paso" (streaming below), one of the most upbeat track in her repertoire, also featured in 2015 EP "A Pure Mirror and a Damn Prison." Check out also the album minimalistic opener "It Curts Itself." Ziemba will be kicking off a US tour at Trans Pecos on May 29th. – photo by Megan Mack

Ahead of the release of her latest album ‘Choreographic’ on 5/20, New York singer/songwriter Rachael Sage today premieres "I’ve Been Waiting" (streaming below) off the effort. A sultry yet warm song that smoothly melds potentially disparate genres as folk and pop, the string-lined track tells of interpersonal longing with Aimee Mann-like poetic bewitchment. "Cover me with butterfly kisses/I could be the one you haunt," Sage sings, unabashed desire sliding through. Rachael Sage will perform at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 on 5/13. – Zach Weg