Named after German philosopher Friederich Ludwig Gottlob Frege, Brooklyn by way of Mexico City by way of Saturn band Frege explores the mathematics of funk. This live electro-soul quartet brings some fantastic stutter in your groove. Their unprecedented means of generating ambiance gives the impression of dancing in a black hole. From Victor De La Garza’s deep drum grooves to Sebastián Garrido’s boyish vocals, Frege can induce an undeniable shimmy into even the coolest demeanor. Their “Got Love” EP (a further play on their eponymous philosopher’s moniker) is available on Bandcamp and a new full length is due out in June! Groovy. – BrokeMC

Here’s the video for Heliotropes‘ shockingly mellow (for their standards) new single ‘Easy’ from their upcoming album ‘Over There That Way’ (which can be preordered here). The video was shot by Deli NYC contributor Bill Dvorak and Micah Weisberg during Coney Island’s closing weekend in the Fall of 2015.

Our local charts might not be perfect (we wish we could throw more money at them!) but they do work in highlighting emerging local bands that are getting internet buzz. Today we noticed a new NYC entry in the chart on the top left of this post (or here if you are on a smartphone): the band is called Episode and plays very, very catchy pop-rock that will intrigue fans of Red Hot Chilli Peppers at their poppiest. Their single ‘Swim’ (streaming below) got a lot of love from the web (10k+ hearts on Soundcloud are quite an achievement!). They just came back from a college tour that took them from Maince to Alabama.  

Mobile Steam Unit (who recently made our list of the Best emerging NYC bands of 2015) is not your usual Brooklyn band. Their second EP, Country Raw, released this past February, is a collection of moody tracks that blend melodic and electronic elements in a personal way. While opener “Waste My Time In The City,” with its deep electronic synths and vocoded vocals,  sets a dark and weird atmosphere reminiscent of French duo Air, following track ‘VHS & SEX‘ relies on a more classic pop melody, with electric piano accompaniment evocative of Supertramp. In the remaining three songs, things keep bouncing from eerie to airy. The band will be performing at Shea Stadium on May 3rd together with Silverteeth. – Adriana S Ballester

Have you ever found yourself wondering what it would be like to fall into the world of the music videos you’ve watched? Well Boston’s rock’n’soul band Aloud is attempting to do just that with “Falling Out of Love: The Virtual Reality Experience.” By creating a video using virtual reality technology, the band will immerse you into their tracks’ journey of love and heartbreak when a long term relationship ends. The song, with slinking guitars, sensual saxophones, and Jen de la Osa’s smooth vocals, slowly builds to a climax before exhausting itself to an end–much like most relationships do. To support their virtual reality endeavor they have announced a headlining tour in three major cities, including their home base–Boston. Catch them May 5 and Hojoko @ The Verb Hotel for a VR demonstration and an intimate acoustic performance.

 

Simon Doom is the project of Simon O’Connor, who used to play with Kuroma and Amazing Baby. They present themselves this way: "Simon Doom would consider themselves to be a "Pop-Punk" band if, "Pop-Punk" didn’t mean Pop-Punk." There’s an easy solution: switch around the two words and call yourselves a "Punk-Pop" band! This however only partially describes their sound because, although melodic and raw, it’s also heavily influenced by surf and post punk – which places them in a musical place very close to our gods of indie rock: (early) Pixies. Like the legendary Bostonians, Simon Doom have some really good songs, full of character, intriguing melodies and charismatic vocal performances. Check out our favorite one, entitled "Roseate," streaming below.

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

Jocelyn Mackenzie of Pearl & the Beard is back with a solo project that’s a clear departure from the sound of her previous band, which dismantled in 2015. The singer and multi-instrumentalist will be soon releasing her debut EP "Unlovely" and has just began a East Coast tour supporting You Won’t. They will stop in NYC for a performance at The Knitting Factory on May 3rd. Check out the first single from the EP, ‘Kids,’ streaming below.

At this point in time we rarely get excited when we stumble upon a new band that borrows sonic elements from the alternative rock of ’90s – Brooklyn is brimming with them! But… influences are never more relevant than actual talent, and trio Bethlehem Steel isn’t lacking in that department. The brainchild of songwriter Rebecca Ryskalczyk, the project has been around since 2013, slowly transitioning from folky beginnings to the full, grungy sound of latest EP ‘Docking,’ which pretty much represents Ryskalczyk’s debut as a pop-rock singer/guitarist. Her airy, unpredictable melodies represent a clear shift from her previous, more traditional style, and find a peak in single ’87s,’ with its loud/quiet/loud production, evolving melodies and tortured lyrics – check it out below. The band will be playing at Palisades on May 2nd and at Shea Stadium on May 11th.

After a widely well-received two-year run, Baltimore-based Haunt called it quits. A talented hardcore sextet that intertwined ambient and post elements, they recently released their last recorded material, an EP called The Killing Field. An intense, fast-paced journey, the release features superior guitar work, melding the deep crunch of metal and more classic rock solos to blast the listener’s eardrums. Backed by tireless drumming, the dual vocals hit both a throaty and guttural roar and higher-pitched tone straight out of Iron Maiden. They’re not playing anymore and it’s sketchy if any more music is coming out, but, regardless, give these talented musicians a try. -Jonathan Goodwin   

The impressionistic musical project of Seattle songwriter Erin Birgy – who recently moved to NYC – Mega Bog has been releasing intimate records flirting with folk, lo-fi and ambient since 2008. Her latest, entitled ‘Gone Banana,’ is a sleepy yet provocative LP that blends Joni Mitchell’s delicately jazzy inclinations with Syd Barrett’s dreamy, child-like preference for the unfinished draft. Check out our favorite song ‘Gone Banana’ below, and don’t miss her upcoming live shows at Shea Stadium (04.30) and Rough Trade (05.05), after which she will leave for a US tour.

A little too often, the musical ingredient of what we highlight in this blog are very limited – ranging from traditional roots music to the more contemporary genres of rock and pop derivatives. That’s why it’s refreshing to stumble, every now and then, upon a band like NYC’s Butcher Knives. Inspired to multi-cultural European acts like Mano Negra and Les Negresses Vertes, this collective uses a mix of ska and rockabilly as a frame for their world music influences, which are heavy on the Gypsy side of things – hence the adoption of the "Gyspybilly" label. Colombian vocalists Nacho Segura and Nikko Matiz also confer a certain Goth element to their songs. The group will be performing at Pianos on April 29th, taking the opportunity to unveil their new video for single ‘American Dream,’ streaming below, from their latest album ‘Misery‘.

Power girl band (or girl power band?) The Beaches made quite a splash last year in Toronto, they are scheduled to play Bovine Sex Club on May 6th withint CMW. In honor of our upcoming, first Toronto Stompbox Exhibit, we asked guitarist Kylie Miller to tell us about her favorite guitar pedals… here’s what she had to say!