Kevin Garrett – who will be performing at Mercury Lounge tomorrow (03.25) – has emerged in 2015 as one of NYC’s most prominent young songwriters. Unapologetically moody, soulful at heart, incurably ballad-prone, Kevin’s songs have the aura of old time classics, but their production process is as modern as it gets, centered – as often the case these days – around the artists’ home studio. Our sister blog Delicious Audio asked Garrett a few questions about it and the creative process it triggers – see link below.

Delicious Audio: Interview with Kevin Garrett about Inspiration and Gear

If pop punk with math influences is your thing, you may want to check out Brooklyn’s Manic Pixi at Rough Trade on April 5th. The band just unveiled single "Iron Heart" (streaming below), titletrack of their soon to be released sophomore album. Drummer Emmett Ceglia kinda steals the scene here, with precision and speed that are nothing short of mind blowing, supporting with explosive energy lead singer Kat Hamilton’s in your face vocals and the guitar and bass often intricate arrangements.

Just under a week ago, Rhode Island garage-rock quintet The Naticks shared the steadily mounting “Carry My Body” (streaming below). Telling after-hour longing similar to that of fun.’s “We Are Young” or tracks off The Walkmen’s ‘Bows + Arrows,’ the piano-pulsed song compellingly conveys dazed youthfulness with mature calm, the titular request seen more as a serious plea for emotional warmth than just a literal body to rest on. The Naticks play at AS220 in Providence, Rhode Island on 4/13. – Zach Weg 

Listening to Brooklyn rock quartet Howth‘s July-released album ‘Trashy Milky Nothing Town,’ one is pleasantly reminded of great bands of old, while exhilarating in its fresh quirkiness. On such guitar-laced songs as "Teenage Mutation" (streaming below), the tight punk of The Ramones comes surging forth while a track such as "You Were My Girl" has fond hints of The Turtles. Lead singer Carl Creighton and his band do, in fact, seem to be aware of rock’s potential for eccentricity and, with this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-referencing work, they entertainingly and compellingly emit their own spunky oddness. Howth plays at The Gutter with Jennifer O’Connor on April 7th. – Zach Weg 

Bringing a technical touch to grunge-tinged garage rock, Brooklyn via Boston trio Slothrust offers a lot that a listener can latch onto. Lead singer, Leah Wellbaum, delivers her lyrics with angst, passion, and subtle sarcasm that permeates each song distinctly. Humor and dark themes coalesce seamlessly as the band’s personality is put on full display in front of spot-on musicianship. While the band has been a slow burn in terms of popularity, their 2013 album ‘Of Course You Do‘ reached many hearts, displaying the talent, charm, and uniqueness of this group. After three years, they are due for a new record. –  Lee Ackerley

Listening to Starchild is like ascending into the deepest pockets of space and sitting in a pool of glimmering stars. With oscillating synths and spacey electronic textures over smooth, deep vocals Starchild takes us on a trip out of this world. Bryndon Cook, the man behind Starchild & the New Romantics, has toured with big indie and R&B acts like Solange, Chairlift, and Blood Orange as a guitarist, and these artists’ influence is evident in his own work. At times dancey and at other pensive, Starchild’s debut album Crucial is music oozing purple, and covers the entire emotional spectrum. Take a listen below and catch him Baby’s All Right on 3.25. – Adriana S Ballester

Greg Gonzales relocated to Brooklyn at the end of 2015, and the move seems to have proved beneficial. Since then, his uber-mellow, twangy, dreamy band Cigarettes After Sex has developed noteworthy buzz, thanks to their beautiful new record ‘Affection,’ and to powerfully intimate live performances. Greg’s voice, magnetic and androgynous, conveys an aura of ambiguity and mystery to his ghostly material, although his thick mustache/beird combo definitely fights the bi-gender appeal. The band can be experienced live at Rough Trade on June 1st.

Looking for hot beats? Gaithersburg-based Bakalis pumped out this sick single a few weeks ago and it should be blasting through everyone’s speakers right this moment. He’s been busy the past year, laying out new tracks every couple months. Barely pausing for breath but spilling out lyrics flawlessly, Bakalis has somber backbeats that serve to emphasize the strength of his message and make your head start bopping along. He’s talented and industrious, so keep this guy on your shortlist for quality DC rap. -Jonathan Goodwin

In their debut LP, Adult Moods, Adult Dude manages to take the grunginess of the 90’s and seamlessly work it into their sound, creating some tracks that are at once memorable and sincere sounding. With wall of guitars J. Mascis would be proud of, and hook-filled riffs and gruffy vocals, Adult Dude display noteworthy songwriting chops, while their recording showcase production well above the average. Catch Adult Dude in all their grungy glory at The Gateway on April 8th and don’t forget to give them a listen below. – Adriana S Ballester

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

A few months ago, Boston folk-rock musician Seth Wonkka shared “I Have It All” (streaming below), a sparse guitar track that intrigues with its emotional grandeur. Featuring hearth-like instrumentation reminiscent of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love,” the song has the smooth-voiced Wonkka praising a lover’s sheer presence while kindly asking for the “cool breeze” that will keep him calm amidst the haste and noise. Reportedly at work in the studio recording (having previously released ‘More Than Him’), Wonkka plays at Middle East in Cambridge, Massachussetts on Monday (3/28). – Zach Weg 

Just a few weeks ago we spent some positive words about Indian influenced psychedelic NYC band Humeysha, and it’s great to see them gain some traction – the quartet will play Baby’s All Right twice this week: tomorrow (03.23) at 9pm opening for Monika and on Friday 03.25 supporting HEEMS. It also unveiled a new video for single "For Love, from the Law," streaming below, from their self titled debut LP.

Chris Hess and Adam Winn of the psych-pop duo Swimm, have brought their unique beach breeziness and pensive lyrics from Florida to LA. The recently released, Beverly Hells, is a sun-drenched relaxing ride through a genre-bending soundscape. Lo-fi, surf-infused, indie has never been more emotive. Fluidity and weightlessness pervade their sound but their live performances are also as visceral as it can get, and their SXSW 2016 shows confirmed that.