Sophisticated Brooklyn pop band Starlight Girls is back with a new single – they released quite a few lately in preparation of their upcoming, self produced ‘Fantasm’ LP. Check out also ‘Hero,’ which is so delicious we decided to add it to our playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists! 

We are glad to see our CMJ 2014 babies Sunflower Bean take things to the next level in 2016: they just announced the February release of their debut album ‘Human Ceremony’ on Fat Possum, and a tour spanning two continents (Europe and the US) and two and a half month, also starting in February (the NYC stop is at Bowery Ballroom on 02.25). Check out their album’s preview single "Easier Said," which sees dreamyness and poppiness back into their often more muscolar psychedelic sound.

NYC duo paris_monster is certainly the most self-disciplined band with the name "monster" in it we’ve ever stumbled upon. Like a precise, complex and sophisticated mechanism, their music chugs away, seemingly imperturbable, through bars, verses and choruses, its obvious horse power (read: a monstrous instrumental technique) controlled by infallible superior forces: as we all know now, "with great power comes great responsibilities," and the duo never abuses of it – that’s what good musicianship is. New single "Had Damon Caught His Sloane," a song we are premiering here in preview of their Mercury Lounge show tomorrow (01.07), gives us the impression of a Ferrari running at 25 miles per hour – always a great look when you are not in a hurry stuck behind it. The track’s production, with its clean electronic and industrial references, brings to mind memories of Peter Gabriel (from the "SO" years) and the poppier early Nine Inch Nails records, artists and a genre that have been a little forgotten in the recent years’ obsession with sloppier genres like surf, slacker rock, dream pop and post punk. paris_monster brings those sonic references back to life with an updated sound, thoroughly enjoyable songs, and powerful live presence. 

Happy New Year, Deli-rious seekers of new, exciting, emerging music!

If you’ve been following us for a while, you should know that January is the month when our regional Year End Polls for Emerging Artists are in full bloom!

The first leg of our poll is called "Open Submissions," and, in it, we allow all local artists (in this case NYC ones, since you are reading the NYC blog) to submit their music for consideration. After a screening process involving three of our editors or writers, we pick a few per genre – here are the first results for the Songwriter/Rootsy Pop category!

Total submissions in this category: 18

Artists qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.20):

1. Pam Steebler – 7.87

We are rarely entranced by bluesy pop/rock, maybe because – to be pulled off properly – the genre requires monstrous chutzpa, as in… "the balls of those who are really good at something." But we’ve got to concede to Pam Steebler that her "Give In" EP’s two opening songs are… "da bomb." "Mind Reader," in particular (streaming below), has the power and the beauty to light a flare of soulful passion even in the heart of the most unflappable of indie rockers.

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2. Laura & Greg – 7.5

Curiously enough, the second placed band in this chart couldn’t sound more different from the first – how are these two acts in the same category? The answer is in the word "pop" and "roots" – elements these artists shares, but with different approaches. Laura & Greg’s folk pop is gentle, intimate, sparse and DIY. Their peaceful harmonies and placid atmospheres refer back to the folk-pop explosion of the ’60s, revising and adapting it to our DIY days.

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2. Afternoon Men – 7.5

Afternoon Men’s song and video for single "Parking Lots and Basements" (streaming) has an edge that screams "Manhattan" – you know, that borough offering the "bourgeois" kind of fun. (Oh yeah, you can say that about Williamsburg too!). Whoever wrote that song, certainly knows how to navigate that scene, where sophistication and charm can go farther than good looks – at least with the smart ladies who can support a broke musician! This (besides their obvious talent) is why this band may have a future.

Honorable Mentions: Caitlin Mahoney, The Next Great American Novelist, The Bone Chimes, Ashni, Bill Bartholomew, Diana Zinni, Frank Bell.

Jurors: Michael Colavita (Deli Philly), Cody Wright (Deli Toronto), PDG (Deli NYC)

Stay tuned for more results, and then for the readers’ poll!

He has a raspy voice, a guitar, and knack for storytelling through song, so naturally Stephen Lee is a perfect fit for the Baltimore music scene. With his unique brand of Americana mixed with alternative flavoring, the music evokes images of smoke-filled bars by railroad tracks and old factories, filled with beer-swilling listeners and stomping feet. Lee’s sound is similar to that of Lucero, stripped down to near lo-fi status and backed by a steady beat from his guitar. If you’re looking for common man verses without airs, give his recent release West of Twenty-Three a listen or catch him opening for Noble Giants and Throwing Wrenches at the Villain and Saint in Bethesda, 1/10. -Jonathan Goodwin

The sound of NYC’s outfit Wall (featuring members already active in like-minded local groups Finally Punk, Keepsies, and Fergus&Geronimo) recaptures the early days of post punk, the first rock’n’roll movement openly promoting DIY as a creative choice – and a superior one for that matter. Those were the years when The Velvet Underground’s droney, bony records with Reed’s maudit lyrics were rediscovered, and many young artists radicalized that sound by stripping it of any melodic aspirations. This is pretty much what Wall does in their self titled debut EP, with their semi-atonal defying vocals, bare bone instrumentation, and DIY sounding recordings. Of the three songs currently available, our favorite is "Milk" (streaming below), which reminds us of the best early Sonic Youth tracks, slowly building through a combination of Vanessa Gomez’s evocative tense vocals, the subtly evolving guitar chords and the varying speeds of the rhythm section. Check out also their most popular, more aggressively punk single "Fit the Part." The band will be celebrating the EP’s release at Union Pool on January 15, you can preorder it here.

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

Cure your case of the Mondays by moonlighting at these venues with up-and-coming artists. Indietronic duo Magic Bronson kicks off their January residency at The Satellite, while Omar Velasco rekindles the Laurel Canyon flame at the Bootleg. Silverlake Lounge hosts Silver Snakes for two weeks, before the band’s release of upcoming album Saboteur, and The Echo opens its stage for Florida’s ethereal rock transplants SWIMM. Check below for residency line-ups. – Ryan Mo

Magic Bronson at The Satellite:

Jan. 4 — with Holy Cow, Booty, Rywolf, Dadon
Jan. 11 — with Kid Cadaver, Coyote, Psychic Love
Jan. 18 — with Nicky Blitz, Grit, Dadon, Ramonda Hammer
Jan. 25 — with Kingdoms, Slugs, Trickster Guru, Dadon

Omar Velasco at Bootleg Theater:

Jan. 4 — with PEARL CHARLES, Moke Hill
Jan. 11 — with Jenny O, Max Kasch 
Jan. 18 — with Leslie Stevens, Alex Siegal
Jan. 25 — with Odessa, Janitor

Silver Snakes at Silverlake Lounge:

Jan. 11 — with Flames of Durga, Vow, Sketch Orchestra
Jan. 18 — with The Ambient Light, VIS, Why We Use Knives

SWIMM at The Echo:

Jan. 4 — with Sam Setzer, Part Friend, and Green Gerry, DJ set by Kevin Bronson (Buzzbands)
Jan. 11 — with Golden Suns, Beach Party, and Gentle Pony
Jan. 18 — with Annuals, Andy Clockwise, Wolf Prize, DJ set by Kat Corbett (KROQ)
Jan. 25 — with Good Graeff, Told, New Electric Sound

They may only be three-strong, but Joint Effort have the musical chops and talent of a dozen. With guitar riffs supplied by Neil Durr, the musicality has strong similarity to the jams of Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughan, capturing some of the essence of blues and blending it with their rock and hip-hop bedrock. Flawless bass lines from the hands of Durr’s brother Evan tie together the sick string work with the lyrically-rich verses spilled by vocalist Eric Means. Laying down equal parts philosophy and commentary, Means freestyles are as poignant and evocative as Flobots or Lupe Fiasco. You can catch this fantastic trio take the stage at the Tree House Lounge, 1/22, with Mary El and Edjacated Phools. -Jonathan Goodwin

Lurvely Deli Readers,

We are proud to introduce you to our Winter 2016 issue of The Deli NYC, featuring on the cover Brooklyn songwriter, producer and multimedia artist Brittany Campbell, portrayed by NYC comix artist Lale Westwind. Inside the issue – besides dozens of talented emerging NYC bands and artists – you’ll also find a feature about the undiscovered genius of Captain Baby and the ongoing saga of Manhattan DIY art space and venue ABC No Rio. 

READ IT ONLINE HERE! It will be out in print around January 15.

Two months ago, New Jersey-based musician Donna Missal released the instantly memorable “Keep Lying” (streaming below). Roped through with breaking guitars, the bluesy song truly impresses thanks to the singer’s voice and delivery. A deeply strong howl-yelp – it surges forth just when a stop or fade seems sensible – Missal’s desire to not learn of her addressee’s true feelings is so impassioned that nothing will get in the way. Such ferocious suspense gives "Keep Lying" urgency, as Missal sounds out the blues with raw heat. Donna just announced a show for Communion Music on February 2nd at Rockwood Music Hall – if soul is your thing, do not miss, there is obviously a lot of potential here. – Zach Weg

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

Far Rockaway, Queens resident Tall Juan wears his Ramones influences well on the most recent EP “Why Not.” Moving from his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina to NYC’s borough that gave birth to the original garage rockers shows an admirable level of devotion. Though Joey Ramone may be the obvious initial point of reference, there are elements of Richard Hell’s vocal inflections sprinkled throughout the tall young man’s songs. In keeping with that era’s proto-punk ethos, all songs are approximately a minute and a half in length: opening track “Why Not” may reflect Johnny’s quick chord change progressions, but are delivered instead on an acoustic guitar. “It’s True” (streaming) channels the buoyant rhythm of “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” with lyrical content closer to “The KKK Took My Baby Away.” Third track “I Don’t Know What To Do” clocks in at barely over a minutes and leans a bit closer to Hell’s legendary and overlooked Voidoids. Final track is a cover of the Dee Dee penned “Chinese Rock” that playfully interprets its lyrics. Tall Juan will be playing one more show in New York at Berlin on January 9th, before heading out on a European tour that will continue on through the month of February. by Dave Cromwell

Up until a few years ago, many NYC "indie" venues didn’t book hip hop acts – it still happens in many Manhattan ones. DIY Brooklyn has always being more open to the genre, so much so that this year Bushwick spot Aviv booked a bill of mostly local hip hop artists for their New Years Eve party (together with noisy avant-punk trio Show Me the Body, which isn’t completely foreign to the genre). Wiki (of Ratking) will headline the night with a solo set, which – knowing the character and his talent – is bound to be entertaining. He released his debut solo album "Lil Me" earlier in December. Opening NYC trio Jaguar Pyramids will complement and to some extent exacerbate his dark and tense sound with their nightmarish grooves – check out their 8 track debut album here. Brooklyn quintet Gloss Gang will also be of the party; their recent single "Money, Hoes and Fashion" (streaming) shares the other acts’ suspenseful, unconventional sonics and has become a small SoundCloud hit in just one month. Listening to these three tracks, there seems to be enough evidence to state that NYC hip hop is going through a creative renaissance. Maybe more local venues should open their doors to it.