The two song, uber lo-fi debut demo from Katie Capri’s brainchild, Fern Mayo, might have been a blip on the music radar of 2014 (even though the band made our Best of NYC list that year), leaving early lovers desperately in need of more. The October release of the (now) trio’s Happy Forever EP (streaming below), further honed a craft of raw emotionality and glum combined with surfy melodic grooves, while exploring sudden rhythmic changes and fuzzy chord rage. The addition of bassist Nicholas Cummins’ moody backing, and Charlie Bueno’s raw but eclectic drumming contribute to a sound that’s now more full and mature. The seven song EP (plenty of bang for your buck here) rips through the human psyche of want and loss, hammered home in Capri’s harrowing wails, “we’re all just trying to be happy here,” on the track, “Chomping at the Bit.” Their recordings place all focus on the feelings derived from instruments and voice, though one can only imagine the increased intensity of a live performance – and they’ve been doing a lot of that this year, as recently noted by OhMyRockness. You can see Fern Mayo at Silent Barn on January 14th. –JP Basileo

Airhorns were ablaze yesterday as residents of Mabase crowded The Airliner’s upstairs venue in search of warmth and sound. There was a call for sci-fi inspired outfits, but we saw mostly dyed hair, pastel colors, and some frill — we spotted at least one well-done cybergoth, though! Screened with geometric visuals and scenes from Doubutsu no Mori, Playing Tourist Forever pummeled the second-floor bar with aggro-boss battle music, followed by bitpop trio Paladin Shield with songs from their 2015 self-titled debut. New York’s Knife City was Famitracker-free, but dished out strong drum & bass remixes for fans to go hard. Bedroom producer Slime Girls ended the night with a two-part set of heavy chiptune from the recent "NO SUMMER NO CRY" and abrasive ska-punk of earlier days, with covers of Undertale‘s "Dating Start" and of Japanese idol group BiS’ "PPCC".

Our ears were busted and the night was cold, but that was a hell of a show to end 2015. More pictures of the night on our Instagram @TheDeliLA. – Ryan Mo, photography by Michelle McCausland

Being asked to play a cool New Year’s Eve party, and getting paid to do so, must be one of the best gigs any can land on December 31st… Being on stage, with everybody watching… everybody drinking…  In NYC, not many places are cooler than Brooklyn’s Rough Trade. The Williamsburg records store/venue will host a New Year’s Eve party headlined by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and featuring two promising local openers. Monograms (pictured) plays fast paced indie pop with psychedelic, new wave and garagey overtones. The trio debuted in 2014 with the dreamy "Fader" EP, which was almost entirely performed by singer/guitarist Ian Jacobs); the record offered a sound featuring smooth melodies within a semi-DIY production enamoured with dirt and distortion. This past December new single Downer (streaming) saw the light of day, with the announcement of an upcoming EP scheduled for early 2016.

Surf Rock is Dead – a dream-pop duo with a surf accent that was highlighted already twice here in 2015 – has been getting a lot of attention in blogs lately, finding their way to many year end playlists, and hearts of fans of other surf-dreaming bands like Real Estate and The Drums. Their 2015 EP "SRiD" is charmingly catchiy, appropriately drenched in reverb, and strictly mid-fi. Check out our favorite track Zan A, streaming below.

At the end of each year, our friends at OhMyRockness.com have the habit to make a list of NYC’s Hardest Working Bands – i.e. the ones that played the most shows, at least according to their database (they don’t list every single show played in NYC, it would be impossible since there are a lot of unofficial gigs and improvised venues). Even though obviously limited to indie and punky acts, this is definitely an interesting chart, because, in NYC, only artists who have the rare ability to consistently draw a decent crowd get booked more than a couple of times per quarter – and all of the bands in this list played an average of two to three shows per month! Topping the list is post-punk-with-sax quartet Pill, who played THIRTY NINE (!!!) shows in 2015 (with a stunning average of more than three show per month in NYC alone!). The band released their self titled debut EP on local label Dull Tools in March, and then single "Hot Glue" (streaming below) on Mexican Summer in August. They already have FOUR shows scheduled for January 2016… evidently, they are trying to best themselves!

P.S. Tall Juan and Acid Dad share the OMR’s list podium, full list with 21 names here – congrats to all!

Considering they had their first digital single out just about one year ago, NYC rockers Acid Dad built an impressive amount of buzz in 2015, through a powerful and fun live show, and a series of multifaceted releases ranging from the more garage oriented early single "Graveyard Kid" to the droney developments of latest single "Grim," which flirts with the dreamy and droney sound of the UK scene from the early ’90s. And then there’s this, which is always a good sign. The quartet doesn’t seem interested in letting your attention slip away in 2016: they recently announced the release of their debut EP with a show at Baby’s All Right on January 22, with Total Slacker and AMFMS. We have no idea if it will be just a collection of their previous singles or entirely new songs or a mix of the two. We suggest you find out in person! Check out single "The Digger," streaming here. – photo by Sonic Highlark

A chilly, dark Saturday on the other side of some tracks in Baltimore found this writer attending a killer show at The Warehouse, a small venue with the perfect amount of sketchiness and featuring cheap beer, plenty of graffiti, and a working toilet. First onstage was Western Star, a four-piece heavily influenced by alt and classic rock. High octane riffs, croony vocals, and evocative lyrics, the band is equal parts Modest Mouse and Van Zant Band in their musicality. Frontman Max Jeffers brought great energy to the stage, hair flying, and the instrumentals were fantastic, recalling the stylings of Jimi Hendrix.

The Milestones are quickly becoming an establishment-worthy act in the Baltimore scene. Cobbling together an indie style with dance-worthy melodies, the band put on a fantastic show, gripping the audience’s attention immediately and not letting it go until the last guitar note faded on the amps. A particular standout song, UFO (see below) was great live, with expert guitar pieces and crashing drum segments. The band recently put an EP called Honey and listening is highly recommended, especially for a highway playlist.

Closing out the night was rap-reggae-rock fusion group Edjacated Phools. A band of seven, they surprised with their rap skills and seamless reggae techniques. Slick guitars, sick, booming vocals, and melodic keyboard playing brought together an exciting and fun performance and their audience interaction was on point. With semi-political and feel-good verses, the Phools are reminiscent of Sublime and Dirty Heads, yet distinctive in their own right.

We wonder if Brooklyn based producer Obey City‘s stage name is intended as a way to describe the Big Apple – which wouldn’t be a very rock’n’roll view of our city, although probably a quite correct one: New Yorkers tend to comply (or – to put it more positively – are great team players!!!). Probably not, since his real name is Sam Obey, which is fitting indeed: you can’t be a producer without being a diplomatic person. He operates mostly in the electronic/experimental RnB realm and he’s keeping himself busy, churning out tracks and remixes on a weekly basis – one of the most popular was the song entitled Rewind he co-produced for emerging LA via DC soul diva Kelela. He also co-owns "record label/blog/party" Astro Nautico (it sounds like a great business model). Earlier in 2015 Obey City released a three track EP entitled "Merlot Sounds," featuring again a collaboration with Kelela in the synth-ballad "Airy" – streaming below. Check out also single Waterbed. He’ll be bringing the party at Palisades on New Year’s Eve, if soulful EDM is your kind of thing, you don’t want to miss it.

Don’t Believe in Ghosts is the solo project of Steven Nathan, the driving force behind NYC pop/rock band Man On Earth, now on a prolonged hiatus. The band’s debut EP "Change Your Mind" was recorded with the help of friend Rick Eddy on drums and a cameo by collaborator Matt Fink of Prince & the Revolution on keyboards, and will be followed by another EP a few months from now, entitled "Change Your Luck." The two EPs were (mostly) self recorded and self produced, and a lot of DIY went also in realizing the video we are premiering here for single "Nothing I Could Do Is Ever Good Enough For You," which narrates the frustration of a little robot in love with its human lady-master. Mixing synth pop and alt rock elements, the song deftly straddles the line between hope and resignation, themes that are obviously central in Natan’s new material, and that have the potential to resonate with all those who are working hard, day in, day out, chasing their lifetime dream. You can see Don’t Believe in Ghosts’s debut live show at Bowery Electric on January 13.

A gentle, dreamy uneasiness runs through the bedroom recordings of Long Beard’s late 2015 release “Sleepwalker.” The 13 track Team Love Records release is the culmination of singer-songwriter Leslie Bear’s introspective creativity. Combining backward-loop studio techniques with traditional folk compositions, the band achieves a subtle, needy urgency. The heart tugging ache of The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler can be found on lead track “Porch,” as chords and voice layer in a dissonant beauty. “Hates The Party” (streaming below) creates further reflective moments, while putting forward the statement that “there’s more than one reason, to hate the world spinning – everyone hates the party.” “Summer/Fall” shows the benefits of taking ideas into larger studios, making excellent use of backward looping as the instrumental base for Leslie’s temperate vocals. “Dream” impresses with counterpoint, out-of-sync percussive background click, cleverly approximating the chaotic sleeping mind. “Someplace” takes that even further with a three and a half minute soundscape containing the single lyric “always thinking of some place some time ago.” Long Beard plays live tomorrow (December 29th) at Baby’s All Right. – Dave Cromwell

It’s the day after Christmas, and Valley friends The Unending Thread are hitting us with another present — they’ve been collaborating with new Berkeley four-piece Forget It. on a split EP "TUT // FORGET IT", and today they dropped a new single! Forget It.’s "Not Everything Is About Me" follows last week’s release "Dearest Anna" with showers of twinkle and the screams of hoarse men, plus an introspective adage courtesy of Bojack Horseman. The Unending Thread’s "Dearest Anna", which premiered on MAT Magazine, marks the trio’s stylistic shift to territories redolent of dance-rock. Don’t fret though; them boy-girl vocals, double-tap riffs, and funk licks are still kicking.

"TUT // FORGET IT" comes out January 15th, 2016, with release shows happening in the Bay and LA. It’s a sick line-up on both fronts, but that goes without saying. – Ryan Mo

Jan. 10 — Octopus Literary Saloon (Oakland) with Just Friends, Sarchasm, The Unending Thread, Lawn Chairs

Feb. 4 — The Smell (Los Angeles) with The Unending Thread, Love Nothing, Ferbus, Josh Abrams, and Dustin and the Explosions

Saturday’s show will be your last chance to catch David Hasselhoff on Acid for quite awhile, so don’t miss it. The Riot Room show starts at 8:00 p.m. Facebook event page.