This Sunday, DIY collective Mountair hosts a benefit festival for Pehrspace dubbed The Dark Frontier — an all-day event featuring chilling ’80s-inspired sounds. Performances will run the gamut of post-punk, synthpop, and electropunk with BCGs, Ghost Noise (who just released the single "Crucifix" for their upcoming double-album), Intimatchine, Terminal A, and more, with DJs Michael Fierstein (KXLU) and Carlos Rossi (Death Waltz Recording Company) playing between sets. 

The event is all ages and doors open at 3 PM. Proceeds will help maintain the art gallery/performance venue. – Ryan Mo

Brooklyn based quintet Three Thousand Rivers plays uplifting and melodically ripe folk-pop with rock and orchestral elements (a violinist and a saxophonist are permanent band members). Their sophomore EP ‘Body Aha’ – which we are premiering below – boasts a remarkably organic sound and, when compared with last year’s debut ‘Like a What?‘, showcases a noteworthy growth in terms of production and songwriting. Whether you’ll spend your summer stuck at work or travelling through foreign landscapes, this is a record that will entertain you and create positive vibes. Three Thousand Rivers will celebrate their release party at The Mercury Lounge on August 8.

If albums full of dark, brooding minimalism are your thing, then you may want to keep your eye on Brooklyn-based electronic group The Mast. The duo, comprised of singer Haleh Gafori and multi-instrumentalist Matt Kilmer, have evolved quite a bit since the 2011 release of their debut record, "Wild Poppies," which combined expressive guitar playing and tribal percussion sounds. Their sophomore follow-up "Pleasure Island," as well as the recently released EP "1," have seen the guitars vanish behind a veil of ethereal vocals, and the acoustic sounding drums be replaced by a bevy of electronic beats and synth sounds – most of them still triggered manually by Kilmer. The duo also takes a unique approach to the idea of live performances, offering live-streaming shows from their basement in addition to the more traditional show. Speaking of live performances, The Mast’s next one will be at the Mercury Lounge on August 2nd. Don’t miss out! – Patrick Wolff

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

Coming to you from The Deli’s digital submissions, with a sound that has been described as the "sonic equivalent of biting into a Gushers candy," is the first full-length album from NYC puzzle-pop band Palm Pilot. The record, entitled "PLM PLT," is a 10-track collection of songs bursting with color and rhythmic complexity. Hints of influence from bands such as Tame Impala and The Flaming Lips are peppered throughout the album and mixed in with the groups’ own combination of math rock and psych-rock elements to form a vibrant first effort. Although the group currently has no scheduled shows, they do have new material in the works, so keep out an eye for any further releases. "PLM PLT" is currently available for free on Bandcamp and we’ve got a track from the album, "Innerworkings," streaming below. – Patrick Wolff

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

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

With a voice like a siren, Sara Curtin’s songs draw in the listener like flies to the honey of her slow rhythms and alluring voice. The DC-based indie songstress releases her latest album “Michigan Lilium” on 7/24, building on her haunting and soulful repertoire with the new single Summer. Curtin’s vocals give away her classical training and the instrumental accompaniment is duly inspired, framing the lyrics beautifully. Catch Curtin perform at the DC Rock & Roll Hotel at 8pm, 8/6, as well as other great Washington acts, The North Country and Stranger in the Alps. -Jonathan Goodwin

We rarely blog about festival (our focus being on single artists), but this weekend’s Gigawatts Fest, organized by fellow NYC based zine 1.21 Gigawatts, features so many good emerging artists from NYC and other scenes we cover that it’s worth mentioning. Tickets can be purrchased here.

If you didn’t get to see Pretend‘s stellar performance during Young Lovers’ residency at Pehrspace, know this: Nick Reinhart was grooving pretty damn hard to their music, and Pehrspace hit capacity before the encore. 

Now that you know you missed out on something big, here’s a second shot to catch the enigmatic musicians: along with guitar-drum mathcore duo 100 Onces, Pretend will support touring New Jersey trio Vasudeva, whose last album Life in Cycles will definitely connect with fans of upbeat mathy post-rock like Enemies, The Bulletproof Tiger, Dios Trio. Then again, if you know of such bands, you’re probably very familiar with these three and are wondering how you didn’t find out about this earlier.

Presented by Sound of a Vacuum, the show is happening at North Hollywood’s Bonnerhaus, doors open at 8pm. Vasudeva are moving through California for the first time, and tonight they’re playing in Fresno at Frank’s Place/Star Palace with The Unending Thread. You can still catch them on Saturday in Anaheim’s The Eclectic Room with locals like Hollow Ran, Panoramic, and Twentytwofourteen. – Ryan Mo

Intriguingly combining splendor and ruggedness, defeat and possibility, Queens-born singer/songwriter Matt Sucich’s latest single “Lay Low” (streaming below) is delightfully poignant. It’s the ever kindred story of someone trying to do good and offer love to another but constantly getting beaten down, for reasons even a god wouldn’t know. Gloom isn’t Sucich’s game, though, as his spectral voice and whimsical background production illuminate “Lay Low” with rays of hope and even bashful merriment. Ultimately, the burgeoning musician is just a guy expressing himself, the hurt and the joy. After last night’s show at the Mercury Lounge Matt is scheduled to perform at Joe’s Pub on August 21. – Zach Weg

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

Claiming as her two biggest influences “Bone Thugs N Harmony & Whitney Houston,” Hatian artist Devyn Rose is going deep into shoegazing ballet shoes. There’s a definite 90’s synth lushness to her tracks reminiscent of early Bobby Brown and Roxette, but her delivery is snappy and crisp. A model, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist with a #1 Billboard hit under her belt, Miss Rose has a lot going for her. Her silky voice and provocative lyrics make for an aural assault that speaks to the new generation of braniac b-boys and b-girls, and her new video for “Cops x The Jury” (streaming) is a call to arms fit for the most raucous club dance floor. – BrokeMc

Alison Clancy is a Brooklynite who just can’t help but churn out art, and in this case we are not only referring to music – she fronts two bands: HUFF THIS! and Loving You. A dancer by trade (at the Metropolitan Opera), Alison is also involved in visual arts, and not just simply as a model/dancer. Recently she worked on a cross-continental collaboration with several artists from Brooklyn and Copenhagen to realize the video of Loving You’s song ‘Wasted Love’ (streaming) which was used in the theatrical Street Ballet ‘NINE BY SEVEN’, directed and produced by Danish conceptual artist Marco Evaristti. Tomorrow Friday 07.24 the duo will be bringing their edgy, cello and vocals (and dance) propelled music to 1172 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights Brooklyn.

Buddies since they attended the College of William and Mary, Richmond-based Griff’s Room Band has a full plate of festivals this summer to bring you their upbeat indie vibes and high-energy performances. Behind every song is a fierce fiddle setting the tone and dutiful drumming and guitars keeping the pace with three vocalists. GRB’s sound is invigorating, mixing bluegrass roots with indie rock and pop influences, creating a sound like a Sublime-Avett Brothers fusion on their new single, "Wasted Time." Check out their most popular track Cornerbooth from last year’s ‘Shut the Case‘ EP. Griff’s Room Band will be jamming at Richmond’s premier music venue, The National, on 8/8, so go check them out! – Jonathan Goodwin

San Fernando Valley has this band called Draag, and they don’t play by genre conventions. After splitting with his first band Tremellow, guitarist/vocalist Adrian Acosta started with an idea to get the finest musicians he knew in one room, playing whatever they wound up playing. He admits to SpeakIMG in an interview, "When I started the band, I really had no idea the kind of band I was putting together. I just knew who I wanted on my team." That statement might sound like heresy to a lot of musicians, but in this case it worked out perfectly for Draag, who recently played at the Make Music Pasadena Festival with The Electric West, Hobart W Fink, Tashaki Miyaki, and more.

Their influences go off several deep ends, from Talking Heads to The Pixies and Autechre, and you might hear bits of new wave, post-punk, krautrock, and surf punk. Hell, Traci Lordz‘s opening track "Milk Money" even gets into some a cappella goodness. But Draag aren’t just piecemealing these elements to show their skills (we acknowledge said skills, though) — they’re faithfully honing their own ideas with an arsenal of sounds: high-gain fuzz, ’80s synth presets, oscillating delay, and dance-y drum machines. So far, it’s working out really well for them.

Draag released their debut record Traci Lordz earlier in January, and are currently in the process of booking their fall shows and working on a new release. Listen to "Gown" from Traci Lordz below. – Ryan Mo