DC based artist DÉVÅZ released his first EP this May titled "Narcissist". The sound is lush and mysterious, sometimes pulling samples from unlikely sonic-pals Ariana Grande, Drake, Charles Manson, Billie Holiday, Interpol, Anna Kendrick, and Iggy Pop (to name a few) into a foggy, paranoid brew. This is a mix for the listener who likes their house music in the context of a psychological thriller (or maybe an H.P. Lovecraft narrative guessing from the aesthetic of the album art). Though washed and ambient in structure, the beats keep this twisted story on fast, nimble feet from beginning to end. We’re looking forward to further releases and hoping this newcomer will start DJing some of our local haunts. 

– Leora Mandel

Active since the beginning of the decade, NYC born and bred synth pop duo Holy Ghost has been able not only to remain relevant in an ever changing musical scene, but also to deliver new memorable singles with every new release. Their songs showcase two accomplished songwriters, something quite rare among electronic musicians. Their latest record ‘Work for Hire’ is a collection of remixes of songs by bands ranging from Phoenix to Blood Orange. Our sister blog Delicious Audio interviewed one half of the project Nick Millhiser about their creative process and what seems to be their main font of inspiration: synths. Check out their latest single "Okay," streaming below.

READ THE INTERVIEW WITH HOLY GHOST.

In their newest single, Doubting Thomas Cruise Control are switching things up. The Brooklyn based band’s self-labelled "debt punk" (a term that captures life in New York more than we’d like to admit) crosses over into new territory with the single, "Lillehammer" (below). The EP they released this year, ‘Moonchild/Jailface’, is a lo-fi slacker rock with ’90s influences, while "Lillehammer" – without losing the slacking – showcases a more modern and cultivated indie rock sound. This single is the first from a new album to be released August 14th, through Austin’s Fleeting Youth Records, and we’re curious to hear Doubting Thomas Cruise Control sonic evolution in what we believe is their first release under a record label. The band will be leaving for a two week tour in August. – Sam O’Hara

We stumbled upon Brooklyn’s electronic duo Tripletrain while browsing the Palisades listings (they’ll be playing there on 07.25) and were immediately intrigued by their tunes, which have the rather unique feature of blending trippy, R’n’B and loungy influences. In 2014 the band released a very consistent EP entitled ‘Lights of the City,’ that offers a variety of well crafted electronic jams, from the jungly opener ‘Git to Love‘ to the soul sample dominated downtempo ‘All That I can Do.’ Check out below the loungy title track, featuring Chiara Noriko at the (sampled) vocals.

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

Originally from Hawaii, The Fourth Wall is a Portland based indie quartet with a sound swimming in post rock and psychedelic influences. Their melancholic melodies and soaring songs are a little reminiscent of a less orchestral version of late Mercury Rev. The band recently announced they will release their new LP, ‘Lovely Violence,’ on July 31st via Bug Hunt Records. You can catch them live at Mississippi Studios on August 2nd.

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

The latest release from Brooklyn based Indie Pop group Bellows, entitled “May 5 to 12 Songs,” is a collection of delicate folk-pop tunes that will stick with you long after they’ve ended. Singer and songwriter Oliver Kalb’s voice floats dreamily across the albums eight tracks, accompanied by minimalistic drumming, strummed guitars and simple synth lines. But do you want to know the real kicker? The entire album was completed in only seven days as a part of artist collective The Epoch’s ‘Song a Day for a Week’ exercise, with one track being written and recorded each day. Currently, Bellows is the only participants in the exercise to have released their contributions as an actual record. Maybe because… writing a song a day for a week ain’t that easy! Bellows will be performing at Baby’s All Right on August 13. – Patrick Wolff

There’s something oddly romantic about Ryan Duncan’s musical history. The San Bernardino-raised man traversed an audio engineering background and befriended fellow noisemaker Lawrence Lindell: the latter’s DIY label Noise Met Sound released Gypsy Eyes‘ single "REM" and his debut full-length The Escapist in 2013.

These pieces were colorful and ludic, combining elements of jungle with Duncan’s fascination for idiophones, raising candles to the likes of B12 and Autechre. His time spent working with the autodidactic musician echoed sentiments of a creative marriage between seemingly polar opposites. Duncan’s past suggests that he is capable of manifesting pop in the avant garde, finding balance between cold sounds and hot beats. He takes a pass on this new EP.

"Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" marks the first physical release and pronounced shift toward musique concréte, perhaps a return to his engineering roots: it’s a collection of six improvised vignettes that study textures abrasive and gentle. Ambient noise, wind chimes, and field recordings coalesce into a surreal atmosphere, bereft of rhythm. It’s a work that could stand among notables of the genre like Daniel Menche and David Lee Myers, obscure as they might be. But even for the unitiated, "Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" is magnetic, challenging listeners to question the essence of song and communicating ideas conventionally left alone.

Stream Gypsy Eyes’ "Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" on New Normal Label‘s bandcamp or buy the cassette for just $5. – Ryan Mo

DCRadaR only has one single out so far, "GUN (Give Up On The Now)", and already you can pinpoint their interesting play on genres (listen below). Their self-proclaimed sound is "electro-shoegaze," but there’s also hints of pop-punk, making it surprisingly easy to dance to. They’ve got more singles to come, and they’re playing July 19th at Metropolitan in Annapolis.

Chimes is the kind of band that’s loud and proud. Their sound is a self-proclaimed "slackedelia," but with much more attitude than the moniker lets on. Their 2014 EP (streaming below), appropriately titled ‘Psychic Slack,’ opens up with the apathetic declaration: "I don’t care what you say, it doesn’t matter anyway." That aura of indifference is exactly what makes this feisty, genre-bending band interesting – although we wouldn’t recommend dating them. They played Shea Stadium on July 9th with Weed Houds, Bueno, and Big Huge, in preparation for an August east coast minitour with Philly’s Seismic Thrust. – Sam O’Hara

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

Hailing from Chicago and calling NYC home, Lexi Scherr has recently released two new singles that showcase her edgy musical talent – we are streaming them both here. The first one, ‘Ready Aim Fire,’ is an upbeat pop song that takes us back to the days when Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush were having an affair (which was apparently both musical and sexual). Cheesy fake horns screaming "80’s electro-pop!!!" introduce a retro electro-rock arrangement that propells this very well produced track chock full of hooks and well orchestrated harmonies. Second single ‘All Take’ – which we are premiering below – is a more aggressive, clangy blues-rock tune that flirts with Eastern influences while bordering on the industrial. This makes it in part reminiscent of what Suzanne Vega tried in ‘99.9°,’ only more bluesy and more in your face. The Deli welcomes any attempt to innovate traditional genres, and this is one that deserves attention. You can see Lexi live at Piano’s upstairs stage on August 5th.

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

San Francisco’s PLUSH and pardoner are making rounds on their first tour together through California, and tomorrow they’re hitting up Club Violaine’s M-Club in Boyle Heights tomorrow, July 14. Enjoy the comforts of Sonic Youth-inspired noise-punk (pardoner), a rarity in Los Angeles, and 50’s-reminisicent pop churned through fuzz and reverb aka sob rock (PLUSH).

The night will be supported by rising locals: post-rock group Young Lovers and doomgazers SHEER. If you’ve been to any of their recent shows you know how expansive these two can get. So you’ll probably want to bring earplugs.

First band is on at 9 PM, 21+ venue and five bucks a pop. Get a taste of PLUSH and pardoner below, and gaze responsibly. – Ryan Mo

Brooklyn collective Bodies Be Rivers may only have one song ready for streaming, but it sure represents them well. "Without You" – the single whose video we are premiering here, from their upcoming debut EP – is an intense ballad that highlights vocalist/keyboardist Lauren Smith’s graceful soprano, and her bandmates dreamy tendencies, where a textural and haunting verse builds towards the uplifting opening of the chorus. For a band that’s beyond ‘new’ – they pretty much just opened their Facebook page and it doesn’t look like they performed live yet – this is certainly a very promising start. The band will release their debut EP at Rockwood Music Hall on August 4th.

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