Some people buy some records just because they like their cover art. NYC’s Slap Bracelets‘ debut EP "The Wendigo" might not inspire that kind of impulse, but once you break through the cover art "barrier" (hopefully there’s a good story behind it) you’ll be rewarded with a delicate and beautifully crafted electro-pop single with new wave overtones, and an almost shoegazey development in the second half of the song. The single in question is the EP’s title track, streaming below.

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

Big Thief is Adrianne Lenker’s collaborative songwriting project. Several songs have been posted since her last official release, "a-sides" in 2014. Her music is often sentimental and rarely steps outside conventional folk arrangements, so what is that in there—bold and arresting? She stands apart from many musicians carrying on the folk/bluegrass tradition in that she never gets lazy—all her tracks are different, her songwriting is on point, and her voice can stand perfectly alone as well as melt into anything it touches. She delivers clarity. The vocal harmonies in “a-sides” thaw over spare strumming and tell stories of death by Lake Superior, travels by the Mississippi River, and countless other places impossible not to fall in love with. Her earlier records “b-sides” and “Ours Were The Birds” can’t go without mention as they offer a great catch of Lenker’s even more powerful solitude. Big Thief played a bunch of shows in March and we’re looking forward to hearing more. – Leora Mandel

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

Lost Boy ?’s debut LP due March 31, "Canned," is a collection of old favorites and soon-to-be-hits that marries clever riffs with playful, creative ambition. Sandwiched between “Hollywood’s” relentlessly catchy riffs and “Hemorrhage’s” disaffected vocals (courtesy of Luke Chiarutinni) you’ll find 11 tracks of perfectly unpolished, irreverent pop goodness. Davey Jones’s bedroom project-turned-band scatters doses of seriousness around the record but still manages to approach it all with refreshing levity. Although Jones has upgraded his recording quality infinitely from his earlier recordings, he kept a crafty, lo-fi approach, with delightfully messy leads and chirpy vocals permeating the majority of the record. "Canned" proves that, for Lost Boy ?, not taking themselves seriously is serious business. See them live at Shea Stadium on 04.18 for the record release party. – Michael Sosnick

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

In art, there’s a fine line between terrible and genius, and it’s mostly defined by taste – but to a certain extent also experience. When you make the choice to get bombarded on a daily basis by music submissions, when you stumble upon something that sounds truly different you can’t help but take notice. Hailing from Queens, NYC, Macula Dog produces heavily… insane music, probably inspired by bizarre experimental bands like The Residents, Pere Ubu and who knows what other obscure weird records. Refreshingly though, these guys aren’t just experimental for the sake of being experimental: their songs are very well produced, and there is a recognizable style unifying their repertoire. We’ll spare you from describing them, just take a listen to "Jungle Swingers" below, or go see them at one of the many upcoming live shows they have scheduled in NYC (list here), and open up your mind!

I don’t think any rock musician really likes to be referred to as a "veteran," but after four albums recorded in nine years of activity, all spent in that constant revolving door that’s New York City, The Shondes should hear that word as a title more than anything. In this time frame, through the violent ups and down only rock musicians can experience, the band has built a remarkable fan base without ever betraying its original sound, a melodic but direct indie rock at times reminiscent of a less angular version of criminally underrated Throwing Muses, with an added violin by Elijah Oberman, who founded the group with lead singer/bassist Louisa Rachel Solomon in 2006. The Shondes released their fourth album "The Garden" in 2014 and will be performing live at The Rock Shop on April 4th.

Those New Yorkers who find the typical indieshtik a little long in the tooth may want to look into a simple cure called Not Blood Paint. The Brooklyn quartet is not afraid to get their hands dirty with quirkiness of all kinds, alternatively flirting with epic excesses and theatrical set ups. You can find them at their best on a stage, where they integrate their dramatic music with crazy costumes and synchronized moves. You have the opportunity to see them live tonight (03.27) at Cameo.

The best artists are always those able to create quality music that can’t be easily associated with precise genres or musical eras. NYC songwriter Matteah Baim‘s third album "Falling Theater," released seven years after her sophomore LP "The Laughing Boy," is a peculiar folk record that at times matches – in sparseness and ghostliness – Nico’s solo releases, minus the gothic tendencies of the German singer-songwriter. Matteah will be appearing live at Baby’s All Right on Tuesday March 31.

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

East Village folk trio Del Water Gap plays a brand of folk that’s charming, melancholic and entertaining at once, often employing Hammond and horns to enrich their faster songs – such as streaming single "Sleeping." The band is about to enter a busy season, with four NYC shows scheduled in just over a month. The first one will be at Pianos tomorrow (March 27), and the most prestigious one at The Mercury Lounge on April 20 with Canon Logic. Full schedule here.

The Deli believes that if a band can rock properly, and does it for long enough, somebody important is going to take notice at some point. For NYC’s The Dough Rollers, that somebody was Jack White, who signed them to his label Third Man Records, under which they released single "Little Lily" in 2013 and – at the end of 2014 – EP "Gone Baby Gone." The band rocks so bad they recently toured with Bob Dylan, Billy Idol and then Queens of the Stone Age…

We had a chance to ask the guys in the band a few questions about recording and gear, you can read the Q&A on our sister blog Delicious Audio.

It’s nice to see two talented emerging NYC bands scheduled to headline a biggish venue like Rough Trade on a Saturday night (April 4th). Originally from Columbia, avant-pop duo Salt Cathedral has been on our radar for quite a while (we booked them a few CMJs ago when they went under the name of "Il Albanico"); they are one of those rare bands that seem able to keep improving year after year. Long Island’s Braeves (pictured) and their nostalgic, well crafted indie pop came to our attention more recently through our Best of NYC Poll for Emerging Artists (of which they won the readers’ poll in the pop category). The band has been building some buzz recently, in particular after selling out Pianos in January – FYI for the other bands out there: that’s how you get called by Bowery to play Rough Trade on a Saturday.

With their sound and attitude at times reminiscent of great ’90s UK band Tindersticks (whose music was too dark and decadent to make an impression in the US), and at others veering towards some kind of operatic math cabaret, Brooklyn and Sheffield, UK based band Frogbelly and Symphony just released their debut album "Blue Bright Ow Sleep," which was recorded in NYC by legendary producer Martin Bisi. Fronted by NYU-trained violinist & keyboardist Liz Hanley, the record emerged in its final form through a dense touring schedule mostly concentrated in northern Europe. That’s where the band will return in a few weeks, in occasion of their April tour of the UK and Ireland.

Shana Falana have been a part of the Brooklyn dream-pop fabric for a while now. Evolving and perfecting a uniquely nuanced sound through constant touring and single releases, the band is now ready to release their debut album “Set Your Lightning Fire Free” on April 7 via Team Love Records. Recording at Woodstock’s Isokon Studios with producer Dan Goodwin, core members Shana Falan (vox, gtrs, keys) and Mike Amari (drums) enhanced the group’s sound with Jane Scarpantoni on cellos and Matthew Cullen on sitar. Debut single “Heavenstay” (streaming) hit all the right sensory marks for a classic dreamy escape. In it, Shana’s vocals are more suggested than literal, as they soar over deep guitar notes and tom tom heavy drums. Brand new single "Go" (premiered today through the Village Voice) raises the energy level with a harder charging drum pattern, while chiming guitar textures evoke the original psychedelic sound of 60’s trailblazers The Byrds classic track “Eight Miles High.” The band will embark on a two month tour beginning next month, and play Brooklyn’s Shea Stadium on April 4. – Dave Cromwell

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