With their blend of alt-country, surf rock and lo-fi, Juniper Rising put a radical spin on music of the past while remaining in the present. The band cites early country and western music as an influence, but you’ll find a fair share of Spaghetti Western elements in there as well. In our favorite track ‘He’s So Blue’ (streaming), vocalist Holly Overton’s homage to those old timey genres is rather casual, while the twangy guitars flirt with the "three major chords" punk aesthetic, creating a sound that will induce a soothing nostalgia for an extremely contraddictory lifestyle nobody is probably bound to ever experience (surfing punks running a ranch in some border town in Texas near the ocean?). – Jack McGovern, photo by Grace Lestrange

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

Taking cues from the mysterious airs of avant-dance artists like Bat for Lashes or The Knife, and ethereal electronic visionary Enya, Nola Wren brings a unique challenge to the electro-pop genre, channeling a unique world cast through her scorching voice and eclectic instrumentation.

Tracks like ‘Let That Telephone Ring’ and ‘Tonight’ treasure an imaginative warmth caught in the middle of life’s battles – go see her tonight at Tammany Hall at 7pm, and you might come out doing the victory dance. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

It’s hard to place Wild Cub on a sonic scale. At first listen, we were reminded of the sound of Chic, with Nile’s Rodgers-esque guitar playing on “Wild Light”. At other times, we heard a little bit of early U2, shamelessly employing The Edge’s classic delayed guitar effect on “Colour”. After a listening to a few songs off of the band’s latest LP, “Youth”, it is apparent that these guys are going through a late 1970’s/ New Wave kick…and they know what they are doing. Tracks like “The Water “ and “Wishing Well” take some of the best sounds first used by Peter Gabriel and Genesis and deliver them to a younger audience. The entire record is full of subtle anthems that we think you’ll want to hear more than a few times. – Sam Kogon (@samkogon)

Following his spring US tour, Ducktails‘ Matt Mondanile is back to share a new video for "Under Cover," filmed in his home town of Ridgewood, NJ in an abandoned house that will be torn down very soon. The video comes in conjunction with the announcement of a new set of US and European tour dates, beginning with a free show at the Museum of Modern Art on July 25.

Radical Dads have an incredible sense of urgency missing from too many bands these days. It’s almost an existential rage to goddamn get things going already. As proof of concept, the band offers relatively short, punchy, rockout tunes like ‘Pink Flag’ (streaming below) clocking just over 2 minutes, and the similarly short ‘Dust USA’ off latest record ‘Rapid Realty.’ But don’t get me wrong, the band has plenty to say, and they do it all loudly and with plenty of noise along the way. Check out their new record as soon as you can, and catch them live when they get back from Japan on July 20th at the Rock Shop. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

On her new record ‘Light is a Ghost,’ singer-songwriter Julia Weldon acts as the beating heart behind every good dream that’s worth preserving after the alarm clock goes off. From her tenacious energy in the acoustic vamp ‘All I Gave Her’ to her heart-on-sleeve cover of ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow,’ Julia plays loud, intensely, and almost entirely on her acoustic steel string alone. That takes a certain chutzpah for sure… but somehow she gets you every time. That’s what the best dreams seem to be able to do.

See her when she plays Knitting Factory on July 19th for her ‘Light is a Ghost’ album release party. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Brooklyn power-rock quartet Morning Fuzz will pick you up out of your seat and awaken your sluggish self. The energetic NY quartet was formed in 2009 out of a desire to return to their roots after disbanding former U.S.-touring, west coast project Ultra High Frequency. The band, who recently finished a music video for the single ‘You Say,’ is set to bring their catchy vocals, radio-friendly tunes and driving beats to The Studio at Webster Hall on 7/5 for their debut album release party with Crysto Martyr and Gone By Daylight. The album, titled ‘Chasing Ghosts,’ was produced by Barrett Jones (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) and you can listen to the single “You Say” below and stream the entire thing here – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

(Photo by Todd Zimmer)

Steven is guitarist and lead vocalist for Deco Auto, and also makes a deliciously angry salsa.

 

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Notwithstanding the cost of… everything in NYC is stunningly high, one of the most broke demographic on the planet doesn’t seem able to resist Brooklyn’s charm. Yes we are talking about indie musicians. Chicago’s lo fi pop trio Unicycle Loves You is one of the latest acts to join what’s probably the biggest community of musicians on earth, and The Deli welcomes them to the borough. The band has released 3 albums while in their home town, and are readying their NYC debut – they’ll be debuting songs from it at their upcoming show at The Knitting Factory on 06.27.

Have you ever wondered what noisy post-punk would sound like if it had hints of anthemic, eighties glam rock in it? Look no further than Plastic Visions‘ self titled EP. The project of two cousins, Brad Shultz and Kane Stewart, Plastic Visions play raw, distorted tracks that deliver endless hooks . Never sounding too self-indulgent or derivative, the duo plunges you into an ecstatic world of submission, combining a rough, arty edge with the fun recklessness of a true rock n’ roll band. – John McGovern

Here’s a new video from a rootsy band we’ve been following for some time, Whale Bally – the song is ‘Water Voices.’  You can see their energetic live show at Mercury on July 6.

Brooklyn pop four-piece Half Sister has just released its debut 6 track self titled EP. From the opening track, ‘Birds With Arms’, front-woman Sarah Aument’s confident and expressive alto takes us back to the catchy melodies of the late 90’s, while a jangly rhythm guitar builds towards a tense, minor-chord-sounding chorus slightly reminiscent of the glorious days of grunge. The underlying groove on tracks like ‘RGB’ betrays a tight and inventive rhythmic section. Our favorite songs, ‘The River’ (streaming below) and RGB, are dream pop gems that could have been in The Sundays’ unforgettable debut album.  While it’s easy to get carried away with genre nostalgia, Half Sister never crosses the line, offering a personal and heartfelt record with several good tracks: whether you hear a little bit of the The Sundays, The Gin Blossoms, or even 80’s Blondie, you’re guaranteed to find a few great summer tunes ready for the beach. – Sam Kogon (@samkogon)