We’ll take the opportunity given us by Northside to highlight a few emerging local artists we haven’t blogged about in some time – or not at all. Browsing through the list of bands playing tonight, we notice that NYC Kenrda Morris will be at Matchless with Aabaraki (pictured, song streaming below), two acts dedicated to bringing soul back to the heights it deserves (here’s an article about the Soul Revival in NYC by the way).

On the other side of the musical genres’ spectrum, noise masters Yvette will challenge (and probably destroy some) ears at Muchmore’s, headlining a bill of droney bands that includes Courtship Ritual (good name! streaming below), and electro experimenter Alan Watts.

Semi-French pop treat Slowdance (song streaming below) will play Public Assembly’s back room with two fully French bands (by the way, now that the main room is closed, Pub. Ass. is throwing shows in a pretty cool room upstairs). Spike Hill on the other hand will host three Brooklyn bands we covered inside out: ARMS, Conveyor and Miniboone, and one we never heard about: Chris Mills.

Grand Street’s mainstay dive Trash Bar will host loud garage New Jersey based outfit The Everymen and rising indie crooner Tyburn Saint, together with this weird NYC band called The Cowmen – what the heck is this, zombie-country? Some imaginative heads at work there!

285 Kent will surely have a packed show featuring Ava Luna, Twin Sister, Julian Lynch and other great bands from out of town, but these are artists on the verge of not being emerging anymore… Glasslands on the other hand has a DJ only night with some local stars behind the booth – but we don’t care about DJs…

“Fade to Grey” is an enticing chilled-out track being offered up for free by emerging dreampoppers Rohypnotise on their bandcamp page. A loose and jammy drum pattern rises up from the depths, with soft, dreamy vocals quickly entering the mix. The vocal phrasing and subsequent deliberate matched-stepped chord progression brings to mind the work that former Depreciation Guild and current Ice Choir creator Kurt Feldman does so well. There’s sophistication in the songwriting and recording here, with the initial pattern giving way to a much bigger central hook. With plenty of movement throughout the track, little sonic surprises like tambourines and keyboad lines appear at unexpected moments. The band is playing Drunken Piano’s Northside Fest show on 06.13 at Buffalo Snow together with other noteworhty NYC bands Railbirds and Gondola. – Dave Cromwell

For a woman that seemingly manages to pull any instrument conceivable from her body, Julia Easterlin gives you no room for missing much else from a band. But let me be clear. Julia is no mere band-in-the-box novelty act. Her music evokes an enlarged view of spirituality told through dualing rhythms, multi-layered vocal tracks, and a soul with the ability to make anyone a believer in the power of her huge voice and generous loop machines. Check out the song "Unison" below and her latest single in the video for Mavis Staples’ "Eyes on the Prize" here, and make yourself a believer too. This is seriously jaw-dropping stuff. Watch until the end!

Don’t miss Julia’s double date at Cameo on June 24 and 25. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

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

In the early 2000s, ‘Indie’ was branded as the new ‘Alternative,’ and once innovative genres became imitated until they sounded tiresome. With the rise of chillwave and folk in recent years, some critics complain that a lot of the ‘indie’ bands around today are too soft. The visceral sound of the godfathers of independent music, they say, has gone out of style. While NYC’s Pop 1280 may take that raw sound, which borders on metal, to another level, their music revels in an industrial, ‘pigfuck’ of chaos, evoking earlier NY noise and no wave outfits. With songs more concerned about murder than love, they provide a cathartic release from the cliched indie aesthetic, a sound that feels invigorating in its recklessness.

The band released the album ‘The Horror’ under Sacred Bones last year, and will be performing at 285 Kent this Sunday June 16 – the perfect day for a satanic celebration of the beginning of another disgustingly hot NYC summer (also known as… ‘The Horror’). – Jack McGovern

As often highlighted in this blog, Celestial Shore is one of the most interesting and unique bands to emerge from Brooklyn in this decade. Their ingenious blending and juxtaposing of gorgeous harmonies, often dissonant electronics, and math and noise rock elements shows a musical imagination that’s rare to sumble upon. The band has finally announced their debut album "10x," scheduled for release in early September – check out the 2nd preview single ‘Stars Under Stars’ below – first single ‘Valerie’ here. Don’t miss their upcoming show at the Mercury Lounge on 06.18.

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

With tracks like ‘Sonofabitch’ and ‘Cowboys and Slutz,’ Wyldlife‘s not known for mincing words. They play exactly what they mean… and they play it loud. The power punk quartet has been mixing hard lifestyles with sweet ass melodies for a little while, but their new material has gotten the formula firmly in position.

And new single ‘The Right!’ off just released record ‘The Time Has Come to Rock & Roll’ characterizes their straight-ahead guitar onslaught with the righteous rage and an amazing willingness to party (plus the vinyl looks reeeaaaally good!). Buy it today and check out the new jam below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Brooklyn’s STRNGRS (is the lack of vowels the new "Bear" as far as band names?) is giving us a healthy dose of what a ton of rock and roll (emphasis on the “roll”) has been missing lately. These guys take the blues-rock vibe and make it even grittier with some of the noisiest guitar work I’ve heard in a while. Carson Kelly’s vocals are spot on, with wailing and howling that would make Robert Plant proud. You hear off the wall energy from every member of this trio. The band is leading our current artist of the month poll and will celebrate their EP Release Show at Pianos on Friday 6/14. Don’t miss! – Paul Jordan Talbot

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

NYC’s Firehorse are picking up steam, and rightly so – their first record, ‘And so they ran faster…’ surfaced to blogosphere acclaim, building up expectations for the sophomore release ‘Pills From Strangers,’ out in a few weeks. The preview single "Good" (streaming) keeps the promise, delivers a crescendo of tension through a paradoxically danceable odd time signature (the fragmanted 5/4), building towards dissonant peaks and satisfying choruses; Leah Siegel’s signature smoky vocals rest effortlessly atop popleaning synth melodies, and the record’s high points will no doubt get crowds moving. ‘Pills’ is set for release on June 25, and they’ll be officially releasing it at Mercury Lounge on June 28 – don’t miss out! – Zack Kraimer

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

A pillar of the NYC folk scene, Cork born Niall Connolly landed a Friday residency at Rockwood Music Hall which began on June 7th and will extend for not one but two months until July 19th. Recently returned from a series of gigs in Europe, Connolly released his 6th album in March, which combine his signature quality lyrics with soaring melodies and high energy delivery. See the video for single ‘Samurai’ below, and don’t miss the opportunity to see him live at Rockwood in the next couple of months.

– (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

It’s a good thing that Porches.‘ name is in plural form, as there are two distinct sides of this New York based band – recorded one and the live experience. On record, lead singer/songwriter, Aaron Maine makes music that flows as organically as water in a stream. With the jangly tone of his Danelectro re-issue paired with his 20-something baritone voice, Maine transcends musical boundaries that many of his contemporaries would never dare cross. Without fear of being labeled unoriginal, Maine’s approach is simple: pairing relatable, crushing lyrics about cigarettes and sweaty summer nights with some of the most satisfying minor to major chord changes in the “indie” scene to date. On more recent recordings and on tour, Maine is joined by members of the seemingly-everevolving outfit of Porches, including singer/bass player Greta Kline. When Kline and Maine harmonize, they make us yearn for a youth we never had. Porches songs are not all sweet and tame as they might appear on record. The energy expelled at a single Porches show is enough to power a small town or hamlet for at least a week. After playing Shea Stadium last week the band will travel to Europe for a few dates. – Sam Kogon (photo by Heather Craig)