We’ve never really been that much into revival music, until we heard Foxygen‘s "Take the Kids Off Broadway" (which was our Album of the Month in April 2012 – the band graces the cover of our Fall 2012 NYC issue). But is this revival music anyway? To a certain extend, it is, since the NYC/Olympia duo’s references to the rock sound of the 60s and 70s are undeniable. But Foxygen’s way to unfold songs that constantly evolve from one brilliant melody to another, their imaginative kaleidoscopic DIY production, and Sam France’s vocal flair trascend influences to conjure up something that encompasses past and present to become timeless. We were curious to ask these guys some questions about how they record their music – you can find their answers on Delicious Audio.

It’s time to pump up the enjambment! Are you starved of syllables? Vacant of verbiage? Bereft of that Boom-Bap? Fret not, lovers of lyrics and revelers in rhyme, a collection of some of New York’s most potent wordsmiths is set to take the stage at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn this Thursday Nov. 29th. Headlined by Outernational, whose new EP was produced by RATM Tom Morello (can you tell?), and featuring support by the likes of Beans (formerly of Anti-pop Consortium), Mike Ladd, and MINDSpray’s Prop Anon, it promises to pack more syllables per measure than a Micro-Machines commercial. Seriously, though, these guys are dope. Stream the EP titletrack below, and watch a video here.  – BrokeMC

Hungry Hands sounds like they’re probably nice guys, but of course you never know. It seems they’ve been going through a lot of changes lately. For most of their latest record ‘Plumb, Restless,’ singer JJ Byars negotiates all the oddities that come with suddenly finding you’re an adult. From opener ‘Second Guessing’ (streaming below), to mysterious closer ‘Little One,’ this is a band in awe of how existence evolves, and what it might mean. With the lilting harmonies of Local Natives and Dismemberment Plan’s narrative of life’s various frustrations, Hungry Hands displays an often difficult unease that follows most life changes. But in epic jams like ‘Grape,’ their intelligence and lush soundscapes make the changes all the more palatable. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – This band submitted their music for review here

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Active since 2007 and currently based in Brooklyn, Pepi Ginsberg belongs to the category of musicians who see songwriting as a challenge to generic and derivative music – and this is attitude is precisely what we expect from New York City based artists. Her personal style, honed since her 2009 debut "Red", consists in raw but clean sounding DIY songs following unexpected melodies built on unusual, often bizarrely angular arrangements. The first single from the upcoming album ("20TH Century Crime," streaming below, video here) reveals though a new musical approach, more organic, lyrical and dreamy than the previous releases, which could be the reason behind Pepi’s choice to release it under the new Companion moniker. This is an artist for those who, like us, love innovative female songwriters with great voices like Lia Ices and Jesca Hoops. – The single below was added to our Indie and Mellow SoundCloud compilations, you can find the link on the top right of this page.

When most people get out of a long relationship, they usually take some time off to get familiar again with life lived solo.

Not so for Spencer Draeger. After breaking up his 9 year old band, he immediately jumped into a wellspring of material that has now materialized into latest project The Midnight Hollow. The group takes Draeger’s dark melancholy mindstate, and couples it with tribal drums and hissing synths. The trio have just started playing and their new EP follows close behind. In case you had any doubts of how many ideas Draeger has stuck in his ears, the record boasts only one song under four minutes. But as testified in opener ‘The Midnight Hollow’ (streaming below) this is testament to a band setting down some large ideas. Time will tell what’s next for the brand new group. Check out their EP on the group’s bandcamp. – This band submitted their music for review here – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

A lot has happened since NYC Takka Takka‘s 2008 album release "Migration" – which was very well received. The band members followed different paths for awhile, but the core duo of vocalist/guitarist Gabe Levine and drummer Conrad Doucette didn’t lose touch, involved a new bassist (Craig Montoro) and kept working on a new release, which can be now streamed online here. The album keeps faith to the band’s textured, angular but sensual and vaguely melancholic sound, with an added orchestral element brought by Levine’s long time collaborator Michael P. Atkinson. Entitled "A.M. Landscapes," the album is out now on Earnst Jennings, the opener track "A Bad Sign (High and Lows) is streaming below and was added to our SoundCloud compilation of the best new tracks by emerging NYC bands here. Stay tuned for upcoming shows in the NYC area.

Since emerging in 2009, Everyday/Everynight has managed to make a lot of noise in the Kansas City scene. With a full length release in 2011, a two-week tour and a best emerging act nomination under its belt, the band has effectively punched the clock and done the necessary time needed to grind out a respectable reputation as a working-class band.

Assuming that the Mayans don’t fuck us over, the band will ride that reputation into 2013 on the strength of their new single “#fire.” The track positions itself nicely with plenty of build and atmospheric noise to gather mystique. Easing in with passive drums over porno sounds, “#fire” climbs upwards into a full Radiohead frenzy. Perfectly paced and patterned flawlessly underneath mellow and melodic vocals, the song takes a simple approach to its structure with repetitive guitar and bass riffs blended with reasonably adjusted floor tom drumming.  If time travel were possible, “#fire” could easily spark up the flux capacitor and find its way snuggled into the set list of several classic 1990’s movie soundtracks. Local nerds: think Flick’s The Perfect Kellulight with this track.

You can download "#fire" and "#16monkies" at the link right here. The songs were recorded by Ross Brown at Rock Jack Studios.

–Joshua Hammond

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Admittedly, it’s been an awful long time since I’ve heard an album-oriented drone record. While Sonic Youth certainly blazed a trail of noisy electricity years ago, it’s high time for some new blood in this genre. Dull Edges have taken five perfectly composed pop tunes, and turned them into epic jams of staggering proportions. Just when you think you’ve heard the last melody wind its way out in track opener Washed Out (from new EP ‘Half Shattered’), the song picks up again and reveals a whole new dimension to the staggered wall of haze emanating from this colorful trio. Throughout the EP, the band just seems to get louder and louder, especially in my fave ‘Space Jam.’ Built for anyone looking to escape Earth’s orbit by amp wattage alone, Dull Edges’s Half Shattered is just what you need for the trip. Check out the new record here, and come out to their album release Friday, December 14th at Cakeshop. – This band submitted their music for review here