Brooklyn, NY sextet Azi Nizi Maza rolls out a diverse swirl of R&B, indie rock, and new wave on their six-track excursion THANK YOU FOR COMING. Consisting of bass, drums, keys, trumpet, guitar and female vocals, this eclectic unit creates a smorgasbord of sound channeling classic soul, swinging funk, surf rock frivolity, and catchy grooves led by a captivating chanteuse-like figure bedazzling ears with daring post-punk energy. Showcasing a forward-thinking musical acumen that allows the band to make seamless dynamic shifts and atmospheric switches while top-notch songwriting reveals an advanced comprehension of psychedelic hard rock and free-form jazz, Azi Nizi Maza has created a blend of unique and intriguing tunes perfect for adventurous ears to fawn over. – MikeSOS

Callers is one of those bands we’ve been following for friggin’ ages (well, let’s not exaggerate, 3-4 years maybe…) and often wondered how long their status of "Best Kept NYC Secret" would last. It’s probably time for it to end – surely their upcoming European tour with Dirty Projectors will help in this regard.

Featuring one of the most beautiful female voices in Brooklyn, the band, originally a duo, has now ventured into a quartet format with the addition of drums and keyboards. The preview single Heroes (streaming below) features a fuller sound, but mostly… a faster one. Indeed, the track represents a steep increase in terms of BPM if compared to the band’s material we are familiar with, but the songwriting quality is there, together with the top notch delivery. Sara Lucas’ blue soprano here almost sounds like Joni Mitchell from the Hejira period, when the Canadian songwriter’s youthful enthusiasm started to be contaminated by the understanding that adult life is full of sadness, which conjured up one of the most beautifully melancholic records ever made. These contradicting forces are also at work in this song, where the dancey rhythm section lifts our mood, while Sara’s blue notes and lyrics keep our thoughts wondering about the mysteries of life. See Callers at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 09.20 with Wye Oak. – Read a 2011 Deli interview with Callers here.

Mp3: Callers – "Heroes"

From a debut EP six years ago to a first album released at the end of July, Viva Mayday may have broadened its palette, but help onto the politically conscious spirit that gives their music a pleasant taste of peaceful protest.. A long road takes us from 100 Years to Consuela, to meet at the end a band that opened its arms wider to its beloved reggae beats, funk or blues, delivering a refreshing cocktail of influences set to tickle the roots of its indie rock. Currently pulling together some new material, the band will be playing its next show during the CMJ marathon, on October 17th at Brooklyn’s Bar Matchless. Read Tracy Mamoun’s Q&A with the band here. 

Vanessa Bley, who at the start of the year released her own solo debut EP, has now officially teamed up with the two friends who’ve been playing with her since the start of this venture. Under the name Beast Patrol, the three of them are on the way towards a first output as a band, Fierce & Grateful EP, which they introduced about a month ago with vaporous post-punk jam ‘Plaster‘. Streaming below is ‘Disbeliever‘, the latest preview, a glimpse of the fierce side we didn’t get to meet yet coming through ferocious vocals and angry drums; nothing like Plaster, no smothered dance beats, this track’s got a message to deliver and is going for it. Available September 25th (via their own label Space Camp Radio), the EP will be welcomed on October 3rd with a show at the Bowery Electric.

NYC’s Corporal, who are fronted by actor Michael Shannon, will join Less the Band, who are unconventionally frontman-less, for a show at Le Poisson Rouge on September 30th.  The frantic punk-folk of Shannon’s band will create an intriguing contrast with Less the Band’s melodic brand of indie rock. Shannon, who will play General freaking Zod in the upcoming Superman reboot “Man of Steel,” will likely intertwine Corporal’s songs with support for another four years of Barack Obama, especially with the election right around the corner. Listen to one of Corporal’s Obama supporting songs, logically titled “Obama 1,” streaming below. – Josh Johnson

In between dorm life and mid-term exams, NYU trio Town Hall released their full-length debut “Roots and Bells” this spring. Though maybe not your typical college undergrads, the Brooklyn trio met as students at the Clive Davis Institute of Recording Music in 2010 and have been jamming together ever since.  With the poppy, upbeat vocals of Stefan Weiner and Phoebe Ryan, the band charges through “Roots and Bells” with songs about mischief and longing that mix playful humor with a diverse set of stirring folk melodies. Joined by Plume Giant and The Due Diligence, they’ll be starting off their fall season on September 29th at Shea Stadium. Read Devon Antonetti’s interview with the band here. 

We watched Field Mouse progress from a singer songwriter based project to a full blown Dream Pop band, and their new single "How Do You Know" (streaming here) represent another step towards the most pillowy and ethereal of musical genres. The track will be released as a 7" through the Lefse Records Singles Series. NYC daydreamers, shoegazers and stargazers shouldn’t miss the band when they play Pianos tonight (09.14) and The Rock Shop on 09.19.

Alexandra Stewart arrives to her music with the same wide open spirit that accompanies many of her fellow colleagues, artists like Bjork or Feist, with whom Stewart shares a link to Iceland’s legendary producer Valgeir Sigurðsson, through her own producer (and Sigurðsson’s apprentice) Alexander Overington. Like her own story, Stewart’s new album ‘Wàbà’ checks in with the force of a tireless immigrant, set to land on Brooklyn’s shores with a splash before finding its way to all our playlists over the next several months. Stewart is that kind of dangerous artist who threatens to upend expectations of what our local songwriters can do. The first single off her soon-to-be-released record is a mellow and slightly jazzy power rocker (‘Soul Like A Ghost,’ streaming below); so sure of it’s own power, it’ll leave you a little taken aback. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of perfectly quiet moments for you on the record too (‘Lullaby’ and ‘You Don’t Know How’) – you can stream the whole thing here.

Check out all these different moods when Stewart plays Glasslands Monday, September 17. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Our friends Body Language , who graced the cover of The Deli SXSW 2012 issue, have just released a preview track (Lose My Head, sreaming below) from their upcoming EP Grammar, scheduled for release on September 18. The band is currently touring with Chicago’s The Hood Internet – don’t miss them at Music Hall of W’Burg tonight (09.14).

Brooklyn’s Morgan Neiman (aka Ducky) has a new EP, The Whether, continuing her assault on gooey soul-pop by playing sultry, understated vocals against tinny electro beats and homemade dubstep basslines. The four-song affair (clocking in at under 12 minutes) recalls the Cardigans, minus the joy, re-imagined instead as a dream- like transmission broadcast from an undisclosed underground bunker. Trippy stuff, Ducky’s videos are even more strange. Take the one for “Killing Time,” featuring three young females baking a cake and standing in front of a mirror dressed like tormented wives from a Douglas Sirk period drama, their greatest impasse here being that of sheer boredom. It’s this kind of unabashed decadence that first brought attention to Williamsburg over a decade ago. In the hands of the frivolously-monikered Ducky, it feels like a sort of homecoming. – Brian Chidester