Headed by Brooklyn native Paul Weinfield, Tam Lin evokes the aura of late-60’s acoustic folk, creating songs that are subdued and guarded while allowing hints of vulnerability to shine through. Weinfield is the son of a composer and a poet, blending the two influences into Tam Lin’s fragile love songs on the band’s fourth album, “Garden in Flames.” The album, which was released last fall, covers an array of sounds by its ten multi- instrumentalist musicians, traveling through Weinfield’s heartaches and his battle with cancer. Tam Lin will perform at the Living Room on September 7th. – Devon Antonetti

Staking their claim as a top contender among bands with names that are nearly a complete sentence, "Letting Up Despite Great Faults" have a number of quality songs to support such a noble sounding name – our favorite from their latest release are the dramatic "Stand Still" and the more minimalistic “Folding Under Stories Told” . The Los Angeles/Austin based electro-dream-pop band is about to release a new album entitled "Untogether" (scheduled for early October) and recently unveiled the first single "Visions" (streaming below), which nods the 80’s era Cure of "In Between Days" by way of pace, chord progression and strumming, and through bass textures reminiscent of New Order’s Peter Hook. Sugary sandpaper vocals share space alongside additional late-80’s pop purveyors Echo & The Bunnymen, with a bit of modern-era "twee" (and fellow half-a-sentence named) Pains Of Being Pure At Heart style vocals on the bridge. – Dave Cromwell

The Last Royals are two gentlemen out of Brooklyn who bonded (on a musical level) in 2010. Since then, singer/writer/producer, Eric James, and drummer,Mason Ingram, have been pouring their hearts out in song. Their upcoming record, “Twistification,” due out in January of next year, takes listeners on a quick-paced, joyful joyride. “Winter Waltz” is a short overture that contrasts with the remainder of “Twistification,” transitioning from melancholy to an eruption of bouncy synth-driven verses, defining the cheerful nature of the record. Upbeat highlights include “Friday Night,” “Wake Up,” and single, “Only the Brave,” which is currently available to the public. Mid-album, the tempo relaxes with the lush “All Over Again” but accelerates to the power- electro-pop “Good day to Be on the Radio.” The Last Royals will be amping up for tour in the fall and probably have a few plans up their sleeves for a record release fit for rock royalty. A 3 song teaser EP will be out on October 2nd on iTunes via Ooh La La Records. – Meijin Bruttomesso

You can check out The Dead Girls‘ exclusive live in-studio Daytrotter session at the link here! The session was released today and is now available for download or streaming.

The Dead Girls are working on their next full-length album Fade In/Fade Out, which should be released later this year, and features four of the tracks in this session.

Finally, check out our story below, featuring drummer Eric Melin. He talks a little more about the upcoming album, which he calls their most mature work to date. And, well, you’ll just have to read the rest to find out. Do it!

–Michelle Bacon

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Alien Trilogy is a noisy synth-punk trio from Brooklyn New York whose music takes inspiration from 80’s and 90’s sci-fi films and the sound of bands such as Devo and Nervous Gender. The trio combines catchy synth lines, effects laden vocals and the squeals and pops of circuit bending into a tightly focused cyper punk assaults. Alien Trilogy will deafen audiences next at XPO 929 in Bushwick on September 29. – (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.

This week, we put drumming madman Eric Melin in the hot seat. The Dead Girls‘ drummer talks to us about his rock-n-roll-all-night approach to the skins, his passion for air guitar, and his life as a movie critic. Catch the beat right here!

On The Beat is typically brought to you by Sergio Moreno, but has been overtaken this week by drummer and The Deli – Kansas City editor-in-chief Michelle Bacon. This weekly interview features some of the many talented drummers in the area.

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Photo Source: Dog Shredder

This upcoming Saturday, Dog Shredder are playing at The Highline with Rose Windows and Kayo Dot.

Their latest EP Brass Tactics – released in April via local Seattle label Good to Die Records – is a maelstorm of sweat, blood and adrenaline. All three songs do battle with the listener, evidenced before the aural inferno even takes off by their names: "Battle Toads," "Battle Snakes," and "Battle 07."

"Battle Snake" is heavy and lightning-quick. The pace of the song does not relent, leaping from lick to lick in a powerful and precise dance. Math rock’s signature stop/start dynamics and time signature flips are present, but what once was asymmetrical guitar looping is furious progressive rock spit from the maw of Dog Shredder. Part monster of metal, part creature of incessant progression, part pure thrash, their musical chimeras bridge the gap between technical brilliance and exuberant, emotional energy.

"Battle 07" is a significant departure from the two prior tracks; a lone, aching synth conjoins with Josh Holland’s obscured vocals in a bizarro post-punk ballad. The clinking of wrenches and chains slinks in through industrial-like programming. What feels like a desperate cathedral sermon gradually distorts itself into a dystopian anthem.

September 1st at The Highline will be an excellent show – do not miss Dog Shredder and the rest of the lineup! The 21+ show begins at 10pm and costs $10. Check out "Battle Toads" below and visit their bandcamp to stream all of Brass Tactics. The EP is available digitally for $4, or through GTD Records on vinyl for $10.

– Cameron LaFlam

Following the release of her acclaimed debut albums, Brooklyn-based ambient electro experimenter Laurel Halo will be touring with Ital (PLANET MU) starting mid-next month and into early October. The tour will start at 285 Kent Ave. on 09.21.

Planted firmly in the roots music of American folk, Mountain Man shoots up from the salt of the earth and into the high, wide atmosphere with delicate harmonies and spirits as wide as the Mississippi. Their three voices have the strange effect of sounding close enough in range to fool you into thinking their magic is issuing from a single being, not unlike another downhome female powerhouse, First Aid Kit.

The trio of Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath recently opened for Feist, and are working on the follow up to their debut album, ‘Made the Harbor". – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

If you’re a Duran Duran fan, you may want to check out the NYC artist who is currently touring with them: MDNR’s debut record ‘Feed Me Diamonds’ is a sweat-stained roller-coaster mixing chilled electro grooves supplied by Peter Wade, alongside sultry bombshell vocalist Amanda Warner. The Chelsea loft-ready group has been releasing singles since emigrating to New York from Oakland back in 2010, and are set now to embark on their own dates, where towels and energy drinks are highly recommended.

Join them in saying goodbye to the summer for their album premiere party this Thursday the 30th at the TriBeCa Grand Hotel. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

One of the most interesting LA based artists of the new decade, Julia Hotler just announced a touring schedule which will include dates on the East Coast, the Moogfest and the Unsound Fest in Poland. She also released this interesting video created by visual artist José Wolfffor the vocoder heavy single "Goddess Eyes I".

For those of you out there who might remember the head-on post rock of Connecticut’s Apse, it’s time for something decidedly… different – from some of the same musicians, now based in Brooklyn. Where that band reveled in complicated tapestries of ambient texture, Eraas dials the textures down, preferring to slice with a fine-tipped scalpel instead. Their two latest tracks exist in the same shadows as the eerie cover art for their self-titled debut set for release on October 1st. "Fang" especially sinks its claws into a booming sub-bass and demonic vocals that swing across it’s canyon space. A stark vision in contrast to the band’s older work, it’s about time someone tried to scare the eardrums off the L train crowd. Watch it happen yourself when the band plays The Mercury Lounge on September 4. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)