As a follow-up to her 2009 debut album, "Picking Out Boxes", NYC artist Lindsay Katt has produced an interpretative tribute to David Bowie’s 1974 single; "Diamond Dogs". Prompted by her deeply felt respect for Mr. Bowie’s innovative, and music changing body of work, she has followed her roots into a daring exploration of creativity, and is using her influences to explore her own boundaries as an artist. This transformation has manifested in both recorded song, and photographic imagery. Utilizing her diverse range of influences, Lindsay has adopted a slightly darker and edgier medium for Diamond Dogs. As a passionate member and advocate of the LGBTQ community, she represents David Bowie’s androgynous alter-ego “Ziggy Stardust” on the cover of the digital single, pushing her own boundaries, and transforming into something familiar, yet unknown. – (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.

I know you’ve been waiting to shake your tail feather all winter long… well, you’ve got the perfect opportunity coming up with Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds. With a horn section that would be the envy of any Nola street corner, coupled with the theatrical melisma of singer Arleigh Kincheloe ‘s antics, you will find it impossible to stand in one place.

This is a 9-piece powerhouse of funk and blues with a solid penchant for taking these forms and churning them up into a volcanic stew that’s erupted across the states, as the band’s just returned from their first national tour. The band’s latest LP, ‘Pound of Dirt,’ contains all the funk/ska/bluesy trademarks they’ve made their own, and adds in some new flavor in barn burners like ‘Millie Mae’ and ‘Make it Rain.’ I suggest not listening over headphones… its just not loud enough.

Catch Sister Sparrow when they play the CBGB Festival this July, and see the video for "Make it Rain" below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Public Assembly will host a showcase night with four emerging NYC bands on May 16th. Ranging from edgy pop songs to all out exploratory sonic jams, the performers present different yet complimentary styles. Although Esque is a band that’s not afraid to reference a HUGE spectrum of influences, the keyboard driven groove on their single “Double Blind” pays proper homage to synth pioneers like Heaven 17 and Ultravox, but with personal touches like the addition of a dixieland band coda. Check out the track "Bones to Be" (streaming below) for another slice of their genre-encompassing, dark and imaginative world music.

Full on psych rockers Our Mountain stomp along thudding lead footed grooves while twisted, pitch-bended and feedback laced guitars dance over top. The tempos change at times to quicker paced, lighter touch rhythms, allowing a Jim Morrison style storytelling to emerge. The guitars are ever present though, providing texture and counterpoint. Epic mescaline-in-the-desert trip "Pink Elephant" evokes multiple touch points, from the quieter passages of "Pink Floyd" to the all out scratch n’ squall of "Sonic Youth."

There’s a distinct "Raveonettes" feel to Bad Girlfriend and their latest track “Feelings.” Emphasizing deep guitar twang, all female vocals playfully set a mood where simply stated lyrics provide a less is more scenario.

Openers The Beach Arabs‘ appropriately titled song “On The Beach” presents an angular approach both in rhythmic structure and guitar melody, while “Drifters” further reinforces these stylistic traits allowing vocal bursts to make the lyrical point. – Dave Cromwell

You may have thought you’d figured out Chappo during their previous incarnation as alien-fighting, acid-eating, hard-rocking cowboys (the ‘Plastique Universe’ EP)… but as it turns out, this was only the first stop on their intergalactic tour. For those of you confused by this last statement, you’ve got some catching up to do, and now is a good time to do it.

The band’s debut LP ‘Moonwater’ makes their mission abundantly clear: these guys are here to deliver a serious rock record, for people who desperately need one. And it’s not just that they can handle the psych freakout forms usually associated with this town in album openers ‘What are You Kids On?’ and ‘Explode" (or of course, the Apple commercial-worthy ‘Come Home’).’ Fun as those songs are… they can also pull off a fairly convincing stompin’ ritual track on ‘Native Savage,’ which boldly pairs foot stomps with cold-blooded whistlin…’ not an easy thing to do.

It’s all a testament to how bold singer Alex Chappo’s voice is… this guy can hold on to you like Morrison, then break into screaming Omar Rodrigeuz-Lopez chants at breakneck pace. Chappo may have returned to our galaxy… but it doesn’t look like it’ll be the same again.

See the band when they celebrate the record release at Dominion on May 15. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

The words "Brooklyn" and "DIY" bring to mind images of young, intoxicated hipsters partying late in a Bushwick basement, to the notes of punky live music, while – a few floors upstairs – musicians record grating lo-fi music in their bedrooms. But the DIY modus operandi is by no means a prerogative of that scene. Self-defined "urban geek" multi-instrumentalist Michael Hearst (also in South Brooklyn’s own One Ring Zero) has also been recording his own unique orchestral music since the early aughts with admirable prolificacy. Definitely not part of "that" DIY scene, Hearst has slowly but surely fostered his career in DIY ways, networking with other musicians through collaborations which helped promote his talent as a composer and performer. This brought him as far as touring with The Magnetic Fields and performing one of his songs with Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall this past February.

After releasing the hugely acclaimed lit-rock gem "As Smart As We Are" with One Ring Zero, the man has developed a knack for concept albums, and he’s about to release his latest – entitled "Songs for Unusual Creatures" – as a solo effort. Inspired by such beastly oddities as the aye-aye, the magnapinna squid, the blobfish, the elephant shrew, and the blue-footed booby, this instrumental record celebrates some of the most bizarre animals on the planet, as well as some of the most bizarre musical instruments. Check out the very DIY video for Chinese Giant Salamander here.

Quite appropriately, the record release party will be held at the Brooklyn Zoo in Prospect Park on Saturday May 12 at 2 pm.

I don’t know why, it’s surely just some kind of preconception, but when we heard the phased out, psychedelic blues of Heliotropes we almost immediately imagined a bunch of bearded, long haired dudes behind the instruments. Well, it turns out this is an all girl, non-bearded band, whose music would work perfectly on a bill between Widowspeak and Naam. The quartet released their debut 7" in November 2011 and will celebrate the release of the new 12" entitled "Moonlite" (streaming below) on May 22 at The Knitting Factory.

Lovers of unconventional rock music will be delighted to hear that the high fivers of indie-prog-rock par excelence – Brooklyn’s Fang Island – will be soon back with a new album, entitled "Major," and scheduled for a July release. Although there isn’t much to listen to yet (just the soundtrack of this teaser video) the band has released a 1k bullet point explanation of the album title, which will surely get their biggest fans to imagine the entire record track by track, chord by chord, guitar solo by guitar solo – lack of lyrics makes this task much easier, actually…

GravelRoad’s latest album Psychadelta sounds way less psych and way more Clutch meets the blues meets jam band meets old time rock ‘n’ roll. Going for an “acid blues” feel, GravelRoad digs deep in the grit, kicking the album off with “Devil Eyes”. The twangy guitar and steady drum serve well with the muddy vocals that are half spoken and half wailed in a classic blues way. “Furry” is a purely instrumental jam that melts into “In The Woods” which has an almost country sound. “Caves” sounds like a loner on the road; the instruments clashing together creating a wild bird sound, the vocals echoing, the guitars sad. The boogie groove in “Let Me Hold You” gives a real glimpse into the Mississippi blues form that GravelRoad prides themselves on. When I first started listening to Psychadelta, I wasn’t in love. The more I listened, however, the more I could picture myself in a dirty saloon type of bar, drinking whiskey with the guys (or alone), and the more I liked it.

Composed entirely by classically trained musicians (6 of them), and based in Brooklyn and Philly, Cuddle Magic (#77 in our latest Best of NYC Poll for emerging artists) has been spreading their fascinating music through the world since 2008. Their latest release, "Info Nymph," is a piece of art full of stories, literature and artwork, wrapped into an (very) unusual take on traditional songwriting. The band is both intense and soft, wrapping you snuggly with their mellow vocals while keeping you interested and connected through their quirky orchestrations. – CM

Brooklyn based New York Rivals are relatively new in the NY scene but have gathered a fair amount of attention already. Becoming a band just last year, the quartet hit the ground running, releasing their self-titled debut album in October 2011, and touring the East coast to promote it. The 10-track record, which parallels the band’s live shows’ energetic reputation, features a series of noteworthy tunes, including the freewheeling and uplifting, “I’m Not Ready Yet,” “Black and Blue” – which showcases NYR’s pop edge – and rhythmically catching “Follower.” “Come On Now” channels greater intensity and aggression, and the staccato bass riffs drive the final track, “Change” toward a climactic close. The young but seasoned group does not waste a moment, and their work has certainly paid off, as they have three impressive local shows coming up on May 8 at Brooklyn Bowl, May 16 at Bowery Ballroom, and May 17 at Asbury Lanes, NJ. – Meijin Bruttomesso

At Brooklyn Bowl, on April 24, the man of the hour was Bryan Scary, who celebrated the release of his newest, “Daffy’s Elixir.” Two years in the making, the 15 tunes are a spellbinding potion of glam, pop, theatricality, flamboyance, quirky characters, and rock. Mr. Scary conducted the dances with flawless showmanship and let his falsetto vocals and frantic keyboards lead him through the carousel of influences that is his repertopire (check out the Eno-esque song "Misery Loves Company," streaming below). His 11-part group is an impressive bunch of musicians who can transfix crowds with their precision and dynamics, so much so that the Brooklyn Bowl’s audience wished upon the band for more and were granted a dynamite encore. If you are into fun times, keep checking Bryan Scary’s website for upcoming gigs.– Meijin Bruttomesso

On Tuesday, April 24, NYC’s Brooklyn Bowl was filled to the brim with the sounds of new music, humor, showmanship, and the victorious shouts for bowling scores. TAB the Band attacked the Williamsburg venue with solid rock tunes, both “oldies but goodies” from their album “Zoo Noises” and newbies from their upcoming record (release date TBA), causing moments of headbanging delight, accompanied by droll inter-song patter. Look out for TAB on May 24 at Irving Plaza, opening for the one and only Slash. – Meijin Bruttomesso