London-native, NYC based Anna Krantz has tackled a variety of songwriting projects over the years and was recently named a top 10 finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, the same competition that Goyte and Kimbra won for “Somebody That I Used To Know.” She’s continuously impressed NYC audiences with her unique voice, clever banter, and catchy songwriting, leaving her mark on a city that she now calls home. "Rubble and the Dust" (see video streaming below) is the first single off of her upcoming EP, set to release in Summer 2012. "I hope this song will give people the courage to really listen to themselves, to acknowledge the signs and to never settle. We never need to settle for anything less than that which simply feels right.” Anna encourages fans to submit their RATD photos to her blog. – Christina Morelli

Seattle-based songwriter Debbie Miller will debut her sophomore album, Measures and Waits, with a live performance at the Columbia City Theater on Sunday night. Once regarded as one of New York City’s best-kept musical secrets, Miller’s relocation to the coast came after the succesful release of her first album, Fake Love, back in 2010. Mixing a folky sensibility with disarmingly honest, and frequently clever, lyrics, Miller has gained followings that bookend the country with enthusiasts on both coasts. Measures and Waits, a six-song EP, is a return to form for the multi-talented songstress, who deftly shifts from strumming an acoustic guitar to navigating a piano’s keyboard. As always, Miller blends canny instrumentation and delicate, yet powerful, vocals. A siren chorus opens the album’s leading track, "Inch By Inch", and her piercing voice and rousing wordplay work to ensnare the listener within the first few bars. The rest of the album follows that example, with catchy choruses and even more infectious harmonies, ensuring that fans new and old won’t be disappointed at its release this Sunday. Opening acts will include folk rockers Haystack Charm, and Sean Neil.

Doors: 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $6

– Kate Shepherd

Definitely one of the most original alt-country bands expressed by the NYC scene in the last decade, O’Death writes songs that are never generic, and (in tune with the project’s name) always carry a dark sense of desperation. The band just released a new, beautiful but rather tense video of the slightly gypsy sounding ballad "Black Dress", streaming below. The band is about to leave on an Eat Coast tour which will bring them to NYC at Glaslands on June 9.

Starlight Girls (Deli Band of the Month in early 2011 and #19 in our Best of NYC Emerging Artist 2011 poll) intrigued us last year with the beautifully retro-pop gem Gossip, but they managed to take things to a new, exciting level in this stunning video of "Flutterby", a chamber pop mid tempo tune echoing still those beloved retro-loungey atmospheres, but in classier and sexier ways. One of the best video/song combo we sa this year. The band just released their debut EP (download it for free on bandcamp), and see them at Cake Shop on April 14.

Food Will Win the War’s music sounds like it was taken from frontman Rob Ward’s journal. The band’s album, "A False Sense of Warmth," showcases the band’s trademark Americana sound, a modern folk-laced (semi-colonial at times) bazaar celebrated in large, open fields, where thousands imaginary people sit at long wooden tables, eating corn, bread, and venison. Beer flows into enormous copper jars and glasses. You can see Food Will Win the War live on Saturday, April 21st at Mercury Lounge. by Matthew Donahue – – (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’ not easy to be a quiet guy in this age of white noise, in particular here in NYC. But when this guy (namely, Doveman‘s Thomas Bartlett) is able to transform into fine musical poetry even the original soundtrack of 80’s flick Footloose, it means that he’s up to the challenge (in 2008 – asked by childhood friend Gabriel Greenberg – Doveman released a cover album of the dancey blockbuster, listen to it streaming below and read about it here).

An artist of few notes (mostly piano ones), Doveman has numerous fans in the community of established NYC musicians, who gladly join Bartlett on stage as guests during the monthly "Burgundy Stain Sessions" residency at Le Poisson Rouge he started in 2011: on Friday April 13 these will include Aaron Dessner and Bryan Devendorf (of The National), Julia Stone (of Angus and Julia Stone), Chocolate Genius (Marc Anthony Thompson), and Trixie Whitley. Past guests include Norah Jones, Annie Clark, Beth Orton, Laurie Anderson among others.

The Click Clack Boom is one of those rare to find bands that – like good wine – slowly gets better with the years. These guys were already an Alt Rock NYC powerhouse back in 2009, when they played our Best of NYC Fest, but since then their music has veered in a wilder direction, which warms our punky hearts. Check out this lo budget video of their new single Elle Deadsex – but, mostly, focus on the song: a concise, tense and unforgiving punk-rock gem. This is how rockn’nroll is supposed to be. See them at The Mercury Lounge on May 2.

To keep the buzz up about the upcoming release of their debut album due on June 4th, Friends just released this new single entitled "Mind Control". The band is on tour right now, and there’s no NYC show in sight.

Rarechild, one of the most intriguing emerging NYC electronic bands, has been releasing a song a month since January, and will continue throughout the year. The most recent track, called "Salty" and streaming below, showcases a group that shies away from current trends and prefers to find inspiration in the brainy melodies and lyrics of early Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel, while re-elaborating them in a minimalistic, all-electronic way. See them live at Brooklyn Fireproof on Saturday April 14 ith Psychobuildings.
 

Sean Bones (who looks a helluva lot like young Ian Brown) sure doesn’t suffer from the Broklyn Depression Syndrome we mentioned in the previous blog post. His music has always been upbeat and often inspired to the "sunniest" of genres: reaggae. This video for the new single "Here Now" – also track-opener of his upcoming full length – confirms the guy’s fascination with ultraviolet rays, but abandons carribean musical references in favor of a more straight piano driven indie pop.

Sometimes I wonder if Brooklyn is really so depressing… Yeah because these days it seems to inspire hordes of really dark and hopeless-sounding bands – like Black Marble. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up listening to this kind of music and love it, I’m just surprised by the sheer amount of it that this wonderful neighborhood is capable of producing. So… if you happen to feel like you had a little too much happiness lately, we recommend you check out this duo, who seem to reference some of the darkest early post punk bands of the 80s, like The Cure and Joy Division. The band released a 5 song EP in January and will be performing at the Newtown Radio party with Widowspeak on 04.21 at 319 Scholes.

Combining beautiful dreamy female vocals with a band of dudes chunking out chimey, grungy guitar chords and distinctive rhythmic bass/drum patterns, Brooklyn’s Night Manager is a rising new force on the NYC indie music scene. Their presence has already gone national, to the extent that their "Ghost" 7" EP (Deli Record of the Month earlier this year) caught the attention of labels Rough Trade in the UK and Big Love in Japan, and have since released it in those countries. Night Manager comes along as a breath of fresh air in a scene that has simply duplicated itself one too many times. – Read Dave Cromwell interview with the band here.