It’s a great (and rare) feeling when an emerging artist we followed and tried to help with some exposure suddenly produces new material that makes us drop our jaws. This can be said for Saadi, who’s been a regular in the Deli’s pages/blog since she was playing in an indie rock band called Looker. Saadi, just released a 7" and video of the single "Snowyman," which is by far the best track we’ve heard from her this far, and it’s also featured in the single in a series of remixes (including ones from Delicate Steve and Prince Rama). The video is gorgeous too, illustrating an ancient Indonesian tale of love and deception and the resulting forlornness that ensues from this deceit.

There’s something wildly fantastic about Slowdance and their stylish EP, “Light & Color”. Whether it’s their distorted trots through neo-new wave pars or their smoldering struts through retro French-pop standards, the young Brooklyn indie quintet knows exactly how to entice and bewilder listeners at the same time. – Read Annamarya Scaccia Q&A with the band here.

Recently featured on the cover of The Deli Austin 2012 issue – distributed for free at SXSW – electro-soul outfit Body Language channel a lifetime’s worth of music fandom into their own hybrid sound. Citing everyone from Bill Withers and The Beach Boys to Animal Collective as influences, the group is a fine example of the modern Brooklyn indie scene, with music-obsessed artists drawing inspiration from a variety of eclectic sources.

Music fans will have a variety of opportunities to catch the band live in April, since they’ll be playing a string of 3 shows in the NYC area: Bowery Ballroom on 04.14, Bowery Hotel on 04.17 and Brooklyn Museum on 04.19. – Read Dean Van Nguyen’s feature on the band here.

Double release on Sunday April 15 at The Studio at Webster Hall for two promising folky NYC bands, Flearoy and Town Hall.

Town Hall (top picture) describe themselves as an "adventurous indie pop band", although their music betrays a strong folk component, with frequent jazzy tinges. In the past few months they released a weekly, DIY cover video of songs like "Always On Time" by Ashanti & Ja Rule and "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World. This past January, they released their EP "Sticky Notes & Paper Scraps" and recently released their first official music video, "Good Boy".

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Flearoy‘s Americana carries influences ranging from Booker T & the MG’s to the Beatles to Destiny’s Child (whom they recently covered in a tribute set in December). The band has earned an always welcome reputation for their raucous and fun live shows, but can also be moving in an intimate kind of way, since they master the art of the country ballad.

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.