Unlike their name, Those Mockingbirds aren’t mimics of their NY/NJ musical counterparts. Instead, the Montclair-based five-piece produces a refreshing brand of pop-rock, synthesizing heavy guitars, graceful guitar and violin lines, and multi-part vocals. Their record, “Fa Sol La,” released just last month and available for free here, features a mix of songs and musical interludes, including “Mountain Slang I” which begins with gentle waves of sound then segues into crashing guitars on “Coast to Coast,” folksy and balladic “Don’t Stray,” polka-esque “The Bloodiest Gums,” visceral “We’re Animals,” “Fa Sol La” comes full cirlce with serene instrumental track, “Mountain Slang II.” The album is also available in vinyl from various musical outlets for those who prefer the classic packaging. –Meijin Bruttomesso

Sometimes bands bios aren’t boring, so why not use them for a blog entry? All we need to say is that these two girls (Alice and Michi) are talented musicians and you should check out their songs…
"It was early 2011, a jazzy feel-time season. Michi wrote Alice a letter urging her to come to New York and collaborate on a musical project. Alice was driving around Los Angeles, deep in her annual autumnal malaise. She skimmed the message at a stoplight just before stopping at her favorite Subway and read the remainder just before going to bed. Three months later Alice arrived in NYC with two suitcases, a snare and cymbals but it was unclear who would be playing what instrument. […] Nobody knew but Michi welcomed Alice into her home and the musical experiments began."
Alice and Michi’s debut record will be released on May 15 on Kenji Records

After a rather quiet period, lots of breakout NYC bands are sending us news about upcoming releases. Rad avant-pop band Miniature Tigers are releasing their new full length "Mia Pharaoh" today, it can be streamed here – definitely looking forward to that one. Electro-Dream-Pop outfit Bear in Heaven (pictured), after playing a secret show in New York last week, released another track (entitled "Sinful Nature, streaming below) from their brand new LP "I Love You, It’s Cool" out April 3rd on Dead Oceans/Hometapes. Glo-fi pioneers Woods just released a split album with California based band Amps for Christ, and are streaming one song from it on Pitchfork here. They also announced an April tour. Finally, noise masters A Place to Bury Strangers is releasing a split 7" with SF Ceremony under Famous Class Records, for a series of singles called "Less Artists More Condos", dedicated to DIY NYC promoter Ariel Panero, who died in December of 2010. The proceeds of these releases will entirely go to the Ariel Panero Memorial Fund

I don’t know what’s going on lately, but it seems like electronic bands are taking over NYC… Secret Music is an electro-rock duo whose sound is almost paradoxically split in two: the keyboards on one side (or rather, in front), and everything else underneath it. If we somehow muted the huge layer of synths and arpeggiators floating on top of their tunes, these guys would sound like an indie rock band with lo-fi inclinations (filtered vocals, casually delivered melodies). The keyboards introduce an 80s dance element that seems almost out of context, but actually contributes to a rather unique sound. The band is releasing today their full length debut produced by Ayad Al Adhamy of Passion Pit, and will take the road for a mini-tour which will include a couple of Austin dates during the SXSW Festival.

New York City quartet Vaura have just released their debut album "Selenelion" via the Wierd record label. Lead track "Vanth" combines a number of elements, showcasing a sophisticated shoegazer sound with percussive metal elements. Dark, echoed vocals over a medieval plundering beat gives way to near prog-rock interludes. "Obsidian Damascene Sun" (offered as a free download at their bandcamp) takes the propulsive drumming and hyper guitar strumming of black metal and pairs it with slower, more melodic, lyrically intelligible vocals. This is a formula that could create crossover appeal to those who find certain aspects of pure black metal a bit too harsh. See them live at Home Sweet Home (131 Chrystie St) on March 14 and at Public Assembly on March 31. – Dave Cromwell

Brooklyn-based Weird Children – formed by ex members of Deli favorite rootsy pop outfit Mama Bear – will be celebrating the release of their new rollicking digital single,"Megalomelia" at Cameo Gallery this Thursday, March 8th. Be sure to get there early, since these guitar-driven indie popsters kick off the show at 8:30. Joining them will be fellow New Yorkers Diehard and Quiet Loudly. "Megolomelia," along with one other digital track, will be available for free download on the band’s website starting the day of the show. But the weirdness doesn’t stop there: after they take on Cameo Gallery, Weird Children will be packing their bags for a first-time trip to SXSW, where they’ll be playing at least one unofficial day party. – Corinne Bagish

Nashville/LA based boy-girl electro-pop duo Magic Wands just premiered this video for the single "Space", from their upcoming album "Aloha Moon" (followup to their debut EP "Magic Love & Dreams"), which will be released in April 2012. The video was entirely shot in the band’s Los Angeles apartment and neighborhood, and it was DIY to the point that the headlights of the band’s car were used to illuminate the night shots. The band will be present at SXSW with two shows on the 15th and 16th of March, more info here, definitely an emerging act that deserves to be checked out.

Elika, one mainstays bands in the NYC dream-pop/shoegazer scene, is releasing today their 4th album entitled "Always The Light", and offering a free mp3 of the single "No One Gets Lost", streaming below. Compared with the band’s previous material, this song unveils a less guitar-centric sound, as if the electronic elements that always constituted the band’s rhythmic section had slowly taken over other roles in the band. So much so that the shoegazer matrix is almost completely lost in favor of a more complex electro-pop sound, characterized by carefully chosen drum sounds, layered synths,  sudden melodic openings, ambient breathing spaces, and – only occasionally – the unmissable electric guitars drenched in reverb.

Mp3: Elika- "No One Gets Lost"

Recently nominated for our Artist of the Month Poll, Cultfever is an electronic duo with both industrial and pop inclinations, as this cool new video for the song "Collector" can prove. The band is currently in the studio preparing their debut "physical" album, but they already have a bunch of songs released digitally through Bandcamp. The new single, with its complex arrangements and intricate percussion patterns, signals obvious signs of growth, which make us look forward to the upcoming release. While waiting, you can see them at The Mercury Lounge on Tuesday March 13.

Boogaloo! There, I said it. In case you haven’t heard, there’s another dance-crazed revival on the loose here in NY. Only this one has no 808’s. What began in the swinging ’60’s as a local merging between soul and mambo party styles, has today found its way over to our backyard again, and some of the leading curators that keep the Spanish Harlem sound alive are bringing the party to several upcoming nights in Alphabet City. While much of Boogaloo is kept alive these days in Barcelona, superstar DJ Turmix has decided to pack up his vinyl and head out to NYC, reminding us of what makes Nuyorican Soul music such an important part of NYC’s cultural fabric.
Check it out at the next of Turmix’s monthly sets on March 9 at Nublu, where he’ll be joined by Spanglish Fly, an 11-piece Boogaloo revival group set to make sure your tailfeather bounces around the dance floor all night long. – Mike Levine