Bonnie Prince Billy (aka Will Oldham, in the picture) has always been a bit of a spooky guy. From ‘I See a Darkness,’ to his work with Dawn McCarthy, he’s dwelt in the darker corners of country-folk for some time. But his new project with Dominic Cipolla of Brooklyn’s Phantom Family Halo brings his work closer in line to early ’70’s psych-country like Hawkwind and The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo. This is one of the more unlikely unions of the year, bridging a gap between Cipolla’s brain-melting retro-machinations to Oldham’s country road tales. The collaboration didn’t sound like an obvious idea in the world to me at first, but on listening to ‘The Mindeater’ off their new EP of the same name, those thoughts melted away. I mean literally melted, this is some far-out stuff. They’ve recorded three songs so far (fittingly from the 2nd floor above a funeral home in Brooklyn) and expect a full-length to be released early next year. Pick up their new EP Mindeater (Knitting Factory Records) wherever spooky psychedelia is sold. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

The Dub Trio guys are a little bit like the intellectuals of the NYC Metal scene. Being an intellectual metal-head is a little bit like being a powerful super-hero who writes essays for a living (since super-heroes aren’t paid, right?). I mean, it’s really like having it all, the superior brains and the brute force. As suggested by the name, they mix Metal with Dub, but also inject a fair dose of noise rock in their tracks. Their experimentalism is not of the self-indulgent kind – led by drummer/sample triggerer John Tomino, these guys are concise, tight, and explosive. If this resonates with you, don’t miss the release of their new album "IV" at Mercury on 11.10.

Lana Del Rey‘s grip on our NYC charts’ #1 position is a testament to the fact that there is no such thing as bad press. The controversial Brooklyn based chanteause has created a rare wave of negativity amongst some bloggers about her image and music. As a result, many music listeners became familiar with her music and – evidently – enjoyed it. Constant news regarding new releases, remixes and shows in the UK are contributing to keep her on top of our NYC charts (see top 20 on the left, and top 300 here). Whether bloggers want it or not, it looks like a new NYC star was born!

NYC psych pop quartet Thieving Irons just released the first single from the album they just finished recording, "Behold, This Dreamer!", scheduled to be released early in 2012. The song, entitled "So Long" has already been picked up by KEXP as "song of the day" for today. With its interesting sonics, the beautiful melody drenched in reverb, and a rather quick, danceable pace, this is definitely an appetizing soundbite that makes us look forward to the full release. See Thieving Irons live at Zebulon on 11.28.

Toward the end of 2009, in a bedroom in Stockton, CA, a 21-year-old Justin Vallesteros began layering simple synth and guitar lines to create the sound that would become Craft Spells. What began as an experiment soon became a vibrant world of elegant guitar chords laced over looped rhythms, heavenly synth melodies, and pulsating bass. When Vallesteros recorded his first track "Party Talk," an outpouring of online enthusiasm led him to return to Seattle and flesh out a full band for the debut LP Idle Labor, released on Captured Tracks in Spring 2011. If you love Felt, The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, and the beautiful monotone drone of Ian Curtis, Craft Spells are right up your nuevo-new romantic alley.

Ambassadors, a Brooklyn based quartet, play a contemporary blend of Rock brought together by a strong pop-sensibility and dramatic flair. They have been active since 2008, quickly proving themselves with single, “Tropisms”, which was featured on MTV-U. Their music is full and energetic, but Ambassadors aren’t scared to slow things down and get sensitive with tracks like, “Bodybag”. Their sound emanates from drummer Adam Levin’s thunderous, open grooves, which allow brothers Sam and Casey Harris to fill out the band’s sound. Guitarist Noah Feldshuh’s powerful and catchy riffs on songs like, “Falls” provide a thoroughly refreshing surge of energy and power. Ambassadors music, despite their serious, professional presence and production value, is still fun. – Read Ed Guardaro’s interview with the band here.

Standing out from the crowd of eighties dance music revivalists, Brooklyn trio Psychobuildings pull from the darker side of the new wave cannon. Their music is a psychedelic blend of heavy bass lines, synthetic beats, funky guitar licks and leader Peter LaBier’s vigorous vocals. Sometimes sinister, but always danceable, the band have been showcasing their six track self-titled EP with an energetic live show that highlights not only their music, but LaBier’s impressive dance moves. It’s something he’s not afraid to speak about on the record, nor to put to good use for this brand new video of the single "Terror Management". – Read Dean Van Nguyen Q&A with the band here.

Finding out about a NYC artist we never heard about who has 10k+ friends on Facebook always makes us feel slightly incompetent – why were you hiding from us j.viewz? Yeah, deflecting guilt always helps, right? Anyway, this is the multi-genre electronica act of the Brooklyn-based producer & remixer Jonathan Dagan, who runs this project "Massive Attack-Style", i.e. inviting ever changing vocalists to sing on instrumental tracks he created – which is always a wise idea both for inspirational and promotional reasons. The musical style here is also reminiscent of the Bristol based Trip Hop duo, consisting mostly in sparsely and elegantly arranged down to mid tempo electronic ballads, with a strong alt-sould flavor and a slighty poppier edge. We really enjoyed this stunning (and rather sexy) video featuring talented Newyorker Kelli Scarr‘s vocals (DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE AT WORK!). CD release party at The Studio at Webster tonight, with ambient masters The American Dollar also on the bill.

Lead singer Jared Scott has a couple stories to tell, and having already served time as lead guitarist in Brooklyn-based Demander, he’s well prepared to bring his seasoned outlook from the axe to the mic in his latest power pop outfit, Northern Bells.
Bells aren’t exactly a new band. But while they used to be called In Cadeo until recently, a better way to get to know them is by listing some of the many bands their members have already been a part of: from The Hold Steady to The Spies to Oberhofer, they’ve run the gambit of mid-tempo power-pop outfits over the last decade.
But this quintet sounds a bit different than their previous groups. Bells doesn’t list its female backing vocals among its principal members, but it’s this boy-girl dynamic you hear in a lot of their songs that moves the music away from typical heartland confessional, and to a wider audience. Like in new single ‘Wake Up,’ a song that shares a couple things in common with Arcade Fire’s anthem, complete with boy-girl sing-along- ready chants over a story spanning the trials of growing up.
Having released two 7-inches already this year, they’ll be releasing a third EP early next, which will (hopefully) followed be followed closely by a debut full-length.
See them at Glasslands Gallery on Nov. 8th with Chappo, Bridges and Powerlines, and Dynasty Electric, an electro-dance group sure to get the booties shaking. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

Sugary pop has never ranked high up in our genre preferences, but some bands are indeed able to take it to a whole new level, mostly by using infallible weapons like songwriting talent and charming voices. The Housemartins and Belle and Sebastian were two of those bands, and Swimclub seems to have learned their indie pop lesson by heart. The NYC band’s debut EP "Funhouse for Friends" showcases 5 cristalline pop gems, hummable but never banal melodies, and vocals that sound compassionate and sincere. This music has the potential to resonate with a lot of people. – Swimhouse submitted their music for review digitally here.