You may have seen Brooklyn pop trio Slam Donahue gigging at Brooklyn Bowl, Little Field, or The Cake Shope earlier this year. They have come out of the box strong, releasing a three track EP on their bandcamp site this January and now, thanks to their ambitious gigging and superb live performances are, “being courted to record an album.” Slam Donahue is an interesting blend of poppy vocal inflections, matched with upbeat drumbeats, and tantalizing synth lines, harkening us back to lovely 90s grooves concordant with The Cure, but matched with the fuzzy grunge of the likes of Dinosaur Jr. Make sure to check them out tonight, 9/6 (tonight!) at Cameo! – Ed Guardaro (@wangtungchufu)

On August 27th I was down at Cairo, an art space near my favorite pub in Seattle, The Summit in Capitol Hill, to see Broken Water, and I caught a short, tight set by a new Seattle band called M. Women.  They’re a lo-fi pop/grunge three-piece that play catchy, driving tunes that swiftly sweep you up into their currents of cool.  They sound like a more mellow incarnation of The Vaselines.  M. Women are playing the Void in Portland on September 9th and Reed College on September 16th.  Make the drive, it’ll be worth it.

The Dearloves have only been together for a little over a year but they seem to be getting it right. The band creates some kind of shoegazer-influenced rock and roll where songwriting and energy have priority over the genre’s proverbial wall of sound. The drums and bass are the glue to the at times furious guitars, which produce an instantly classic and somewhat epic indie rock sound. Confident male and female vocals, both full of attitude, alternate from song to song, but this doesn’t take away from the overall band sound. This is definitely a band that deserves to be checked out – you can do so on September 6 at Glasslands.- Kirsten Ferreira

American Darlings comprised of Jason Maksymilian (guitars, vocals), John Alexander (bass), and Daniel Vincent (drums), produce delightful garage rock that can be found on their two EP’s, aptly titled “American Darlings EP” and “American Darlings Second EP.” On their first, “Kimchee Princess” radiates feel-good vibes with cheerful modulations, while “Bender” is a waltzing love song, and “Divide” channels a grungier edge. “Million” begins American Darlings’ second EP with a weighty guitar jam which transitions quickly to a coasting jingle. “Stella’s” happy-go-lucky hi-hat ticks and romantic choruses change directions with the tenser and more somber melodies of EP-ender, “Replace.” American Darlings demonstrate that upbeat has many dimensions. – read Meijin Bruttomesso’s Q&A with the band here.

The garage rock inspired, in-your-face pounding X-Ray Eyeball recently opened up for Cat Power at Webster Hall and is scheduled to warm up the stage for The Black Lips at the end of October. To top it off, their 7” hit “Sundae” was just made available for fans through the Seattle based independent label Hardly Art. The group holds a timeless rock feel mixed with a tendency to apply distortion to anything that makes a sound. Also, their leather jackets and "don’t mess with me" attitude are proven winners in this mad rock’n’roll world. You can catch their newest line-up consisting of Lizzah Lohse (guitar/keys), Carly Rabalais (bass/vocals), O.J. San Felipe (guitar/vocals) and Sarah Baldwin (drums) on September 2 (tonight) at Death By Audio in Williamsburg. – Kristen Ferreira

On Labor Day NYC Hip Hop lovers who will be staying in town may want to head to the Mercury Lounge to check out two local acts who are trying to redefine the sound of Hip Hop. Deatthrow Tull (video below) mixes beats and rap rhymes with a indie/electro musical sensibility, and has recently also performed as an acoustic band – a concept quite foreign to the Hip Hop genre (see video here). The guys in New World Side Order (in the picture, getting ready for Irene) definitely like to experiment with their samples, with a preference for dark/bordering apocalyptic atmospheres – a perfect backdrop to their politically charged lyrics. Aceyalone and Riddlore and MC Homeless will round up the bill.

Beast Make Bomb entertained us at our B.E.A.F. fest back in May with its indie garage-pop featuring aggressive rhythm guitars and gentle female vocals. They recently released the new "Sourpuss" EP and this video of the single "Party Monster". Their resonant and relatable lyrics are enhanced by fun and catchy melodies. And while the message is realistic, the feel is quite innocent and happy-go-lucky. Now that that temperature has gone down a little, it makes us want to jump on the car we don’t have, roll all the windows down, take a road trip to anywhere, forget about the world and crack a smile… – Read Caitlin Clive Q&A with the band here.

Like many other indie kids, after a wild and rocking youth full of desdaing for all forms of tradition, we have slowly grown to enjoy folk music, in particular when it’s somehow "bastardized" – the redeeming quality! This is a concept that – although clashing with the immaculacy of their music – is pertinent to We Are The Woods. This NYC based group led by a female duo emplyos acoustic guitars and a variety of other instruments (strings, flutes, tubas, you name it) to craft beautiful, sophisticated and intense songs that are thoroughly enjoyable. The folk matrix is still audible, but here orchestral, pop and even psych elements take over the reins. As it often happens in softer music, the vocals are a crucial element, and the ladies deliver big time in this department. Their celestial voices (Jessie Murphy’s charismatic lead and Marcia Webb’s spot on backing vocals) transform good songs into beautiful, arresting gems. We are very curious to see this band live – the next opportunity is at Rockwood on September 24.