NYC via Philly MC Nyle‘s new project is blowing eardrums and popping eyeballs. His “TRAILER” mixtape, named from the infamous Brooklyn Trailer Park where he lived during much of the album’s production, is both an aural as well as a visual gem. Not content just to bang in your headphones, Nyle has built a visual accompaniment so that when you DJ your next dorm room party with YouTube, you’ll be able to fullscreen the vids for full visual "pimpocity". The raps are solid, the beats are properly ferocious, the guest spots are noteworthy, and the visuals are mesmerizing! More at nyleraps.com! – BrokeMC

Exitmusic isn’t exactly what you would call an "in your face" indie band – quite the opposite. Drawing inspiration from the uber-dreamy atmospheres of Cocteau Twins and the lynchian semi-nightmares of other 4AD bands from the 90s like Cranes and This Mortal Coil, this duo of Brooklynites crafts what on record sounds like some of the best psych pop we heard in a while (although Lia Ices – on the cover of our 25th issue – and also signed to Secretly Canadian, is The Deli’s reigning queen in that category). In this digital track, drenched in reverb and suggestive lyrics, we also hear some Twin Sister elements in the vocals. We’ll have the opportunity to check these guys live at Pianos, where they are holding a residency. The next show is on July 26 – recommended to all the shoegazer maniacs out there.

 

Hit snooze. The Sleepwalkas have crafted a somnambulist’s wet dream. The primarily loop-based beats on this album are hot and fresh out of the oven with a flavor recalling many a late-90s and early 00’s summer jam. The lyricism, which shines in its positivity and candor, is full of that MC bravado established by the originators of the artform. Guest appearances by local superstars Homeboy Sandman and Sadat X add extra spice, and are further augmented by a ferocious verse from ex-Sleepwalka Vexed-Lo. The Sleepwalkas exemplify that dreaming big is just the first step towards living large. – BrokeMc

There is something terribly wrong with calling Meaghan Burke a songwriter. Like vodka, the more you question the effects, the blurrier they become. Meaghan Burke is not an artist whose musically over-educated past is a primer for making marketable pop music. Her sound embraces the odd nuances contained in love affairs with free improvisation, lingering music school sadism, a career geographically split between New York and the Vienna intelligentsia.
Meaghan sings jazzy, approachable melodies over cello accompaniments that channel every possible incarnation of Western music all at once. It’s impossibly beautiful but in no way forgiving. Her fingers race in preparation of cadenzas and the orchestration seems totally unrelated to what pours out of her mouth. And then even in moments where one might be so inclined to say, finally: "Yes, OK! She is a songwriter! This part has been pretty for almost a minute…" But then, when you listen closely to what she’s actually singing about, with this voice of hers like an oven, crackling with past lives on newspaper, burning, and, well, it’s not ok. Because what she’s created is too personal, too direct and unusual to claim she’s a songwriter – which sounds categorically absurd but it’s true – it’s like she’s a songwriter, imploded. She’ll sing about anything; bed bugs, the Gowanus, even boyfriends – but look, seriously, it just doesn’t sound right. She squeals and bleeps intermittently like suddenly we’re in a car. Her timing is too dark and immense and she can’t play at this coffeehouse… And then she’ll do this thing where she starts to sing in German. – You can see/hear Meaghan next at Sidewalk Cafe on August 12th @ 9pm.  – Valerie Kuehne

Seattle’s self-described "lo-fi rebel hip-hop" duo THEESatisfaction have been signed by indie label giant Sub Pop.  THEESatisfaction is the brainchild of Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White, and between the two of them, they’ve released five EPs and recently appeared on Shabazz Palaces’ Black Up.  Interestingly enough, THEESatisfaction is the only other hip-hop act on the Sub Pop label, next to their other recent and still buzzing acquisition, the aforementioned Shabazz Palaces.  A full-length debut is reportedly in the works for Irons and Harris-White.   

Mourning SAMO by THEESatisfaction

Seattle’s self-described "lo-fi rebel hip-hop" duo THEESatisfaction have been signed by indie label giant Sub Pop.  THEESatisfaction is the brainchild of Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White, and between the two of them, they’ve released five EPs and recently appeared on Shabazz Palaces’ Black Up.  Interestingly enough, THEESatisfaction is the only other hip-hop act on the Sub Pop label, next to their other recent and still buzzing acquisition, the aforementioned Shabazz Palaces.  A full-length debut is reportedly in the works for Irons and Harris-White.   

Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, VHS or BETA is now based in Brooklyn. The band’s intricate sound, which combines elements of rock, house and disco, and their name, inspired to obsolete video tape formats, are a welcome addition to the NYC electronic scene. Here’s some band history directly from Wikipedia: "Their self-released debut EP Le Funk found some success on the charts, but the band became better known in the wake of the 2004 album Night on Fire. After two and half years of touring, VHS or Beta recorded 2007’s Bring on the Comets in Asheville, NC, marking a slight change in direction towards a more straightforward pop sound, achieved without sacrificing their trademark dance sensibility. […] The band’s third album "Diamond and Death" is scheduled for September 2011 release."
VHS or BETA have two upcoming shows in NYC: Cameo Gallery in W’burg on 08.05 and The Studio at Webster Hall on 08.25.

Jay Giampietro, of Daylight’s for The Birds (a psych band we liked) is about to release his debut EP "Breezes" with new group Mighty Moon. This five-tracker is a solid  dream-folk debut. Songs like Vampire Plans and Love Ocean, possess a carefree spirit and are seriously tempting us to call in sick and take a train to Rockaway Beach. Our favorite track though is Pretend – embedded here – which channels the intensity of Leonard Cohen and the melodic openings reminiscent of Robin Hitchcock’s acoustic masterpiece "I Often Dream of Trains". Mighty Moon will perform their first live show at The Delancey on July 31. – Madi Silvers

Musical troupe/trio, Fan-Tan welcome this week with the release of their new single "1989". Although the Williamsburg-ers don’t plan to drop their full-length until the air begins to cool, Fan-Tan fans out there can preview the impending album’s single down here and on their bandcamp profile page. Mixing vintage, new wave influences with a modern twist, the single’s sound resembles a sophisticated alloy of late Roxy Music meets Echo and The Bunnymen meets The Cure – aren’t these 3 of your favorite bands ever? – Madi Silvers