Yellowbirds is the moniker for the latest musical exploits of Sam Cohen (main force behind the NYC psych rock band Apollo Sunshine). This new project holds on to the psychedelic atmospheres and sonics, but in a "rootsier" contest, with very convincing results. Check out the DIY stop motion video for "The Rest of My Life", but also the embedded song "Beneath The Reach of Light", one of our favorites from the debut album "The Color".

Daniel Wayne and his mostly Midwestern amalgamation of musicians are a breath of fresh air in the big city. The group is playing the New York scene with an as-of-yet unrecorded collection of haunting Americana tracks; heavy, blue tunes that bounce like pop songs and twang like country standards. Although Wayne is the front man, his creative process is far from solitary. Collaborating with producer Oliver Labohn and drummer Brent Follis, Wayne runs the musical company like a family band. If you are a fan of the genre don’t miss his final Living Room residency show on March 09 at 10pm. – Jenny Luczak

Tell me a story about how your band formed. Yawn, I’m already bored. Besides, it can’t compare with The Yellow Dogs‘ story. How, you ask? Well, is rock ‘n roll illegal where you grew up?
It is in Iran. Like some kind of rock ‘n roll superheroes, The Yellow Dogs assembled a soundproofed hidden practice space, and hosted illegal underground shows. And you thought booking a show in the LES was difficult.
Once they started making waves they had to get out, and headed to the US, which is where this blog entry comes in. They’re going to be playing some shows at SXSW, and if you’re in the area, I strongly encourage you to check them out. The influence of the early 2000s garage rock revival (revival?) is clear, mixed with a bit of dance punk. To make comparisons, they sound a bit like a combination of Bloc Party and The Cribs. If they weren’t Iranian, they’d be British, is what I’m saying basically.
Check out "Gastronomic Meal" and "Dragonflower" which is their newer stuff. The breakdown on "Dragonflower" is joyfully dischordant, and the good-hearted silliness of "Gastronmic Meal" makes for a good stomper. –allison levin

New York City’s The Twees play energetic pop’n’nroll featuring the clean, two-guitar-attack made popular by early 2000’s bands like Interpol and The Strokes. The fact that Jason Abrishami’s vocals are reminiscent of the casually relaxed style of Julian Casablancas further invites said comparisons. What matters most, however, is that this band writes some extremely hooky rock songs. Their recently released album "These Girls" is chock full of instantly likeable tunes. "On The Spot" recounts the travails of going out and partying every night. "I don’t think I can descend to this anymore," is the lament. "Fan Fiction" partners rat-a-tat snare drumming with sinewy guitar hooks. "You’re a fan of love, but you’re no lover. If it wasn’t me, it would be another," is the all too familiar tale of relationship shoppers, while the title track finds "These Girls" who "all seem like one" possibly covering the same sentiment Iggy Pop did, when he wrote "all the pretty girls, well they look the same." Additionally, catching a live Twees show (which I did recently at The Knitting Factory) is something of a transformative experience. Not content to merely deliver tightly crafted, energetic tunes (which they admirably do) the band invites anyone in the audience who wants (and I did) to come up on the stage with them and dance with reckless abandon while they play their generational anthem "Wishful Thinking Youth." All generations are welcome. It’s crazy fun, get their EP at thetwees.com and see them live in NYC at The Studio at Webster on 03.31.- Dave Cromwell

Warm Ghost is a project by Paul Duncan which threads his love of 70’s disco and synth pop covered in a cold net of electronic noise. Warm Ghost released their debut EP, Claws Overhead, on the label Geographic North on May 11th, 2010. Now, with Partisan Records, Warm Ghost have released their Uncut Diamond EP featuring three remastered tracks from their debut EP and three new tracks on a vinyl and digital only release. The band is now currently working on their full length release due out later this year, and will take a break in March to play a series of dates at SXSW and on the West Coast. – Read Simon Heggie’s interview with the band here.

Formed in 2010, MAKE OUT consists of New York native Hennessey on vocals, Jesper Mortensen (formerly of Junior Senior, aka Junior) on back-up vocals and guitar, Anders Christiansen on bass and Olivia Alminiana behind the drums. The quartet plays condensed and explosive indie rock tunes slightly reminiscent of the best band that ever existed (The Pixies). Check out the band live at Bowery on March 16-17 – they’ll be opening for The New York Dolls! – Read Dave Cromwell’s interview with the band here.

Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds swoop down on Le Poisson Rouge’s stage with their earth-moving soulful funk-krock as part of the 5th Annual Nolafunk Mardi Gras Ball tomorrow night (03.05). The band’s size alone (9 members) is to let the audience imagine how impactful their show is. Every instrument from the guitar to the harmonica to the baritone saxophone lends to the band’s rich sound,  the most explosive force coming from Arleigh Kincheloe a.k.a. Sister Sparrow’s vocals: a little raspy, a little jazzy, mixed with a little bit of Aretha Franklin and definitely strong enough to lead the rest of the band through songs like "Boom Boom" and "Freight Train." Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds rounded up last year with a self-titled album release in November and a packed show at this very venue. Tomorrow night they play alongside Dr. John & The Lower 911 and Soul Rebels Brass Band. – Abigail Devora

Painting enigmatic conversations as surreal portraits with his trademark baritone, Rob Ward’s band Food Will Win the War explores a space Iargely unexplored even in Brooklyn’s dense music scene. There’s a delicate balance in this music between the fun of surrealist fantasy and the acceptance of life’s realities. This is a man whose lyrics speak of traveling to far off destinations, even as the music speaks of already being home. Don’t miss the band’s residency at Rockwood Music Hall on March 10 and 24. – Read Mike Levine’s interview with Rob Ward here.

Brooklyn indie rockers Grooms are ready to drop their sophomore album Prom, with the record being slated for a July 12th release. Plenty of time then for us to prepare by revisiting their much-lauded debut record Rejoicer, reading lyrics from Prom that the band have been previewing via groomsmusic.blogspot.com or checking out their Myspace where you can hear an ardent cover of Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game’ which demonstrates some of the Sonic Youth-y textures they’ve become known for. A sleepy number, the song most probably came from the late night Prom sessions where the band reportedly slept in sleeping bags on the studio floor. But despite this, we’ve been promised a “more mature, unique, adventurous, and most of all, accessible record than Rejoicer” to look forward to. Dean Van Nguyen (@deanvannguyen)

Today we start covering (almost) every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC 2010 list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers). It’s a countdown!

Steve Shiffman’s relocated to New York City after a successful run in Toronto-based trio 4-Star Movie. Teaming up with members of The Figgs and Holy Ghost to create The Land Of No, he’s well on his way to the upper echelons of the city’s burgeoning garage-rock scene, playing to fans across the city and placing third in our Best of 2010 Indie-Rock poll. The band’s self-titled debut, released by Tiny Beast Records, forgoes the frills and shticks associated with many post-millennium acts, instead opting for that distinctly lo-fi flavor, as if birthed from the same mother as Pavement and Guided By Voices. While their sounds stand against genius of times past, they also tell original tales with blues and folk elements.

Brooklyn loud rock band with rootsy influences The Bottom Dollars have just released their first Single entitled: "PRIZEFIGHTER." An excerpt from their upcoming debut, "The Halcyon Days" (to be released 04/19/2011), PRIZEFIGHTER is an intense rock and roller that steamrolls as an intimate love story. The Bottom Dollars paired the release of their first single with the lush, vocal harmony driven Soul Ballad "JAMESON." This Power Trio remind us that Rock’ n’ Soul isn’t quite dead yet. Both songs are available for free at their Bandcamp Page. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

I just stumbled upon this new Brooklyn band called Heaven, and they made me think of all the Velvet Underground and Jesus & Mary Chain fans out there. These guys have good songs and add a little electronic variation to their classic droney sound, which at times stirs things in an atmospheric direction a la` Air. Heaven will be playing Union Pool on March 5th and has a bunch of SXSW dates booked.