THE DELI

If you relish listening to bands who are “always fast [but] hardly accurate,” in their own words, then the freewheeling punk outfit Flasyd may be your cup of tea. Their self-titled EP loses no speed over the course of three short-and-sweet tracks, all characterized by a healthy amount of bright fuzz, occasionally indiscernible lyrics, and daring percussive theatrics. Highlight minute and change “Johnny” is nothing short of a sonic defibrillation, marked by punchy drums and a scathing hardcore lyrical performance — stream it below ahead of Flasyd’s February 26th performance at Venus in Furs.

There are some days when it’s difficult to leave the house — a sentiment New York synth pop duo Boyish well understands. Their most recent bop “anxious butterball” details antisocial feelings in lurid detail, the desire to “[stand] in the corner at the back of the room,” the occasionally overwhelming nature of simple conversation, all communicated through muted vox over textured echoing electronic leads and a meandering beat. Leaving room to incorporate hazy guitar chords during the track’s more explosive chorus (while keeping things forever chill), the group captures the dissociative nature of attending a function when you’d rather be at home, of knowing a single person at the party who can help you feel grounded when just existing is difficult, rendered in an appropriately dream-like fashion. Listen below, and catch Boyish at C’mon Everybody on February 27th, presented by Indie Witches.

Newly (re)formed jangle-pop four piece Forever Honey (formerly known as Queue) evoke the late 80s / early 90s zeitgeist on “Christian,” offering soft bops, sweet licks, and playful atmosphere in their debut single. The song (and accompanying visuals) draw heavily from the “clever, no nonsense spirit of brit pop,” in turn channeling this energy into a syncopated, upbeat track, lushly orchestrated by interweaving, dreamy guitar lines. Its John Hughes-inspired video, likewise, adds to this aesthetic; the track’s poppy chorus chorus (“Christian, well you warm my hands, but will you hold my hair back?”) soundtracks images of the band playing a high school prom, all in all coloring the release with a vibrant, youthful tone, the sort of production that makes viewers and listeners feel 17 once more (but without the associated teen angst, thankfully). Watch it below ahead of Forever Honey’s next show at Alphaville on March 11th. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Uptown overdrive champs Guilty Giraffe shine on their newly released self titled LP, incorporating an aggressive smattering of varied guitar-driven subgenera over the course of ten immaculately-produced tracks. From the introductory “Babyface” the Yonkers quartet makes their love of effects pedals well-known, quickly pivoting from a shoegazing overture to dream-pop arpeggios; this dynamic blend of sounds dark and bright continues well-through album standouts like “Xanax” and “Washed Out,” wherein frontman Mathew McGinnis’s growling vox shifts between grungy, full-throated yells and plainspoken singspeak, a delightful performance that places him somewhere between Kevin Shields and Andrew WK. With acrobatic licks and a penchant for the occasional, experimental soundscape (“Cool as a Fan”), Guilty Giraffe shreds through and through — listen to our premiere stream of the record below, and catch the band at Berlin on March 1st.