Brooklyn's avant-pop band Friend Roulette has released a lead single, "Joan," ahead of its forthcoming EP, The Matt Sheffer Songbook, Vol. 1. In a departure from the band's previous releases, Songbook is a series of covers originally written a decade ago by a friend of the band, songwriter Matt Sheffer. "Joan" is a strong indication of the band's ability to create something that's greater than the sum of its parts - Friend Roulette's proclivity toward lush textures perfectly compliments Sheffer's Brian Wilson-esque compositional prowess. Listen to the single below, and keep an eye out for The Matt Sheffer Songbook Vol. 1, out June 16th. - Ethan Ames

We are big fans of Brooklyn's exper-orchestral collective Friend Roulette, therefore we are happy to highlight this track by Spritzer, the solo project of Matthew Meade, one of that band's founding members. His single "Melt" takes us back to the summers of the mid 80s, when Lloyd Cole and the Commotions injected a cool, Lou Reed-esque narrational touch to the often overly melodic British pop tradition. You can see Spritzer live at Matchless on Friday 06.12 within the Supercrush Studio, Greenpointers.com and Cara Bella official Northside show featuring a lot of great local artists.

We added this song to The Deli's playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists - check it out!

Brooklyn chamber-pop group Friend Roulette’s 2014 EP “Grow Younger” is a victory in synchronicity. The band, comprised of multiple singers and drummers as well as featuring a string section, EWI, and bass clarinet, could be a mess of a lunch date, but the record never feels like a crowd. Lead singer Julia Tepper marches through proclamations of magic and dawdles into meditations on mortality. With influences like early 2000’s Vanessa Carlton, a pack of dogs, and space travel, Friend Roulette has managed a unique cohesion. They will be playing shows at Palisades on March 20th and Pianos April 12th. - Leora Mandel

Saturday night, Baby’s All Right will host the first installment of BrainCave Series, hosted by Paper Garden Records.  In the past few years BrainCave has brought us some truly memorable weekend-long festivals that included NYC artists like Peelander-Z, Shilpa Ray, Hooray for Earth, Caged Animals, The Suzan, Black Cobra and more, alongside live art and DJs. Saturday’s stacked bill promises to be just as exciting, and includes Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic, Friend Roulette, Teletextile, Edan and She Keeps Bees (pictured), among others. Check out under-appreciated Brooklyn/D.C. alt folkers She Keeps Bees' latest single "Counter Charm" - after this show they'll be touring with Sharon Von Etten in May. - Bill Dvorak

Here at The Deli NYC we like bands that don't think "straight" - maybe because our scene has a tradition for rewarding acts with a unique vision. Friend Roulette definitely doesn't lack this feature, as testified once again by their new EP "Grown Younger," out today on Goodnight Records. The band plays a rather loud brand of orchestral/synth pop, where the aggressive wall of sound created by drums, horns, guitars and keys is only partially tamed by violinist's Julia Tepper's oblique vocal melodies. Check out preview single "I Guess" below, and stream the entire EP here.