We've been following Leah Siegel's musical journey  for a while, both during her solo early years and the following Firehorse period, which apparently has just come to an end, since the Brooklyn based songwriter announced yesterday the adoption of a new band moniker, coinciding with the beginning of a new collaboration with Dave Hodge of Canadian collective Broken Social Scene. The project's new name is Leisure Cruise, and the two electro-pop tracks they  released this far have already grabbed the attention of many bloggers and booking agents, so much so that the duo will celebrate their live debut at the Bowery Ballroom, tomorrow (April 10) - on the bill also Brooklyn bands Milagres and Conveyor.

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

According to the band’s bio, “a female Firehorse embodies all the abhorrent qualities {according to the culture}: independence, assertiveness and a free-spirit.” These virtues appear to be the foundation of frontwoman Leah Siegel’s existence, her own clothing line, and her band’s music as a whole. The electronic rock, dance-inspired group just released a mini-LP titled 'Pills From Strangers.' You can listen to the track “Bloodstream” below, which sounds like LCD Soundsytem meets The Sounds. Coming off of a crazed CMJ performance, the band is known for their live presence and energy. They’re set to headline Mercury Lounge on December 3rd. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

NYC’s Firehorse are picking up steam, and rightly so - their first record, 'And so they ran faster…' surfaced to blogosphere acclaim, building up expectations for the sophomore release 'Pills From Strangers,' out in a few weeks. The preview single "Good" (streaming) keeps the promise, delivers a crescendo of tension through a paradoxically danceable odd time signature (the fragmanted 5/4), building towards dissonant peaks and satisfying choruses; Leah Siegel’s signature smoky vocals rest effortlessly atop popleaning synth melodies, and the record’s high points will no doubt get crowds moving. 'Pills' is set for release on June 25, and they’ll be officially releasing it at Mercury Lounge on June 28 - don’t miss out! - Zack Kraimer

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

Next Thursday and Saturday (Aprili 5th and 7th), the Deli-sponsored, second annual Brain Cave Festival will light up Brooklyn’s Bell House by bringing the best and brightest of the borough’s DIY scene to the stage for two nights of sonic and visual euphoria, showcasing 25 bands and live art by Peru Ana Ana Peru.

Thursday night’s lineup will feature mostly female-fronted bands – with indie pop, acoustic intrigue and fast-strummed rock from She Keeps Bees, Firehorse, Natureboy, Eula, Shilpa Ray and others. Saturday night sees Brooklyn’s up-and-coming take the stage with Team Genius, Caged Animals, Conveyor, Snowmine, GunFight!, Lost Boy?, Spanish Prisoners, Monogold, Clouder and others bringing everything from indie-punk, to electro-folk to swooping experimental.

Tickets can be purchased through the Bell House ($12 presale, $15 door, $20 for 2-day pass). The fest is presented by Paper Garden Records, CaraBella and (collabo!).

We've been following Leah Siegel for at least two years, after some of our friends who book bands in NYC's venues directed our ears towards her music by voting her (for two years in a row) as one of NYC's Best Emerging Artists of the Year - she placed 36th in the latest edition. Leah has been working on a new project called Firehorse, which sounds (and also looks) like a departure from her previous alt rock oriented material. From what we can hear from "Our Hearts" - the only track available online - Firehorse offers us a new, sexier sound, and from the band's press pictures we can't help but notice also a welcome sunnier look. Nonetheless, some kind of darkness seems to inhabit Leah's wonderful voice and songwriting, and this is luckily not watered down but brought to the next level in "Our Hearts". The sparse electronic arrangements, the warbly synthetic piano sound, the mechanical electronic drums, and the strong, sad melody lines confer to this melancholic song an existential quality reminiscent of the slower material by Radiohead and Peter Gabriel. We are looking forward to listening to the entire record. Don't miss Firehorse CD release party at Rockwood Music Hall on 09.29