Portland

Win a Pair of Tickets to See Freelance Whales this Sunday at Doug Fir!

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We know they’re not exactly a Portland band – far from it. Queens, NYC to be precise about the thing. BUT, Freelance Whales will be descending, smooth indie-pop bombast in tow, to Doug Fir this Sunday, May 16th with Shout Out Louds and The Franks. And since you loyal Deli Portland readers have been so good to us, we wanna return the favor.

We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to the show, and all you have to do is be the first to comment to this post with your favorite type of whale. Easy, right? We like to make things easy.

Runner-up will receive a signed copy of Freelance Whales brand new album Weathervanes, and second runner-up will receive a handy-dandy Freelance Whales tote bag!

Check out this new Darby Cicci (of the Antlers) remix of Freelance Whales’ "Killer Whales" here, and check out the band’s new video for "Generator 2nd Floor" below.


Freelance Whales – Generator 2nd Floor

Freelance Whales | MySpace Music Videos

If you don’t win the tickets, try not to blubber (COULD NOT help it). The show is only $12 in advance, $14 day of show. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9. Now get to commenting!

– Ryan J. Prado

Nashville

Look What I Did – “Serf Song” Video

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Look What I Did (LWID) is back with a third music video from their recently released full-length album Atlas Drugged, produced by Brian Virtue (Jane’s Addiction, Chevelle, Horse the Band) and released on Modernist Movement Recordings. The video is for "Serf Song" and features Miss Stevie Bailey from Christine (Supernova Records – Steve Austin from Today Is the Day’s label) who also contributed vocals to the track. The video was produced and directed by Nick "Dune" Baydoun from Cake or Death Productions (above photo) and is a spoof on both the MK ULTRA mind-control project and pharmaceutical drug commercials. – Jesse Baker

Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to Nashville’s Flood Victims.

New England

John Shade at the Lizard Lounge, 5/11 and 5/18

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john shade

I haven’t seen John Shade play with the Neave Quartet yet, even though he had a month long residency at the Armory, a few other shows around town and played the May Fair (I even went out into the crowd to check it out and missed it, when I got there some 15 year old kid was singing “Skid Row” from Little Shop of Horrors.) His debut album, All You Love Is Need, does not include the quartet, but it is still a beautiful album. The songs are light and funny but if you listen closely to the lyrics you’ll hear that the songs are fueled by melancholy and loneliness. Kind of like Jon Brion, but with less glockenspiel (Brion has also been known to use string quartets too.)

My favorite song off the album is “Tragedy” which I’ve been digging for a while now. I heard him sing it at a Sub Rosa show at the Lizard Lounge (Where he is also having a residency on Tuesdays in May). It floored me. "Tragedy" is beautifully composed, the melody is languid and sunshiny like a Van Morrison song, although the lyrics are heart-breakingly, well, tragic. His song, “I Hate the World (and Everyone in it)” always gets a laugh at shows. It’s actually a very depressing song despite the hopefully climatic melody, which is awesome.

But again, I haven’t seen him play in way too long. I always miss his shows, which is why I’m asking you all to go make up for my lack of not going. All You Love is Need is one of the best albums I’ve heard lately, John Shade is one of my favorite area musicians and without a doubt, he has the best sense of humor.

You can hear a track he recorded with the Neave Quartet HERE. He’s got two more weeks of the residency left, he plays with Viskesh Kapoor (May 11), and Jocie Adams from The Low Anthem (May 18). Lizard Lounge 1667 Mass Ave Cambridge, MA

–Meghan Chiampa

Chicago

Fed Up

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Here is the new video from pop-rockers AM Taxi for their track “Fed Up”. This is song comes from their forthcoming album We Don’t Stand A Chance (June 8th, Virgin Records).

AM Taxi will be performing at Metro on May 22nd.

Austin

Sarah Jaffe: Suburban Nature

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Sarah Jaffe, who we’re claiming as an Austinite regardless of the facts, because she’s unquestionably a Texan and we’re the capital, so therefore, ergo, etc., et. al., and so on, is on the verge of releasing the LP Suburban Nature. And there is much rejoicing – specifically, there will be rejoicing at the Parish May 15th, and again more rejoicing the next day at a Waterloo instore at 4 pm, and finally more rejoicing on the actual release date, May 18th. In fact you can go ahead and rejoice right now since it’s available already on iTunes. Photo, which looks to me like a still from a Wes Andersen film, is by Melanie Gomez. 

NYC

Jesse Malin releases new album + plays Bowery on May 15

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There’s a lot to love about Jesse Malin. He’s got that bad-ass rock n’ roll gene that’s youthful and rebellious, and yet old-school enough to pass for classic rock genius. Songs like “Almost Grown,” and “Don’t Let Them Take You Down” are examples of Malin’s gritty, yet heartfelt ballads. In his still rather short musical carreer he’s shared stages with Lucinda Williams, The White Stripes, and even crafted a duet, “Broken Radio” with “The Boss” himself!
After three solo albums and seven years of touring, the indie songwriter came back to New York wondering what to do next. In 2009, Malin got together with Don DiLego, Randy Schrager, Matt Hogan and DJ Tommy USA and formed his new band, The St. Mark’s Social. In late April, Malin and the St. Mark’s Social have finished the band’s latest record, LOVE IT TO LIFE. Hot tracks include: the bluesy “Disco Ghetto”, the catchy “St. Mark’s Sunset”, and the exhilarating “Black Boombox”. Although his roots hail from the punk/hardcore era (as front man of Heart Attack), LOVE IT TO LIFE is proof that Malin has ascended the punk rock hierarchy to become indie pop punk king.
Jesse Malin and the St. Mark’s Social will be headlining Bowery Ballroom this Saturday, May 15th. Be sure to check it out! –Melissa Wong

Chicago

Big Bang Pre-Release Listening Party

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Tomorrow night at Late Bar you will have the opportunity to hear the new ep from The Maybenauts spun by Members of the Maybenauts Vee & Emily DJ directly. There is no cover to the event and Hors d’oerves and complimentary space shots will be served. There is really no reason why you shouldn’t be at Late Bar between 8 and 10pm tomorrow night.

The Maybenauts will celebrate the release of Big Bang on May 21st at Darkroom. A full review and much more on this ep to come in the following weeks.

NYC

NYC artists on the rise Racoon Fighter

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Closing the month of April, Brooklyn-based Raccoon Fighter raided Cake Shop along with Spanish Prisoners, She Keeps Bees, and Shark?. Raccoon Fighter kept their performance fresh and played with an infectious bite, minus the rabies, trading musical chairs between lead vocalist, Sean Gavigan, and fellow coon, Zac Ciancaglini,on guitar and drums. Backed by the new addition to the pack, Gabe Wilhelm on bass, the trio unmasked a pleasantly seductive, slinky style of raw rock. The forceful downbeats and shuffling percussion in between, lax guitar strums, and anxious, bluesy vocals of notable tunes, “The Upbeat,” “Rollin’ Wheel,” “Pillow Surf,” and “Forgot to Rot” left their marks on Cake Shop, making Raccoon Fighter a group to track. -Meijin Bruttomesso