New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
I am not sure how I missed the new release from Sin Ropas back in April (Shrup Records), but it is a great album. Holy Broken finds the combination of Tim Hurley (Red Red Meat, Califone) and Danni Iosello returing with eight new tracks. This is the first Sin Ropas album in five years, and it is one of their finest. The first track "The Fever You Fake" is perfect example of the bands relaxed yet powerful sound. They performed last night at The Empty Bottle.
Oh, the legendary Deli party. Long absent and long overdue, it was finally resurrected Monday night with a good old-fashioned 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge. The first time I went to a Deli party was two years ago in West End, and by the end of the night I somehow wound up becoming a writer for the blog. Since then, Nashville Deli festivities have waned. As the first party we’ve thrown in many moons, it started off like a young fawn, shaky and uncertain, but with a lineup of bands worth their salt, (hello, Holmes and Presley, Erin Manning, Alvin Love, Paper Machete, Evan P. Donahue, Turtle Bangs, Modoc and Overzealous), free swag and of course, some boozy and jovial showgoers, the Deli’s comeback party was, at least, a respectable shot at our first fiesta in a long while.
Thanks to rock and roll trivia right before, 8 off 8th commenced with an already-convivial atmosphere that peaked mid-way through the night and crashed before the final two sets. But as far as lineups go, the Deli was happy to host some fine Nashville talent, like Alvin Love (if Mr. Rogers had a soulful, poppy guest artist on his show, it would probably be Mr. Love), Americana/hard-rock infusion Modoc, and Turtle Bangs, an endearingly grody garage rock twosome from Murfreesboro.
Sets were short and sweet as usual, but that kept an already-diverse selection of bands interesting. Turtle Bangs might have given Nashville a taste of something it’s not used to, playing three rowdy, guttural numbers from their just-released album, “Mountain.” Modoc and Overzealous also have new EPs in the making and just-released, respectively. The last two to go on, they unfortunately played to a nonexistent crowd, but we know—it was a Monday night, so all who bailed are forgiven. I guess. At any rate, the Deli says thanks to everyone who came out, and to the guys at Mercy Lounge for letting us throw down there. Perhaps a weekend date is in order for next time. And there will be a next time. – Jessica Pace
Electro-Psych-Rockers Tony Castles are definitely one of the most intriguing NYC bands right now – by the way, shouldn’t all psych bands have some electro element in them? Electricity and psychos have a history in common after all… Anyway, the band will be playing Union Pool on 09.17 and then tour with Tom Tom Club – yes, the "thing" that started as a side project from Talking Heads. Read a recent Deli interview with the band here.
LA native Jonathan Haskell just released The Snowflakes That Hit Us Became Our Stars through his project Seven Saturdays. Along with the release, Haskell revealed the video for his first single ‘Au Revoir’ filmed by director Katie West entirely on her iPhone. If the music video and album wasn’t enough, then Seven Saturdays has made a remix of ‘The Shallow End’ available for free download on RCRDLBL.
Haskell, the mastermind and multi-instrumentalist, behind Seven Saturdays has spent years fine tuning his approach."I became more interested in how music made me feel and became a bit more selfish in the type of sounds I wanted to record. I mostly listen to music in my car, and the sounds that moved me the most occurred late at night while driving around the steep slopes and sharp curves of Mulholland Drive. There’s nothing like that winding road at midnight… the ebb and flow of swirling tones pouring out from all angles leaves you with a renewed sense of focus and direction." said Haskell.
Expect an album review soon.
We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list for emerging artists (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).
So, what’s so special about the Freelance Whales? Lots…and many of you seem to know that already. Relative newbies on the scene (at least as a pod), The Whales busked and toured their way to a strong second place showing in The Deli’s recent Best of NYC 2009 Poll. The 5-member, infinitely instrumented and blazingly popular Queens-based act finds themselves adored for their unassuming and equally complex obscurity. – Read Michael D. Spencer’s feature on Freelance Whales here.
The latest session over at Daytrotter features the local duo White Mystery. The will be also be featured on Sound Opinions this weekend.
You can catch White Mystery at The Empty Bottle on Sept 18th with Super Wild Horses, Wet Hair, and Outer Minds.
The band Women will be at The Ox tonight. Not the Canuck art rockers – no, those guys would get their asses kicked by our local hardcore punk outfit by the same name. Well, Philly’s Women will be helping Screaming Females celebrate the release of Castle Talk. I suggest that you catch these Jersey rockers live because they are nasty and just one of those bands that studio recordings have not done justice yet. Watching pint-sized frontwoman Marissa Paternoster wail with such ferocity while tearing through monster guitar riffs and solos is always a treat! Oh yeah, did I mention that Ted Leo & the Pharmacists will also be in the house? Come on this is a lineup that DIY warehouse spaces like The Ox are made for. The Ox, 2nd and Oxford, 8pm, $5, All Ages (Photo by Eddie Austin) – Q.D. Tran
Tomorrow head over to Milk for yet another epic Epic Sauce show with Grand Lake headlining and support by Ash Reiter, Sunbeam Rd, and Burrows, 8pm.
Friday night catch Mist and Mast with Sands and Yelstin at the Hemlock, 9pm.
Saturday, for what looks like an exceptionally busy evening, head out to Thee Parkside for The Wiretap Music Festival featuring Religious Girls, Clipd Beaks, Grand Lake (again), Casy and Brian, The Dashing Suns, SIddhartha, and Color Chasm, 3pm.
If you’re looking for something a little more subdued for your Saturday evening then Kata Rokkar’s latest Snob Theatre, at the Dark Room, should be your stop. This time around they will be featuring Poor Baily and Con Brio with comedians Kevin O’Shea, Chris Burns, Jesse Fernandez and Sean Keane, 9pm.
Lastly, Sunday night head over to Amnesia for Dominant Legs, Young Prisms and Holy Shit, 9pm.
–Ada Lann
The Yes Way – currently our Deli Artist of the month – play an interesting hybrid of art rock, alt rock and indie pop. NYC scene follwers may be familiar with the voice and the guitar style of Aaron Mendelsohn, who was involved with the NYC pop band Xylos. The band doesn’t have an official EP out but they do have a video of the single "Mets", directed by Daniel Marks. They also just announced 3 CMJ shows – one of them will be a Deli party at The Delancey on October 19. you can catch them live on 09.16 at the Bowery Electric.
Urge Overkill is back together, and currently recording a new full-length album here in Chicago. This will be the band’s first album in fifteen years. The reformed band is made up of original singer/guitarists Nash Kato and Eddie “King” Roeser, along with drummer Brian “Bon” Quast (also in Polvo) and bassist Mike “Hadji” Hogkiss. They will be performing at the Samuel L. Jackson-hosted Friar’s Club Roast of Quentin Tarantino on October 1st, and at Mercury Lounge in New York on Oct. 4th. Below is the first song they have released from these new sessions.