NYC

Comandante Zero release EP, travel to LA

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NYC electro funksters Comandante Zero just announced the completion of their new EP, which will be released on January 18 with a party at the Manhattan’s own hub for all things related to electro and world music – Nublu. There will be digital illustrations and a whole bunch of special guests – the show starts at 9.  A wek later the band will also travel to LA a  to play a gig at Harvardwood LA College.

L.A.

Whispertown(solo) plays the Bootleg Theater Jan. 12th

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You could make apt comparisons between The Whispertown 2000 and bands like Rilo Kiley, and you would be justified — Blake Sennett and Jenny Lewis are some of the bands principal supporters even when songwriter Morgan Nagler was flying solo. Their sunny Californian folk dances through your headphones, especially during these winter days, but there seems a nagging lack of washboard percussion. Songs like "Old Times" is a hand clapping, foot stomping jamboree, with Nagler’s honey vocals leading the way.

The band just recently released The Get Happy EP featuring gems "Get Happy" and "The Everybody" as a followup to 2008’s full length Swim and I can only hope it’s a hint of another full length around the corner. Nagler will be playing solo under the moniker Whispertown(solo) at the Bootleg Theater on Jan. 12th with Jake Bellows(Neva Dinova), The Heartstring Symphony and The Quick Hellos.

-Angelo Lorenzo

Philadelphia

Kurt Vile’s Smoke Ring for My Halo Due Out on March 8!

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Matador Records just announced that Kurt Vile’s sophomore full length for them will be available Tuesday, March 8 and is titled Smoke Ring for My Halo. As we mentioned earlier, the album was produced by John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.), and it was recorded “throughout 2010 at various studios in NYC, Hoboken and Philadelphia”. You can check out its tracklisting below. Unfortunately, “In My Time” is still the only track available for preview, which you can also download below if you haven’t done so already. – The Deli Staff
 
Smoke Ring For My Halo Tracklisting:
 
A side:
Baby’s Arms
Jesus Fever
Puppet To The Man
On Tour
Society Is My Friend
 
B side:
Runner Ups
In My Time
Peeping Tomboy
Smoke Ring For My Halo
Ghost Town
 

In My Time by Kurt Vile 

NYC

Penguin Prison releases single + tours west coast with Girl Talk

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After appearing at the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival a few weeks ago, NYC dico wizard Penguin Prison just released a 7" of his single "Golden Train", a track that chugs along fueled by synth, percussion and Penguin Prison’s signature voice. The single is already available for download online, but only 300 copies of the 7" will circulate worldwide. These vinyls are so coveted that the guys from Holy Ghost! tweeted, "Save a copy please." If fans cannot grab a copy, they won’t have to wait too long for Penguin Prison’s next album, which Neon Gold Record said will be released early next year. Here’s the link to order the 7". The Penguin will be touring the west coast with his band in January supporting Girl Talk. – Abigail P. Devora

Philadelphia

Winter Solstice Celebration at The Ox Dec. 21

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I was just standing outside watching the lunar eclipse and thinking that it would’ve been funny to have a flash Lunar Eclipse/Winter Solstice party that only lasted as long as the eclipse. Of course, in reality, it would have been a pretty lame party only lasting about an hour with the other random four insomniacs on my street that happened to be up at three in the morning as well. But having A Stick and a Stone perform in full ensemble during this rare occasion. Now, that would have been a memorable moment experiencing Elliott Harvey’s vision fully realized as the beautifully orchestrated strings and haunting vocals seductively danced and battled while the Earth shaded in the moon. Instead, it was just me freezing my ass off in the cold watching what you might experience on a cloudy evening happening super slowly. Chalk it up as something that I did. Well, it’s still Winter Solstice and A Stick and a Stone will be at The Ox tonight w/The New Heaven and The New Earth, Motorcycle Maus and Scott Churchman so you have somewhere to go to celebrate your pagan ritual with like-minded people this evening. The Ox (you should know by now or just ask a friend), 8pm, $5, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
 
NYC

Amy Seeley releases new CD

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“Amy Seeley’s songs unfold like a story you can’t put down and end up missing your stop three times for.” – last.fm

We agree. Amy Seeley is one of those unique songwriters who grabs you from the very first note.  With a delicate and unassuming style, her songs balance easily in the worlds of folk and jazz. While the obvious influences of Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, and Sarah McLachlan are present it does not overwhelm her own individual style.

On the heels of her 2008 release, Eight Belles, she’s got a new album, Plum Coulee coming out this month. Recorded in the heart of Montana last winter, it is a remarkable collection of ten songs that continue her tradition of poignant lyrics and beautiful arrangements that will shine through any weather to come this season. – Veronica Medici

Philadelphia

Tigerbeats’ Anniversary Party w/The Homophones at The Barbary Dec. 20!

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People – keep using our DIY Calendar (to the right) because we actually do check it out! Otherwise, we would have had no clue that one of our favorite melancholy party bands The Homophones are performing tonight at Tigerbeats! They’ll be helping the youthful indie dance party celebrate their one year anniversary so expect plenty of balloons and oh so sweet tunes. And we thought that this was going to be a pretty lame Monday night. Go out, stay young and be hip at The Barbary this evening! – The Deli Staff
 
Philadelphia

R.I.P. Trudy Pitts

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We hate posting news like this because it is always with great sadness and we also generally like to keep things positive on The Deli sites. But we had to acknowledge that Philly native and jazz/soul/blues great Trudy Pitts passed away yesterday. She was known for championing the Hammond B3 organ, and performed alongside jazz icons like John Coltrane and Albert “Tootie” Heath. She was also the first jazz musician to play the Kimmel Center’s 7000 pipe organ. Our condolences go out to her family and fans, especially to her husband, long time friend and drummer Bill “Mr. C” Carney. – The Deli Staff
 
Update: The Carney family is working on raising funds for Trudy Pitts’ memorial service. They just released four of her last recorded tracks which happen to be Christmas tunes available for download here, and your donation will go directly to The Carney family for her memorial funds. We know a lot of musicians and music lovers check out this site. Please help one of your own. Thank you.
 
Philadelphia

Album Review: Kids – Sunny Ali & the Kid

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Sunny Ali & the Kid are back with their brand of “psychedelic country punk” and a new EP of songs “for kids about being a kid by the Kid” called Kids. Our much beloved partners in crime must live by the acronym K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) with most of their tracks on the album barely breaking the one minute mark, which you could definitely consider keeping it in the spirit of punk. However, their latest effort probably leans more towards being a rock ‘n’ roll album in the earliest sense of the phrase containing a rockabilly feel from the 1950s which combines country and jazz with folk and gospel music, however, predominantly led by a ukulele (the "hip" instrument of choice by indie music singer-songwriters in the past half decade or so). But once again, Sunny Ali & the Kid manage to keep the listener entertained yet still wanting more which is a lesson that others might want to learn from.
 
The opener “drum solo” is a brief jaunt into chaotic psychedelia with its intentional time-altering intro and brief drum solo sounding more like a child banging away on a toy drum kit as well as pots and pans or an acid-fueled madman wilding out to the jam session in his own mind than the usual excessive rock ‘n’ roll drum solos that you might be expecting from the song title. “honky girl” channels the ghost of Elvis and other rockabilly/rock ‘n’ roll pioneers by putting some serious feel good boogie in your step, while the jazzier drum work in “team work” with its laidback but somewhat ominous vocals quickly shifts the mood of the EP. The track “the bug” reminds me of a more upbeat derivative of “This is best” from Sunny Ali & the Kid’s most excellent debut Try Harder, and it also clocks in as the longest song on the album at a whopping one minute and forty-nine seconds. The duo returns with a bit of stripped-down rockabilly goodness on the following song “two girls” with its upbeat ukulele strumming and handclap rhythm section. (And somehow I feel that the two girls and two boys are doing more than just having “fun” with the tongue-in-cheek wit of our urban cowboys.) They close out Kids with “lone star” which sounds more like a bonus track that was left off of their Halloween themed album Spook Wave Vol. 1 with its groovy bass line and classic “Coconut” vibe ala Harry Nilsson. That’s cool. I still say, “More Sunny Ali & the Kid, please.” You can grab Kids for free in exchange for your e-mail here. – H.M Kauffman