Influenced musically by acts like Death Cab for Cutie, Pinback, Modest Mouse, and the Shins, No Wine for Kittens is an emerging NJ based rootsy pop band that also features a storytelling aspect similar to Bright Eyes or Bob Dylan. The band won the 2009 Asbury Music award for top indie rock, and have recently had their music featured in the short film "Falling to Pieces." – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Screens seeped into existence in early 2009, after Washington, D.C. defectors, drummer Andrew Becker (Dischord Records’, Medications) and vocalist Breck Brunson (psych-sludge purveyors, Apes) hooked up with keyboardist, Daniel Roland Tierney (San Francisco’s The Mall) and guitarist, Luke Kozikowski in New York City. The band plays dark, frantic and tense post punk with influences ranging from industrial music to The Cure’s "Pornography" period, with an underlying psychedelic approach. Distorted drums, an organ that sounds more like a Farfisa than a Hammond and Brunson’s filtered, falsetto vocals give this band a very recognizable signature sound, that make them a welcome addition to the NYC scene. They are playing at Glasslands in NYC on 02.18, this might be an interesting show. Their debut album "Dead House" will be released on May 17 on Delicate Recordings.

The members of Brooklyn’s Madison Square Gardeners have a long pedigree as backing musicians for artists like Ben Kweller, The New York Dolls and Jill Sobule, to name a few. They are about to release a new EP entitled "Teeth of Champions" (out on 03.15) which continues their output of twangy pop/rock tunes in the tradition of the best Tom Petty or Bob Dylan post 70s. The band just finished a Midwest run w/ Drivin’ & Cryin and hit The Rock Shop in Brooklyn on Feb 24th before March dates to and from SXSW.

Madison Square Gardener: Innocent

Will the new decade see a resurgence of the electric guitar based sound? A simplified look at the history of rock music in the last 4 decades might hint at that possibility: 70s = punk guitars, 80s = new wave keyboards, 90s = indie rock guitars, 00s = avant-indie samplers 10s = …guitars back in fashion?!). If this prediction is correct, NYC’s Darlings might find themselves in a comfy spot: their sound offers a pure garage rock sound in the form of melodic pop gems at times reminiscent of The Strokes ("Eviction Party") or Pavement ("Big Girl"). The band will release a new EP ("Warma") via Famous Class Records on March 15. Go check them out live at Shea Stadium on 02.16 – they have a fun live show.

Lifeguards is the new project led by (now NYC based) Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard of Guided By Voices. The duo had already worked together outside of the GBV realm (under their own names) on the 1999 "Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Dept". This is their 2nd record as Lifeguards, following "Mist King Urth", released in 2002 on Pollard’s own Fading Captain Series. In 2010 Pollard and Gillard reconvened for the first time since the end of GBV in 2004 to create this follow up, entitled "Waving at the Astronauts". Gillard wrote and recorded 10 instrumentals at home then sent the finished compositions off to Pollard who added melodies and lyrics. In May 2010, Pollard recorded his vocals with Gillard and Travis Harrison at Serious Business Music in NYC where drums and overdubs were added and the record was mixed. The album can be streamed in its entirety here.