Philadelphia

Rare Solo Performance by Power Animal at DDG Feb. 3

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The last time I saw Power Animal (a.k.a. Keith Hampson) perform solo was in the basement of South Philly’s Castle Gay. Hampson said that it would be a while until he’d do it again since he had a full band in the works. That was almost a year and a half ago. Since then, he released his highly-underrated full length People Songs on Waaga Records and has been impressing audiences with his percussive experimental six-piece outfit that he assembled with some talented close-knit friends from the Northeast. The Deli was also proud to have them perform at our most recent Anniversary Party with The Extraordinaires and An American Chinese. Well, Hampson is back to his roots tonight performing solo at Danger Danger Gallery so make sure to check out this rare opportunity. Scheduled on the bill will be Lux Perpetua, Scott Churchman, Caring Practice and Attic Abasement. I also wanted to give you a heads up on a killer lineup that I am super stoked about happening at The Ox on Saturday February 19. The full Power Animal band will be joining Grimace Federation, Ryat and Circadian Rhythms. I can guarantee plenty of The Deli crew will be out for that one and you should be too! Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 8pm, $5 – $10 donation, All Ages (Photo by Robert Aitken) – Q.D. Tran
 

Sometimes by Power Animal

Philadelphia

Arc in Round Not Afraid of Violens at JB’s Feb. 3

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This may make absolutely no sense to those living outside of my head, but when I listen to Arc in Round – the local “dark-pop” four-piece of Mikele Edwards, Chris Coello, Matt Ricchini, and producer/engineer Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs, Lymbyc Systym) – I envision a nomadic ghost among boisterous souls. As all-encompassing live as it is on their recently released debut EP, Diagonal Fields, their wall of sound is layer upon layer of starry-eyed vocal echoes and hazy blasts of drifting cadence. And tonight at Johnny Brenda’s, where they’ll open for New York’s psych-noise three-piece Violens, Arc in Round will debut their single “Slow Ceiling” from Diagonal Fields (it’s available on iTunes and Bandcamp, with the Bandcamp version offering the Pink Skull Remix of “Spirit” as a bonus track). Featuring Philly wunderkind Kurt Vile on trumpet and Man Antlers’ Pete Angevine on percussion (both of whom helped on the EP and impending LP), the five-minute instrumental is a creeping build-up of dizzying musical notes and swirling ambience – a kind of mystic display of technical prowess that’s bound to blow your mind live. Follow that with the mysterious shoegaze guitar-pop adventures of local six-piece Nothing, and it’s aces. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, 8pm, $10, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia
 

Slow Ceiling by Arc in Round 

NYC

NYC Artists on the rise: For Every Story Untold – Live at Arlene’s on 05.02

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Shoegazer/Ambient Queens, NY duo For Every Story Untold demonstrate the wherewithal to compose hauntingly beautiful music as indicated on the tandem’s four-song EP HIDEOUT. With discernible influence coming from the likes of Portishead and Cocteau Twins, this group provides a lush background of cymbal crashes and whispering synths while an ethereal female vocal delicately weaves in and out of the multi-layered instrumental presentation (“From Under Paris”). Commandeering a balance between serenity and majesty, For Every Story Untold successfully fuses heart-wrenching shoegaze properties with ambient alternative rock to create a captivating strand of music with a cosmically enhanced cinematic scope perfect for escaping the world by (“Hideout”). -Mike SOS

Portland

And And And the winner of The Deli’s Best of Portland Emerging Artist of 2010 is…

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Precious Readers of The Deli Portland,

The results in their total grandeur have landed (see list at the bottom), fans, jurors, writers, and all! Congratulations to the fine fellows of And And And for winning Best Portland Emerging Artist of 2010!

1. And And And

If we base it simply on number of albums produced, it’s no surprise that &&& raked in the title of Best Emerging Artist. It doesn’t hurt that they’re amazing either. Self-releasing four EPs and/or albums in the past year, And And And has that old fashioned tenacity wrapped up with a sound that is unbearably Portland. Cacophonous and somehow precise, a scream-along-sing-along ride that you can kick up some dust to while still kicking back, they walk the line (or run down it, rather) of garage band or perhaps the next big thing to escape from our fair city. They’ve new album(s) in the works (surprise, surprise), so keep your eyes and ears open lest you miss an album or two

2. The Angry Orts

I’m not completely sure what an ort is, but The Angry Orts bring to mind anything but anger. Channeling something a little more serious than your average pop band, The Angry Orts are definitely something to keep an eye on, their music swinging from the grungiest you can get behind the precise vocals of Sara Hernandez, down to sentimental moments that speak something in the tune of She & Him. 

3. Monarques

The new old sound of Monarques is something to be reckoned with. You might think to find it spinning from an old 45, but it’s brand new and ready for your dancing pleasure. I stick to my most recent words: the new seven-piece bounces out irrefutable pop from a bygone era that sure as all get out shouldn’t be gone. It’s part sock hop, part garage band, picking up echoes of all your favourite Motown and hints of The Beach Boys. Songs like “Angel Eyes” bring to mind the golden age of dancing grandparents (when they were still young, that is).

FULL RESULTS

 
Artist
J
F

OS
TOTAL
 
1
 And And And
7
0.014
0.75
7.764
2
 The Angry Orts
6
0.032
 
6.032
icon
3
 Monarques
5
0.021
 
5.021
icon
4
 Archers
2
2
0.5
4.5
icon
5
 Ages and Ages
3
0.004
0.75
3.754
icon
6
 Chervona
 
3
0.75
3.75
icon
7
 Wax Fingers
3
0.018
0.5
3.518
icon
8
 Redwood Son
3
0.5
 
3.5
icon
9
 Parson Red Heads
3
0.033
 
3.033
icon
10
 Ten Million Lights
3
0.005
 
3.005
icon
11
 Lara Michell
3
0
 
3
icon
12
 The Ascetic Junkies
1
1.5
 
2.5
icon

13

 Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
2
0.031
 
2.031
icon
14
 Aan
2
0.024
 
2.024
icon
15
 The Upsidedown
2
0.013
 
2.013
icon
16
 Typhoon
2
0.011
 
2.011
icon
17
 Tyler Stenson
2
0.01
 
2.01
icon
18 
 Soft Tags
2
0.006
 
2.006
icon
19
 Pancake Breakfast
2
0.004
 
2.004
icon
 
 Y La Bamba
2
0.004
 
2.004
icon
21
 Soft Metals
2
0.002
 
2.002
icon
22
 Radiation City
 
1
1
2
icon
23
 Housefire
1
0.031
0.5
1.531
icon
24
 Hello Electric
1
0.039
 
1.039
icon
25
 Quiet Life
1
0.015
 
1.015
icon
26
 Pegasus Dream
1
0.008
 
1.008
icon
27
 Jordan Harris
1
0.003
 
1.003
icon
 
 The Woodlands
 
0.003
1
1.003
icon
29
 Old Light
1
0.002
 
1.002
icon
30
 A Simple Colony
1
0.001
 
1.001
icon
 
 Lookbook
1
0.001
 
1.001
icon
 
 Nucular Aminals
1
0.001
 
1.001
icon
 
 Ohioan
1
0.001
 
1.001
icon
34
 Priory
 
0.5
0.5
1
icon
35
 Crown Point
 
0.043
0.75
0.793
icon
36
 Deklun and Pace
 
0.035
0.5
0.535
icon
37
 Guantanamo Baywatch
 
0.006
0.5
0.506
icon
38
 Black Prairie
 
0.003
0.5
0.503
icon
39
 Harlowe & the Great North
 
0
0.5
0.5
icon
 
 Reverse Dotty  

 
 
0.5
0.5
icon
Legend: J = Jury – OS = Open Submissions – F = Fans

The Deli’s Staff

San Francisco

EP Review: Foolproof Four Three Song Sampler

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San Francisco band Foolproof Four have released a Three Song Sampler just in time for their performance at this Friday’s SF IndieFest. They will be playing alongside four other Bay Area acts: Los Shimmy Shakers, Taxes, Shit Outta Luck, Thief and Nervous, at the TwentyFifty, which is located on Bryant Street.

This is the second annual SF Winter Music Festival and it will begin tomorrow and continue through the 17th. There are eight showcases with two stages and over forty bands. Their website exclaims: “The best punk, metal, ska, swing, rockabilly and indie rock from around the Bay and beyond!” All shows are 21 and up.

Foolproof Four is lead by guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Noah Grant, with Dan Brennan on drums and vocals. The two are often accompanied by Nate Harris to round out their sound. These three tracks, available on the bands MySpace and Facebook pages, as well as for sale at shows, showcase the variety the band is known for. This summer they played alongside Maria Taylor and Morgan Nagler at the Bottom of the Hill, and they have been keeping busy since—recording songs for their first full-length release. Keep an eye out for a fun new music video as well, shot in San Francisco.

The three songs—“Post-Industrial”, “Lady Valia Stood Her Ground” and “We’re All for Sale” almost sound as if they are by three different bands. This does not create a lack of coherence in their overall sound, but instead let fans know that these boys will always have some new trick up their sleeves. Although they sure know how to have fun with certain songs onstage, many of their songs are quite thoughtful too. Grant wrote “Lady Valia” about his admiration for the nonviolent protesters at UC Berkeley, and as a statement of solidarity to those who on faced such violence and did not let it break them.

Grant describes their new set of songs as “a swung folk/rock tune, an a cappella tune, and a straight ahead rock tune.” If you like the sound of that, be sure to make it out to their show Friday night!

 

–Shauna C. Keddy

Philadelphia

Money Making Jam Boys Mixtape Drops Today for FREE Download

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Just wanted to let you know that the Money Making Jam Boys’ (The Roots’ Black Thought, STS, Truck North, and Dice Raw) mixtape titled The Prestige: Jam Boy Magic drops today. You can download it for FREE via 10Deep. Check out the videos below where Black Thought and Dice Raw talk about the MMJB mixtape project. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff
 

BLACK THOUGHT / Money Making Jam Boys from 10 Deep

DICE RAW / Money Making Jam Boys from 10 Deep

Philadelphia

Ethel Cee Supporting The Leeway Foundation at The Rotunda Feb. 3

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One-woman wrecking machine Ethel Cee is coming through The Rotunda tonight. Ethel Cee is a utility rapper who can offer something for everyone. She swags, intimidates, flows like water but can throw down a biting verse on the flip of a switch. Her LP Dirty Samples out on Bee Eater highlights Cee’s commanding vocals over an array of backing beats from chopped up oldies samples to electro thumpers. Her beats, done by Fel Sweetenberg, are not to be overlooked. The elaborate collages that change and grow as Cee’s lyrical persona does are the perfect compliment to her based rhymes. Along for the ride is Camae from hip-hop/punk experimentalists The Mighty Paradocs. They’ll be performing for free in honor of The Leeway Foundation, a Philly-based organization that supports women and transgender artists in the Delaware Valley who create social change through their artwork. Don’t miss out! The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 7pm, Free, All Ages – Adam G.
 

Chicago

Young Man wins The Deli’s Best of Chicago 2010 Emerging Artist Poll!

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Chicagoans and Chicagoers!

After a seizure inducing 2 months of polling and voting and churning numbers, we can finally say: "HABEMUS POLL WINNER!"

Congrats to mellow psych folker Young Man, who sealed the win thanks to 2 top jurors votes (3 points each), and to Dastardly and White Mistery, who placed second and third thanks to their fans vote. Here’s a picture of the Young Man also known as Colin Caulfield.

Thanks to all the jurors and the bands and the fans who helped us put together this list of artists. Please don’t take it too seriously (but not too lightly either!), we see it as a fun, playful way to give exposure to deserving emerging local artists.

 
Artist
J
OS

F
TOTAL
 
1
 Young Man
6
 
0.004
6.004
2
 Dastardly
4
 
2
6
icon
3
 White Mystery
4
 
0.012
4.012
icon
4
 King Sparrow
4
 
0.005
4.005
icon
5
 Canasta
 
0.5
3
3.5
icon
6
 Suns
3
 
0.214
3.214
icon
7
 The Loneliest Monk
3
 
0.064
3.064
icon
8
 Disappears
3
 
0.017
3.017
icon
9
 Black Math
3
 
0.016
3.016
icon
10
 SHAPERS
3
 
0.009
3.009
icon
11
 Jon Drake and the Shakes
2
 
0.5
2.5
icon
12
 Gold Motel
2
 
0.069
2.069
icon
13
 Hey Champ!
2
 
0.034
2.034
icon
14
 Smith Westerns
2
 
0.018
2.018
icon
15
 John Bellows
2
 
0.005
2.005
icon
16
 Judson Claiborne
2
 
0.004
2.004
icon
17
 Skybox
2
 
0.002
2.002
icon
18
 Secret Colours
 
1
1

2
icon
 
 Soft Speaker
 
0.5

1.5
2
icon
20
 Está Vivo
 
1
0.102
1.102
icon
21
 Very Truly Yours
 
1
0.054
1.054
icon
22
 Sad Brad Smith
 
0.75
0.299
1.049
icon
23
 Maps and Atlases
1
 
0.039
1.039
icon
24
 Stephen Paul Smoker
1
 
0.031
1.031
icon
25
 Archie Powell & the Exports
1
 
0.02
1.02
icon
26
 Tiny Magnets
1
 
0.014
1.014
icon
 27
 In Tall Buildings
1
 
0.01
1.01
icon
 
 Joe Pug
1
 
0.01
1.01
icon
  Yawn
1
 
0.01
1.01
icon
30
 Julie Meckler
 
0.75
0.01
0.76
icon
31
 Scattered Trees
 
0.75
0.006
0.756
icon
32
 Verona Red
 
0.5
0.118
0.618
icon
33
 Gemini Club
 
0.5
0.093
0.593
icon
 
 Chaperone
 
0.5
0.038
0.538
icon
35
 Unicycle Loves You
 
0.5
0.028
0.528
icon
36
 Nathan Xander & Witchouse
 
0.5
0.014
0.514
icon
 
 The Giving Tree Band
 
0.5
0.008
0.508
icon
Legend: J = Jury – OS = Open Submissions – W = Deli Writers – F = Fans

The Deli’s Staff

NYC

For the Psych lovers – Strange Shapes open for Delicate Steve on 02.05

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Strange Shapes, formed in 2009, is a new Brooklyn based project delivering – as its name suggests – music that isn’t excatly "ordinary". Strong psychedelic influences referring directly to the early UK genre pioneers blend with a fully electric avant-pop approach reminiscent of Animal Collective, but with some added unpredictability that bears jazzy elements. The band will be opening for Delicate Steve at his CD release party on February 5th at Public Assembly. Check out the opening track of the band’s new EP "Star Charts" streaming here.


 

NYC

CD review: The Paparazzi – “ROCOCO”

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Led by Cat Power bassist Erik Paparazzi, The Paparazzi is a delightfully psychedelic pop rock project chock full of freewheeling melodies and lighthearted wordplay. This collective’s nine-track affair ROCOCO showcases a love for the soulful rock sounds of the 1960’s (“Hi”) with a discernible Beatles fetish and a drowsy indie rock sensibility (“My O My”). Instrumentally lush and boldly experimental, The Paparazzi makes quirky daydream pop that is fresh from the dryer soft and warm. www.seriousbusinessrecords.com -Mike SOS

Philadelphia

The Deli’s Philly Record Label of the Year 2010: Ian Records

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It was a tight race again this year with one vote separating two fine labels, but the nod went to Ian Records for The Deli’s Philly Record Label of the Year 2010. It was hard to ignore what Ian Records has been doing for the local indie music scene. If you are not familiar with the Philly-based record label, it’s run by Ian Galloway who also works at the record store Beautiful World Syndicate. He specializes in releasing only music from Philly artists on vinyl. Galloway has helped material see the light of day on proper format from local artists like Party Photographers, Creepoid, and Far-Out Fangtooth. All of whom were nominated by one of our jurors in this year’s Best of Philly Emerging Artists Poll, which is pretty damn impressive. Congrats Ian Records! But we’d also like to acknowledge and thank Richie Records/TestosterTunes for simply releasing kick-ass tunes. Now, we know owner Richie Charles couldn’t give two shits about any awards, but maybe sometimes it’s nice to know that other people think you are badass too. Cheers to both labels for all their support of the local music scene! – The Deli Staff
 
NYC

Left on Vermont CD Release Party at Rock & Roll Hotel 2/4

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DC’s own “rock-art with a singer-songwriter’s soul” 5-some, Left On Vermont, have released their debut EP Left On Vermont , and to celebrate, they’re bringing the party to the Rock & Roll Hotel this Friday 2/4. Right now, you can pick the EP up for free here. District Noise’s recent review says “Guitarist Eugene Lee’s boyish voice is reminiscent of folksinger Nicholas Altobelli; and the band’s violinist, Erin Weston, delivers baroque, haunting vocals that make Left On Vermont stand out from the crowd.” Also on the bill: DC’s indie-powerpop The Public Good, and Virginian alt-rock The Crash Takeoff. Doors @ 8:30 $10.