This is a first time for us and it promises to be a spectacular one! Tonight’s B.E.A.F. fest show at The Knit will include a show dedicated to musical genres indigested to most NYC hipsters, but loved by pretty much every other New Yorker: Funk, Soul, Afro-Beat, Hip Hop and World Music. The lineup is pretty impressive, check this out:

TURKUAZ  – 11pm
Turkuaz is the funk-soul tornado that can transport you back to the time of bell-bottom and polyester. In a world where the original froth of funk has been adulterated and diluted by genre cross-polination, bands like Turkuaz generate breathless awe. Their masterful musicianship, nuanced synergy, and and genuine celebration of the experience they cultivate results in a remarkable live-music experience. If there was ever an excuse to dust off your moneymaker, Turkuaz is bringing it to you.

ZONGO JUNCTION – 10pm
Brooklyn’s Zongo Junction mixes traditional West African rhythms with American funk, soul and jazz to garner a truly unique sound. They are a 13-piece ensemble that began in early 2007, the band’s name originating from the bus stop drummer Charles Ferguson lived off of while spending six months in Accra, Ghana. Much like their inspiration, Nigerian superstar, political activist and afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo, Zongo Junction never fails to get their audiences on their feet and riled up at their shows. Though now based in New York, the core of the band are from San Francisco’s Bay Area, moving to New York after playing together all their lives. The band’s list of inspiration runs long, and includes such artists as James Brown, Osibisa and Bob Marley.

YC THE CYNIC – 9.00
Purists, favoring the classic two-turntables and a microphone setup, celebrate acts like YC the Cynic whose stunning lyricism earned two SXSW showcases this year for this twenty-year-old. Coming out of Hunts Point in the South Bronx, YC , is thoroughly committed to the art, feeling the need to bring hip-hop back to its birthplace. YC’s music has a polished delivery and an infectious energy not typically found in hip-hop. He also posses an unusually large vocabulary and a quick eye for detail, making his music–whether live or not–highly entertaining.

Early on we’ll have NYC ‘s new queen of soul KENDRA MORRIS – 8.15 and the unique Jypsynese rockers KAGERO – 7.30.

Buy tickets for this event here, ($8 online, $12 at the door)

When I was in high school I remember I attended a history panel by a famous Italian professor (I can’t remember his name of course…) He was talking about the cultural "bourgeois" revolution that happened after the French Revolution, consisting in the fact that after that event, relevant culture was not anymore commissioned, produced and consumed by the royalty, the oligarchs and the church, but by the middle class. The professor was wondering if in our times a similar but less traumatic event is "transferring" the control of culture to the masses – he called that "pop culture". I think the answer is "absolutely", and even in the "indie" side of music it seems obvious to me that we are witnessing an incredible "poppification" of tastes, which basically means that most bands are focusing more than ever on writing songs that can appeal to a large audience. Where are today’s Jim Morrison and Iggy Pops? The new Dead Can Dance or Nick Caves? Pop songs are great but tragedy is powerful, is that a too negative idea for our times? Like the kings and the oligarchs and the popes did after the French revolution I might be simply reacting to change, undervaluing a new idea of culture. But I still think that music like the one produced by Priestbird (Ex Tarantula AD) should have a place in our lives. You can buy their album with a small donation here.

I’m often surprised by the fact that many indie rock fans aren’t familiar with The Stranglers, one of my favorite punk/new wave bands of the 80s. The English group had 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, but they are a little more than a cult band in the States. Listening to their music automatically puts a grin on my face, because of their frontman "Teutonic" way of singing. This in my own little musical vocabulary means that he sings like an English speaking person pretending to be a German nazi: commanding, resolute, spiteful… asshole! I guess the Sex Pistols started that, but The Stranglers refined the idea, adding a baroque musical element that enhanced the "teutonicness" (baroque art was big in Germany). Brooklyn based The Sleepies’ music put that same grim on my face. They play highly charged post punk with that same kind of vocal style that makes you feel like punching somebody for a laugh. Feelers (stream it below) is the best punk song we’ve stumbled upon in a long time. Don’t miss their next show at Silent Barn on May 27.

Sami.the.great (pictured), Peter Salvato and Ivan Sandomire perform tonight, along with 10 more songwriters and rootsy bands, at the Deli-sponsored 5th Annual LC Fest, organized by independent music community Local Correspondents at Bar4 in Park Slope. Sami.the.great is a pop songstress who’s been a staple on the NYC scene for a few years now, and is releasing her first full length album on Bold Love Records in fall 2011. Singer/songwriter Peter Salvato backs his subtle lyrics with intricate acoustic guitar playing, and will be releasing his debut EP next month, while Ivan Sandomire, along with his band Ivan and the Terribles, plays melodic rock with an electronic edge. For the complete schedule of performers for all six nights of the festival, (from May 17th to the 22nd), visit the LC website.

DC based analog rock & rollers Modern Man were recently voted by the people as DC Deli’s Band of the Month, so we tracked down guitarist Zach Goodwin to find out his thoughts on our scene and what MM is all about. Here he tells us about their upcoming EP release, Eddie Vedder, and the power of a koozie… (Click here for full interview.)

Modern Man will be performing on the mainstage at the Black Cat on Friday 5/20 with DC’s post-Americana band Shortstack and DC’s acoustic folk artist Brandon Butler. 9 PM $10. -Dawn

1957 (2011) by ModernMan

Need something awesome to do this Sunday afternoon? Well the 2nd annual Soundbites fest is going down on May 22 at the 9:30 Club and we’ve got some passes to give away to the local music/glorious food extravaganza! All you have to do is email us here and let us know why you must get in on this! Deadline is May 20 @ 3 PM, and the winner will be chosen randomly, emailed back, and announced on the blog. In the meantime, check out some of locals that will be there…

DC’s dance rockers Ra Ra Rasputin will provide a perfect electro beat to help you reel in the energy induced by delishy samples from Dangerously Delicious Pies. Speaking of pie… "D.C.’s finest ska" band the Pietasters will be on deck with their octet of brass power, that’ll pair quite nicely with DC Slices straight off the truck, or DC Empanadas, or Radius Pizza,… getting hungry over here!