Free Mondays is a new live music weekly event at The Rock Shop in Gowanus) consisting in a series of free shows featuring some promising up and coming New York artists. The series started in May and hosted among others Ravens & Chimes, Murder Mystery and Freak Owls. On May 23 (tonight) it’s the turn of Tiny Animals, Midnight Spin (in the picture), and Eiko (a band that apparently doesn’t have a website). – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

Michelle Casilla’s Ursa Minor was one of our latest more pleasant discoveries – see what we wrote about them a few weeks ago here. The band (comprised of incredible musicians who played among others with Norah Jones, Feist, Lounge Lizards and Bjork) will play a live preview of their debut CD at Joe’s Pub on May 24.

In her new EP "V the Volcanic", NYC electro diva KRISTEENYOUNG,  makes the epic out of the forgettable through an in your face brand of glam pop driven by her almost overwhelming soprano and energetic electro-pop beats. Sounding like an explosive cocktail of Kate Bush, Queen and Lady Gaga (the latter mostly for the over the top attitude) KY offers here a collection of songs that are all (but one) focused on supporting characters from classic films. "Fantastic Failure" and "I’ll Get You Back" are the stand-out tracks of the EP. The first one – also the EP’s single – is the one exception to the supporting character rule, focusing on Elizabeth Taylor’s 1963 Cleopatra, and featuring some impressive vocal work and a driving drum beat that gives way to the genius thought of the chorus: "fantastic failure’s more fantastic than mere success can ever be." "I’ll Get You Back" focuses on the Angry Apple Tree from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, and it is catchy and clever, featuring rapid-fire words spelled at you…almost the way your parents used to do when they didn’t want you to know what was going on around you – except this time you’re being threatened… watch out! KRISTEENYOUNG will be at Piano’s four times this June, the 7th, the 14th, the 21st and the 28th, giving you plenty of opportunities to live out small dreams with big results. –allison levin

Warning: French Horn Rebellion (a.k.a. Robert and David Perlick-Molinari) may cause uncontrollable running/dancing in place and the flailing of arms and legs that is equivalent to an aerobic workout. On Thursday May 26, they will be playing at Glasslands with Savoir Adore and Golden Pony, celebrating the release of their newest album "The Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion". Before starting the band, the Perlick-Molinari brothers were dabbling in opposite ends of the music pool. While Robert was playing French horn for the Chicago civic orchestra, David was producing MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” EP. So the story goes, it took a moment for the boys to wake up, come together to create FHR, and since then they have toured Europe, played with bands like Sleigh Bells, Cut Copy, and Hot Chip. So grab your headbands because you are about to hear plenty more from this duo. – QD Tran & Caitlin Clive. French Horn Rebellion place 41st in The Deli’s latest Best of NYC Emerging Aritsts poll.

Coming off a year that most bands would give their drummer’s right arm for, it’s not surprising that Fang Island’s Chris Georges is in an upbeat mood. Reflecting on a 2010 that saw the release of the group’s self titled debut album, critical acclaim and huge upsurge in their profile, the guitarist has spent the new year just trying to make sense of it all. Read Dean Van Nguyen’s feature here.
The Deli celebrated this unusual band by giving them the cover of The Deli’s 1st SXSW issue, and Fang Island returned the favor by accepting to headline our NYC B.E.A.F. fest – don’t miss the show on May 27 at Brooklyn Bowl. DJ Nora of irockiroll will entertain the crowd before the show with a selection of tune (mostly) by NYC artists! Click here or on the picture below for the fest’s full schedule.