In a scene where faces change with the speed of light, Flying Pace is a band whose members feel almost like family to The Deli. Led by singer/guitarist Kristie Redfield of The Song Corporation, the band features bassist Marta DeLeon from Coyote Eyes and guitarist George Flanagan from El Jezel – all bands that were repeatedly featured in our magazine/blog in the first decade of the aughts. Josh Arenberg completes the lineup on drums. The quartet is about to release their debut album digitally via Bandcamp in two parts: the first, entitled "Quick as a Wink," will be let loose on Saturday June 16th, in occasion of the band’s Northside Festival Showcase at Grand Victory (ex Bruar Falls) in Brooklyn, while the second part "Quiet as a Mouse" will be released on July 20th at a show at Union Hall.

The only song available at this stage, entitled "Boris and Natasha" (streaming below) features Kristie’s signature whispered vocals, which switch from a spoken mantra-style verse to a sudden, dreamy opening in the chorus, where a breezy, unpredictable melody takes over our senses. The band gently supports Kristie’s delicate lines with textural layers of sound, with Flanagan’s guitar occasionally taking over with psychedelic flourishes.

If Flying Pace were painters we would call them Impressionists – a comparison we recently used for Here We Go Magic… these two bands should tour together!

Brooklyn’s pop-rock quintet The Canon Logic recently released a music video for their track “No Domino” off of their 2011 EP “Rapid Empire”. The video begins with a young boy swimming underwater, with an overwhelming sense of summertime nostalgia. Sparser at first, the song is driven by a melody building in intensity and the driving pulse of a bass drum. As the song progresses, light animation becomes more prevalent in the video, accentuating both the singer’s performance of the song and the boy’s journey through the river. As the song reaches its climax with a walking bass line and the thrum of electric guitar, the animation follows suit, with several explosions of color and light. You can catch The Canon Logic at The Mercury Lounge on June 21st. – Bob Raymonda

After years and years of dragging his amp from show to show, hitting stage after stage with the electric fever of a man being moved by the holy spirit, after touring the country back and forth and back again, playing every kind of venue imaginable, after all that Yoni Gordon… gave up. And – wouldn’t you know it – that’s when things got interesting. He is now throwing down a slab of vinyl for you all called "The Hard Way" (out this summer on Kerosene Machine Records). He has nothing to prove to anyone anymore and the days of him being a "struggling artist" are over. Yoni Gordon is not "struggling" nor is he an artist. He is a showman, through and through. – (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 and APS Mastering.

A room full of eager, starry-eyed 30-somethings with sweat dripping from their pores. Lukewarm beers. Ceiling fans halfheartedly oscillating. The first signs of summer hit Lawrence at The Jackpot on Thursday night.

The evening began with Lawrence band The Roseline (pictured above), a group that has been made up of Colin Halliburton and a plethora of other revolving musicians since its 2005 inception. The group–a four-piece with standard instrumentation on Thursday–played to a steadily growing crowd, with its tightly-knit blend of country and Americana rock. The band weaved between sweet love songs and emotional songs of desperation. Elements of Neil Young’s simple but brilliant song arrangements rang through The Roseline’s music, accompanied by Halliburton’s steady, easy-to-embrace vocals.

By the time The Roseline’s set ended, the club was abuzz with a healthy balance of satisfaction and anticipation. From the moment Ha Ha Tonka kicked in with the a cappella intro of "St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor" to the end of the heavy-driving "Usual Suspects," the audience was in a thrilled, sweaty uproar. Brian Roberts commanded the stage with a robust vocal presence and a positive vibe felt by the entire room. His bandmates played with the same level of proficiency and vigor, not simply captivating the audience with the musical performance but with a collective, good-natured and overall playful energy.

For nearly an hour, the rhythm section of Lennon Bone and Luke Long pounded away alongside Roberts’ clear, potent voice and Brett Anderson’s upfront mandolin and lead guitar work. They consistently showcased their characteristic penchant for four-part harmonies, culminating in the a cappella song "Hangman," an old folk standard first popularized by Leadbelly. The crowd seemed familiar with their songs, which were mostly off their 2011 release Death of A Decade. Their mix of insightful lyrics with a blend of roots and feel-good rock was a hit with the most bearded of fans and college kids that may have wandered in out of summer break woes.

Ha Ha Tonka has received its fair share of national recognition. The band has appeared on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, played national fests like Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, toured with national acts such as Meat Puppets, Murder By Death and Old 97s, and is currently signed to Bloodshot Records (with the likes of Ryan Adams, Neko Case, Justin Townes Earle). The attention is well-deserved, as the group puts a unique spin on the folk music of the Ozarks, infusing it with rock, bluegrass and a healthy dose of soul. On Thursday and throughout their tour together, the raw sound of Ha Ha Tonka complemented the soulful voice of Langhorne Slim perfectly.

Editor’s note: Since The Deli deals strictly with local/regional bands, we did not highlight Langhorne Slim’s performance, but rest assured, he killed it.

–Michelle Bacon