Photo Source: Nude Pop

Nude Pop played Capitol Hill Block Party this past weekend and received rave reviews. In tandem with the performance was the release of their latest song called "Lurker."

The opening riff is curious and ticklish, weaving within and without the drums and bass. The vocals blend melliflously into the fold, behaving moreso like another instrument than just someone’s voice high in the mix. 

Nude Pop composes an artful tapestry over the course of five minutes; they are adept at crafting hyponotic melodies without making them feel dull and repetitious. Be forewarned, listening to the track may leave you in a pensive and chipper trance.

Although the band hails from Spokane, WA, they continue to pick up shows, fans, and press in Seattle. Earlier this year they won the Experience Music Project’s Sound Off! 2012 competition which earns them a slot at this year’s Bumbershoot music festival.

Working on a debut EP, setting up more performances for the summer – 2012 is proving to be a vital time for Nude Pop. Stream "Lurker" below to wake up in their dream. They also have several demo tracks available on their bandcamp.

– Cameron LaFlam

If you haven’t been to one of the shows in the Sonic Spectrum Tribute Series at recordBar, this is one to experience. Since debuting the series last January, host Robert Moore has selected local bands and musicians to play songs of eclectic artists like David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Neil Diamond, The Clash, and most recently, Minutemen.

It’s summer, and that means it’s time to get off your ass and do some traveling or – if you can’t afford it – watch videos about it. Mon Khmer’s latest video for new single ‘Dreamers’ will fly you over to Meghalaya in North East India, where you’ll be led around by a wise little girl over sharp cliffs and challenging terrain.

Brooklyn by way of Boston, founding member Hammarsing Kharhmar challenged Brooklyn cinematographer Russell Cramer to represent his roots for the piece, making way for an ambitious visual start to their new recordings. But it’s the addition of lead singer Emil Bovbjerg and producer Jeremy Loucas that’s really defined the band’s new direction. Mon Khmer’s latest EP ‘Dreamers’ contains some of their most decisive tracks yet. Filled with hypnotic synths and jetstream vocals, the record will pass right through your ears to some nostalgic root you usually come across only in Murakami novels. But then, this band is all about nostalgia. Named for a remote language spoken by Kharhmar in his youth, the band similarly captures hidden worlds in their music and throws them onto a global dance template.

Travel to Glasslands on August 7 when they play with Alt-J. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Elana Belle Carroll isn’t one to mince words. Not that she doesn’t have plenty to say, just don’t expect her to hold your hand during the conversation. Equal parts music writer, film music composer and perfomer, Carroll describes her latest project Vernous as ‘electrolash.’ For this group, she takes her no nonsense approach to a rattlesnake hybrid of pounding dance beats and bone-chilling lyrics.

‘We are Children’ for instance, begins and ends it’s 6 minute chant with haunting foreboding (‘Don’t wait… listen…’), fellow artist Melanie Snyder whispers into the song. But it’s not all venom. At other moments, Vernous lets loose. Three song EP ‘Vernous I’ ends with the more playful ‘DTF,’ a song with a wild progression of beachside guitars and 808 snare hits. Not for the faint of heart, Vernous will wrap itself around you and like with any exciting woman you’ve ever met, you’ll thank her for the time you two spent together.

Put her groove under your feet when Vernous plays new Bushwick Venue The Paper Box on August 10. – Mike Levine – This band submitted their music for review here.

The Tumbling Bones are purveyors of traditional American music who value, above all, grit – and playing live. The Brooklyn based twenty-somethings who make up the trio have been callousing their hands and pushing their vocal chords for years as they’ve toured, recorded, and breathed folk music. Their raw take on old Americana has taken them across the world (they are currently in Ireland) and they don’t seem to miss any opportunity to play live, gigging with impressive regularity. Peter Winne’s deep baritone lead, Jake Hoffman’s cutting tenor, and Sam McDougle’s fiddle and percussion are faithful to old styles, but the Tumbling Bones can’t help injecting modern sensibilities into their music, however subtly. – (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.