NYC

Psychobuildings release new video for ‘Wonderchamber’

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“Wonderchamber,” the new video by Brooklynʼs Psychobuildings, creeps along like an arachnid lullaby poised to disintegrate into a danceable labyrinth. Subtly political, its Nietzschian lyrics deadpan the sensual allure of an omnipresent cult leader who speaks with “glitter in his pockets” to crowds more than willing to drink his kool-aid. Psychobuildings leader Peter LaBier prances across the singleʼs video in a shirtless jiggle, gently balanced by the kaleidescope ballet effects that brings to mind Damien Hirshʼs larva collages. When LaBier emerges halfway through in a psychedelic unitard, the whole affair feels somehow enlightened and utterly irresistible. Five live shows during CMJ last week cemented the bandʼs devil-may-care aesthetic to dizzying response. – Brian Chidester 

NYC

Tracy’s CMJ Day 5 -TinVulva, Bugs In The Dark, Life Size Maps, Eula, The Everymen, EndAnd, SLEEPiES & more

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And finally, we get to the last day of this CMJ fest. Far from tired, I’m in a place where, buzzing off the large amounts of live music I’ve been restlessly taking in for the last four days, I’m just NOT sure what to do with myself once this is over. Converse might be hard, as one: I’ve gone partially deaf, and two: all I’ve been doing all week is chat and shake hands, to the point where if I have to say once more ‘Tracy from The Deli’, I might just die. But before I unplug my brain for the whole of Sunday, time to take you through the final leg of this run. Read Tracy Mamoun’s report of CMJ’s Day 5 here. – In the picture and streaming: SLEEPiES, who by the way have planned a sweet Halloween bash mit Pixies, Ramones, Siouxsie and The Banshees and Joy Division covers, check it out here! 

Philadelphia

Psychic Teens Opening for Titus Andronicus & Ceremony at FUC Oct. 23

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As we mentioned in our post yesterday about Psychic Teens’ new music video for their cover of the Misfit’s “London Dugeon,” the gothic post-punk trio has a couple of big shows to close out this most unholy of months. Well, I just wanted to remind you about the badass bill that they are a part of tonight at the First Unitarian Church opening indie-punks Titus Andronicus and hardcore punks Ceremony. The Church’s basement will feel like the good old days this evening. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 8pm, $15, All Ages – Alexis V.

Philadelphia

Tuesday Tune-Out w/The Lawsuits at PhilaMOCA Oct. 23

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It’s nearing the end of The Swollen Fox-curated month for Tuesday Tune-Out at PhilaMOCA. Tonight local area Americana outfit The Lawsuits has been asked to take the stage. The five-piece will be releasing a new acoustic EP titled Numbers soon, and the events intimate showcase would be perfect setting to showcase its songs. However, I think that the versatile crew, who has performed as the backing band for hip-hop collective Ground Up, will be happy to plug-in, slam a few beers, and bring some ruckus. This evening’s screening is still a secret, but we already know that the band has an affinity for the risqué judging by the titles of the track (“Hot Girl Makes Porno”) below and the album (Hot Love) that it came from. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., 8pm, $5, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman

Nashville

Magnolia Sons Cover the Yardbirds’ “For Your Love”

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After a week of buildup and teasers on their Facebook page, the expansive and accurately self-described "retro soul and rock group" Magnolia Sons have released the video for their cover of the Yardbirds’ "For Your Love." Recorded and filmed at the Welcome To 1979 recording studio, the video highlights Lydia Elise’s sweet and soulful timbre as well as the comprehensive cast of characters that make up Magnolia Sons.

For a free download of an original Magnolia Sons song, click here and download the aptly-titled "Pass On My Love." –Brianne Turner

NYC

Artists on Trial: Deco Auto

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(Photo by Leah O’Connor) 

Some things never change. The sun will always rise in the east. The roadrunner will always outsmart the coyote. Clowns will always scare the crap out of at least 85% of the general population. Parents will truly just never understand. And someone, somewhere, will always be rocking the handful of familiar power chords that constitute “power pop.” Fortunately for Kansas City, Deco Auto currently occupies that role. Its brand of hook-laden, hard-hitting pop rock does justice to this often unjustly ridiculed genre. Recently, I got a chance to catch up with this swell trio of musicians. Here’s their take on music stuff, as well as a preview of their upcoming performance at Apocalypse Meow.

The Deli: Gun to your head, 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?

Deco Auto: Extra-crunchy power pop.

The Deli: Let’s talk about what you have coming up. What can we expect?

Deco: Steve: Live via satellite from the International Space Station.
 
Tracy: I am most excited about possibly playing SXSW and more recording in 2013. In the near future, Steve is working on a Deco Auto Christmas song that I am super-jazzed about.
 
Michelle: Steve’s working on a Christmas song? Well, I’m very excited to play Apocalypse Meow and help make a lot of people aware of Midwest Music Foundation. After that, I am looking forward to a very long nap.

The Deli: What does “supporting local music” mean to you?

Deco: Steve: Giving local bands a chance. You’re not gonna like all of ’em, but there’s more to life than $100 concerts at the Sprint Center.
 
Tracy: Going out to see the local bands that you like. The recent MMF sampler (Midwestern Audio Vol. 1) showed me that every genre exists here and every band has to come from somewhere, so go see someone that’s up your alley.
 
Michelle: There’s at least a few shows worth seeing on any given night for under $10, being created by people probably in or close to your network. Help support and foster the talent around you simply by enjoying it and investing a small amount into it.

The Deli: Who are your favorite “local” musicians right now?

 
Tracy: Molly Picture Club and Schwervon!. They really do it for me.
 
Michelle: Too many! The Quivers, Ha Ha Tonka (semi-local), Schwervon!, Thee Water MoccaSins, Tiny Horse, The Grisly Hand, The Caves, many more. I like my other bands when they’re nice to me.

The Deli: What bands are you most excited to see at Meow?
 
Deco: Steve: The Empty Spaces are always always always a good time. And I haven’t seen The Architects since SXSW ’06, I think, so that’ll be cool.
 
Tracy: The Atlantic because of what I heard on the sampler and people have been saying really good things about them.
 
Michelle: Though everyone on the bill is stellar, I haven’t seen The Architects in years and I’ve never seen The Atlantic, so I’m stoked for those. It’ll also be great to see Tiny Horse playing Meow again, especially as a full band.

The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?

Deco: Steve: Bob Mould, Superchunk, Guided by Voices, and Deal’s Gone Bad.
 
Tracy: Legendary Hucklebucks: they are one of the top acts this year’s Rockin’ the Suburbs fest back in ol’ Beaver County. My friend Bill Mays III is also doing some really cool ambient stuff under the name Infinite Third down in Florida.
 
Michelle: Tame Impala, Esperanza Spalding, The xx, Dum Dum Girls, Liars.

The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?

Deco: Steve: The Cars, Buzzcocks, Superdrag, Smithereens… ya know what, I don’t wanna play this show, I just wanna watch it!
 
Tracy: Flaming Lips, Deco Auto and Clutch. This will never happen.
 
Michelle: We’d open up for David Bowie on his one-and-only reunion show that he would for some reason decide to do at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. Radiohead would show up for an acoustic set too.

The Deli: Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?

Deco: Steve: I used to really love recording, but I’m not ready to go back in there for a good long while.
 
Tracy: STAGE. HELLO!!!
 
Michelle: I love the energy of the stage, but I also have an annoyingly structured mind, so the studio is a good place to implement that. I’m also very indecisive. Moving on…

The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?

Deco: Steve: Elvis, Buddy Holly, Johnny Rotten, Joe Strummer… all are music idols of mine.
 
Tracy: Mozart, because it would be the world’s biggest bust of his head and we could get into the Guinness Book of World Records; Coltrane, baby. No explanation; Frank Black, because his bulbous head is the perfect shape to be immortalized in stone; Joey Ramone, because he is cool. (FYI: I have always been against landmarks like Mount Rushmore because they took a beautiful mountain and blasted it apart to carve the faces of politicians on the side of it.)
 
Michelle: Yo-Yo Ma, Yoko Ono, Ravi Shankar, and me. Just because I think it’d be great to see Asians on Mount Rushmore. And I only picked me because it was down to me and William Hung. America, can I be your idol?

The Deli: All right, give us the rundown. Where all on this big crazy web can you be found?

 
Deco: http://www.facebook.com/decoautokc
http://decoautokc.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/decoauto
http://decoautokc.bandcamp.com/
@decoautokc on Twitter

The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?

 
Deco: Steve: WARNING: Persons denying the existence of Robots may be Robots themselves!
 
Tracy: Words of wisdom. Legalize it!
 
Michelle: Read The Deli KC every morning with breakfast. They have a really excellent editor. Don’t toot your own horn, even in jest. Hug your mother.
 
Deco Auto is:
Steven Garcia – guitars, vocals
Tracy Flowers – bass, vocals
Michelle Bacon – drums
 
The next time you can catch Deco Auto will be this Wednesday, October 24 at The Riot Room, where they’ll be opening up for Reno Divorce (Denver) and Hipshot Killer. Then, be sure to see them at Apocalypse Meow on Saturday, November 3. They’ll take the Beaumont stage at 8:00 pm.

 –-Zach Hodson
 
Zach Hodson is a monster. He once stole a grilled cheese sandwich from a 4-year-old girl at her birthday party. He will only juggle if you pay him. I hear he punched Slimer right in his fat, green face. He knows the secrets to free energy, but refuses to release them until "Saved by the Bell: Fortysomethings" begins production.

He is also in Dolls on Fire and Drew Black & Dirty Electric, as well as contributing to various other Kansas City-based music, comedy, and art projects.

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NYC

Show review: Federation of Horsepower/The Heroine/Circle of Trust/Drew Black & Dirty Electric, 10.13.12

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(Photo by Randy Pace)

Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club played host to a sum-greater-than-its-considerable-parts show, headlined by hard-hitting KC powerhouse Federation of Horsepower and San Antonio rock act The Heroine. Local bands Circle of Trust and Drew Black and Dirty Electric rounded out the night, bringing speed, rock grooves, and swagger to the already promisingly heavy mix of styles.
 
Mr. Black and crew kicked the evening off with a dirty, infectious bounce in their step, the lyrical ironies favored by the frontman adding extra depth to their focused 4-piece rock sound and head-bobbing, hip-swaying catalog. New song “Curio Doll” was a standout, showcasing a disco-rebirth vibe that managed to fit smoothly in with their viciously catchy offerings. Dirty Electric’s well-honed rhythm section kept the bodies movin’ amongst both devoted and newly interested attendees.
 
Following Dirty Electric, Circle of Trust provided the evening’s first dose of metal guitars and blistering speeds. CoT put forth alternating tempos, deep growls and shouts, and the ability to dial back from full-bore metalocalypse levels for the sake of dynamics—a concept sometimes lost amidst bands of brutal BPMs and full-bore stage threats. Their style is worth noting; amongst the thrash and guttural vocals, the careful listener will discern melodies formed outside the strictures many similar acts confine themselves within.
 
As The Heroine took to the stage, the crowd’s anticipation for the San Antonio group’s set became palpable, and those who wait patiently are definitely rewarded. The Southern quintet quickly demonstrated total control of the proceedings, keeping eyes and ears firmly on themselves until the last chord had been struck. The Heroine’s Texas-tinged rock marries an edgy, soulful crunch with head-bangin’ breakdowns and a dose of good old-fashioned revivalist callbacks. Frontman Lynnwood King’s raspy screech and manic, hand-raised stage presence was perfectly complemented by the rootsy solos and thumping, driving rhythm section of his band brethren.
 
With most of the crowd left intact, ten-year scene veterans Federation of Horsepower calmly setup, preparing to establish their dominance over the weary, tired, and thoroughly inebriated. None were left wanting, as grungy, bluesy, full-bore rock punishment followed. Not even the scaling down of their sound just enough for Davey’s could hide a simple truth; Federation is undeniably built to be heard through 50,000 watts by a crowd of thousands. The driving root-to-arpeggio lines from bassist Johnny Catfish told the tale of how much horsepower the Feds can bring to any show, anywhere. Don’t let their longevity in the scene fool you—you should check them out now, and often.

 

–Mark Johnson

 

 

Mark is bassist, drummer, and jack of all trades in Dolls on Fire. He can pretty much do anything.

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New England

UNRegular Radio Presents: Claudia Varona and the Phobia, Friday, 10/26, @ McGann’s Boston

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On Friday, October 26, UNRegular Radio presents a night of fun and freaky music with four killer bands at McGann’s Boston. Get ready for the unpredictable, volatile, and the always weirdly satisfying:

Claudia Varona and the Phobia (pictured above) 11:15 pm – close
Strangers With Knives
Taxi Driver
Robot & the Wizard

McGann’s Boston
197 Portland Street
Boston, MA 02114

21+
8:30 Doors
$10 at the door, $5 at www.unregularradio.com/local-music-tickets

–The Deli Staff

San Francisco

Preview: Shannon Harney at Disco Volante on Sunday

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San Francisco’s Shannon Harney is the stuff of girl crushes (I can only speculate about boy crushes). Let’s just review this interview by Twenty Two: she runs an adult day-care, likes bourbon, chess, taco trucks, and long bike rides.

She also happens to have one of those blow-you-away, velvet-soft voices to deliver her musical poetry. Think Regina Spektor vocal cadences, heavily-dampered piano, and lyrics that could only come from an introspective 20-something more interested in watching seasons change than her bank statement.

Catch Shannon Harney at Oakland venue Disco Volante on Sunday, October 28. You can find tickets here. 

Philadelphia

Come to The Deli Philly’s Halloweeniversary Party This Friday at PhilaMOCA!

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Oh man – we are getting so pumped for our Halloweeniversary Party this Friday at PhilaMOCA! If you were there last year, then you should know why. Well, this year we have another stellar lineup of bands to keep everyone entertained throughout the evening. Headlining the festivities will be West Philly’s electro-pop wunderkinds GRANDCHILDREN, who will have plenty of rad new material to share with us from their upcoming album as well as old favorites. They’ll be supported by the hauntingly beautiful, introspective sounds of Barrett Lindgren’s GHOST LIGHT, who absolutely rocks live, and the psych-pop candy magic dreams of Andy Molholt’s LASER BACKGROUND, who are guaranteed to bring plenty of the weirdness that we love for Halloween. And we are proud to be importing for you the fuzzy grooves of our very special guests San Francisco’s SIC ALPS. We’ll also have plenty of more treats for you, but you are certainly welcomed to bring some of your own. Will this night rule? Fuck yeah – it will!