Nashville

Spoken Nerd at The End 9.18

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This Wednesday is the first day of the Americana Music Festival and Conference, which means that the streets are soon to be overrun by yet more pickers, players, and professionals all championing the music that they have dedicated their lives to. It is sure to be a dynamic five days that will leave the Americana community stronger than ever. So what better opportunity to give convention the finger and pack it over to The End for a hip hop show?

Spoken Nerd is comprised of Nathan Conrad and a shifting cast of friends. The Nashville poet-cum-rapper has 5 albums of witty, honest and catchy craft under his belt since his beginnings in 2002. Those questioning his genius will be referred to the video “Stripes on my Shirt.” Conrad, along with Astronautalis and kidDEAD will be providing asylum from the sounds of America’s heartland this Wednesday evening beginning at 9 pm at The End. -Terra James-Jura

http://spokennerdlovesyou.com/

Nashville

*repeat repeat single “History”

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*repeat repeat brand themselves as surf-pop, but the scope of their sound extends far beyond the nonexistent beaches of Tennessee. There’s a little bit of Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the opening riff of “History,” and the guitar keeps up its formidable noise throughout the track. Hopefully this song makes those Wednesday TPS reports a little more epic. -Terra James-Jura

Philadelphia

New Psalmships EP Available for Streaming

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Ghost folk singer-songwriter and oddball tweeter Psalmships (a.k.a. Josh ua Britton) just shared a new six-song EP entitled Songs For a Red Bird, which you can stream below. It’s one of the most impressive of his recent string of releases. You can catch Psalmships live on October 19 at Ortlieb’s Lounge. 

New England

Herff Jones release “Equals EP”

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Herff Jones is a psychadellic band from the maritime town of Mystic, CT. Their style is eclectic but they seem to put out quality material no matter what genre they’re tackling. All of their music has psychedelic aspects, but that ranges from folk-punk, to hip hop, to post-rock. Their latest release “Equals EP” is mostly instrumental and very shoe-gaze influenced. The EP has really expansive textures and build-ups, and incorporates a cool blend of electronics and acoustic instruments. Part of it is a shame, since I’m such a fan of Joey Hilbert’s lyrics, but it just goes to show, the band is not relying on anyone part of their sound and always experimenting. Whether you want to check out their new-stuff or their older works, go here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

New England

Shakusky. Releases “Lancaster Market”

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Calculatedly combative, Shakusky. just released their new album Lancaster Market. The spoken word vocals from Steven Arcieri are bleak at times, enlightened at others, and even sometimes hopeful, but always busy with vivid imagery and absurd leaps of logic. The Guitarists, Mark Hiller and Eli Albanese, have an interesting collaborative style. Instead of Lead and rhythm, they are “Left” and “Right” which results in a dense heavy sound when they double, and polyphonic intricate textures when they are picking and tapping in each ear. A really great emo-math sound, their album only came out this month, so check it out here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

New England

The Sharpest and their album “Tophet Casm”

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The Sharpest make me pumped to be from New England. With the intricacies of Math Rock but the aggression of punk and noise, The Sharpest seem to have found a perfect recipe for something new. “Tophet Chasm” is an example of how much awesome music gets lost in the masses.  Switching between grooves and syncopation makes it hard to dance to (unless you just freak out like me), but definitely not hard to listen to. They grab your ear with rhythmic play between the drum-set and guitar. Everytime you’re about to zone out, they smack you with something new. The vocals have a really unique sound too, drenched in distortion, reverb, and chorus but less pretty than Shoegaze vocals.  Check out their album, here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

NYC

Interview with Dan Jacobs: DC Deli’s Band of the Month (Sept.)

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Dan Jacobs is a DC based singer-songwriter influenced by Americana and alternative folk, as heard below on his debut release Creatures (August 2013.) With a early start on the cello, Jacobs progressed into guitar and jammed out with friends then began performing small gigs throughout the area. We caught wind of his sound, and weren’t alone hearing the charm as his fans pushed him to Band of the Month. We wanted to find out more about him. Here he tells us about "apartment tours", the Beatles, and his Takamine EAN-10C. Now onto the interview…

NYC

The White Mandingos at U Street Music Hall Ticket Giveaway!!

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The White Mandingos’ first album The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me (Fat Beats) is a discussion about choices (leaving the ghetto to become a star, or not; playing punk rock while black; dating outside the race) that lead to conflicts in identity. Expectations of oneself, and from the rest of the world, pester, harass and abuse the many characters created by west coast rapper Murs, as his lines float seamlessly over post-punk guitars played by (founding member of Bad Brains) Darryl Jenifer and his friend, journalist Sacha Jenkins SHR. A masterful and surprising concept piece, The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me has critics awed and perplexed. Fans know they’re making something new from a varied history of experience. While the stories are framed in the experience of the black man in America, the struggles of self they express are universal. Don’t miss your chance to see Darryl Jenifer’s return to the city, and see the White Mandingos up close and personal. –Natan Press

The 9:30 Club has teamed up with us to get one Deli reader a couple spots on the list to this show happening on Friday 9/27 at U Street Music Hall! All you have to do is email us by 3 PM on 9/23 and tell us your favorite White Mandingos track. Please include your first and last name for guest list requirements. The winner will be emailed back. Tickets are still available here.

NYC

A Deli Premiere: Ohnomoon releases “Turncoat Blues” + plays Pianos on 09.22

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It’s always nice to hear back from old friends. We highlighted Brooklyn dream rock band Ohnomoon in our 2011 Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll and we kind of lost track of them in the last year or so – their Facebook profile confirms a lack of news in that period. The band is now finally re-surfacing with a 2 track new single and a show at Pianos scheduled for September 22.

The "A Side" (so to speak) "Turncoat Blues" showcases guitarist Corey Oliver’s progressively building a wall of distorted and intertwined riffs partly reminiscent of Blur from the "Parklife" era, while Kat Lee’s ethereal but full vocals convey a more shoegazey vibe to the tune. Side B "I Only Have Eyes For You" is a slower number, where Kats vocals stretch through a spacey atmosphere where melody, volume and dissonance flirt seamlessly with each other. 

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Psych songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Philadelphia

Show Recap: Toy Soldiers Record Release Party at JB’s

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Toy Soldiers culminated the release of their Bill Moriarty-produced album The Maybe Boys this past Friday night with a jovial record release party at Johnny Brenda’s. Boston natives, Kingsley Flood opened the evening with an intriguing set that included folk-oriented rock to hard-driving songs with a pop-punk appeal all accentuated with regularly incorporated use of horns and violin.

However, once the main attraction hit the stage the night truly began anew. The quintet started off with new album closer “Tomorrow to Today,” gradually easing into the festivities before appropriately catching the song’s smooth tumbling groove. A few songs later, Gallo’s crowd-charging harmonica solo launched into “Been Here All of My Days,” and the band followed suit, laying the groundwork for a tight jamming set that expectedly showcased the vast majority of The Maybe Boys wares. However, unsurprisingly since the album has been in the works for a while, a few of the “new” songs in the set were even newer, including “Street Sweeper” which proceeded “Been Here All of My Days.”

On “Weeping Willow,” a song that finds drummer, Dominic Billet on lead vocals, the band appeared to catch full power and never looked back, and the crowd enthusiastically and appreciatively reciprocated. A Sparklehorse cover “Knives of Summertime” served as a solid change of pace, but “This Old Town” emphatically re-established the fiery energy level with New Orleans-style boogie vibes that transformed into a full on jamming speed stomper. It was also followed by another new one, “I Know It’s Hard.” Gallo’s vocals on “Throw Me Down” demonstrated the dual-nature of his singing style, somehow translating a raw-guttural emotion in a smooth powerful manner. This memorable evening was completed with an encore of “I’m a Hog for You” and “Love Ya Like I love Ya.”

Toy Soldiers demonstrated their ability to captivate an audience, performing with an energetic, hold-nothing-back mentality, while still remaining a polished unit where each member exhibits their musical expertise, and the cumulative results are spot on. There’s nothing indecisive about this group of “Maybe Boys.” And if you missed this performance, you’ll have a second opportunity to catch them live for Out Of Town Films’ “pop-up conert” happening tomorrow evening. To find out more info about it, send a RSVP to outoftownfilms@gmail.com. (Photo by Brian Johnson) – Michael Colavita

Portland

Magic Mouth EP Release at Tonic Lounge 9.20

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Magic Mouth pulled out all the stops for their latest EP, Devil May Care. This funky, high energy release showcases a melding of soul, rock and r&b refined by clean production and precise tones. The musicianship is mature without being overbearing, the songs complex without losing pop appeal and the hooks as addicting as the vocal melodies are compelling. “Mother Lode” provides a break from the dance party, the fluid bass line grounding an emotive vocal melody and sparse guitar leads. The closing track, “Speak Softly After Dark (For Nina)” has the kind of driving, kinetic rhythm that could move any audience; the fact that it’s supported by some of the most soulful vocals to come out of Portland in recent years is the icing on the cake. Magic Mouth will be celebrating the release of Devil May Care this Friday night at Tonic Lounge with Double Duchess, Glitterbang and DJ Beyondadoubt, the show starts at 9 pm. – Benjamin Toledo