The debut EP by songwriting duo Fleurs, composed of Simon French and Jack Díaz, starts with a flurry of lilting synth tones over a hollow beat that reverberates through the ears, pulsating with a ryhtmical torrent of cascading soundscapes that surround you in its radiant warmth. But there’s also an underlying sense of urgency beanth the smimmering gloss – these are not songs to get lost to, more so an effesvescent brand of dream pop that comes alive with its chiming, textural guitars built from a groove-oriented backbone. Its hypnotic focal point brings to mind a more modernized version of Chapterhouse sans the tendency to cloak the instrumentation in a haze of obscurity. Their self-titled EP sounds remarkably fresh and elegant, and the cooing yet penetrating vocals of French do mesh appropriately with the steady ripple of gleaming noise. You can listen to the EP in its entirely by accesing the soundcloud link below – Juan Rodríguez
L.A.
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Celebrate NYE with The Entrance Band @ The Satellite Tonight
Having just released ‘Face The Sun’ on Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records this November, The Entrance Band will be counting down to 2014 with fans at The Satellite tonight. It will be a night filled with mystical, psychedelic jams. Sharing the stage for this epic celebration will be fellow psych rockers Jeffertitti’s Nile, and Sand Pussy. The entire new album is available to stream on Bandcamp. "Spider" is a standout, with it’s spooky air of wise warnings, along with Blakeslee’s sultry, raw vocals and groovy guitar riffs on full display. More details and links to tickets here.- Jacqueline Caruso
L.A.
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Video: Big Harp, “Waiting for Some Drunk”
Neon signs floating in space to the lilting croons of lead vocalist, Chris Sensensey, open the newest video for "Waiting for Some Drunk," from Big Harp. Their honky-tonk vibes are washed in fuzz and the grit of life. It feels like the perfect song for that post-ball drop, champagne haze when the confetti is under your feet, and the slow dancing begins. The husband-wife duo who managed to bring two lives into this world and still make music released by Saddle Creek, are making my need for some New Year’s Resolutions more dire than I previously suspected. These two lovebirds are headed off to Dallas to record their new album, so let this video keep you warm while you await their return. –Jacqueline Caruso
Philadelphia
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Q.D. Tran’s 50 Favorite Philly Releases of 2013
So every year I tell myself that I’m not going to do one of these, but then I see all the lists come out, and I can’t help but chime on in with my two cents. Well, this year, I embraced the challenge, and spent the last month reviewing what has been a ridiculously amazing year for Philly music. These were some of my highlights. Hopefully they’ll be some of yours too. Looking forward to seeing you on the other side. Cheers! – Q.D. Tran
1. Night Panther – Night Panther
2. Chris Forsyth – Solar Motel
3. GrandeMarshall – Mugga Man
4. True Gold – True Gold
5. Pissed Jeans – Honeys
You can find the rest HERE.
NYC
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Brooklyn Punk-Rockers Mannequin Pussy open for BIG UPS on 01.09
Mannequin Pussy brings a sonic assault similar to that of Boredoms, Melt Banana or a female fronted Pissed Jeans. Feverish noisy experimental mayhem blasts through their latest release ‘Gypsy Pervert.’ Ever so often they’re able break away to string together down tempo rockers that conjure up visions of either Kim Gordon or Deal singing along with them. Guitarist / singer Marisita Dabeast can scream her lungs out (as in tracks Sneaky and Clue Juice) or bring a comforting element amidst this chaos with smooth melodies (My Baby, streaming), pairing with long time friend Thanasi Paul and new drummer Drew Adler. Noisy pop-punk rarely sounded so uncompromising and catchy at once. Mannequin Pussy will be shredding the stage at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn this Saturday, January 4th, and opening for NYC buzz band BIG UPS’ record release show on January 9th at Shea Stadium. – Joey Fish
Chicago
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Top 10 Tracks of 2013: #8
White Mystery released the tremendous album "Telepathic" in April of 2013. It was hard to pick a standout track from this wonderful garage-pop album, "Break A Sweat" just makes me smile every time I hear it.
Chicago
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Top 10 Tracks of 2013: #9
Psychic Twin (Erin Fein & now Sean Hutchinson) released a fantastic single this year called "Strangers" on Polyvinyl and then relocated to Brooklyn. The b-side to "Strangers" was the synth heavy "Dream State" and truly out shined the it’s A-side in my opinion.
Chicago
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Top 10 Tracks of 2013: #10
Into It. Over It. (aka Evan Weiss) released the album "Intersections" in September of 2013 via Triple Crown. "No Amount of Sound", along with "Spinning Thread", was truly a stand out track this year.
NYC
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The Deli KC’s Best of 2013
(Photo above of The Grisly Hand, by Todd Zimmer)
Some of us here at The Deli KC (and a few other local music experts) have compiled our best of 2013 local lists. Here are a few of our picks…
Michelle Bacon, The Deli KC editor-in-chief
Top 10 albums of 2013
Ha Ha Tonka – Lessons
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
Tiny Horse – Darkly Sparkly
The Latenight Callers – Songs For Stolen Moments
Not A Planet – The Few, The Proud, The Strange
Clairaudients – I’m A Loudmouth, You’re A Puppet
The Silver Maggies – My Pale Horse
The Dead Girls – Fade In/Fade Out
Freight Train Rabbit Killer – Freight Train Rabbit Killer
Katy Guillen & the Girls – …And Then There Were Three
Zach Hodson, The Deli KC contributor
Top 13 of 2013
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
The Electric Lungs – Simplified and Civilized
Tiny Horse – Darkly Sparkly
The ACBs – Little Leaves
Cherokee Rock Rifle – Ta-Li
The Dead Girls – Fade In/Fade Out
Not a Planet – The Few, The Proud, The Strange
Mime Game – Do Your Work
The Latenight Callers – Songs for Stolen Moments
The Jinxed – The Loon
Erik Voeks – Finulu
More Like Georgia – Move On
The Octopuss Men – Music to Make Her Change Her Mind
Honorable mentions
Bloodbirds– Psychic Surgery
Sundiver – The Pull
Crossed Wires – Crossed Wires
Barry Lee, The Deli KC contributor / Signal To Noise on KKFI 90.1 FM
2013 list of homegrown specialties
Tiny Horse – “Ride” from Darkly Sparkly
The Dead Girls – “Love You To" / Signal To Noise’s Tribute To The Beatles at Knuckleheads, June 1
Cowboy Indian Bear – “Let It Down” from Live Old, Die Young
The Dead Girls – “Love You To" / Signal To Noise’s Tribute To The Beatles at Knuckleheads, June 1
Cowboy Indian Bear – “Let It Down” from Live Old, Die Young
Ricky Dean Sinatra – “Werewolf” / Reunion show at Jazzhaus, July 20
Scott Hrabko – “Blue, Period” from Gone Places
Lonnie Fisher – “Ghosts Driving in My Van” from Ghosts and Dreams
Erik Voeks – “Hester A. Fish” from Finulu
The Quivers – “He Had It Coming” from Gots To Have It!
Betse Ellis – “Straight To Hell” / Wednesday MidDay Medley’s (KKFI) 500th show, November 20
Radkey – “Out Here in My Head” from Cat & Mouse
Danny R. Phillips, Deli KC contributor
Other best albums
David Hasselhoff on Acid – Eudaimonia
Pale Hearts – Hollowtown
Bloodbirds – Psychic Surgery
Missouri Homegrown – You Asked For It
Red Kate – When the Troubles Come
The Pedaljets – What’s in Between
Stiff Middle Fingers – At the Scene of the Crime
Dsoedean – Continue to Move
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
Best shows
Bob Mould / The Pedaljets at The Bottleneck, August 16
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion / Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds at recordBar, October 7
Lawrence Field Day Fest at The Bottleneck, July 11-13
Bill Brownlee, The Plastic Sax / There Stands the Glass
Top 10 albums of 2013
The Grisly Hand – Country Singles
Tech N9ne – Something Else
Mark Lowrey – Tangos for 18th Street
The Architects – Border Wars: Episode I
Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle – The Freedom of Expression
Alaturka – Yalniz
Reggie B – DNA
Cowboy Indian Bear – Live Old, Die Young
Dutch Newman –Schorre’s Son
Akkilles – Something You’d Say
Tech N9ne – Something Else
Mark Lowrey – Tangos for 18th Street
The Architects – Border Wars: Episode I
Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle – The Freedom of Expression
Alaturka – Yalniz
Reggie B – DNA
Cowboy Indian Bear – Live Old, Die Young
Dutch Newman –Schorre’s Son
Akkilles – Something You’d Say
Steven Tulipana, co–owner of recordBar / miniBar
Favorite recordBar moments of 2013
Kishi Bashi / Plume Giant, February 17
Wovenhand, April 4 (Middle of the Map Fest)
Sonic Spectrum’s Tribute to Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, May 26
Bob Log III, July 23
Richard Buckner, October 30
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion / Kid Congo, October 7
King Khan and the Shrines, October 20
Found A Job performs The Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, November 29
Thanks for all your support this year! We look forward to hearing more excellent music in 2014.
Also, don’t forget to visit www.voteformmf.com! We have tonight and tomorrow to vote for Midwest Music Foundation, so cast your vote now!
–The Deli KC staff
Nashville
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Jensen Sportag “Stealth of Days”
One of the most rewarding and often hardest things to do is take music solely for itself without attaching genres and judging it for a whole slew of trivial reasons. So before you count yourself out of this one, answer this: do you know any local easy-listening bands? Didn’t think so, and I didn’t either until I found out about the future of jazz.
Local act Jensen Sportag incorporates elements of smooth jazz, R&B, and easy listening into a dreamscape of futuristic fizzles and gallons of reverb. What ensues is a hallucinatory nod to the 80’s packaged in the comfort of soft-jazz and fluid beats. Their latest release, "Stealth of Days", is like a sensual elevator ride with Prince on painkillers. -Michael Perry
NYC
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A Lo-Fi DC area band to check out: Greenland
With its member spread between DC, VA and MD, Greenland is Pavement’s kid brother. It seems only right to call them a “kid brother,” anything else is too brash of a comparison. Even so, their nonsensical lyrics and mismatched rhythms may be similar enough for a “twins separated at birth” label – oh and Guided by Voices may be a distant relative as well. Around since 2007, they released their newest album in May of 2013, “Evil Spring" – check out their video for “Dirty Lovin”, and opener Sucko V below. Part literal lyric interpretation, part psych colored basement jam session, their music is surely going to entertein you. If you are looking for a real weird fix, check out their Tumblr profile. References to their music are dispersed between descriptions of a fictional road trip. It is jus as fantastic as a Tom Robbins’ novel. – Alex Noghaven
Portland
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Ages and Ages at Mississippi Studios 12.31
As their song "Souvenir" from their debut album Alright You Restless indicates "brace yourself for the hour". What better way to celebrate the ending of another year than with Agesandages? Led by Tim Perry (formerly of Pseudosix) and an array of strong voiced multi-instrumentalists with plenty of tambourine shakes, the group recently surprised their following with a cozy cover of "Christmastime Is Here" and has been working up their follow up sophomore album Divisionary.
The first track from the new album "Do The Right Thing" is in time for New Year’s resolutions. With a building concentration of piano, percussion, violin, and a choral brocade alongside Perry, the group sings a song of praise about helping oneself while letting go of expectations. Do the right thing, always. Live better. Pass it on.
Agesandages seeks to get the people involved; in dance, in song, and in celebration. Lift up your glass to Father Time and welcome the possibilities of 2014. All hosted by Mississippi Studios and 94.7 with Portland’s dreamy Wild Ones and Florida’s Surfer Blood. Rock it out, and ring it in. – Brandy Crowe