Hobart W Fink are no strangers to this blog. Their unpretentious, straight forward approach to indie rock keeps us coming back for more. Not to mention they’re consistently playing shows and creating content for us to enjoy. Their latest video for "So Many Losers," features the band’s newest addition, Lauren Lakis, more prominently as co-lead vocalist. In the vein of 90s ironic rock with a slightly grungy edge, this new tune is hard-hitting and fun at the same time. Recorded Chris Kasych (Wavves, Vampire Weekend, Haim) on a vintage Neve board, this song is a promising start to the group’s forthcoming full length expected this August in conjunction with a Tuesday night Residency at Harvard & Stone. – Jacqueline Caruso
NYC
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Varick unveils video for single ‘Boundless’
With its references to 2001: A Space Odissey‘s monolith, Mulholland Drive’s mysterious key, and Monsters Inc.’s door that opens to a different place (ok, there were a bunch of the last two, but hey…), the video of Brooklyn’s electronic one-man-band Varick for single "Boundless" manages to quote three of the best movies EVER in less than a minute! The song is a very well produced atmospheric electronic track reminiscent of a dronier and more epic version of early múm mixed with Radiohead and electro influences. Varick’s emotional alto ties together a track where disparate layers, consisting in a variety of drones, pulsing synths and other electronic sounds, overlap on top of each other, building slowly and progressively towards a chorus so charged and dense that things for a second almost sound like hite noise. Varick isn’t here for the fun, but for the intensity and for the contemplation of life’s mysteries, and this song/video combo is a very well crafted expression of his musical existentialism.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Electronic songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
Philadelphia
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The 7th Annual Roots Picnic at Festival Pier May 31
It’s a beautiful day for a picnic. And The Roots have provided a massive one for you. The annual event, in its 7th year, is back once again to the Festival Pier with its eclectic mix of hip hop, indie rock and pop. Bringing with them a man who always keeps his pimp hand strong and his weed the sticky icky, Snoop Dogg will definitely be in the house backed by our hometown hosts. Another group of Philly natives, who are ambassadors of spreading the word about how awesome our music scene is to the rest of the world, are The War on Drugs. And you’ll also find local rapper Chill Moody making a return after garnering a good amount of buzz for his live set at his first Picnic. They’ll be intermingled among top-grade acts like Janelle Monnae, Araabmuzik, Action Bronson, A$ap Fergie, Just Blaze, Biz Markie, and many others throughout the day and evening. It’s a family affair y’all! Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing, 601 N. Columbus Rd., 12pm, $64 General/$171 VIP, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
Philadelphia
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Thee Idea Men Album Release Show at MilkBoy Philly May 31
Ever since forming in 2011, Thee Idea Men have forged a dynamic approach to bluesy indie rock. And their latest album New Level Shoes is filled with ten songs that put the band’s skills on display. While tracks like “Natural Gravitation” and “Shake It” feature polished danceable rock beats, ones like “Please” and “Addicted” offer something that’s a little more somber and soulful. Thee Idea Men celebrate the album’s release at MilkBoy Philly tonight, and they’ll be joined by the rockabilly swagger of Levee Drivers and the quirky, Man Man-esque indie-pop/rock of OhBree. MilkBoy Philly, 1100 Chestnut St., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill
Portland
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Deli Portland Presents: Ah God // Cambrian Explosion // Mister Tang
Once you can come to terms with the fact that "typically amusing Saturday nights" never actually work out for you, you’ll realise you should just go to the Deli Portland showcase at Kelly’s Olympian. We’ve already gone ahead and taken care of all the planning for you and there will be three amazing bands, cheap booze and tons of chicks. Heading the night, Ah God, differential in their distant vibes, layered vocals and slightly-off melodies will make you feel cozy in the same way that sitting in a strange cabin in the middle of nowhere makes you feel. You’re warm. There’s no harm. You’re incredibly stimulated in being in a new place with new people and you’re taking in the new tunes. Before them, Cambrian Explosion do more than waltz with Eastern psychedelic rock, they intermingle in the most intimate ways. The band has been carving out a reputation for themselves in the Portland Psych movement and have been recognized for a reason. Opening the night like a 5-hour energy drink, Mister Tang have the ability to shift your mindscape with a single jolt estranged guitar. Stone and Jeff Tang mesmerize and intoxicate with their transcendental garage rock. Each band’s sets will be recorded live and have a track contributed to a forthcoming Deli Portland/Kelly’s Olympian/Revolver Studios live compilation. Doors at 8pm, the show begins at 9 and the cover is $5 which all goes to bands. SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC.
– Colette Pomerleau
‘Peach Sunset’ from Ah God on Vimeo.
NYC
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Golden Sound Records presents 3rd annual Crossroads Summer Block Party
Golden Sound Records will be hosting its third annual Crossroads Summer Block Party on June 6, at 19th and Wyandotte in the Crossroads Art District for First Friday. This year promises to be its biggest yet, with eight bands, as well as food trucks, live art, craft beer makers, and much more.
If you haven’t heard of Golden Sound Records, it’s a Kansas City-based record label with a roster of talented local and regional bands—among them, The Empty Spaces, The Caves, and Baby Teardrops. But co-founder Jerad Tomasino doesn’t think of Golden Sound as a traditional record label.
“Golden Sound started as more of a collective,” he remarks. Tomasino, who co-fronted Everyday/Everynight (which, at the time included Mat Shoare and Evan Ashby), said that the idea for the label materialized around 2009. “As E/E was getting its engine running, we started to play around with how we would collectively release our music. We wanted to create an entity that could withstand more than a single person or band.”
Tomasino started the label along with Shoare and Ross Brown in 2010. Since its inception, Golden Sound has not only helped bands release albums—it has helped showcase many musicians to audiences that might not otherwise be exposed to them.
One of the best culminations of this exposure is with Golden Sound’s annual Block Party. In addition to eight of Kansas City’s best bands, the Block Party will include food trucks from Indios Carbonsitos, Wilma’s Real Good Food, Jazzy B’s, and Nani’s Kitchen, as well as offerings from several other sponsors. Brown mentions that this allows the collective to involve more of the community. “We can’t give you all the support of a regular record label and we aren’t experts at every aspect, but we can help in some way.”
“Our process is creation-oriented, and we bring in super creative people in to flesh it out with their offerings,” says Tomasino.
But without argument, music is the forefront of the annual Block Party. The lineup starts off with a swift kick in the teeth by Jorge Arana Trio at 6:30, followed by the sweet pop stylings of Rev Gusto and Mat Shoare. Katelyn Conroy’s solo indie project La Guerre follows, and power trio Loose Park and The ACBs will bring the rock ‘n roll. The night will be rounded out by the otherworldly sounds of Metatone and the atmospheric instrumental mutiny of Forrester.
For Tomasino, one of the highlights of the Block Party is being able to put the performers on a large, professional stage in the middle of the Crossroads during First Friday. “You know your band’s music is good quality and worth putting on a big stage,” he says.
Golden Sound begins its push for the Block Party this Sunday, June 1, when it will celebrate the release of See Through Dresses’ self-titled LP at Mills Record Company. This is the second stop on the Omaha band’s tour. Matthew Carroll and Sara Bertuldo, of See Through Dresses, were two of the first artists that the label approached outside of its core group. Golden Sound released an EP from their previous project Honey & Darling in 2010, and Bertuldo’s punk project Millions of Boys is also a label artist. “We just want to get behind a really special album and band on its way to whatever is next,” says Tomasino, who feels that Mills will be a great place to expose See Through Dresses to a KC audience. “Mills plays a vital role in the musical makeup around here. We’re doing the in-store there so that people—specifically those actively engaged with KC music—can step into an easy environment to meet these guys, hear their music, and that’s it.”
“We want to take away the barriers and create a relaxed, fun environment for people to experience some amazing music,” Tomasino concludes. And Golden Sound is a collective, a label, whatever you want to call it, that does just that—facilitating contact between artist and audience, and at once helping increase the reach of Kansas City’s musical landscape.
If you’re milling about First Friday next weekend, be sure to hit up the Block Party. It’s free! Facebook event page. For more info on the Block Party, check out crossroadsblockparty.com. And be sure to check out the See Through Dresses’ release party at Mills. Show starts at 6:00 pm. The Author and the Illustrator will also play. Facebook event page.
—Michelle Bacon
Michelle is editor of The Deli KC and is also a member of The Philistines, Drew Black & Dirty Electric, Dolls on Fire, and Lucky Graves. She’s a staff member of Midwest Music Foundation. She is getting tired of inserting all of these hyperlinks.
L.A.
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Artist to Know: Dawn Golden
Dexter Tortoriello is a busy guy. Not only is he one-half of the heart-achingly dreamy duo, Houses, who released a full length this past year, but he’s been simultaneously working on his own solo electronic music, under the name Dawn Golden. Swiftly discovered by Diplo in 2011 from some demos he put on soundcloud, a relationship was birthed that led to his latest creation. Three years in the making, ‘Still Life,’ carries a similar vulnerability and emotional heaviness as his work in Houses. Tortoriello’s vocals stand against stark, minimalist, at times, glitchy production. Lead single, "All I Want," is a powerful anthem. With the titled lyrics repeating endlessly as he shapes the arrangement like a potter throwing clay on a wheel, there’s an organic, human quality that pierces through. He describes the album as "if American Beauty was set in the Tron world." Stream "All I Want" from ‘Still Life,’ out now on Mad Decent, and see Dawn Golden live this Monday, June 2 at Bardot for School Night. – Jacqueline Caruso
San Francisco
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Marine Life Plays SF and NYC Popfest
Elfant Records artists, and San Francico based aquatic bubblegum, dreampop band, Marine Life has been invited to perform bi-coastal shows as additions to the Popfest line up. Popfest San Francisco occured last week, but New York City will have the pleasure of checking out a live performance of this saccharine sweet indie rock band on June 1st.
The Deli Magazine‘s original sector is based in NYC, so we’re always excited to see San Francisco based bands obtain the opportunity to play both cities in a short amount of time. Check out why this unapologetically poppy band was chosen by Popfest to perform both city’s shows!!
NYC
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Barry is host of Signal To Noise, which airs on KKFI 90.1 FM every Sunday at 8 pm. He spends his weekdays being station manager of KKFI.
Album review: Carswell & Hope – A Hunger
(Photo by Taffyfoto)
OK. I’ve got to admit this up front. I’m not terribly fond of piano-dominated albums. Sure, I like Randy Newman, I like Jimmy Webb when he was recording for Reprise Records, yeah, I’m a sucker for Mose Allison, and I guiltily admit to loving Elton John’s first five albums. But you have to understand; I’m a guitar guy. I cut my teeth and grew up with the sounds of electric guitars. I will say this: ever since Burt Bacharach left town, there haven’t been many folks around here writing sophisticated pop songs like those he wrote with Hal David. The new Carswell & Hope album, A Hunger, is a lovely return to the sound and feel of those sort of compositions.
Impeccably produced and well played by Dan Hines on bass, Jason Sloat on drums, Nick Carswell on guitar and vocals, and Austin Quick on keyboards, this is not some wimpy piano/crooner stuff; the music here has muscle. The opening song, “Before,” sets the tone. It starts out sounding like a Swell Season outtake: voice and piano only, and then moves into different musical terrain as the song unwinds. No verse/chorus/verse thing here; the song moves spinning through moods, tempos, and lyrics in a way reminiscent of a pop overture.
What especially caught my ear as the album flows on is the care taken with each song to make the music just as interesting as the lyrics. Little touches like the understated solo piece three-fourths of the way through the jaunty “Drinking At Crossroads” where the music and mood go somewhere else, (much like The Beatles did with “Fool On The Hill,”) throw the listener a nice little curve. One would expect a long guitar solo at that spot, but the song begs to differ. In their bio the band doesn’t cite Jimmy Webb as an influence, but I hear him in these cool little melodic inventions that are part of these songs.
Listen to how the album’s centerpiece “The Owning” starts out hard and fast then just after the verses end with an “oh well oh well oh well, ” the band takes over and guitar and piano duel for several bars as Quick explodes piano notes around Carswell’s guitar lines and the bass and drums lock in on a galloping groove. The song ends with an extended coda, once again changing the mood and tempo, with three stop-time parts and a vocal coda by Carswell to put the song to bed.
I’m a sucker for songs that flow organically and go places you don’t expect. These songs are full of invention. The album was funded by a successful Indiegogo fundraiser campaign and released on the band’s own label, Silly Goose Records. A Hunger is one of those albums you can listen to after a hard day’s work, sitting out on the screened porch in the early evening with a libation of your choice chilling your hand as this music plays out. Carswell is a native of Ireland. I hope he sticks around these parts for awhile. This band needs to make more music. This is an audacious debut.
–Barry Lee
Barry is host of Signal To Noise, which airs on KKFI 90.1 FM every Sunday at 8 pm. He spends his weekdays being station manager of KKFI.
If you’re in Lawrence tonight, head out to Jackpot Music Hall to see Carswell & Hope. Vik G. Trio and Heidi Lynne Gluck will be opening. Gluck is featured on Carswell & Hope’s album, on additional vocals for “Hunger.” Facebook event page.
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, May 30 – June 1
Saturday night marks the final show at Flux. So, the best way to honor and remember the occasion is to stack the bill accordingly. Keepers whose tight instrumental interplay provides a rich density of sounds interlocking the individual pieces (vocals, percussion, guitars, keys, etc.) in a dance that is intricate, yet remains enjoyably loose and energetic. Drone Ranger is also set to perform, ideally giving us a sneak peak at their forthcoming full-length LP. What we have is a show that promises to deliver free-flowing, psych-infused, synth-friendly rock that drifts gently out toward space. Mike Pays Heat play a groove-centric blend of indie rock, which sways toward up-tempo tendencies. And finally, the ever-expanding sound of folk-rock-based River City Extension closes out a stacked bill. Flux, 30 S. 33rd St., 7pm ,$10-$12, All Ages – Michael Colavita
Other places to enjoy this beautiful weekend…
Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing (601 N. Columbus Rd.) SAT The Roots Picnic w/The Roots, The War on Drugs, Chill Moody
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Northern Arms (Record Release), Weird Hot, A Brood of Vipers, SATGoodnight Lights, Rexedog, Joy Riding
The Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Modern Inventors, Ladybird, TJ Kong, SUN Philadelphia Songwriters’ Project All-Star Benefit For Animal Welfare w/Ginger Coyle, Amanda Duncan, Vulcans, Dawn Hiatt, Dante Bucci, Katie Barbato, Joshua Popejoy
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) SAT Birds of Maya, Sinking Body, Igneous Eyes
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) SAT (Early) Ladder Devils, Die Choking (Late) Invisible Things, The Fantastic Imagination, SUN Family Vacation, The Folded Faces, Alps Held
Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) SAT The Mezingers, Cayetana
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Splintered Sunlight, SUN Sunburster, Sadgiqacea
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Brain Candle
TLA (334 South St.) SAT Cold Fronts
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.)SUN 9 Songwriter Series w/Jason Ager, Max Seidman, Teri Rambo, Paul Keen, Christie Lenee, Paige Allbritton
The Barbary (951 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Only On Weekends (EP Release Show) Nobody Yet, Kick Back Tomorrow, Rushmore, SUN Modern Baseball
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Founders, The Flashing Thoughts, Jeremy Dyen, SAT (Early) Poster Child, Retake the Video, Brosef Gordon-Levitt, (Late) Nico the Beast (Mixtape Release), Blessa, Rec Raw, Capo, SUN Worshyper, Creep, Ill Fated Natives
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Thee Idea Men (Release Show), Levee Drivers, OhBree
Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Boulevard) FRI Shawn Ryan, Tony Modica
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) SUN Red Skiles and The Golden Country Ramblers
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Minka (Release Show), SAT Crobot, Kingsnake
M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Corpse Hoarder, The Kill Stigmatic, Occult 45
Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St.) SAT (Early) Ashley Leone
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI John Train
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI Power Theory, SAT Mesmeria, Machines of Penalty, SUN Shots Called, As Your Ghost Take Flight
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI Tropical Nasty, Brian Fitzy
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Hopscotch Jefferson, American Dinosaur, Los Festingos, SAT Sonogram, Xerohour
Ardmore Music Hall SAT Enstride, Minshara, Kid Felix, SUN Benefit Philadelphia Folksong Society w/Black Rue, Michael Braunfeld, The Blue Plate Specials, The Mighty Manatees, Mason Porter, The Manatawny Creek Ramblers, Philadelphia Jug Band
The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St.) FRI Thurman Barker, The Sonic 8 & Julius Masri
Eris Temple Arts (602 S. 52nd St.) FRI James Wadsworth Strong, Joo Won Park, Hallowed Bells
Motel Hell (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Tile, The Cloth, Boroughs, Time Hitler and the Assholes From Space
House of Yarga (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.)FRI Stereo Coma, Blankbook
Great Indoors (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Hermit Thrushes, Baa Ram Ewe
LAVA Space (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT The Holidays, Wet Food
Pussy Palace (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Leaky Soups, Broken Beak
The Mitten (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Pinkwash, Urine Culture, Ordinary Lives
Slow Club (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN (Matinee) Latex
Glitoria (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN New Crime, The Stasi, Twinks
NYC
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The Deli’s Record of the Month: The New Lines – “windimir and the gift of death”
Every year, the NYC Popfest highlights some elegantly melodic NYC based artists worthy of attention. We blogged about psych-pop trio The New Lines when they first started releasing records back in 2011, and then kind of lost track of them. Admittedly it looks like the band took a break after a very inspired 2011, a year that saw the release of one LP, one EP and three singles (at least according to the chronology of their Bandcamp profile). The group returned in August of 2013 with a new record entitled "Fall in Line," which had the potential to delight many orfans of British band Broadcast (we belong), and deliver extra satisfaction to those who (like us) enjoy melodies that follow unpredictable paths but still sound memorable. Latest single "windimir and the gift of death" (streaming) wraps things in an even thicker aura of psychedelic mystery by introducing Gregorian sounding melodies reminiscent of some of the very very early Pink Floyd singles (check this out if you have Spotify), when Syd Barret’s wild imagination was still ruling. This new single manages to be at once incredibly sober and fun: the tamed vocals, perfectly devoted to this almost religious function, can’t be taken too seriously, while the unremitting, peaceful melody (whatever the lyrics say) is pure psychedelic bliss. See the band at Littlefield this Sunday (06.01) at 6pm).
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Psych songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
Philadelphia
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Northern Arms Record Release Show at JB’s May 30
At the core of Northern Arms are two friends of fourteen years who first met when they realized that they were dating the same woman. Since that moment, Keith Richard Pierce and Eric Bandel have built a strong musical bond that has seen them come together as a duo, growing to a quartet, and the quitting music as they went on to find romance and sobriety, only to rekindle that musical brotherhood in 2012 at a wake for a friend, and going on to form the enigmatic ten-piece ensemble that they are today. The end result is an emotive blend of group vocals, indie rock melodies, and orchestral arrangements. And their debut album features a mix of songs that were produced by the likes of Jeff Zeigler (The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, etc.), Brian McTear (Dr. Dog, Sharon Van Etten, etc.), and Mike Kennedy (BC Camplight). Northern Arms have much to celebrate this evening during their release party at Johnny Brenda’s, and they’ll be joined by the appropriately named Weird Hot, who just completed a short tour of the south and released their new two-song single “The Wasp Woman”/”I Was at a Party.” Rounding out the lineup will be the alt-rock outfit, A Brood of Vipers, who are still riding high from the release of their latest record Ghosts of Bedlam. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill