Acme has released a follow up to June’s fantastic "Girlfriend Tonight," this time a double-single video for "California Girls/Numbers Game." The singles are a culmination of everything Acme has done before. 2013’s Synths, Beats & Psychedelia was filled with synth-noise heavy anthems (not to mention the marvelous heartbreak dirge Howl), and channeled indie groups like M83 and TV On The Radio. This year’s "Girlfriend Tonight" was a relatively clean, old-school funk jam, where the synths provided a psychedelic flavor instead of being central to the song (those duties went to the rhythm section and guitars), which proved Acme has the chops to do funk the real way: live, without simply relying on loops to provide the groove.

"California Girls" is definitely a funk number for the dance floor, but with thick, juicy synthetic sounds that could give Prince a run for his money. "Numbers Game" is also based around a groove, but this one is less funk, and more atmospheric, the sounds swirling and growing around the rhythm tracks before the vocals drop delicately in the final minute with a simple request, extending the theme in "Girlfriend Tonight." 

Together these two tracks make for Acme’s most powerful aesthetic statement yet. They are something else, combining the richest and craziest flavors of the old and the new, mixing sunshine happiness and moonlight hope. –Natan Press

Eula is bringing us an insane lineup for their EP release party tomorrow night (07.31).  On the bill they have New England rockers, Pile, and the current Deli’s band of the year, Big Ups.  Opening up is Courtship Ritual, whose debut album, Pith, is a promising work of dark bedroom pop.  Simple harmonies combined with unexpected warbly guitar hooks provide an interesting combination; it’s as if slacker-rock met L.A. pop and had a baby in Brooklyn. The show is at Palisades this Thursday (7/31) – check out Courtship Ritual single ‘Ancient Drip’ below. – Jake Saunders

At the end of last 2013, songstress Diane Birch released her second album “Speak A Little Louder,” which garnered a similar critical acclaim bestowed on 2009’s debut “Bible Belt.” Establishing a permanent residency in Brooklyn (she’s originally from Michigan, but she lived in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Sydney, Australia before settling in Portland, OR) has afforded opportunities to collaborate with creative forces that better reflect her evolving sound. Daptones drummer Homer Steinweiss became that influential foil, producing and co-writing several tracks on the latest album. Though her primary instrument is piano (and her voice), many of the tracks feature analog sounding synths that have a decidedly retro feel.

– Read Dave Cromwell‘s Interview with Diane Birch
– See Diane Birch perform live at one of The Deli’s Ten Year Anniversary Parties at Brooklyn Bazaar on August 02 with Secret Someones, 5J Barrow, The Prettiots, and Poor Remy.

Nytyly is an electronic indie pop group out of Brooklyn lead by Natalie About El Hessen.  Their music is based around pop structures, experimenting with unexpected melodies and strange turn arounds.  Stream their recent single, "Love Will Wait", below.   -Jake Saunders 

Jesus on the Mainline (pictured) is a 15 piece act of amazing musicians who offer an impressive mixture of RnB and soul mixed with blues and indie rock. Check out their single Sister City, Brother Bone  below, and the cover of Nirvana’s Lithium here, as they turn the famous grunge rock masterpiece into a massively groovy jam. They’ll be playing Music Hall of W’Burg on August 25.

Noelle Tannen weaves soul, jazz, and rock and roll to into amazing compositions of rich and beautiful strength.  Her vocals are powerful, driving each song further into diverse and compelling energies, and it’s not a surprise that she grew up singing in churches.  

These artists submitted their music for coverage here.

Northern Spy Records has a consistently solid lineup of bands that seek to push sonic boundaries.  Bands like Zs, Aa(Big A little a), and PC Worship focus on improvisation as a mode of expression, and with the use of the insane musical technology that exists today, the sounds that these bands are utilizing brings fusion music into a whole new dimension. One such band is NYMPH and their trance inducing music. The group expands upon long and drawn out jams which ultimately develop into complete worlds of their own.  The instrumentation is always alternating, and although the sound never fails to evolve between each song, a signature mood can be found in each track off their most recent album, New Millenium Prayer.  Jazz, drone rock and eastern music are very much a part of their sound, as themes and motifs are used as catalysts for each song, churning the sonic waters until a musical consensus is gathered, whether it be in consonant fruition or dissonant chaos.  NYMPH will be playing along with The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger at the Mccarren Park Summerscreen series tomorrow (7/30).  – Jake Saunders

Bringing the deeply rooted vocals of soul music to the forefront of modern pop since 2012, NYC sextet The Rooks have been charming local fans with their uplifting sounds and performances, predating the nu-soul trend exploded in recent years. Melting soul, R&B and classic rock ‘n’ roll, the band is ready to conquer the many hearts that were once filled by the music of acts like Marvin Gaye and Hall and Oates. Winners of our Artist of the Month poll a few weeks ago, the band is about to spend the first third of August touring the East Coast – you can see them in NYC at Arlene’s Grocery this coming Friday (08.01)

Read Christine Cauthen’s Interview with The Rooks.

Drowners, a band that didn’t grace the cover of one of our 2013 issue just because of an unfortunate coincidence, will be headlining the second of The Deli’s Ten Year Anniversary Parties, scheduled for this upcoming Friday August 01 at Brooklyn Bazaar (it’s a free show!). The group has been one of the most successful NYC indie exports this year, and is scheduled to play the legendary Leeds and Reading festivals in the UK later in August.

LINKS: Dave Cromwell’s recent Interview with Drowners