Austin

Keeper and MoonDoctoR Do the ATX to San Antonio Hookup “Next to Me”

Posted on:

Just a quick blast to drop the new Keeper track that came out this week, which is some deliciously smooth-bass-heavy R&B that sees the group (who came in 3rd in our 2014 Artist of the Year Poll and whose jams have been gettin’ major notice around the nation since, even showing up as an opener track on a Broad City episode) continuing its mastery of the three-voiced future music front. They’re also keeping steady on the collaboration front, adding San Antonio producer MoonDoctoR to their list of producers who have dropped a hell of an electronic beat to accompany the sultry sirens in doin’ what they do, a list that is quickly becoming a who’s who of Texas producers who themselves are set to break out on the big scene. Do just what the song say and get sweatin’ out your clothes, as the girls put it, with "Next to Me" below y’all.

NYC

Song premiere: “Bad To Me” by Margo May

Posted on:
(Photo by Hannah Lavenburg)
 
The Deli KC is excited to premiere the latest track from Margo May, “Bad To Me,” off her forthcoming album I’m Not Coming Home.
 
May credits much of her songwriting to Elliott Smith, whose voice comes through on this track’s melodic arrangement and its stripped-down, heart-rending honesty. She wrote “Bad To Me” as a result of a relationship gone wrong: “I really had to question my intention if I was a good or bad person,” she says. “A week later with no phone or Internet and I got ‘Bad To Me’ on my self reflection.”
 
The raw delivery of the song mirrors the intimate tone of the album, a departure from May’s polished pop tunes of the past. Recorded/produced in Kansas City by Tim J. Harte (Mother Russia Industries), its lo-fi sound lends more poignancy and sincerity to her subtle, breathy vocals and Doby Watson’s sublime, tasteful fingerpicking.
 
I’m Not Coming Home will be co-released on Mother Russia Industries and Double Shift Music and was mastered by Cory Schultz in Milwaukee. May and Watson will be embarking on a short tour in July, which includes an official album release show at Prospero’s on July 19.
 
 
—Michelle Bacon
 

Michelle is editor of The Deli KC and plays in bands. 

NYC

Slutty Hearts bring their noisy pop to The Trillium on July 3rd

Posted on:

"In the pocket" is a phrase used by music geeks to describe bands that are just… feeling it. And after a few years and some lineup changes, Portland’s Slutty Hearts are there. Watch the closed-eyed communication between the band as singer Marisa Laurelle bashes a cymbal with a tambourine, smiling out lyrics about love crimes, and you’ll see the prowess of musicians that have paid their dues. The confidence of their live set is obvious, yet there is a vulnerability that brings them to the level of the crowd. Combining the gritty realness of punk with the slick veneer of pop without sounding forced and pretentious isn’t easy, but this band does it effortlessly – and with style. Catch them at the Trillium in Hood River July 3rd, or when they’ll be covering the Kinks for Ray Davies Day at Bunk Bar July 15. – Just Dave

NYC

Julia Weldon releases new video + plays Cake Shop tonight within the NMS nights

Posted on:

NYC songwriter Julia Weldon will be performing at Cake Shop tonight within a bill tied to the New Music Seminar 2015 (she was included in their "Artist on the VergeClass of 2015″ list). The young artist plays hartfelt pop that often flirts with Americana influences, although her most popular single ‘Careful in the Dark‘ follows an intimate melodic path reminiscent of Elliot Smith at its most evocative. She’s releasing a new video today for new single ‘All I Gave Her.’

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

NYC

NYC Psych Punks Psychiatric Metaphors play Palisades on 07.24

Posted on:

Aptly named NJ psych punks Psychiatric Metaphors released their first full length album “33 Thorne Street” earlier this year. Opening track. “Stone Bros Knows” (streaming) is driving three chord rock with basic beat under shouted tandem vocals. We soon learn these “bros know” that “she’s so cold.” There’s tension in the held chord before the verses, the way Sonic Youth frequently elongated moments within a song before dropping the hook. Title track “33 Thorne Street” has cleaner, 60’s sounding bright guitars. Vocals come off a tad more “sneering” this time, with an appealing amount of guitar noodling over the basic chords and simple drumming. The resident of the titled address is (also) a girl: she’s “inside getting tight” but “no one’s got a key” to get in. Metaphor indeed! “Sleep Deprivation” continues to mine the quarries of 60’s psychedelia that current like-minded locals Golden Animals have delved in to. “She’s So Fine” goes deeper into the caverns of early garage rock, conjuring up the spirt of Moby Grape and their classic track “Omaha.” Catch them next on Wednesday June 24 at Palisades in Brooklyn. – Dave Cromwell

NYC

Teen Girl Scientist Monthly releases of LP “Hyper Trophy” at Cameo Gallery on 07.18

Posted on:

As you may gether from their moniker, Brooklyn’s Teen Girl Scientist Monthly are not too interested in coming across as a serious bunch: the band exists for the dual purpose of making rock’n’roll music suitable for parties, and partying to it while playing it live. In spite of this, the guys are incredibly hard working: their  upcoming album "Hyper Trophy" will be – between LPs, EPs and 7" – their TENTH release since 2010. New single ‘Dark Rip’ (video streaming below) fits the profile of the perfect party tune: marrying the raw and upbeat urge of punk with the contagious optimism of pop, the track is bound to get listeners moving, wherever it reaches them. Teen Girl Scientist Monthly will be celebrating the release of  "Hyper Trophy" with a party at Cameo Gallery on July 18th – fun will be had by all.

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

Philadelphia

Grimace Federation Opening for Jaga Jazzist at Union Transfer June 22

Posted on:

Post-rock enthusiasts Grimace Federation will be opening for one of their greatest influences, legendary Norwegian nine-piece Jaga Jazzist, this evening at Union Transfer. The local trio has been rather dormant about releasing new material of late, but all that will change soon with their forthcoming EP The Measure In Mixture, surprisingly due out via well-respected Minneapolis hip-hop record label Rhymesayers. The album will feature two new tracks from the band as well as a couple of insane remixes from longtime friend and collaborator Aesop Rock. Also along for the wild ride tonight will be LA via Nashville’s Among Savages (a.k.a. Peter Barbee). Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., 8pm, $22, All Ages – Alexis V.

NYC

Artist profile: Various Blonde

Posted on:
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
The version of Various Blonde I saw live at Czar in 2011 is very different from the band playing this Thursday at Lawrence Field Day Fest. The 2011 iteration, led by guitarist/vocalist Joshua Allen, moved through a set that dabbled a little in the psychedelic while adhering to a heavier rock and punk-based sound. It was a solid set, though I remember thinking the vocals needed something and the melodies hinted at something more. What exactly? I didn’t know.
 
The release of Summer High a few years later illustrated the elusive what hinted at back at Czar years before. I caught up to a very different live band back in November at Apocalypse Meow, and again last week at The Riot Room.
 
The only element that remained from the band was Allen. His guitar and vocals were still there, but now different from what I remember. There was a new bassist, EvanJohn McIntosh, a new drummer, Mark Lomas, and the addition of keyboardist Eddie Moore. The three-piece had grown, shifted, and mutated into a very different band creating a very different sound.
 
There is a seriousness to watching this four-piece perform. Like any professionals at work, it is obvious they enjoy what they do. But, also evident is that they are on stage to work, put on a great show, and hone their craft. A lot of the songs they perform create a serious reflective mood, but they cut that stoicism nicely with soulful grooves and melodies that manage to conjure a very difficult thing: movement. I tried to fight the urge to move along with the tunes, but, damnit, I happily failed.
 
Joshua Allen can sing. His voice shifts effortlessly from an easy tenor to a smooth falsetto that avoids piercing metal clichés. That he is a solid guitarist is as advantageous as it is necessary to VB’s sound. He could easily get away with just singing, moving to the music and fronting the band, but thankfully he doesn’t. Without him, songs like "Savage Children" would fall into the trap of being a "jam" song. Which is fine I guess, but I wouldn’t know, I’ve never made it through an entire "jam" song. Allen’s guitar and vocals dice tunes like “Savage Children” into succinct, building well-rounded songs. While the vocals help guide on "Savage Children,” they truly shine on the danceable, rocking tune “Indigo Children.” The first time I heard that song was literally a WTF moment. A perfect illustration of the elusive what:familiar, yet totally different and new.
 
The consistent blues infused groove created by McIntosh is unstoppable. Good luck not moving some part of your body. McIntosh’s bass lines lead without overstepping, cyclical but never simple. I’ve been a fan since his days in Cherokee Rock Rifle and am selfishly happy he’s found another outlet for his formidable skill set.
 
I don’t know how long McIntosh and Lomas have been playing together (I’m just that thorough a correspondent) but the sound they produce belies whatever actual time they’ve spent working together. Their styles align perfectly. Nicely complementing each other as the foundation of the tone and mood of this band. Lomas’ playing seems unflashy, until you take a moment and try to keep up with what he’s doing. Seeing and hearing this guy live as he holds down patterns and changes that would make a drum machine pass out is mesmerizing. And again, good luck not dancing.
 
The addition of keyboardist and local jazz standout Moore adds depth and changes things drastically for this group. From a songwriting perspective alone, Moore’s instrument and playing allows for a myriad of new directions, from sonic to classical to his specialty, jazz. As a musician, Moore’s jazz sensibility and musical intelligence lend themselves perfectly to McIntosh’s and Lomas’ rhythmic foundation. Moore knows how to create his own distinctive musical plots and subplots within the framework of the sound already set in motion by his bandmates; he does so effortlessly, and without overplaying.
 
Obligatory comparisons? You should make your own… while dancing.
 
With the excellent full-length Summer High already out, I can’t wait to hear what these guys build next. Until then, they play at Lawrence Field Day Fest this Thursday, June 25, at the Replay Lounge before taking a little Summer Hiatus.
 
 
 

Video and story by Chris Nielsen 

NYC

Bring your dad to Dirty Laundry TV Summer Fest

Posted on:

Dirty Laundry TV’s Summer Fest is less than two hours away, and earlier last week they added the gaze-y Sunshine Mind to open at 2 PM, as well as San Diego’s ’60s garage/surf inspired The Frights! Kim of Kim & The Created will also be guest-DJing along with McAllister of KXLU, Mariana Timony of Lo-Pie, and Crystal King’s Andrew King.

Come out in the afternoon to The Satellite for a swap meet happening between 2-6 PM and get a last-minute Father’s Day gift for your dad from over a dozen vendors. Bring dad too — he’s secretly not cool to go golfing with his kids. Not down to wait in the long lines for a Father’s Day meal? HACHÉ LA will be serving up their gourmet burgers on-location, and we’re fairly certain PBRs will be plentiful. – Ryan Mo

Philadelphia

Left & Right Crank the Gas at A House Named Virtue June 21

Posted on:

Left & Right have a sound that etches into one’s system. With songs that provide unaltered snapshots, developed at varying tempos, the band can ride a slow-burner that gradually gathers musical steam in a subdued yet emotionally poignant place or crank the gas to full blast and accelerate the process, cooking up pummeling backend. As we await the release of their forthcoming album, Dogs on Acid is set to perform as is the roaring, riff-tastic pop-punk trio Thin Lips, whose EP Divorce Year is in constant rotation. Austin psych-pop quintet The Sour Notes fills out this evening’s lineup. A House Named Virtue, (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 8pm, All Ages – Michael Colavita

Left and Right – Five Year Plan from Robin Comisar on Vimeo.