NYC

Elohim takes the fall in new single “Bridge and the Wall”

Posted on:

We haven’t been able to get Elohim’s anthemic single "Bridge and the Wall" out of our heads, and neither will you. Synthesizing trillwave and electropop styles from her summer split release "She Talks Too Much"/"Xanax", this deceptive indie banger nurses your aches of liberosis with the warmth of early Passion Pit. Elohim’s sounds have tapped into the restless ears of the Internet, and the night wanderers of Los Angeles with her recent Monday night sets for The Big Pink‘s Echo residency (which slayed our hearts, tyvm). Her identity is still a mystery to us, but that’s not a concern as revealed in a recent interview with The 405.

"I am a musician first and foremost. I have been playing and making music my entire life. It is important for me, as a female, to show that. All sides of me. Well, except my face."

Elohim’s next split release "Bridge and the Wall"/"Pigments" is due out next month, January 8th, via Bay/LA tastemaker B3SCI‘s record label. – Ryan Mo

NYC

Ghost Noise to release second full-length Our Heaven of Darkness

Posted on:

After months juggling studio time, rehearsals, and shows across California, Los Angeles darkwave trio Ghost Noise will release the follow-up to their 2013 debut This is the Next Part of Your Dream.

Our Heaven of Darkness, the full-length recorded through 2014 and produced in part with Jessica Nicole Collins (BERU)and Jöseph Solomön Calleirö, comes out this week on December 5th.

The Deli reached out to Ghost Noise about what fans new and old can expect from Our Heaven of Darkness. "We’re exploring a lot of darker tones on this album," says Gawby Moon. 

John Connolly adds, "It’s an album born out of a lot of hurt. These are the most deeply personal songs we’ve ever written."

Ghost Noise and BoredToDeath are hosting a record release show at Non Plus Ultra with Intimatchine and BERU. The evening will be complete with visual projections by Wes Johansen, vinyl grooves from KXLU’s Mukta Mohan, and delectables by Joshua Ploeg. You can also catch an early show this Thursday at The Smell with Band Aparte and Parallax Scroll. Listen to the lachesist "Farther and Fainter", the second single from Our Heaven of Darkness, below. – Ryan Mo

Chicago

Layna

Posted on:

Layna released a new track this week. The downtempo, dreamy production on "Once" is both peaceful and slightly sad as Layna adds haunting vocals.

Philadelphia

The Deli Philly’s December Record of the Month: Downer – The City & I

Posted on:
Colins “Bear’” Regisford’s musical talents can be found dispersed throughout the Philly music community in bands such as Mannequin Pussy, Kids, Ghost Gum, and Albondigas. And with the help of local musically-inclined friends, which also included members of The Spirit of the Beehive and Gunk, what originally started as Bear’s acoustic solo project in 2004 traverses a diverse landscape of genres on his debut EP Downer, recorded under the moniker The City & I.   
 
Available on cassette via Infinity Cat Recordings, Downer is a record that never settles into one place for too long, jumping from moment to moment at the speed of life. “Bored People” gradually dials you in: “I’ve got no time for excuses, I’ll invest in an illusion…” It lays the groundwork, projecting an intriguing introduction of shadowy, blunted haze.
 
“Divine Lorraine” shifts the tempo upward into rebellious slacker rock. Pat Conaboy’s fresh kick of percussion propels the song ahead, tying in the slight etchings of distorted guitar to provide a gritty texture, which is reinforced by the lead vocal and polished by the tempering back vocals. It’s a welcomed mesh of the raw and the refined. “Geordie” is encompassed by a calm, shoegazing cloud; however, what first appears clear gathers a turbulent air, sweeping one through a momentary buzzing cyclone before disintegrating into feeble animal whimpers.
 
Sounds from the city encircle “Tall Girls,” while a guitar-led, emotionally torn and conflicted serenade rings out subtly in the forefront. “Untitled” is a thirty-second noise jam that builds to the title-track through a warping sonic hole. “Downer” is anything but. The instant fervor of grungy instrumentation smacks the song into action, giving the record a spirited, momentous jolt. But “Are You Up” closes by transporting the album to another unique site. This one couples Eastern-sounding keys with an industrial-hammering rhythm and a late-night, burnt-as-fuck-yet-confident emcee delivery. Amid a noisy, chaotic perimeter, it spirals into a joyous exclamatory applause. And we are left wishing and hoping for a secret track, but none ever comes. – Michael Colavita

Philadelphia

The Whips Opening for The Mystery Lights at Ortlieb’s Dec. 1

Posted on:

Fitting nicely on the Burger Records roster, garage rockers The Whips recently dropped their new full-length album Roots Rock Element, whose title holds true as a descriptor. The band features Far-Out Fangtooth‘s Joe Kusy and The Tough Shits‘s James Horn. The group already has plans to release another album this January via Philly indie label Suicide Bong Tapes. They’ll be rockin’ ‘n’ a rollin’ this evening at Ortlieb’s alongside like-minded brethren Brooklyn’s The Mystery Lights and locals Los Calzones. It’s a Tuesday night bill for the kids who too cool to show up school and work tomorrow. Ortlieb’s, 847 N. 3rd St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Alexis V.

NYC

Weed Hounds and World of Darkness play The Living Room on 12.05

Posted on:

Indie rock lovers with (democratic) socialist tendencies might want to visit The Living Room on Saturday December 5th, to witness a Bernie Sanders fundraiser featuring an interesting bill of local electric acts sharing psychedelic and noise rock tendencies. Headlining the show will be recently regrouped noise-gazers Weed Hounds (pictured – and yes, "noisegazer" is accepted as a genre by Last.fm). Their single "Heather W" from last year’s self titled album, has the perfect balance of fuzz, dissonance, reverb and melody, and deserves a spot in our playlist featuring the best psych/shoegazer songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

One of the openers will be self defined "sad-core" collective World of Darkness, a brand new NYC band that released an interesting debut two song EP this past April.  Single "Back in My College Bed" (streaming below) refreshes our memories about the good days when slacker rock turned more mature, melodic, and lyrical. Their second single Your Roots is a blue, electric ballad that supports the "sad-core" claim. These two bands will be joined on stage also by dream poppers Gingerlys and noise purveyors Warcries (featuring members of Advaeta).

Austin

Christmas + Spooky + Western Influence = Tele Novella’s “Christmas Spirit”

Posted on:

Truth be told, Christmas ain’t much of a hip holiday, what with all the religion and family and money and general mainstream weirdness associated with it, but that hasn’t stopped more than a few artists outside the "regular" culture from taking capitalism’s favorite holiday and doing something interesting with it. You’ve got yer Sufjan Stevens Christmas songs, your Gremlins, your Nightmare Before Christmas and (in the particular vein of that last entry in the field of holiday oddities), you’ve now got Tele Novella’s spooky/jolly Snowflake 10, a 45 with two tracks of Christmas music from a top quality Austin pop group.

In particular, Side A on this festive bit of music-ery is an X-mas themed original by Tele Novella called "Christmas Spirit" that you’ll know is something a bit different from the regular holiday fare when it starts out with Natalie Ribbons (with certainty one of Austin’s best crooners) singing "All the meanest criminals, bank robbers, crooks and killers/Buried in the cemetery are celebrating Christmas." It’s cute, creepy and’s got that Tim Burton cool done through Tele Novella’s spaghetti-Western ready trademark sound. If you’re looking for something not lame and overdone to getcha feelin’ all Christmassed up, take this short lil fun thing with ya on your holiday venturin’, and also check out B-Side Marvin Gaye cover "Purple Snowflakes" and the other Snowflakes Christmas 45s on SoundCloud. Gotdamned Chrizzmas, kids. Up in yer wallet, and now all up in yer ears, but this time in a good way.

NYC

Baltimore alt soul act Soujourne released new LP, These Seeds

Posted on:

Looking for the next big thing in funk? Look no further than Sojourne, a progressive soul four-piece belting out the finest sounds you heard from Baltimore. The lead vocalist, Trina Coleman, has pipes on par with Sara Bareilles and they have a wide spread of jams, from cheery upbeat melodies to slow cocktail lounge serenades. These Seeds is their debut LP and it’s a work of art. Though the band is entering a self-declared hibernation for the winter, you can catch them playing for Artworks on Maryland Public Television, 12/17, at 8:30pm. -Jonathan Goodwin

NYC

Michael Alan Alien releases limited edition ODB tribute album

Posted on:

Bushwick born, Staten Island raised Michael Alan Alien grew up throwing art parties in the 90s. Before Wu-Tang was the empire it is now, they were just a bunch of friendly faces in a cloud of smoke on his guest list. ODB’s passing weighed heavily on the world’s Hip Hop community, and Michael Alan Alien is one of the many still holding the torch and spreading the light of one of Rap’s most brazen innovators. Considering ODB “the Van Gogh of Hip Hop,” Michael texted Miss Jones and linked with ODB’s brother Ramsey Jones and created a live tribute at Printed Matter which culminated in a 27 track limited edition tribute album featuring Mike’s mom and dad, The Residents, O.D.B., Treasure Hunt, Bonglestar, Tommy Ramone, Vasdeferens, and others. It’s a tripped out, punk rap, noise exploration of the undersung genius of the Big Baby Jesus. Each CD is hand made by Michael Alan Alien and is a piece of collectible art itself. Get your hands on one here. – BrokeMc