The trio of your most defiant neighbors in Apt A recently shared its second release, Apt B. Voicing an internalized monologue, the songs serve as an earnest, snarky look into the band’s daily observations. Speaking into a noisy and, at times, chaotic void, the recordings have a bluntness that hits the mark in humorous fashion. You definitely don’t want to fuck with Apt A. Or do you?
Philadelphia
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New Track: “Urgent Need to Leave” – Lightninging
Slick, far-reaching guitar lines, reinforced by splatterings of drums, create a sense of tension in motion on “Urgent Need to Leave,” courtesy of Philly four-piece Lightninging. The warmth of vocal harmony is countered by the sadness of a desire to depart. A controlled, combative, instrumental outpouring serves as scene-setting, mood-mimicking transitions. Channeling those feelings into fiery, doubled up, guitar bursts, the heaviness of the moment plays out in a melancholy manner.
Chicago
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Death Valley
The new local label Chicago Research has been putting out some quality music for several months now. On May 15th they will be releasing the debut single from Death Valley. This is the pinnacle of Synth Pop and one of the strongest debuts we’ve seen in awhile.
The single is called “Stuntwoman” b/w “Wavelengths” and will be available on 7” vinyl and digitally below.
NYC
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Meernaa’s tour with John Vanderslice
Meernaa, the “beautiful, freaky dream” of Oakland’s own Carly Bond, is a fuckin beautiful freaky listening experience. Tiny Telephone production quality is full-on apparent: that room-encompassing, take-me-away-Calgon feeling is a pleasure. Last year’s EP, Strange Life, features an all-star collection of supporting musicians, with tracks ranging from bluesy synth rock to R&B post-rock and a vocal range that repeatedly surprises. Tracks like “Good Luck” are like if Bonnie Raitt, Angel Olson, Sharon Van Etten and that scene in the snow globe from the Labyrinth all got together and created an experience of a song. Meernaa is on tour with Mr. Vanderslice as we speak. See them at The Rickshaw Stop on April 28 to experience Meernaa’s newest work and to hear John Vanderslice’s new album, The Cedars. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor
Portland
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Soul’d Out’s Tenth Anniversary
The Soul’d Out Music Festival is coming up again this April, and this year will mark its tenth anniversary. We wanted to make sure you’re properly prepared. Starting on April 16th and ending on April 21st, each day is packed full with artists performing all over town. There will be close to 50 artists performing this year, and each act is incredibly talented. Here at the Deli, we want to give a shout out to some of those artists. The legendary Buddy Guy will be playing at The Roseland on April 17th. DJ/MC team Eric B & Rakim will be taking the stage at the Roseland on the 18th. Coming all the way from Brooklyn, rapper Leikeli47 will be playing the Wonder Ballroom on April 18th.
If you want to find out more information, check out the Soul’d Out website. The full schedule is currently available.
-By Nick Hartman
Toronto
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SoCal Hunnies – Groovy Soul Inspired Rock Trio New Single “Don’t Ever Leave Your Man or Woman”
Don’t let the geography of the name fool ya, SoCal Hunnies are a groovy three piece band based in Toronto. Their single “Don’t Ever Leave Your Man or Woman” has a quick beat with a funky bassline that really pushed the track into the soul inspired world where they like to live. The guitar solos are extremely cool in this track going from a spacious, chilled out zone into a hectic shred all while keeping the track flowing nicely. SoCal Hunnies will be playing the Springtide Music Festival in Uxbridge on April 26th. – Kris Gies
NYC
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Miss Grit dazzle on their new “Talk Talk” EP + performs @ Elsewhere on 04.25
There’s a wonderful sense of balance brought to the table by Miss Grit’s new Talk Talk EP, both in its approach to chaotic-tinged songwriting and the brilliant pallet of sounds explored. Each of the four songs toggle between airy and orchestral synthesizers that careen into fuzzy barrages of sound or simply glitch out at the seams. The marriage between the gutsy and the beautifully arranged is a marvel to witness, and this release is proving to be a standout for 2019. You can catch Miss Grit at Elsewhere on April 26 before they embark on a short U.K. tour. –Tucker Pennington
Chicago
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6’10 “Where We Are”
6’10 is the side project of Tobin Bawinkel of Celtic Punk band Flatfoot 56. For this project he explores his roots and love for Americana and traditional folk music.
The group’s latest EP was released last week and is called “Where We Are”. This is their first new album since their 2014 LP, The Humble Beginnings of a Roving Soul.
Austin
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Parcels Push the Envelope on Disco Hooks
Aussies, Austinites, and enough funk bass lines to light up Studio 54 in its prime, Parcels brought peak positivity to the Mohawk on Monday night. Daft Punk-produced and brimming with youthful exuberance, Parcels is riding a wave of musical momentum on their first American tour. The Aussie male quintet’s sound emanates from around a core sample of Beegees and KC and the Sunshine band melodies with the effervescence of contemporary synthpop and nu-disco. A cappella harmonies, great hair and a synthesized audio elixir guaranteed to make audiences dance – Parcels brought the goods from down under.
Getting the ball rolling with the slow-build of “Comedown”, Parcels introduced themselves to the crowd, and then promptly launched into the Chic-esque hit “Lightenup”. Patrick Hetherington and Jules Crommelin sat front and center onstage, orchestrating boyish smiles and head nods while crooning with soulful dexterity. “Gamesofluck” dropped suave synths over a disco-laden sea of funk with catchy vocals that accentuated the groove masterpiece.
A mid-set a cappella rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” unveiled the remarkable singing talents of the entire quintet before getting back to the dance electronica at hand. “Tieduprightnow” brought chucking guitars and jazz flutes into a tropical nirvana that had the audience twisting like Uma in Pulp Fiction, while “Everyroad” took its time to build through spoken word and rising harmonies for an orgasmic pinnacle of the Italo-disco variety.
Even during some of the more introspective tracks, the Mohawk audience was vibing along, giving the band spontaneous applause and involuntary hand claps. The sheepish grins of the quintet and genuine surprise on hearing roars of approval, exposed a band that had yet to be calloused over with expectation and road weariness. Ending the night with their discovery song “Overnight” along with “Iknowhowifeel” and “Withorwithout” left a ravenous audience standing around for more music, long after the band had left the stage.
Chicago
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Pyramid Scheme “Everything But Rap and Country”
Instrumental Rock trio Pyramid Scheme have released a new album called Everything but Rap and Country.
This is the work of Al Costis (Bass), Rajiv Raju (Guitar), and Seth Engel (Drums). Their sounds is somewhere between improvised jazz and math rock, but does not include Rap or Country in any way.
Nashville
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Safari Room releases acoustic OOKO Studio live session on 04.12
Last time we checked in on Safari Room, they had just released their EP Actual Feelings, and had spent quite a bit of time in the studio recording new music. They released some of that music in the form of February’s single "One Day Here", which also included the B-side "The Rain". Now, Safari Room will release an EP of acoustic versions of their songs, which they recorded in a partnership with art conglomerate OOKO Studios, a recording studio and DIY event hosting site based in Berry Hill. The band chose one song from each of their albums to feature on the acoustic EP, with each of them representing a different step forward for them. "Glass Box" from their debut EP represents loneliness and time passing, while "Vices" from the Actual Feelings EP goes happier and more cathartic with the theme of knowing where you need to be. Meanwhile, "Around The Bend" from the album of the same name covers friendships ending, relationships ebbing and flowing, and dealing with the constant shuffle of loss and growth. You can listen to the acoustic versions of these tracks when Safari Room drops the OOKO Session Live EP on April 12th. Take a listen to The Deli’s premiere of the EP below. – Will Sisskind
Chicago
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Akabou “being”
The latest and fourth release from the new local label Afterhours Ltd. is from Chicago producer Akabou. This project is called "being" and blends elements of ambient music with downtempo beats and trance of dub techno.