We wonder if the mass media’s renewed focus on Monica Lewinsky in her new role as an anti-cyberbullying advocate will have any effect on Brooklyn band’s The Harmonica Lewinskies, besides getting their youngest fans to realize where that name comes from and what kind of outrageous imagery it conjures. The band certainly embraces this provocation, and this is why they deserve to have their new video for "Sitting on My Hands" (streaming below) premiered here, on The Deli’s blog, on Halloween, the most provocative of days. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that said video also features people in weird costumes, and is, in essence, a cacophonous rebellion against the boredom of work – in particular the one you don’t care about. And isn’t that the core value of all parties, Halloween ones in particular, when anything ordinary is banned? The jazz/funk collective uses their horn section and electric guitars as weapons, while Roberto Bettega’s blue voice leads the song from almost silent breaks to the climax of sonic explosions. The band released a new album entitled "Dad Rock" with a party at The Knitting Factory on October 1st.

From our CMJ Music Marathon Runner JP’s Day 1 report: "I could tell right away I was going to like Dream Police (featureing Mark Perro and Nick Chiericozzi of The Men). I can’t wait for their debut record. Their drum machine test was so loud and in your face, people flocked back inside just to feel it. The band is a 12-string guitar, bass and keys trio + drum machine. Choral synths backed rock rhythms and extremely infectious guitar riffs, gorgeously layering and blending together, getting louder and lulling everyone to a numbing sleep. There was a beautifully long intro to their set, but you never wanted it to end. Chord progressions were perfect and intense. Their second song included a cellist’s bow on the guitar, a la Sigur Ros, jabbing erratically at first, but then the pretty breaks through, backed by organ sounds, bass throbs and serious tones. The set was cut WAY too short due to power problems. They finished simply, and humbly with “Sorry guys…we’re done.”

Sci-Fi themes, even though central to a very influential band like The Pixies, are not exactly the most common ones among emerging indie bands. Space-pop group The Landing (brainchild of Brooklyn musician Jon Bell) sounds nothing like Black Francis’ band, but shares with him a fascination for anything intergalactic and extraterrestrial. Or at least that’s what you gather from new video "We Are," whose title is the answer to the question "Are we alone in the universe?" – although the answer gets mischieviously confounded at the end of the song with the tiniest "not." The song is a well orchestrated, hypnotic electro-soul ballad, in which liquid synth pads play the part of space, arpeggiators and sparse guitar notes play the stars, and Bell’s falsetto plays the absence of gravity. "We Are" is the title track of the band’s latest EP.

We noticed (and blogged about) Brooklyn’s Ziemba and her track "Phantom See" this past April and were impressed with her Femme Fatale attitude and that beautiful, sparse song. The young lady (aka René Kladzyk) obviously didn’t shy away from that observation, delivering this remarkable video (for that same track) that doubles down on dark seduction and comfirms her confidence – also in front of a video camera. You can catch her live at Cake Shop on Sunday November 2nd at 8.30pm.

Slacking (real or perceived) is such an essential part of the average rock’n’roll musician’s personality it’s hard to believe that the term "Slacker Rock" was coined just in the 90s, after Pavement’s debut album "Slanted & Enchanted." Brooklyn band Doubting Thomas Cruise Control quite… undoubtedly looks back at that sound with fondness (we do too), re-appropriating and re-invigorating it for a new generation that at the time was too young to appreciate it, and for an older one that’s feeling nostalgic. The band is about to release a split EP with like minded NYC band Slushies, you’ll have a chance to see them live at Palisades on 10.31 during the venue’s Halloween bash.

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

Music bloggers (including our own) love to denigrate the CMJ Music Marathon, but there is no other event in NYC (and probably the world, since SXSW has become a mainstream feast) that allows music industry and fans to focus their attention on emerging artists. To find and promote new talent, here at The Deli we book a ton of bands for our official CMJ shows and do our own Marathon coverage (which admittedly this year was leaning a little too much in an indie/DIY direction – but hey, our roots blogger let us down a week before CMJ!). But we are also aware that we can’t be everywhere to find the best new artists, and this is why we indulge in "Best of CMJ" lists like this one. A big "Thank You" is therefore due to HeyReverb.com for introducing us to Puerto Rican/Brooklyn band Buscabulla (Spanish slang for ‘troublemaker’), whose electro/industrial/world/dream/pop debut EP "Kitsuné" is one of the most beautiful and intriguing records to catch our ears in quite some time.
Opening track "Caer" (video streaming) alternates gritty guitar loops with liquid synths, while singer Raquel Berrios’ voice charms and soothes with minimal pop melodies sung in Spanish, but that seem to bear some kind of Japanese influence. Metelé is a more traditional electronic, atmospheric ballad reminiscent of Air but still dominated by an Eastern sounding melody, while "Temporal" – the most experimental track in the EP – blends the clanging of a mechanical loop with what sounds like a synchopated, finger piano sample, while distorted guitars swells drive the song through its tension and release cycles. Final track "Sono" – one of the strongest on the record – recycles an idyllic, 60s sounding flute sample and surrounds it with a funky drum pattern and all sorts of distorted and percussive sounds – all very organic sounding – while Raquel indulges in a simple melody that seems inspired by nursery rhymes.
Buscabulla’s "Kitsuné," with its incredible array of ethnic influences filtered through a Western musical lens, represents as close as it gets how today’s NYC music should sound.

My last day of CMJ was my most anticipated.  Started off by getting my ticket in advance for Exploding in Sound’s 3rd birthday bash at The Silent Barn, where almost every EIS band in some form or another would be playing.  After that I headed over to the warehouse spot over on Hart and Wyckoff known as Hot 97.4 for the 1.21 Gigawatts issue release (read some of my words in the new issue).  There I caught the tail end of Journalism, a tight band of Brooklyn cats who sound like a cross between My Bloody Valentine and Ty Segal, a good combo in my book. – Keep reading Jake Saunders’ report of Day 5 of the CMJ Music Marathon 2014.

Now that CMJ and our related hangovers are over, we can finally focus on plans for Halloween. Organized by Deli web helper Alex Borsody (who is starting to get a reputation for organizing fun folk and bluegrass shows) The Second Annual Rotten Apple Roots and Bluegrass Halloween comes to Union Hall this year with a delightful array of the best tricks and treats the Brooklyn folk community has to offer. Costumes are highly encouraged for this foot stomping good time, and you’d best get your tickets early since last year’s show sold out the Bell House, and Union Hall is half the size. Featuring  lineup of Brooklyn indie folk and bluegrass allstars, Barefoot and Bankside (pictured + video streaming below), Seth Kessell and the Two Cent Band, Melody Allegra Berger and Dancegrass, it’s a Boograss Spooktacular!

Today was…interesting. This may be a rather less in-depth recap than my previous two. I got distracted. A couple of times. I had a plenty early start to the day. Unshowered, my head in a fog, I met my buds from Vomitface in Williamsburg to go see Whiskey Bitches (pictured) at Knitting Factory. But Whiskey Bitches weren’t playing Knitting Factory. At least not today. We got our dates confused, and they were playing there the following day. Whoops! So where else to but Baby’s All Right! I feel like this place is becoming a home away from home. – Keep reading JP Basileo’s report of day 4 of the CMJ Music Marathon 2014

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I promised myself this would be the day I planned everything—the day I wouldn’t have to rush, I’d be where I had to be, when I had to be there, arriving in a calm, collected manner, the whole day. I kept my promise inasmuch as my day starting late, cutting some of the showcases I thought about running to, and meeting my aunt and uncle for a beer at Smorgasborg. I’ve learned that, for the most part, at CMJ, if you miss a band playing an afternoon set, chances are you’ll be able to see them at an evening set. Or better yet, a late night set. – Keep reading JP Basileo’s reporting of Day 5 of the CMJ Music Marathon.

My Friday night was spent primarily at The Silent Barn (pictured) for the Miscreant and Father/Daughter Records showcase. I’ll add that I spent all of the next day there as well; having spent the most time there than any venue, Silent Barn had my favorite bills of CMJ by far, and none of them were official. Although I was particularly exhausted that day/night and ended up leaving earlier than I would’ve liked, I did catch some great acts that I had been meaning to see for a while. I will say that this was a stacked bill, I’m only going to talk about a few of the bands that really stand out to me. – Keep reading Jake Saunders report of Day 4 of the CMJ Music Marathon 2014.

Hey! I actually got out of my house before 2! Progress, man. I suppose I stopped drinking early enough the night before that it made for a somewhat conventional nights’ sleep, odd hours. I woke up to a barrage of text messages from last night. My phone had died and I was playing catch-up on my life while trying to make it to Baby’s for the Captured Tracks unofficial day party. Jesus I think this thing’s starting to take a toll on me. I’m uncharacteristically writing this on the fly, on my rejuvenated telephone, trying not to fall behind. Or asleep. – keep reasing JP Basileo’s report of Day 3 of the CMJ Music Marathon 2014 (picture by Micah Weisberg)