If you’re old enough to remember the ’90s, you probably remember it as mostly being about VHS tapes, crystal pepsi and long-lasting flannel. And that’s exactly how Total Slacker remembers it too, commemorating the twilight hours of the 20th century with a set filled with odes to "Full House" and "Jurassic Park." It all might be a joke, if it weren’t for how well they make it all sound. The Brooklyn trio may nod to early Weezer with their loose and dirty grunge, but singer/songwriter Tucker Rountree bakes his own kind of fuzzy bud into his Fender, keeping the party moving way past Y2K. The band’s just finished putting the final touches on the followup to their 2011 debut "Thrashin," and are set to premiere it at CMJ. – Check out an old video below. Full Deli CMJ scehdule here. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Wilsen – featured on the cover of our Fall/CMJ issue 2013 – will perform tonight at Pianos (full schedules here). Led by Tamsin Wilson, this is a truly gifted band that follows in the steps of the intimate ballads powered by poetic lyrics of Leonard Cohen, with an added attention for melody at times reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. Do not miss!

Growing up in Greenwich Village, Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth & The Catapult, was trained from a young age as a pianist and studied classical composition at the Berklee College of Music. It was here that Ziman met her future bandmates, drummer Dan Molad and guitarist Pete Lalish and in 2004 Elizabeth & The Catapult was born. Ziman’s schooling is evident in the music she writes; intelligent, memorable melodies are carefully placed alongside sunny riffs and beautifully constructed lyrics. Shaped by Ziman’s clear powerful voice and their unique use of instruments, the band’s eclectic pop sound is one of a kind. See them tonight at The Deli’s CMJ showcase at Rockwood Music Hall – full lineup here. – Brescia Mascheretti

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

The third day of the 2014 CMJ marathon reserves a rather unusual double Deli bill at Spike Hill in Williamsburg. We’ll start with 90 minutes of semi-unadulterated wall of fuzz with 3 noisy but melodious Brooklyn bands, and progress to a late night of afrobeat and funk!

Check out the lineup below and do not dare missing this one – whichever of the two genres you are into.

Full Deli CMJ 2013 schedule here.

FUNK/AFROBEAT + FUZZ ROCK** STAGES

Spike Hill – $6

EMEFE, pronounced “M-F-A,” begins with a strong foundation in traditional Afrobeat, but their musical director, Miles Arntzen, strives to create greater depth and breadth in his compositions. Compounded by the shakes and bangs of an evolving and dynamic percussion section, few further tricks are necessary to engage even the most complacent crowd. It comes down to a matter of swagger, and EMFE serves it up in true Brooklyn fashion. Their Afrobeat aesthetic is characterized by nods to the funk of Prince as well as some aspects of psychedelia and art rock. See them live at Spike Hill when they headline the Deli’s Afrobeat/Funk Stage on Thursday 10.17.

We all love our rugged rough and rowdy folk, but sometimes you just need some more elegant precise folk music. That’s what Joy Kills Sorrow excel at. Steeped in the Boston bluegrass scene of the past 5 years, these pickers are tight. It’s refreshing to see such a young band playing such challenging music and sticking true to their bluegrass roots with original songs. Emma Beaton’s vocals are simple dead center on the pitch – the perfect bluegrass voice. Check them out tomorrow at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 within The Deli’s Rootsy CMJ Show. Full schedule for that night here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

There’s something to be said about a newborn band that already has their own, unique sound. Smooth, soulful and dreamy at once, denitia and sene. merge genres to create their own penthouse lounge style music. Self-described as “film noir for audiophiles,” they are both mellow and dramatic, creating that perfect “rainy day” feel. Tracks like ‘Again (New Ride)’ could easily be featured in a modern day romance flick, while ‘Casanova’ is almost danceable. Going back to the slow and sensual R&B sounds of the 1990s, d&s play with nostalgia both through their sound and their lyrics, which makes them dangerously charming. – Sam Kogon

Music lovers in town for CMJ,

On the second CMJ Music Marathon night we’ll bring to you THREE, FREE stages of great rootsy and alt rock music (alt rock bands have an asterisk in the listings below)!

This is an unmissable appointment for those who love traditional American music and songwriters, but those of you into melodic rock shouldn’t miss the bands playing on stage 2. 

The full Deli CMJ schedule is here.

Tonight folks!

Our Music Marathon starts with a blip! An all-electro party involving 16 bands playing on two stages at LES’ The Delancey on Tuesday October 15. Lots of NYC bands of course, but also a great LA headliner (In The Valley Below) – do not miss!

Full Deli CMJ schedule here.

The Deli’s Staff

Taking from the archives of Sid Vicious, Alex Turner and Bradford Cox, NYC’s local quartet and Hazy Noise-Pop artist Honduras has caught our attention with their warm buzz pop songs. Although not extreme enough to be quite punk rock, the 2012-founded band can be compared to a pop-punk Arctic Monkeys or a Deerhunter/Sex Pistols fusion. The Brit-sounding muffled vocals of Pat Phillips combined with the band’s knack for clean, well-tempered guitar work and percussion makes for a fun listen, which you can embark on in the form of the band’s newest track for the song “Son,” streaming below. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Honduras has any shows scheduled for CMJ. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)

Her precise pair of vocal chords and one looping machine is all Julia Easterlin needs to surround a stage. During her live shows, she deconstructs the process, and builds layers slowly; the performance is part learning experience. She’s brought her brand of vocal-led experimentation to the TEDxWomen conference, audiences in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and a few major festivals.

But tech sorcery is not what sets her apart. Jazz movement, a capella arrangements and world music flavor give Easterlin’s eclectic covers and originals flight, whether solo or with a band. Her voice is a consistent, trained instrument sometimes channeling Sarah McLachlan or Björk, sometimes beatboxers and birds. – Bianca Seidman

Oy musical people!

The Deli NYC’s 36th issue infested the streets of NYC yesterday (Wed 10.09), look for a physical copy in venues/rehearsal studios/music instrument stores, or read it online HERE!

Listen to Wilsen below + see them at The Deli’s CMJ shows at Rockwood on 10.16 and Pianos on 10.18 – schedule here.

The Deli’s Staff