Man, these aloof Widowspeak hipster guys are making us GREEN! We love their music but they wouldn’t play our shows (or even make a Facebook post about our coverage) to save their own lives. We must have tried to dat… ahem, book them half a dozen times by now and we are afraid it ain’t gonna happen at this point… Their record came out about a year ago – cool beijey cover, mellow sounds, a beauty – but we met them way before then. It was The Deli NYC’s Album of the Month in August 2011, and it still finds its way into our ears. The guys also placed 3rd in our latest Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll, but they never really seemed to care much about this stuff… But wait! Fashion magazine "Interview" interviewed them the other day! They wrote a post on Facebook about it! Same thing with Noisevox, Wow Magazine, Vice Germany… what the heck Widowspeak?! You flirt with huge publications owned by even bigger corporations behind our back? INDIGNATION! BETRAYAL OF BROOKLYN DIY ETHICS! – Or maybe just jealousy of a small, unloved (but cute) local rag…
P.S.You were on the cover of our latest issue, did you even notice? – Read Ed Guardaro’s feature on Widowspeak here.

Illuminator recently dropped some vowels because there were other bands out there with a similar name. It’s almost certain, however, that these bands sound nothing like Illumntr. In fact, it’s arguable that most bands sound nothing like Illumntr, for they exist, mentally and audibly, on a different planet. Like a tripped out sonic loom, their combination of sounds and ideas produce a multicolored patchwork. Vocals weave in and out, mingling with echoes, bells, and jangles, timpani and synths. These are not songs with hooks, meant to be easily digested and spat back out. Instead they are carefully constructed suites, pieces melding into one another with orchestral grace. – Read Alison Levin’s interview with the band here.

NYC Thee Mast recently released the new single "UpUpUp" which showcases a partial switch in the band’s sound: Haale Gafori dreamy guitar parts have completely disappeared from this track, replaced by buzzy synths lines, which gently integrate with her ethereal vocals and Matt Kilmer’s signature inventive drum style. The duo has enrolled LA professional dancer Pandora Marie for the shooting of the single’s video, streaming below.

Gritty NYC trio Element demonstrate what a well-oiled rock ‘n roll machine should sound like as audible on the group’s four-track sojourn "SOUNDTRACK TO THE END OF THE WORLD." Meshing a freewheeling hard rock bravado with a potpourri of pop-rock sensibilities, Element’s winning songwriting showcases an aptitude for creating grandiose atmospheres that never lose a pounding backbeat (“Tin Man”) as well as wealth of left of center heaviness straight out of Dave Grohl’s playbook (“Beautiful”). Bolstered by a rash of massive hooks with luxurious harmonies akin to King’s X meeting Muse, Element’s attentive musicianship and versatile rock chops allow their songs to span the rock continuum with an exhilarating sense of swagger where hitting the repeat button constantly is encouraged. See them live at Trash Bar on June 22. -Mike SOS

Zoe Sundra, an artist hailing directly from Natalie Merchant’s school of wistful storytelling, takes a playful look at some of romance’s endless games in her sophomore record, ‘The Hunt.’

In her quieter moments, like the forceful ballad ‘Born to Please’ and the genealogical reveal of ‘Force of Love,’ Zoe reveals a country tinge to her contralto that puts her enormous range on display. But she’s at her strongest in larger anthems like album opener ‘Scarlett,’ where Sundra pours her heart out on top of brassy fanfare and glissando winds unafraid to fly the piece up to the heavens. See her when she plays the New Music Seminar show at Cake Shop on June 19 on May 27th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – Zoe Sundra submitted her music for review to The Deli here.

When you listen to Kntrlr for the first time, you’ll probably already feel like you’re singing along to them. Swirling loops engulf otherwise driving rhythms, and vocals that shoot for the rafters. It’s like the way campfire jams probably sound on Mars. No matter how the textures differ, from the rapid single string interplay of Kush, to the dark textures running around Velveteen, the duo exudes a glossy sun-worshipping sheen that is always a welcome sight now summer is finally upon us.

Join Charles and Michael when they play Gutter tomorrow evening with HHR. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) – Kntrlr submit their music to The Deli for review here.

After performing at Chappo’s LP release show at Dominion in early May, Modern Rivals will be hosting a release party of their own in honor of the "Sea Legs" EP – at Pianos on Saturday June 16th. Modern Rivals are five friends who have been playing music together since middle school. The Brooklyn-based quintet weaves whirling keyboard lines, lush loops, and dreamy guitar tones around balladic vocals and a hard-hitting percussive backdrop. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

Sleepless Saints makes note of their resemblance to ’60s britpop in much of their press, but after listening through to their debut LP ‘Sleep on It,’ I’m finding a lot more in common with a genre popular in their home state of New Jersey. There was a time in the ’80s when Bruce, Jovi and Southside Johnny rocked the Heartland just as well as that Australian Rick Springfield, and this quartet picks up right where these rockers left off.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. True, there’s a couple throwback rockers here. ‘The Last Time’ for instance, could have poured out of The Peppermint Lounge’s speaker system back in the day. But otherwise, the majority of these mid-temp rockers, like title-track ‘Meditate On It,’ has the driving momentum and sweet harmonies I usually associate with bands like The Heartbreakers and The Attractions. A powerful blend to be sure, and a task these guys are more than up to delivering – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Yes, it’s true. Nude Beach likes that old time rock n’ roll. With their style of throwback jams, the band is bound to conjure comparisons with heartland rockers like ‘The River’ era Springsteen and Tom Petty. You’ll hear plenty of comparisons like this in reviews of their sophomore record ‘II,’ but mostly from folks who forget how hard it really is to make this kind of music sound right.

For this sound to work, there’s a couple of ingredients you need to get right: the swagger needs to look like you don’t care much about anything, but the lyrics need to come across as passionate. In the fast-stepping rocker ‘Walkin’ Down My Street,’ or the lonely hearts anthem ‘Some Kinda Love,’ both marks are hit. And you have to sound as large as possible, but still have the lyrics be easy enough to hear and comprehend, as singer/guitarist Chuck Betz also manages to deliver well.

For just being a three piece, the group has somehow managed to sound like the Heartbreakers, the E Street Band, Bob Seeger and Rick Springfield all rolled up into one. It’s quite an accomplishment. So perhaps the best comparison for the Brooklyn-based group is the Ramones, a band that also remade classic rock as their own.

See them when they play Wed, June 6 with Babies and Marvin Berry at Glasslands Gallery. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

From moody folk and gospel, to unexpected marches and screaming fireworks, Kim Krans & Family Band moves its way through some heavy material in new EP ‘Cold Songs.’ Though she could reasonably be accused of the kind of drawl singing usually associated with folksy singers like Chan Marshall, Kim Krans is no direct descendant of Cat Power either. She uses her powers in quite different ways. In track "Beg" for instance, there are plenty of twists and turns reminiscent of Radiohead’s moodier journeys. Likewise, album opener ‘Cold Song’ begins innocently enough, before knocking you over the head with its drumlins midway through. For this band, it’s the unexpected unfolding of these songs that makes it really come together.

This is a record that abandons you in the middle of the forest for an evening, and comes to find you joyous in the morning, after experiencing the full range of that journey. See Family Band live at Brooklyn Bowl on June 4 within the Levon Helm celebration party, and check back in July for a full length.- Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

As you may know here at The Deli we don’t do much photo coverage of live events if any (Brooklyn Vegan has that market cornered), but since Kassandra Balli offered to take pictures at our NYC B.E.A.F. 2012 shows, this time around we have something to show you! Check out Kassandra’s photos here, there are a lot of great shots. Thanks Kassy! – (In the picture: Big Ups)

The Deli will be sponsoring the 6th Annual LC Fest, organized by Local Correspondents, a Brooklyn-based independent music community. This year’s fest runs from Wednesday, June 6 through Saturday, June 9 at Bar4 in Park Slope (444 7th Avenue). The free four-night festival features twelve 20-minute sets each night, and performances are from 8 p.m. to midnight, with doors at 6 p.m.

Here’s a shortlist of recommended performances: Jodi Shaw (June 6), Matt Singer (June 7), Paul Basile of Great Elk (also June 7), Shannon Pelcher (June 8) and Bryan Dunn (also June 8) have all just recently released new albums, while The Bright Silence (June 9) opened for Spacehog in February. Plus, Heidi Sidelinker (also June 9) is most well-known for being in Lowry, but is playing a rare solo set at this free festival, as is Casey Shea (June 7), who almost always plays with a band and has been touring almost non-stop since his new album came out earlier this year.

A full schedule of performers is available here.

Local Correspondents (LC) is a supportive Brooklyn-based community for independent artists. In addition to its annual festival, LC hosts weekly showcases and open mic nights at venues throughout New York City, bringing together an extremely talented and diverse group of performers. LC offers a helping hand to performers who live and visit the NYC area by providing them with advice, tips and opportunities to play.