NYC

NYC bands on the rise: We Run play CMJ at Spike Hills on 10.19

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Although a young band, We Run‘s first show at Glasslands in early September attracted enough attention to land them an official CMJ rethinkpopmusic.com showcase at Spike Hill on October 19th. Their sound, influenced by 1970’s punk (Buzzcocks), indie-dance rock (early Arctic Monkeys), and 1990’s grunge (Nirvana), is frantic and distorted in each one of its component – a far cry from the electro-pop sound that Brooklyn is currently known for. We Run has just released two tracks online, available for download at their website. They are about to enter the studio to record their debut EP.

NYC

A night with Swear and Shake and 3 more emerging NYC bands at The Living Room on 09.24

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Music site Buzzchips.com is presenting a night with emerging NYC bands at The Living Room on Saturday September 24. Apparently the organizers found out about some of these bands using our awesome (and WAAAY under-appreciated) regional web charts – that’s actually what they are there for, connecting musicians with other musicians, fans, and show organizers. Anyway, besides Aeroplane Pageant, the bill features artists we never blogged about, including folksters Swear and Shake (in the picture), led by Kari Spieler’s gorgeously full voice. On the bill also gritty lo-fi indie pop outfit Little Racer and 80s pop resurrectors Fishdoctor. More info here.

NYC

Multi-art 2 day party this weekend at Gowanus Ballroom with The Pendulum Swings

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This weekend the Gowanus Ballroom (55 9th Street, Brooklyn) will celebrate its closing party with two nights of art, live music, and pyrotechnics. "Paint Works" – the name of the party’s series – is going out with a big-ass bang to celebrate an an extraordinary group of artists, led by the notorious Seanna Sharpe (the Williamsburg Bridge aerialist), fire acts, and a selection of rootsy bands including Jason Trachtenburg’s – of Trachtenburg Family Slideshow fame – The Pendulum Swings.

NYC

From the NYC Open Blog: Abby Payne’s new video

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Brooklyn songwriter Abby Payne released her new music video for the song "The Prophet" (from her 2010 "Sasquatch" EP) last Friday. The video is a collaboration between Payne, Elizabeth Leitzell (director of photography and camera 1), and Iconartistry (animation). It is inspired by the B movie brilliance of Ed Wood as well as Edie Sedgwick and the days of Andy Warhol’s Factory. The video premiere was held at Brooklyn Fireproof on September 9 with performances by Abby Payne and her band, performance art by Glitter Kitty Productions, and a photograph exhibit by Elizabeth Leitzell. – (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 and APS Mastering.

NYC

Experimental NYC: Pet Bottle Ningen plays Death By Audio November 2nd.

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Pet Bottle Ningen’s new album is as defiant as a tricycle whizzing down Mount Everest.  Exactly what a hardcore vegan, hot-shit jazz drummer, and Japanese child prodigy should sound like:  intense, marginalized, replete with comedic moments of the socially dubious kind, a damn entertaining road trip.  
Pet Bottle Ningen is Dave Scanlon (guitar), Dave Miller (drums), Nonoko Yoshida (sax).  They are Tzadik artists.  There are no if, ands, or buts about this labeling.  The Downtown Scene clings to the album’s approach like ectoplasm.  However this shout-out is a healthy one, and a  proper use for the group’s cybernetic lung capacity and creative mania.  
Immense ground is covered beyond this homage.  Unique musical gestures splatter the listener, the gestures are daring, demanding, inconsolable. The album rallies a level of precociousness usually only perceivable in performance art and nihilism.  All the blasphemous and shocking qualities one attributes to a totally hysterical performance are encompassed by the musical composition itself.  Quite a task, more challenging than translating Chinese poetry into English for a team of Russian gymnasts.
What I appreciate most about this album is a uniform emphasis on the Power of Chatter.  This is as much a staple of seriously driven contemporary art as it is the music of insects.  There is no pity.  There is, with virtuosic accuracy, an impressive attempt to cover up – in dense swarms, with fractured itinerary – every song The Cranberries ever wrote.- Valerie Kuehne

NYC

NYC Shoegaze: Farewell Republic announces debut “Burn the Boats” in January

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Shredded bee-buzz guitars sawing between two chords is how Farewell Republic introduces “Wake” – the lead song off of their impending album “Burn the Boats.” The blended mixture of fluid drumming and layered guitars points to My Bloody Valentine as spiritual ancestors. The vocals come off a bit clearer than in Mr. Shield band’s celebrated records – but there are similarities too: for instance the way background voices blur into icy guitar textures. A clever inclusion of backward-tape-looping tacked on the end suggests there may be more studio manipulation to this than initially realized. “Gliss” opens with a punkier feel (sneered Lydonesque vocal delivery, rough guitars and loose drumming) – but this edge is soon lost on the first chorus change. This alternating structure repeats, with the more tense passages sonically enhanced by sharp speedy guitar strumming and sprinkled with piano notes. “Just go away,” becomes the dominant repeated vocal phrase as the song is carried out via a simple piano line, ambient long-note guitar work and clacketty percussion. “Come Irene” is sparse, slower moving electronica. Deeper washes of background pads twist in unexpected ways, as vocals are delivered in a controlled manner. Acoustic guitar emerges in the mix to add a bit more warmth. “Burn the Boats” is scheduled for release in January, 2012. You can preorder the album on their bandcamp page. Additionally, there are two free download tracks to be had there. – Dave Cromwell

NYC

Keepaway plays Glasslands + 2012 Weezer Cruise with Wavves, The Antlers, Yuck + more

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Avant-indie/electro-dub Brooklyn trio Keepaway, featured on the cover of The Deli Magazine’s 24th issue just about one year ago, will perform at Glasslands this Friday, September 23 with Philly-based Work Drugs’ (it’s their New York City debut), Wild Vibes, and Big Spider’s Back. Their LP "Black Flute" (for which they diligently raised significant funds to produce) is finally underway and should see the light in the fall. Keepaway are also announcing their involvement in the 2012 Weezer Cruise, a floating music festival on the Carnival cruise ship "Destiny", sailing from Miami to Cozumel. Man, that sounds like an awesome (and expensive) idea! – Gina Alioto

NYC

Leah Siegel’s new band: Firehorse – CD release on 09.29 at Rockwood

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We’ve been following Leah Siegel for at least two years, after some of our friends who book bands in NYC’s venues directed our ears towards her music by voting her (for two years in a row) as one of NYC’s Best Emerging Artists of the Year – she placed 36th in the latest edition. Leah has been working on a new project called Firehorse, which sounds (and also looks) like a departure from her previous alt rock oriented material. From what we can hear from "Our Hearts" – the only track available online – Firehorse offers us a new, sexier sound, and from the band’s press pictures we can’t help but notice also a welcome sunnier look. Nonetheless, some kind of darkness seems to inhabit Leah’s wonderful voice and songwriting, and this is luckily not watered down but brought to the next level in "Our Hearts". The sparse electronic arrangements, the warbly synthetic piano sound, the mechanical electronic drums, and the strong, sad melody lines confer to this melancholic song an existential quality reminiscent of the slower material by Radiohead and Peter Gabriel. We are looking forward to listening to the entire record. Don’t miss Firehorse CD release party at Rockwood Music Hall on 09.29

NYC

Artists to keep an ear on: Cassorla releases debut EP + play first show

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Cassorla is one of those bands that wouldn’t exist without the internet – its members split between NYC, Philly and LA. (How the heck did Pavement pull it off in the pre-internet era, we’ll never know…) The trio plays some very interesting kind of… math-psych-folk or something? Their sparse tracks indulge in odd and weird tempos – a little bit like Syd Barrett’s crooked solo stuff. You’ll also find some country elements, occasional dreamy parts, and tastefully layered sonic textures. Everything though is dominated by strong, intriguing melodies, and a voice that flirts with grotesque – here’s some personality! This is very original stuff full of character, and also very enjoyable. The band has just put out this first single/video from their debut EP, and will celebrate its release (and first show ever!) on Monday, September 26th at The Bootleg Theater in LA with Light FM, Big Moves and Monte Mar. Be there!

NYC

From The Deli’s Open Blog: The Heart Pills

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Self described as "campfire tin Can folk-punk," check out the title track off the debut album from The Heart Pills–"To Paul, From Dad 1951." "He’d Tell the girls he loved them, and then he’d break their hearts. He had a treasure chest he filled with all their body parts! … I said, ‘Now son, don’t you feel sad?’ He says, "Have you not seen? The only thing I feel dear dad is mean mean mean!’" – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

NYC

Shana Falana’s residency at Pete’s Candy Store + “In The Light” EP October release

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Emerging from Brooklyn’s crowded field of shoegaze-influenced artists comes the unique vocal talent of Shana Falana. The current weekly residency at Pete’s Candy Store for the month of September (there are two more shows, the 21st and 28th at 10:00 pm) is leading up to her the release show for her new EP ""In The Light" on October 6 at Shea Stadium. Produced by Kevin McMahaon (Swants, Titus Andronicus) and mixed by Gareth Jones (Grizzly Bear, Mogwai, Interpol) the record perfectly captures what Shana does best: positive music of wonderment and discovery. Inspired by Bulgarian folk music, her sound often reflects the genre’s asymmetrical rhythms. “Light The Fire”is hypnotic, chill-enducing and powerful. “In The Light” presents vocals that are pure and straightforward, with diction having only the slightest of creative affectation (“everything” becomes “Av-erything”). A strong cello undercurrent allows Shana to soar above with multi-layered choruses of her own vocals. Never unappealing sleigh bells usher in “Yeah Yeah.” An even more ethereal choir sings those words to varying patterns. The guitars begin to chunk along and the drums thunder in kind. Her vocal production embraces the same cathedrals Simon & Garfunkel explored during their finest moments (think “Only Living Boy In NYC”). Catch Shana at one of her upcoming shows for a truly rewarding listening experience. – Dave Cromwell