NYC "chill-wave" pioneers Woods released their sophomore album "Sun and Shade" on June 14 and are about to embark on a month long US tour with, alternatively, The Fresh and Onlys, Kurt Vile, Ducktails and White Fence. They are now releasing a 7" single featuring two new songs: "Find the Empty" (embedded below) is characterized by screaming distorted guitars we aren’t accustomed to hear from this band, tamed by their signature mid tempo rhythms and by the layer of relaxed doubled vocals. The B-side, "Be There" is a more jam-friendly number reminiscent of their live shows. The cover of this single features a young Caleb Braaten (Sacred Bones), his father, and a gigantic marijuana plant. How appropriate! To see Woods live in NYC you’ll have to wait until August 13 (Bowery Ballroom).

I was searching for artists for the upcoming NYC Artist of the Month Poll and I had Andrew Cedemark (former Titus Andronicus’ guitarist and keyboardist) on my short list – he had been sitting there for quite some time, so I decided to check out his music again. While listening to his tracks, I stumbled upon this blurb he has on his myspace page, and I thought it was incredibly sweet and honest, expressing feelings and thoughts which may resonate with many emerging musicians:

"I am Andrew C, and I write and record these songs. I then dress them up with several other sounds… I have only ever played one show. With some friends on the night I graduated from college. We covered "Tugboat" by Galaxie 500 and "Amen" by Spacemen 3, and I was feeling a little ill, for I had a cold. Regardless, ribaldry and mirth were the orders of the evening and much fun was had by all.
I will probably play some shows at some point, but I do not know if I would like to now that I am older. It was very easy in high school, when friends hosted rock and roll shows. Then, one could get by on chops or charm alone. Now people demand both. And also, back then, if nobody showed – hey, no big deal… Now if I play any show it will probably be at some bar, where many people will lose much money. We might all go home having spent too much on drinks, having had a very sad evening… I struggle with the dual imperatives of promoting my music and respecting myself!"

The final thought expresses a concept I’m very familiar with – lots of indie artists have a problem with self-promotion. I was in the same boat when I was a musician, and even though I can relate to that feeling, it seems to me that the music business as we experience it today is already in a place where DIY style self-promotion is the only free option for emerging artists to spread the word about their music – since nobody has money to do that for them on a bigger scale. – A Cedemark will be playing at Maxwell’s with Real Estate on July 24th – PDG

It’s always interesting to follow how a promising emerging band’s sound slowly evolves and matures – in particular if it does so in interesting ways, of course. Widowspeak first appeared on the NYC scene earlier this year, sounding like a twangy version of The Velvet Underground, and landing some noteworthy opening spots for Crystal Stilts and Beach Fossils at various NYC DIY venues. Things seem to have evolved rapidly in these few months: the band’s brand new 7" signals the intent of taking that "twanginess" to new levels, with the beautifully melancholic song "Gun Shy" (embedded here), and a cover of what could be considered one of the (if not the) best twangy ballads ever written – Chris Isaak’s "Wicked Game". This band is sounding more and more like a slightly psych version of The Cowboy Junkies with really good songs, and we like this very much. They just signed with NYC DIY label Captured Tracks, announcing a full release for August.

Hot on the heels of summer music festivals like Northside and MMNY, Indie Label and promo agency SHEMSPEED.com is adding another highlight to your June calendar. The Shemspeed Hip Hop Fest is a two-night  bump-a-thon (June 27-28) showcasing a slew of diverse Jewish Hip Hop talent. The opening night at St. Jerome’s in Manhattan is a perfect time to network with the artists and label affiliates while enjoying screenings and premiers of their music videos and documentaries. Then head out Saturday night to Southpaw in Brooklyn to see the artists tear up the stage. With a packed bill of underground phenoms like Genesis Be and Eprhyme (in the picture), it will be a true festival of light and hot spit. More info here.- BrokeMC

If the band’s penchant for bright costumes doesn’t draw you in, Superhuman Happiness’s peculiar yet enchanting genre fusion will. The band’s mastermind Stuart Bogie’s roots in Antibalas are evident as he leads the group into a an ever-changing musical adventure through funk, afrobeat, pop, folk, jazz and rock. This dabbling in various genres may have to do with the impressive laundry list of artists Bogie has worked with including TV on the Radio and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The band, which has just released the embedded single "Needles and Pins", will be playing 2 shows this week, one at Cameo Gallery on June 23 and the other in Prospect Par on the 25th within the Celebrate Brooklyn fest. – Superhuman Happiness placed 21st in our 2010 year end Best of NYC Poll for emerging artists.

If emerging NYC bands are your passion, you shouldn’t miss the Make Music NY show at Spike Hill, featuring a smorgasbord of local up and coming acts, most of which were covered by The Deli at one point or another. Interesting to see that Mama Bear (whose debut record was our CD of the Month some time ago) changed name to "Weird Children." Amongst the artists we never covered, Slam Donahue (pictured) has the most intriguing sound, featuring lo-fi quirky electronic/distorted arrangements, super-catchy melodies and a soulful voice gifted with impressive range. Magnetic Island is as indie as indie gets – distorted guitars, tense atmopspheres, with a Sonic youth-like fascination for resolving dissonant chords – we recommend the track "Shake The Fog" (embedded here). The band just released a new EP that displays an evolution towards slower bpms and sparser psych roch atmospheres. Serica Ux sound like a mix of grunge guitars and dance rhythms.

1:45-Weird Children (ex Mama Bear) http://www.myspace.com/weirdweirdchildren
2:30 PM-Serica Ux http://www.myspace.com/sericau
3:15 PM-Quilty http://www.myspace.com/kcquilty
4:00 PM-Clouder (featuring members of Quiet Loudly and Telltale)
4:45 PM-Miniboone http://www.myspace.com/minibooneband
5:30 PM-Wild Yaks http://www.myspace.com/boyhoodforever
6:15 PM-Quiet Loudly http://www.myspace.com/quietloudly
7:00 PM-Gunfight! http://www.myspace.com/gunfightband
7:45 PM-Luff http://www.myspace.com/luff
8:30 PM-Diehard http://www.myspace.com/diehardnyc
9:15 PM-Magnetic Island http://www.myspace.com/magneticislandband
10:00 PM-Slam Donahue http://www.myspace.com/slamdonahue
10:45 PM-EULA http://www.myspace.com/eulamusic (CT)
11:30 PM-The Yes Way http://www.myspace.com/theyesway

Weird Owl is a band with its feet swamped in the days of yore. With an inspiration focused in revisiting the psychedelic trials of the past, they’ve now branched out to a heavy southern rock sound that weaves its way around 15 songs that lyrically work with anything and everything involving the outdoors, brotherhood and animals. Recorded upstate, the album reflects the environment surrounding it. Plodding, heavy guitars make their way into acoustic ballads, and together with stomping drums and pagan keyboards they get buried in a thick psychedelic fog that has the effect of eradicating the listener from their actual location. It’s a trip! See Weird Owl live at Union Pool on July 14. – Simon Heggie

"There is a song my mother used to sing to me as a child," burbles character Yon Yonson in a fake Russian accent, "It is called the Pennsylvania Polka…." Dolchnakov Brigade is one of the most hilarious bands in Brooklyn, with songs that defy logic even in their titles, like "Dating in Space" and "Onion is Underdog". Their sound is mostly electronic, and their show is a full-on spectacle, inspired by anything bizarre from Dadaism to The Residents to Devo, complete with flying onions, S&M imagery, and – of course! – scantily clad masked dancers banging drums. Check them out live for some fun times.

Big Mosey perks ears with its bluesy alternative rock sound and front-man Matt Jacob’s peculiarly deep and gritty vocals. The band has a solid live show driven by a strong (and loud) rhythm section. You can see them live at at Arlene’s Grocery on July 17.

These bands submitted their music digitally here.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 Make Music New York & 316 Productions Present: HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT UNDER THE BQE! – Meeker St (at Union & Humboldt). It’s time to dust off the denim vest and zebra print cut-offs and enjoy the thunderous sounds of some of NYC’s best local metal bands. Featuring: La Otracina (in the picture), Wizardry, Thinning the Herd, Exemption, Gods Green Earth, SOS, Kills and Thrills, Prostitution Cue the Sun, Krystaleen  The show is free and all ages.

On Wednesday, June 29th New Jersey natives, Waking Lights will be releasing a self-titled EP at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 (169 Allen Street New York, NY 10002). Admission is free; set time 10:15pm. Here’s their brand new music video. – (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.

Warm Ghost is a project by Paul Duncan which threads his love of 70’s disco and synth pop covered in a cold net of electronic noise. Having collaborated with many other Indie Rock stalwarts such as Grizzly Bear and Bear in Heaven, Duncan’s new project finds him mishmash multiple style’s from the 80’s while leaving their 1st single “Open the Wormhole in your heart” open to a number of multiple remixers. After releasing an EP in early 2011, the band is currently in the studio recording the upcoming ful llength. – Read Simon Heggie’s Q&A with the band here.

When Sara Lucas, Ryan Seaton and Don Godwin finally reconvened in Brooklyn, the three-piece band brought together style, intrigue and complex simplicity to create their latest full-length album, “Life of Love.” Lucas’ soulful vocals guide the intricately laid tracks, while the boys bring on a multitude of musical mastery, making each song unique and mesmerizing to the listener. Understated and yet extremely powerful, this band’s tunes play like a stripped down version of your favorite ‘90s rock album, consisting of serious guitar and percussion mastery while channeling a voice somewhat reminiscent of Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries. With a diverse background and a passion to challenge their musical creativity, the Callers are sure to bring inventive music and dazzling vocal command to wherever their travels take them. See Callers at Union Pool with Talk Normal on June 23. Callers debut was Deli CD of the month back in 2008. Read Christina Morelli’s interview with the band here.