Imagine the best coffee shop you know… no wait… the coffee shop of your dreams. Jars of beans rest on wooden counters, and the space is sunny and peaceful. There is a small (but acoustically perfect) stage. Now imagine who would play there. I’ve got an idea. Tony Scherr has a multitude of recording credits to his name, so he’d obviously be no open-mic man. His mastery of his instrument is clear, as is the sound he’s going for. There is a country twang, but enough rock sensibility to please those who scare easy when they hear the "c" word. Scherr‘s voice is soft and weathered, and fits his work like a well-worn, comfortable glove. Don’t miss the cover of "Wild Horses." You won’t regret it. – Tony Scherr placed at #95 in The Deli’s Best of NYC Emerging Artists 2010. – allison levin

It amazes me how much mileage Crsystal Stilts keep getting out of their rigid formula of garagey surf rock. The band’s been around now the better half of a decade (also landing of the cover of a Deli mag in the meantime) and released more than a handful of tight, cohesive albums, each adhering to this same formula, but managing to sound unique within the band’s growing canon. One might expect things to begin getting a bit tired by this point. But instead of contracting, Crystal Stilts’ bizarre little spacebeach just keeps getting bigger.
In Love with Oblivion (Slumberland Records) is Crsystal Stilts boldest step yet into their strange and curious world. While this record marks a much more playful and exploratory use of electronics and guitars, the biggest leap forward here is Brad Hargett’s voice. He displays an unexpected range on songs like ‘Blood Barons,’ and some of his lyrics are great (at least when I can understand them).
Beyond this, In Love with Oblivion gives us some of Crystal Stilts’ catchiest songs, lovingly coupled with some of their strangest sonic adventures to date. ‘Shake the Shackles’ is catchy as hell, while ‘Invisible City’ is so dance-ready it strangely recalls Dub Narcotic Sound System. The experimentation from the squeaks and squawks in opener ‘Sycamore Tree,’ to the nearly 40 second long fadeout at the end of ‘Alien Rivers’ sounds like the band’s dance party is traveling the cosmos. This is an LP with a much fuller vision than most of their surf rock Brooklyn peers, and one that reveals itself more fully with each subsequent listen. Next time you host a dance party on an outer space beach, be sure to bring this record along to the cabana. – Mike Levine

Many of you may remember Rahim, an angular, post rockish indie band signed to Les Savy Fav’s Frenchkiss Records. Some of the members previously involved with that project formed RARECHILD, which released a debut 7" in January (cover in the picture). Rare Child shares with Rahim a rock sound rich in percussive sounds, although here we find ourselves immersed in decidedly less aggressive and more mysterious and sophisticated 80s atmospheres, reminiscent of Depeche Mode (in the vocal department) and Peter Gabriel (in the arrangements). You can see Rare Child live at Pianos on April 26 and at Glasslands on May 04.

Hey fellow NYCers,

We have a super fun Deli-BMI party happening on Wednesday April 20th at Le Poisson Rouge in the West Village.

Eclectic, dazzling and somewhat bizarre indie poppers Rubblebucket will be releasing their new album "Omega La La" and kick off their US tour. Full horn section is expected for this show.

Two brilliant synth fiddler arounders will be showcasing their dancey electronic compositions ranging from Com Truise‘s electronic experimental jams to the’80s infused pop songs of (Florida based) Million Young.

This is going to be a fun show, hope to see you there!

The Deli’s Staff

Quirky and folky, "mid-fi" Brooklynites Phil and the Osophers will release a 7" single of two new song "Figures Of Speech" and "Ink On The Page" on May 21 by Brooklyn label Factual Fabrications. These two songs will be released later this year on a double album which the band is currently recording. These two songs will be accompanied by a double video to be released in mid-May. The songs find the band exploring a darker set of musical and lyrical timbres – their lyrics deal with themes from kidnapping to extortion. See them live at Bruar Falls on April 21.

Almost all the members of Pablo Picasso (who placed 95th in our Best of NYC Emerging Artists poll 2010) have their own visual art portfolio website. Why this came as a surprise to me, since they are named after a famous cubist painter, is perhaps more puzzling than one of Picasso’s works, but it says what needs to be said. Artists in a band – it’s almost its own genre. Musically, Pablo Picasso offers a relaxed if slightly morose atmosphere with smooth backing vocals contrasting heavily with the lead singer’s gritty, heartbroken howls, often reminiscent of post-Swordfishtrombone’s Tom Waits. – allison levin

Saturday, April 16th (Record Store Day) NJ based Bern & The Brights will celebrate the release of their "Starchild" 7-Inch in Hoboken in the afternoon aat the Tunes record store and later at 8.30PM at Maxwell’s. “Starchild” and “Lost in the Sea”, included in this release, according to the band "go together like peas and carrots, both sonically and thematically."  […] "The expansive musical expression of these two songs is our offering of a hopefulness, an airiness of soul, a spark of inspiration, and a reminder that the answer is in the sunset. Keep riding toward it with your stereo blasting, and in that bliss is everything—the sour, the sweet, the poetry, and the party. We are a group of individuals who process life through music and have a relentless, stubborn, and compulsive need to create and share our music with as many people as we can. […] Our aim, with every musical noise that we conjure, is to make hearts burst, faces melt, mouths kiss, and bodies move. In short, we are here to bring you an emotional conglomerate including our love, and to win your heart forevermore.And our fans have ours." – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here – The NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building).

NYC’s Gang Gang Dance have been around for 10 years now, and to their credit they have always followed a very personal artistic path outside commercial compromises. The band’s sound is decidedly electronic, corageously audacious, and heavily influenced by oriental music, mostly because of lead singer Lizzi Bougatsos’ particular inclination for Arabic sounding melodies. The band is about to release their 5th studio album entitled "Eye Contact", their 1st one on legendary label 4AD, which released many fantastic records by similarly esoteric bands like Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance. The CD’s release party will be at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 4th. Watch the video for ‘Eye Contact’ track "Mindkilla" here.

Louisiana-born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Zachary Cale is gearing up for the late May release of his third record, "Noise of Welcome", on Brooklyn-based All Hands Electric. The new album is the follow up to Cale’s 2008 "Walking Papers". To celebrate the vinyl release of the new record, Zach will be performing with his full band next Saturday, 4/23 at 11PM at Union Hall in Brooklyn before he embarks on a national tour in mid-May with D. Charles Speer & The Helix.

MP3: Zachary Cale – Hello Oblivion.

We really like these guys – by the way, if you are a MOG subscriber you should check out our playlist of awesome female NYC based artists here. Dark Dark Dark is about to embark on a tour that from now until July will take them from Omaha to Bremen (Germany). During the European dates they’ll be alternatively opening for The National, Black Heart Procession and Low. The band just released this stunning video shot in South Africa by Santiago Mostyn.

Husker Du was one of the most influential bands of the 80s, but it doesn’t happen very often to hear a rock band inspired by their sound these days. NJ based Stuyvesant re-elaborates the power trio sonics of the Saint Paul based band with a modern approach, it’s power pop as it should be, without whining melodies nor over-produced recordings. The band will be releasing their sophomore CD "Fret Sounds" in June 2011 on Dromedary Records.

Mp3: Stuyvesant – St. Cloud

Deli’s senior designer Ursula Viglietta deserves a medal for going days without sleep to curate ART + ARCHITECTURE 2011 at Gowanus Ballroom – the best event I have attended all year in Brooklyn. The event’s opening night was this past Friday and the turnout was amazing. Gowanus Ballroom is a 12,000-square-foot space beneath 50-foot cathedral ceilings with a 4,000-square-foot mezzanine overlooking the lower gallery. In 2010, Josh Young of Serett Metal retooled the space as a working space for artists.
This event had massive Burning Man worthy installations, and a complete lineup of bluegrass/old-time bands, the event combined the relevancy of an indie art with the honest fun of a bluegrass festival.

The installations included a tree house and a cozy area of wooden igloos put together with chicken wire. I caught a great old time jazz band called Apocolypse 5 and Dime (pictured) which played old jazzy tunes with the tuba bumping the bass line, the fiddler player is incredibly melodic, and the horn section truly sets the band apart. Other great NYC bands that played included Yula and the Extended Family and Morgan O’Kane (photo below).

The show will be up throughout this week, with a closing party on Saturday the 15th. Saturday’s lineup brings in music – amongst others – by Melody Allegra Berger, Union Street Preservation Society. More info about the show here. – Alex Borsody