I’ve known – and loved – the various members of The Rassle for almost a decade now. I shared a writing workshop with lead singer Blair Van Nort and instantly recognized him as the most talented author in the class. No wonder the lyrics for The Rassle are both familiar and penetrating. Guitarist Reed Van Nort came into my life shortly after, a young musical prodigy who handed me a demo he had made in his apartment at the age of 16. Drummer Erik Ratensperger and bassist Mark Solomich were guys I’d seen around, touring with their old bands (The Virgins and The Takeover UK, respectively). These four fun loving have only been touring for a few months, but they’ve already gained a huge following in and around New York City. – Read Noah Forrest’s interview with the band here.

The Rassle will be performing at The Deli’s CMJ show at The Delancey on 10.19 with Blackbird Blackbird, Living Days, and many other awesome NYC bands. Full Deli CMJ schedule here.

Songwriter/singer, and inventor-genius Matthew Steinke used to stand behind giant towering drum robots, obscured like the man-behind-the-curtain by the machinery of his own creation. Under the name Octant, Steinke built a solid body of work, releasing accessible but experimental LPs. The records span a long career working with human beings and robotic inventions alike, but these days Steinke is focusing on his work as a poet and songwriter. The huge Octant drums, with show stopping robot-bodies built into road cases so large they can only fit in a van, have been benched. Octant’s maestro now plays guitar and sings through a harmonica mic, crafting tender, cerebral music, aided by tiny, idiosyncratic robot companions who truly feel more like supportive band mates than automated devices. I had the opportunity to ask Steinke a few questions after his July 7th performance at The Tank NYC, an amazing art space in midtown Manhattan. We talked about gear, poetry, inspiration, on-stage dynamics, and the quest to build ever more “humanly” robots. – Read Benjamin Wigler interview with Octant on Delicious Audio.

Octant will be opening for Buke and Gass at The Deli’s CMJ show at The Living Room on 10.21 at 7pm – don’t miss it!

Sounding somewhere between The Beta Band and your favorite shoegazer group, New Numbers is a Brooklyn band that can make many ears turn. We are actually very familiar with some of the guys involved, as they graced the inside pages of our magazine in the past – and also the outside one (i.e. the cover) when we had the now defunkt Jealous Girlfriends on it. Because TJG’s Josh and Mike are playing in this project together with 2 other noteworthy NYC "scenesters": Noah of Sam Champion, and Matt of The Comas and Dean and Britta. This is what we call a supa-group! The band has a series of CMJ shows planned, don’t miss the one at Fontana’s of Saturday 10.23 at 2pm.

Lights Resolve were selected by Stadium Red Studios as the winners of the free full day of recording time giveaway organized by The Deli. Ten more local artists were given a 50% discount on a full day session.

Not the typical rock troupe, the New York born and bred band cater to hard rockers, pop fanatics, and everyone in between, with catching songs defined by nonconforming vocal melodies, distinctive guitar modulations that intertwine with ornate bass riffs, and complex, hard-hitting rhythmic styles. The band has three self-released EPs, “Prelude,” “Currency,” and “…,” beloved national status, top spots on The Deli’s charts, consistently sold out hometown shows, appearances in soundtracks for MTV hits, including “The Hills” and Season 1 of “Jersey Shore,” and striking numbers of “Rock Band” downloads of their single “Dreaming of Love” under their belts, but shockingly, early 2011 will mark the release of Lights Resolve’s first full-length record, “Feel You’re Different.” The band will headline The Deli’s CMJ Alt Rock Stage at Arlene’s Grocery on 10.20 starting at 1.30 pm. Here’s the full lineup:

1.30 The Courtesy Tier
2.10 Decibel.
2.50 Frontier Brothers  (Austin)
3.30 Black Taxi
4.10 Blackbells
4.50 Am to Am
5.30 Lights Resolve

For the full schedule of Deli CMJ shows go here.

The Deli’s Staff

Forming out of Purchase College, Wyldlife quickly strode into the New York music scene with a pair of leather boots on their feet and a mission in their hearts: to bury the days of tame rock and roll. Still digging on their collection of 70′s punk and power pop, perhaps the boys were born into the entirely wrong decade altogether? Or perhaps they realize that to get an audience on its feet, all that’s needed is a fast beat and a good melody sung at the top of their lungs – a timeless simplicity enhanced with refined grit. "The Nicotine EP", Wyldlife’s newest release, is guaranteed to create arguments over which track is best. With a dynamic live show that has been compared to Iggy & The Stooges, The Hives and The Ramones, it seems that all ground is covered. Download their EP for FREE and check them out Saturday, Oct 16th at Lit Lounge. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Emotional Brooklyn pop duo My Pet Dragon follows up their "Lovers in Hiding" single with a new release on Gimme That Sound Productions. The new upbeat single is called “Flow” and the B-side is a cover of Pearl Jam’s “Release.” Four remixes of “Flow,” by Karsh Kale, Randolph Correia, Big Will and Mercury Rev’s Carlos Anthony Molina, round out the maxi-single, which is available on the band’s Website. My Pet Dragon will play a CMJ showcase at Brooklyn’s Trash Bar on Thursday, Oct. 21.- (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Once again, during the CMJ week The Deli will unleash 2 Deli Marathon Runners on the streets of NYC, armed with the mission to report about all the most exciting emerging artists and bands playing during the CMJ fest.

This year Alex and Dale have offered to take this Herculean task on their shoulders. Their sole purpose in life – for those 5 days – will be to attend 26 shows each (the number of miles in a marathon) and report about them on this blog.

ATTENTION NYC BANDS! This year 6 of the best emerging artists covered by Dale and Alex will get a print feature in the winter issue of The Deli!!!

ATTENTION NON-NYC BANDS! For the first year, our marathon runners will be allowed to cover a percentage of artists based in the other scenes covered by The Deli

Therefore any band or solo artist playing an official or unofficial CMJ show interested in being featured on the Deli online (and possibly in print) should contact ONE (and only one) of our marathon runners to try and persuade him/her to go to see their live show.

Some of the shows covered by Dale and Alex will be selected from the list of bands and artists that will submit for coverage from now until October 15.

HOW TO APPLY!

To apply please leave a message using the comment feature under their profiles posted here and here.

Alex and Dale will choose which artists they will try to see perform live (we say try because anything can happen during CMJ because of delays, sold out shows and cancellations).

Don’t forget to specify your website or myspace address in the comment! Our Marathon Runners will compile the list of their marathon itinerary a few days before the CMJ Festival kicks off.

Thanks and Good luck!
The Deli Staff

Hi all! I’m really looking forward to checking out this year’s kick ass medley of bands. First off, I am an indie music junkie: I love bands that are creative, distinctive and willing to go balls-out-crazy during live shows. I do not have a specific taste; instead, I am attracted to a wide range of unique sounds – anything ranging from the fuzzy, lo-fi stuff to ear blowing rock. I’m not into bands that are weird for the sake of being “weird” – music does not need to be in-your-face bizarre to be cool. Ultimately, I’m looking for bands that are focused on making good music and having a good time doing it. So send away! Cheers, Vann Alexandra (but you can call me Alex).
To submit your CMJ show for coverage please post a note in the comment section below specifiyng the date and location of your CMJ shows.

Dale likes experimental music because, why not? Life is a series of arbitrary decisions anyway, may as well translate that to our tunes. Jazz is cool, too, but mostly for the same reasons – improv and chance music should be taken more seriously in the musical mainstream. Anyway, Dale grew up in the indie cradle of the Pacific Northwest and has done a lot of very nerdy things in relation to music, in that area. New York treats his sensibilities better.
To submit your CMJ show for coverage please post a note in the comment section below specifiyng the date and location of your CMJ shows.

Deli readers,



The 24rd issue of The Deli was delivered to the most rocking NYC neighborhoods yesterday.

If you don’t live in NYC, don’t dispair, because now YOU CAN NOW ALSO SEE IT ONLINE HERE!!! With interactive liks, dudes!

Enjoy!

The Deli’s Staff

The Shake are a New York rock band that takes pride in playing authentic, no-frills Rock’n’Roll. During an interview with The Columbia Spectator, drummer Dan Kirschen responded to a question about the highly-produced sound that lately seems to be the trend in Indie music by saying that "a good song is a good song. [One ought not to] betray the fundamentals." Perhaps the ideology of the band is a bit out of whack with the common trends, but the band members’ mutual love for essential rock songwriting and powerful performance represents the core of this band’s identity. The Shake have an intense CMJ schedule this year. On October 19 they will be at Bowery Electric, on Thursday the 21 at Spike Hill during the day and Matchless in the evening. On Sunday, they will play a "wind down CMJ show" with a rare, in fact, their first, acoustic performance at Pianos. With a new album due out some time next year, now would be a good time to jump on The Shake’s bandwagon.

Translations – whose debut was The Deli’s NYC CD of the month a few months ago – will be playing at Cake Shop on Friday October 15 with Hilly Eye, a psych-rock band (featuring two ladies who also play with Titus Andronicus) that just released a debut EP entitled "Fireworks"  . Definitely an interesting shows for those of you who incessantly seek new exciting music from The Big Apple.
P.S. By the way, both bands share the serious need to get some press pictures taken…