Currently touring the United States, Phosphorescent will play dates at the End of the Road, Take Root, and Leffingeleuren festivals in Europe, before they return to the U.S. for a performance at Treasure Island Festival in October. The band just released their first video from the album "Here’s To Taking It Easy". Directed by Natalie Johns of Dig For Fire TV, the video was shot over numerous shows, practices, and hang outs leading up to and through the release of the new album.

Yes, they did, although no one really got that memo. Besides that, PS1’s daytime series was a success: the weather was great, the art exhibition was open to concertgoers, and the beautifully groomed hipsters were out to play. We got there early, sat on the hot pavement and watched some great DJ’s (Babe Rainbow, CFCF, Prince Rama) do their thing. It was a chill environment: people drinking and chatting, a couple drifters dancing by themselves. The day went on and the dancing got a little crazier and semi-creepy. Then these two dudes came on: their set was really good, not too overwhelming but very enjoyable. They incorporated an eclectic mix of electronica, ranging from Boards of Canada compositions to some rap and oldies remixes to deeper, heavier house. Brooklyn-based Blondes (pictured) followed this duo: another set with good beats and head-bobbing audience reactions. But where was Animal Collective? Did they show up? Oh…it was those two dudes (a.k.a. Deakin and Avey Tare) we really liked. Oops! Although we didn’t get to hear the 2009 hyped up hit, “My Girls,” or any other tracks from Merriweather (or other albums for that matter), the Warm Up experience, overall, still rocked. So hit it up, next Saturday, August 7th. – Alex Daly

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).

Sounding anything but decrepit old flesh baking in the sand, Beach Fossils‘ music is more likely to soundtrack the Frisbee tossing fun at the seaside. Their "jpy jpy" attitude can’t be hidden underneath the music’s rusty, lo-fi exterior. These are happy riffs for happy people. Take the song "Vacation" (how much more summertime do you want?) The band somehow turns a twisted, slightly out of tune riff and heavily manipulated vocals into pure sunshine. A sure sign that Beach Fossils couldn’t do dark and dreary even if they wanted to. – Dean Van Nguyen

Former Woods/Meneguar songwriter Christian DeRoeck will be playing Cake Shop with his new band Little Gold next Wednesday, August 11th along with Texas’ Fergus and Geronimo (recent signees to Sub Pop imprint Hardly Art). Haven’t heard Little Gold yet? The material is definitely more upbeat than average Woods songs, and less punky than Meneguar’s ones: it’s DIY indie pop!

EL-P, preeminent producer and founder of Def Jux records, is back to rock the apocalypse. The “Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx” series, like Atmosphere’s “Sad Clown Bad Dub” releases, began as a mishmash of outtakes and instrumental throwaways released on a limited CD and sold on the road as tour support. Lucky for us all, fans of El-P don’t discriminate between his lyrical productions and his instrumental wallops. In effect, we find ourselves eagerly anticipating the third installment of El-Producto’s signature psycho-space funk. It’s being released on August 3rd by Gold Dust Media, and if it’s anything like its precursors, you can expect gooey synths, gritty drum breaks, and a delightful spread of cacophony ideal for cleaning oil off of dying pelicans. – BrokeMC

Julian Lynch’s most recent LP, Mare, is pure atmosphere. It’s a record you listen to when establishing a natural and relaxed type of setting – chilling outside on the porch, drinking wine, smoking some pot, doing the nature thing. But inside the confines of the dimly lit, slightly smelly basement of the Delancey last night, Julian Lynch’s set was far more impressive both sound and music wise. There’s a powerful intimacy to the music live – it’s all about mood, about ambient movement and organic energy. After taking their time doing the sound check, fucking with their guitars amidst clashing, loungey background music, Julian Lynch blasted into their first song. They jammed through the first, went on to the second, and so on, just jamming. This band is all about instrumentals; heck, even the echoey, primal vocals were instrumental in themselves. And that’s what makes this band so great, so unique. Because, after all, it’s all you want to listen to when hanging out on a couch in the chilly darkness, on a Sunday night in the summer.

In most cases the difference between a musician and a wanna-be is the amount of struggle one is available to put up with in order to keep making music. It’s probably also the (always painful and challenging) acceptance that a music career cannot be judged by the bourgeois standards we all use on a daily basis to define what is successful or not. Choosing the rock’n’roll experience can mean living in a car for 5 years, traveling the country by yourself to play intimate shows, having the self discipline to write 365 songs a year, and the strength of being a team of one. This is what makes Paleo a real indie musician. "A View Of The Sky" is his third effort. The songs contained therein (vivid scrawls of a remarkable mind) are the first compositions he made following a marathon year – it is also Paleo’s first collaboration with Partisan Records out of Brooklyn, NY– home to Deer Tick, JBM, Mountain Man, and more. For a taste of the new album, check out this mp3.

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).

In a Brooklyn full of up-and-coming female artists, Van Etten’s sparse yet powerfully passive expressiveness creates a magnetic pull-quality that seems to set her apart. This is most un-rushed stuff I’ve heard in a long time – all while being totally captivating. The slow-paced, hypnotic melodies and harmonies, backed only by an acoustic guitar and set alongside self-reflective lyrics, are by no means boring. Getting utterly lost in the thoughtfully slow-paced arrangements isn’t a voluntary reaction Put that Xanax away – Van Etten’s soft falsetto and meditative melodies will calm both mind and soul. – On August 2, Sharon will be performing at a new venue/bar just next to Brooklyn Lyceum on 4th ave, called The Rock Shop. It’s a cool space, we recommend you check it out.

In line with its mission to foster emerging local artists, every year The Deli Magazine gives one up and coming NYC photographer the opportunity to shoot 4 covers of its printed issue.

We are currently looking for Ryan Muir’s successor – and we would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his brilliant work with us.

If you are a photographer interested in submitting your pictures, please send an email here with a link to your website or alternatively to 4 pictures you want us to see. Pictures don’t need to be related to music.

If you are not a photographer but you know one, please let him/her know about this opportunity.

We will consider all submissions and choose our next photographer by September.

Submission deadline is August 10.

Thanks and Good Luck!

The Deli’s Staff
In the picture, the cover of the 1st issue of The Deli (October 2004) – Grizzly Bear shot by Jeremy Wolff.

Daniel Wayne plays that steel string, sunburst Guild guitar like his mama told him not to. He dresses like Johnny Cash, has attitude like Bob Dylan and plays bar chords with his thumb. You’ll think this guy’s a real-live outlaw until he sweetens up between songs and starts calling the audience “y’all.” Sometimes bluesy, Daniel Wayne has a classic country backbone with eerie undertones: like if Jerry Reed had written the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. Slow songs like “Far From Here” sound like My Morning Jacket, while “The Fool” gristles like a basey Townes Van Zant song. Check out Daniel Wayne playing an acoustic set tonight at Le Poisson Rouge where he opens for Frazey Ford of The Be Good Tanyas. Show starts at 7:30. – Jenny Luczak

Admittedly, one of the capital sins The Deli has committed in terms of coverage of local artists, is having TOTALLY missed the raise to fame of St. Vincent. Well, the problem might have been that it is unclear (at least to us) when she actually moved to Brooklyn from her hometown of Tulsa, which might have made it tricky for us to consider her a "coverable" artist. Nonetheless, we did fail to interview her before she reached her stardom status. This incredibly talented lady who looks like the sexiest female nerd on earth, has released two of the best pop albums we have heard in the past decade. Great songwriting is matched by stellar production, which makes her (in our eyes) the Kate Bush of the New Millennium, only with a more consistent songwriting. St. Vincent will be playing Summer Stage in Midtown Manhattan on the afternoon of Sunday 08.01 – highly recommended.

St. Vincent "Jesus Saves, I Spend" from Marc Ritzema on Vimeo.

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).

Religion inspires musicians in a variety of ways. Some praise the lord (gospel); others worship the devil (death metal). Religion gifted Madonna her most memorable moment, and only last year Christopher Owens utilised his upbringing in the Children of God cult to inspire a Beach Boys-esque pop album with his band Girls. Midnight Masses are at completely the other end of the spectrum from Owens. Redemption, sin and death run through their music, reflecting leader Autry Fulbright’s upbringing as a preacher’s son. Religious imagery is rife. Their vocals often ring out which a church-like echo. No doubt the untimely death of Fulbright’s father acted as a catalyst for these meditations, but from that tragedy, something beautiful has grown. I spoke to Midnight Masses’ front man on these inspirations. – Dean Van Nguyen. Read a feature about Midnight Masses in The Deli’s last printed issue (pdf version here).