This Saturday, May 8th, fans of roots music as revisited by NYC (and NJ) hipsters can enjoy a lineup of ass-kickin’ country, punk, Americana, and good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll. The Roadside Graves (in the picture – who just played with Andrew W.K.), GunFight!, Quiet Loudly, Yoni Gordon and the Goods, Movers and Shakers (Boston), Spirit Family Reunion and Wild Harem (on tour from Austin) will perform at Shea Stadium (warehouse venue) in Brooklyn. Duke Street Blog will be on hand to document the craziness for a new web series. Doors at 8! Don’t miss it!

Semi Precious Weapons (featured on the cover of the 16th issue of the Deli back in 2008) have been circling the globe on Lady Gaga’s “Monster Ball Tour” and ,in between, headlining their very own mini-tour. While this busy band might seem to have no chance to breathe, let alone record an album, the stunning four will release “You Love You” this June in time for more summer stints with Gaga. A blend of balladic and boisterous banter, SPW’s newest album bristles with their penchant for “filthy glamour” and outrageous magnetism. Sexually charged “I Could Die” bursts with shouts and driving riffs, “Put a Diamond in It" stomps, and a wild “Sticky with Champagne” bubbles with innuendo. A change of pace with canon-style “Leave Your Pretty to Me,” dramatic “Statues of Ourselves,” and romantic yet narcissistic “Look at Me” reveal the gentler side of these beautiful Brooklynites. Re-released revisions of the band’s anthems, “Semi Precious Weapons,” “Rock ‘n Roll Never Looked So Beautiful” and “Magnetic Baby” stand as staples in the band’s growing “Precious Empire.” –Meijin Bruttomesso

We stumbled upon this video by Darwin Deez and it became a perfect excuse to mention once again how much we like this guy (we already did in October 2009 when we "proclaimed" his album "Constellations" NYC CD of the Month). The man is currently touring the UK, but he’ll be back in NYC on June 22 with a show at Santos Party House – fans may want to look for those tickets now.

Holy Ghost is a rather new electronic duo that’s about to start a world tour with their good friends LCD Soundsystem (this is why they say that PR is an important part of everybody’s career!). The guys sound to us like a mix between the chilled atmoshperes of Air and disco influences inspired to the electronic sound of the 80s. Booty shakers may want to see them perform at Terminal 5 with LCD (only 1 date out of the 4 booked is not sold out yet). Their upcoming EP, Static on the Wire, will be released on May 18th on DFA Records.

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. – Read Dean Van Nguyen’s interview with the band here. See them live at the Deli’s Best of NYC Fest on 05.13 at Brooklyn Bowl.

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 sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in Williamsburg in May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

This brooklyn 3-piece rocks around the town with a falsetto voice and nicely patterned rhythms which had them on the road this spring with The Stationary Set after an appearance at SXSW. Formed in 2006 they released an EP titled “Waves” in 2007 and are now promoting their newest release “We Animals” which came out last year. These recent road dates find the band’s live show played out more aggressively than their sleepily tinged album suggests. But in their love for all things mammalian, Monogold finds themselves situated somewhere between the sea and the land playing shows to friends and fans who can appreciate hand drawn cover art and self-recorded music. See them live at The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest on May 15 at Cameo gallery with The Vandelles, Jacques Detergent, The Courtesy Tier and El Jezel. – Simon Heggie

On May 4 NY’s Reckless Sons played a semi-under-the-radar gig at Pianos, accompanied by Young the Giant, Twin Tigers, and Gift Horse. Boasting bravado and uninhibited dynamism, Reckless Sons unleashed some of their better known tunes, “Gimme a Sign” and “Too Young to Choose,” along with yet to be released “Graduated” and “Whipping Boy.” An immediately gripping combination of strumming guitar melodies, tight drum licks, and impassioned vocals, Reckless Sons’ edgy blend of jangle pop and swaggering rock captures the defining elements of New York’s music scene. In case Tuesday was missed, Friday night at Bowery Electric will provide a second chance to catch Reckless Sons’ down and dirty demeanor. They will be sharing the stage with Brooklyn’s Brother’s and Philly’s Pawnshop Roses. Doors at 8PM, 21+. –Meijin Bruttomesso

Freshly imaged in neo-corspe make-up, The Netherlands look more like a band from the hulking Nordic country Norway, than a group paying homage to the European Ganja Mecca. Maybe they’re just obsessed with geographical land masses starting with the letter N, but this band is actually from Brooklyn and their music doesn’t quite conjure up the sound of black metal, church-burning Norsemen, but it does pummel with it’s fair share of thrash and power. It’s a sort of a dark, spastic party music with weird demented vocal effects, spontaneous shifts and authentic rock and roll. Come see the Netherlands "destroy" The Charleston on May 13th. – Maria Perhaps

Our Deli regional charts are (mostly) a playful tool designed with the intent of giving exposure to local artists – while organizing them in a database that’s a little more engaging that a sterile list of names. Nonetheless, these charts DO have some significance and they kinda work (we keep perfecting them every day). As you can see, electro-industrial-punks Sleigh Bells today are on top of our "NYC Popularity Chart" (orange list on the left), and this comes as no surprise considering that in the last few months they had a relentlessly growing buzz, culminating with a feature in last week’s Time Out New York and a show with Yeasayer last night at Webster Hall. They also placed #7 on The Deli’s Best Emerging NYC artists of 2009 list here – and were therefore featured in our current "Best of NYC" issue.
The band’s debut CD "Treats" will be released on UK artist M.I.A.‘s label N.E.E.T. on May 11, and theoretically there are still two opportunities to catch these guys live in the 5 boroughs, as they will perform at Coco 66 on May 7 and at the Ridgewood Masonic Temple on May 11. We say "theoretically" because whoever wants to witness these shows will have to fight against some serious competition…

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 sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in Williamsburg in May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

It’s no surprise that singer-songwriter Catarina Dos Santos has a background in painting. Her visual experience is apparent in the bold, expressive strokes she paints in her colorful blend of Portuguese, Brazilian and African music. Last year, she released her debut album, “No Balanço do Mar,” a collection of songs that has pieced together her musical background in various pop, jazz, Brazilian, funk and African music projects. Although she sings in her native tongue, Portuguese, it’s easy to fall in love the striking songwriting and say, “É bonito!” -Nancy Chow

Featuring artist–producer Danger Mouse (real name, Brian Burton) and James Mercer (lead vocalist and guitarist of The Shins), Broken Bells started at Burton’s Los Angeles-based studio, and recently moved to NYC. The dou is about to embark on a tour which will see them perform at Irving Plaza on June 5. Yeah, no, we don’t call it "Fillmore" here…

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 sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in Williamsburg in May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

Quiet and contained, Hawk and Dove, New York’s quintet, blend folk, country, and psychedelic roots on their four-track “Rocking Chair EP.” Elijah Miller’s gruff but soothing vocals often reach the level of an almost-whisper and are complimented by hushed violin melodies and crackling snares. Guitar-driven “Furious Armies” and waltzy “Stain” meld with the lullaby-like “Muscle Breaks” and plaintive “Boy and the Moon.” Undulating and swaying, the EP is appropriately titled for its calming and lax tempo. – Meijin Bruttomesso