Released April 8, "New is Beautiful" is the new album by NYC’s Automatic Children. The band is gearing up for a series of shows in NYC through May. The first of the bunch will be at Parkside Lounge on April 16, followed by a live performance at Best Buy on May 14, and the official record release show at the Studio@ Webster Hall on May 21 (8pm). The band will then make a few trips out of town to promote the record and their current radio campaign. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

There probably isn’t a better moniker than Keepaway for this Brooklyn band on the rise – their music bounces with a childish delight, addicting in the way of their namesake game, somehow both sadistic and good-natured. The three-piece uses samples, synth, guitar, driving percussion, and howling harmony to create their tunes. There’s plenty of blog buzz for their track "Yellow Wings," a simultaneously dark and infectious rocker garnering a 9/10 by perennial tastemaker Pitchfork. But besides this, they’ve gotten minimal press; comparisons to Animal Collective and Isaac Brock abound in blogs, but the truth is they stand on their own. They’re about to release an EP called Baby Style on Lefse Records, paired with a show celebrating the record at Mercury Lounge May 18th. But sooner than that, they are playing to a sold-out audience at Music Hall of Williamsburg with The Whitest Boy Alive on April 21. I saw the band at Zebulon recently and their live show throttles the viewer in the amount of fun these guys have. To put it simply, they’re about to be huge. – Dale W. Eisinger

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list here (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 keyboard happy quartet, does feature the occasional vocal, but what they really excel at is pumping out the keyboard jams a la french disco outfit Monocle. In November 2009 they got together to play their 1st ever show at Ash’s Place in November of last year. Turns out Ash was a nice guy who treated them well so Jacques Detergent decided to stick around and play some more shows for brooklyn crowds. They’ve graced the stage at Death by Audio and have also filled the basement room of Secret Project Robot with their elegant bouncy pop. In the meantime they’ve been hanging out at the MET checking out the Egyptian art and warming up at their dreidel spinning hands at Chanukah parties throughout the recent holidays. As they keep practicing for their next gig in 2010, they ‘ll be eating potato chips while watching My Beautiful Laundrette.

Chosen for the "Top Six" in Billboard Magazine’s Indie World Series and opening a show for rock legend Ben Folds in the same year, Chris Merrit is a stand-out performer, having played hundreds of shows across the U.S. and Japan. His music blends the sounds of piano-driven rock, pop, rhythm and blues with personal stories of love-at-first-sight, his best friend’s sister, and being homesick to physics, corrupt governments and Miss Pacman. With plenty of wit and humor that’s distinctively his own, Merritt’s "voice and delivery draw you in to find out what happens next." – The Washington Post. Catch him tickling the ivories at The Sullivan Hall on 04.15 and at The Bitter End on Thursday, June 3rd at 9pm, with NYC piano pop songstress Shannon Corey. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Emerging NYC based electro rock trio Brahms just announced at Pianos for 3 weeks in may and June with an exciting line up including – among others – Bell, Gordon Voidwell, Das Racist and Class Actress.

Gathered around a table at Macri Park, the five amiable members of North Highlands reflect on their whirlwind experience since the band’s inception in May. At their three-month mark, they had written and recorded a six-song EP that they have likened to a Chili’s sample starter platter for its eclectic nature. By October, they booked an unofficial CMJ show that drew a mesmerized crowd, who raved about it seconds later, thanks to the Internet. In December, they played an uncomfortably packed show at the Cake Shop and acquired a van to gear up for a future tour. – Read Nancy Chow’s interview with the band here.

Dustin Payseur’s cloudy voice over his soft surfer rock guitar is classic. Classic in the sense that it transcends any sort of trendy indie music movement that at this point has become tired and formulaic. Beach Fossils is a refreshing revisit to the lo-fi quality music of 60s rock. The record could easily be a found treasure from your father’s old stored away box of vinyls. The so cal vibe mixes well with Dustin’s distorted vocals and makes for sincere, oft sad songs that remain lively with a pinch of pop. – Read Chloe Schildhause’s interview with the band here. Beach Fossils will headline the Deli’s Best of NYC Fest show at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday May 13.

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list here (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).

Since in 2010 the 80s are officially the new 70s, in the upcoming years we can expect a lot of artists influenced by the sound of the most controversial of decades. Light Asylum present themselves as the answer to the re-emergence of "New Romantics" – who were rather reserved, black wearing types who danced to electro-goth tunes served by the likes of early Ultravox, Depeche Mode and – dare we say – Nick Kershaw. The band’s sonic signature is so strongly grounded in the sound of the 80s that the word "revival" might seems appropriate here, although the Williamsburg duo’s eerie vocals steer away from the more commercial and familiar stereotypes of the genre, referring instead to its darker and deeply troubled fathers like Diamanda Galas, Dead Can Dance and Bauhaus. Don’t miss their intense live performances.

So this review was supposed to be published on a sunny spring day, but it’s really gray out there. That might be a good thing nevertheless, because Mama Bear‘s "How We Go" is probably going to make some of you think of happy sunny days spent outdoors. Yeah, I know: it seems like every April all music reviewers MUST find their own album or song that perfectly incarnates the most enjoyable of seasons. Well we’ll embrace this habit fearlessly, and go ahead and say that Mama Bear is the perfect band to boost your appreciation of Spring 2010 – and that they stole our hearts. The band’s upbeat, folky tunes are catchy as hell, without lacking in intensity or intimacy, which makes them sound like a more fun and lighthearted version of 10,000 Maniacs. The simplicity and pop effectiveness of this band’s songs, the beauty of the melodies and Vivi’s outstanding voice and delivery might have the power to put an end to your SAD syndrome – for good. Don’t miss their record release party at The Studio at Webster on 04.14, AND… DOWNLOAD THE EP FOR FREE HERE NOW!

We were big fans of the Nanuchka’s theatrical pop – but then they split up. The band’s Israeli lead singer and multi instrumentalist Yula Beeri is now going the solo way with an album that (apparently) was not only recorded but also written in just 24 hours – now that’s what we call being extremely productive! On her side ex Blue Man Isaac Gardner and a bunch of talented musicians that call themselves "the Extended Family". Yula’s histrionic qualities are once again confirmed in the breathtaking – almost ska – single Back Off America. The release party of the CD (entitled "Dark Side of The Bee") promises to be entertaining – don’t miss it: April 23 at Santos Party House.

Steel Train is a cool NJ based avant-pop band that has been around for awhile but for some reason hasn’t been detected by our music radars until now. We like their openly pop songwriting contaminated by schizophrenic arrangements – which skillfully and playfully quote and juxtapose all sorts of musical references. In "Turnpike Ghost" for example, the preview track from their 5th release out in June, the band’s post/punk approach (reminiscent of some sort of Animal Collective/Clash hybrid) meets David Bowie’s attitude and dramatic delivery, and Queen’s wacky epic changes and guitar solos. The band will release a 7" limited edition vinyl of this song with a b-side cover of BULLETPROOF (by La Roux) for this year’s installment of Record Store Day (April 17th.) Currently on tour, Steel Train will be back live in NJ on April 30 for the Hoodwink Festival.

Freelance Whales don’t need any more introductions – here’s their first video of the song "Generator 2nd Floor". The band will release their debut CD on April 13 and play a sold out Bowery show that same night.