92YTribeca has been contributing in recent time to bring the West Village scene back to relevance with a series of interesting shows mixing local music and art. Roberto Lange aka Helado Negro (in the picture) and Julianna Barwick, along with visual artists Jonathan Dueck and Kristi Sword take over the downtown venue with a night of music and month of art exhibitions. These artists will be engaging in a collaboration that blurs the divisions between studio, stage, touring and recording. While Roberto and Julianna collaborate to produce new music live on stage, Dueck will be documenting with drawings, video and photography which will later be incorporated into the packaging materials for the final product of this experience. Buy tickets here.

From Sid Vicious to Iggy Pop, real names have been forsaken for pseudonyms with a rock ‘n’ roll feel. Lizzy McChesney didn’t have quite the right ring to it, so the singer-songwriter christened the stage name Lissy Trullie to host the rotating musicians that write and perform in her band. Although she currently slays crowds with her guitar skills, she began her musical education with the least punk rock instrument, the xylophone.  This minor setback to dominating the world with her rock ‘n’ roll only fueled her desire to obtain a guitar. After a great deal of pleading, her parents finally bought her the much-coveted guitar. She began writing songs at 14 based on the basic song structures found in Tom Petty songs her instructor taught her. Over time, her songwriting shifted with her exposure to different frameworks and sounds. – read Nancy Chow’s interview with Lissy here.

Peter Silberman grew up in a family of writers and editors. When you hear his band The Antlers — and more importantly, when you read his lyrics — it’s obvious. The story told in the band’s 2009 album Hospice reads like a young writer’s first tragedy. And it hurts to hear.
Just shy of 24-years-old, and fresh off of nearly four months of touring, Silberman was sipping coffee in Brooklyn on a December morning. He said he was "very happy," but he mostly spoke about illness, abuse and mortality, the themes of his latest record.
"I hate to say that my favorite writer is very depressing, but it’s true," he said. He was speaking, of course, of 1980s short story writer and poet, the seminal minimalist Raymond Carver, whose work Silberman called both "hopeful" and "doomed."– read Joe Coscarelli interview with the band here.

Current Deli Artist of the Month Miniboone has just released this fun video of their single Cool Kids Cut Out of the Heart Itself – which perfectly channels the post punk energy of the Brooklyn band. Miniboone is one of the many awesome local bands that will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in mid May (see blog entry underneath in thsi same page). Don’t miss their live show at Cake Shop on April 6.

Ah, the reverie of spring. In lieu of fields to loll about in go get cozy for free with Alexa Wilkinson (in the picture), Julie Peel, and Mercy Bell (in the picture) at The Living Room, Thursday, April 1, from 8pm-11pm. Julie Peel unleashed her debut full-length album on American Laundromat Records (ALR) September 22nd 2008, and has been enjoying rave reviews and charting at college & specialty radio ever since. Previously featured on ALR compilations, this is Julie’s first solo full-length release. She counts Aimee Mann, Kim Deal, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell among her influences, and their impact is not hard to discern on Near the Sun. Julie’s lo-fi, guitar-driven pop recalls the likes of Ida, Anna Ternheim, Caithlin de Marrais, and Mirah, but bears her own distinctive indie sensibility and style. Alexa Wilkinson plays a unique blend of music a unique of blend of music with jazz, rock and folk influences. She has toured and shared the stage with Ingrid Michaelson, Josh Kelley, Natasha Beddingfield, Mieka Pauly, Bess Rogers, Joshua Radin, Vanessa Carlton, Dar Williams, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, and many more. She has had various songs from her both albums featured on MTV’s "The Hills", CBS’s "NCIS: NY" & "Make It or Break It", and many others. Mercy Bell has been playing her crunchy folk-pop around New York for almost two years and is working on her first album. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Today we start some sort of "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 Williamsbur on May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

Callers earned the accolade of The Deli’s CD of the month back in December of 2008 with its spellbinding “Fortune.” In a brief yet memorable 30-some minutes, vocalist Sara Lucas and guitarist Ryan Seaton guide listeners through an intimate, contemplative journey conveyed by blues, jazz and folk tones. The arrangements are sparse but they only make the songs more evocative and highlight the strength of Lucas and Seaton’s potent, volatile voices with their respective instruments. It’s difficult to pull away from the songs without being affected; Callers crafts moods that reach beyond its songs and proactively engrosses its listeners.

Brooklyn’s Quiet Lights is A new project from ex-members of Gods&Queens/Argentine/Desert Fathers. Inspired by small batch bourbon, conspiracy theories, dream-pop, haruki murakami, zombie massacre preparedness, pulled-pork bbq, raw milk, the smell of dew on fresh mowed grass, boutique guitar pedals, over-analyzing, cupcakes, rush-hour subway rage, reverb. Check out Quiet Truth, Weapons Thrown one of 3 tracks on our pre-release with a proper album being recorded soon. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Geezer on Diesel is a band featuring two NYC scenemakers who work in the shadow – i.e. Producer Paul Mahajan (here on guitar) known for recording TV on the Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Sam Tayolr (here on baritone guitar) who’s been providing guitar gear to the Williamsburg’s community of musicians through his store Southside Guitars. The band plays a grainy brand of snare-less dark and droney (but not necessarily psych) indie rock reminiscent of a less dreamy Jesus and Mary Chain and a more controlled Dead Meadow. Stay tuned for upcoming live shows in the Billyburg neighborhood.

The Notorious MSG is Chinatown’s one and only Chinese hip hop band. Besides hopping on stage and on record, the guys also make "educational" videos like this one (from the series "Schoolhousin’ ", focusing on the many interesting and "different" habits of our Manhattan based neighbors – hey, you can’t say these boys don’t come from the ghetto! I highly recommend to watch at least the first 30 seconds of this video.

Insatiable NYC Ears,

The Deli was founded as a magazine whose sole purposes were to give exposure to emerging NYC artists and make us millionaires. Although we are obviously failing our second objective, against all odds, The Deli has reached its 5th year anniversary! Isn’t that a good excuse to party like there’s no tomorrow?

WHY "BEST OF NYC"?

The Best of NYC 2010 Fest is the live transposition of our year-end Best of NYC 2009 list. This is the Fest’s second year and it’s going to be an exciting experience with 7 shows in 5 different venues spread over 3 nights in the heart of Williamsburg.

Here is the calendar:

– THURSDAY MAY 13 –

Brooklyn Bowl:
Midnight Masses + Beach Fossils + TBA

Public Assembly:
Alt Rock Night with The Shake, Click Clack Boom, Midnight Spin, Cavalier Rose

– FRIDAY MAY 14 –

Brooklyn Bowl:
Motel Motel + April Smith + TBA

Glasslands
7-12: Noise Rock Night with Talk Normal, Asa Ransom, Buke and Gass, Miniboone
12-4 am: Electronic party with Gordon Voidwell, Glass Ghost, Stereolab+ TBA

– SATURDAY MAY 15 –

Brooklyn Bowl:
London Souls + Locksley

Cameo
Afternoon: Folky Night with Julie Peel, Pearl & The Beard, Miracles of Modern Science, The Woes, Sticklips, Shanya Zayd + more
Night: Indie Rock Night with The Vandelles, Monogold + more.

Enjoy!

Me You Us Them is the name of the latest addition to the NYC shoegazer scene. This band’s impressive wall of guitars rivals in "My-Bloody-Valentine-ness" that of Asobi Seksu’s first album – I’d recommend any follower of the toe staring sonic cult to check out these guys’ tunes. (By the way, why they call it shoegazer and not toestarer is beyond me). The record release show is April 25th at The Studio @ Webster Hall in NYC.