The Deli is intimately familiar with the musical inclinations of electronic musician and composer Dan Friel, having featured his previous band Parts & Labor on the cover of its 11th NYC issue back in 2006. The noise rock group called it quits in 2012, after which Friel mostly focused on running his label Cardboard Records in conjunction with former P&L bassist J.Warshaw. We are thrilled to find out that Dan has a new project, and that it’s as noisy as his previous one. Named Upper Wilds, the band plays what could be described as a noisy brand of drone-rock with industrial and (rather buried) pop influences. Distorted guitars, synths, drums, and vocals overlap and blend, in some kind of well orchestrated orgy of fuzz. Dan’s earnest sounding vocal melodies, at times reminiscent of early R.E.M. and seminal hardcore band Hüsker Dü, emerge from this sea of distortion, somehow giving it an organized shape. Like the aforementioned bands’ records, this album has a monolithic, recognizable sound, but what it loses in variety, it gains in power and impact – we can’t find a weak song in it. The group will be celebrating the release of their debut album "Guitar Module 2017" at Alphaville on October 7th.

Bands, like people, can change a lot in two years. And if one song may be enough be enough evidence to make final statements about the sound of Brooklyn indie band Dances, it’s fair to say that their new single "R U With It?" (streaming below), is quite a bit mellower than their previous material, in partcular in the electric guitar department. What we all tend to forget, though, is that people always change for a reason: ‘R U With It?’ was written by songwriter Trevor Vaz after being diagnosed with purely obsessional OCD, and tackles the contradictory feelings triggered by such discovery. Bushwick venue Alphaville gave the band a three date live residency this fall; the first one will be on September 27 with local Ghost King and Mons Vi and Los Angeles’ Boyo.

Since releasing the angular “Fortune” single this past spring, Brooklyn trio Big Bliss have been spreading their post-punk influenced indie rock around with a steady stream of gigs in the city and a run of shows down the coast and into the Midwest over the summer. The band’s knack for power pop style hooks and shimmering guitar tones sets Big Bliss apart from contemporaries in the genre. Check out their recent video for single "High Ideal" and catch them live at The Footlight on October 5th. – Cameron Carr

While the NYC scene seems to be crawling with psych bands, local rockers Birds tackle the genre in a way that sets them apart from the pack. Though the band is certainly taking cues from music of the past, their angular and distorted sliding guitars and bizarre vocal melodies suggest that they’re digging through vinyl crates that have not been thoroughly picked through yet. With such a unique sound, we wanted to ask the band a bit about the driving forces surrounding it, and members Jess and Duane were nice enough to dig into to the stories surrounding their pedals for us. – Olivia Sisinni

Read the Birds Q&A about their stompboxes on Delicious Audio.

LA-based Morgan Delt crafts acid-tinged tracks that are meant to be seen with your third eye. His music is blissful and hazy, with his soft vocals stretching across lush, textured instrumentals and sweet melodies. With such an expansive sound, our friends at Delicious Audio were curious about the kind of gear that goes into the making of his music, and Morgan was kind enough to share a bit about the equipment he uses on his latest record, Phase Zero, out on Sub-Pop Records. Read the Q&A here. – Olivia Sisinni

We’re finally at that point in our relationship with Wiki that he’s starting to let us in.  Where in Ratking, he and Hak bewitched us with visceral depictions of graffiti and skateboarding life from Harlem to Coney, now he’s solo and waxing philosophic.  In No Mountains in Manhattan, Wiki tells us how he really feels about everything from publicists to systemic racism.  He’s never preachy, and his flow is that perfect meld of NYC street style and afro-futurism.  The premier video “Mayor” shows him campaigning the streets dispersing “WIKI for Mayor” stickers while he asserts his indelible connection to his NYC fam.  Whether he wins against the incumbent or not, he certainly reigns supreme over the world he creates for us with his expert rhymes.

New York-based performer Baby Copperhead shares his namesake with a notably harmless  breed of snake; unlike the animal, he’s got some bite. WNYC called him “the banjo visionary,” but he’s also a singer, a songwriter, a guitarist, an experimentalist. His music is both expansive and intimate; his sound like nothing you’ve ever heard a banjo make but also like every melody your mother sang to lull you to sleep. – Rachel Kerr

Overlake specializes in serving up gazey and delicious tracks that showcase strong melody-writing chops. They are playing a high profile show in Philly tomorrow (September 6th), opening for The Brian Jonestown Massacre (New Yorkers will be able to catch them at Gold Sounds on October 4th). Though there’s enough wall-of-sound goodness to sink your teeth into, the band also manages to meld upbeat, indie-inspired choruses that you may find echoing up in the space between your ears all day. Our friends at Delicious Audio asked them to share a little bit about the gear that helps to define their gorgeous noise – check out the Q&A here, and their recent video for ‘Unnamed November,’ streaming below).  – Olivia Sisinni, Photo: Naomi Scott

Oy, nu-music lurvers!

The new issue of The Deli NYC is available for online reading here!

On the cover, fabulous math-dream-indie-rockers Ian Sweet (who are headed on tour with Frankie Cosmos!). Check out the video of our favorite single "#23" streaming below.

Oh and hey! It’s a Brooklyn Stompbox Exhibit issue! If you love guitar pedals you don’t want to miss it, it’s chock full of them, including an interview with pedal guru Mike Matthews of NYC’s Electro_Harmonix!

The print version of it will hit the streets of NYC on September 1st!

The Folks at The Deli NYC

Set in a Brooklyn jazz club in 1927, Valerie Orth‘s new video for "Make Your Move" introduces us to a Tinder-free world where sexual relationships require bolder actions (and extra liquor), but also yield more fervent "consequences." The song was inspired by, and dedicated to, a "person of interest" who didn’t make a move, therefore leaving possible romantic scenarios to the songwriter’s imagination.

Earlier this year, the NYC artist launched a remix contest for this song through blend.io, and we are thrilled to be premiering here the EP of remixes featuring the winning tracks. Among them there’s NYC via Madison, WI producer Audible Doctor. 

Valerie will be performing at the Deli sponsored Revolution show tomorrow, August 26th, at National Sawdust, be there!

Sludgy, frenetic, and surprisingly melodic, Mutoid Man serves up nasty, heavy jams with a side of skilled riffage.  Their latest release, War Moans, is 12-tracks worth of head spinning metal aptitude, and – paired with a ground shattering live show – opened the door to a summer US tour with Danzig – dates can be found here. Our friends at Delicious Audio were very curious to know what kind of gear went into making their signature gut-busting sound – check out the link below for a Q&A about it. – by Olivia Sisinni

Delicious Audio’s interview with Mutoid Man about pedals and gear.

Crimdella (aka the Black Zeus) tightens up the frame in his new video. For a song where he throws shade on the shade throwers, it’s appropriate that the video paints the world in strange hues. We don’t always understand why people do what they do, and the conversations initiated to help extricate folks from their miasma of drama are seldom worth the trouble. Crimdella has no trouble conjuring the candor. He continues to tell it like it is, and that continues to prove to be what his audiences want to hear. – BrokeMc