If you’re constantly searching for good summer tunes, Lilith’s latest EP, In Warm Weather, is perfect for, well…warm weather. I found myself wishing for a summer rainstorm so I could sit on my back porch with this EP playing in the background.

I was particularly impressed with the vocals on In Warm Weather. Smooth, dream-like melodies float over arpeggiated chords, carrying you from track to track. I thought the opening song, “Storefront”, was the stand-out of the collection. Strong lyrics, a memorable melody and an excellent guitar lick in the verse make “Storefront” well worth several listens.

For more updates about Lilith, check our their Facebook page.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Photo credit: Kevin Hardman
 

Most people probably wouldn’t normally associate Amherst, MA with early-90s hip hop, but the rap duo Solo Sexx is looking to change that. Their most recent release, Party Musik EP, is full of well-produced beats and sharp, witty lyrics. 
My favorite track from Party Musik is "Hipsta Chick". The beat sounds like it came straight out of 1993 and the lyrics are some of the most accurate, entertaining and absolutely hilarious I’ve heard all year.
With lines like: "I’m fashionably hatin’ on her rich kitsch/she’s lookin’ like a Christmas decoration/now it’s time to face the nation/hope she’s ready with her carol/singing God bless the U.S. of American Apparel", I felt an imediate bond with the group over our mutiual dislike of over-priced t-shirts and cut-off jean shorts.

Solo Sexx are currently raising funds for a small sumer tour, kicking off June 26 at Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA. For info about their GoFundMe campaign, click here. For more updates about Solo Sexx, check out their Facebook page.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Party Musik EP from solosexx on Myspace.

LA Jeff’s newest record, the aptly titled Holidaze Inn, is the perfect remedy for those late-night, (or anytime) fuzzed-out, psych rock cravings. 
My favorite track is “Sailor”, with its churning, hypnotizing chords and mesmerizing vocals. If I were to write a movie, I’d probably write a scene with a sailor having an acid trip on a boat just so I could put this in the soundtrack.

The band are currently preparing to hit the road for a 10-day, cross-country tour. For more info about the LA Jeff crew (including tour updates), click here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Photo credit: Strange Majik

This past Memorial Day weekend, City Hall Plaza in Boston transformed once again from concrete wasteland into a vibrant music festival. Nestled-in among the marquee acts (Pixies, Tenacious D and My Morning Jacket, to name a few), Boston locals Krill and The Ballroom Thieves left quite an impression on the early-afternoon festival-goers.

Click here to view the rest of The Deli’s Boston Calling wrap-up.

Letter Ghost, the latest release from Portland, ME’s Blood Warrior, is an eerily-beautiful record. The vocals on these tracks are some of the most honest and chilling I’ve heard in recent months. The lead vocals are dripping in sorrow and intense emotion–the singer’s voice rising, falling, even quivering on some notes. I guess the best way to put it might be that Letter Ghost sounds like a mournful musical eulogy.

My favorite track was "All Your Thoughts", with its poignant lyrics and ghostly backing vocals. This song is perhaps the best example of the dirge-esque qualities of Letter Ghost, evoking visions of a mournful procession slowly making its way to the burial grounds.

For more info about Blood Warrior (including upcoming shows), check out their website.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
 

Boston Calling returns for yet another impressive festival this May and of course, the lineup is brilliant. Along with continuing the trend of attracting incredible big-name talent–this spring’s headliners include: Beck, My Morning Jacket, Tenacious D, and Pixies–Boston Calling has also booked two powerful local opening acts in The Ballroom Thieves and Krill. Recently, I had a chance to exchange a few emails with Jonah Furman, lead vocalist and bass player for Krill. Though the group is known as a “Boston band”, Furman and crew are actually all originally from the suburbs of Chicago. Currently, Furman is the only member who resides in Boston (drummer Ian Becker and guitarist Aaron Ratoff moved to NYC in 2014). Despite the distance, Furman says it hasn’t been difficult to keep the band going.  “It’s not tough to practice when you play shows every ten days or so!”, writes Furman. “It’s kind of weird doing a LDR [long distance relationship] band, [but] I don’t plan to move to NYC anytime soon.” 

Click here to read an abridged version of the conversation. If you’re too busy scrolling through pictures of food and cats on Instagram and want a synopsis: highlights include being offered to play Boston Calling, dealing with unexpected success, and the debilitating effects of consumerism on the world.

Main page photo credit: Ethan Long

Earlier this week, Boston Calling announced the expansion of its summer Block Party series. In addition to the weekly Thursday evening events at Dewey Square (across from South Station), a monthly party has been added back in Downtown Crossing, the original site of the gatherings. All events will continue to feature cheap drinks (sponsored by Shock Top and Wicked Wines) and music courtesy of Boston-area musicians. The Downtown Crossing Block Party kicks-off tonight featuring Tigerman WOAH, with all subsequent events held on the first Wednesday of each month. The Dewey Square Party will launch May 14, with a performance by The Almighty Buck.

For more info about the Block Parties (and to see future performance schedules), check out the Block Party Facebook page.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Horsehands’ latest creation, Pissing Rain, runs the sound spectrum from straight-up punk to electro-infused jams–and that’s just in the first two minutes of the EP. The vocals are reminiscent of some bizarre Bowie/Krill collaboration, which, after thinking about it for awhile, would be one hell of an idea. “Yon” was definitely my favorite of the songs–hard, fast guitarwork, complete with some pop-punk palm mutes and a bridge that seems to take off into the stratosphere before abruptly grabbing you by the collar and yanking you back into the mosh pit. I also appreciated the strategic placement of the synths/keys in songs like “Dinner Time!”–they provide well-timed accents, elevating the sound of the songs without overpowering the rest of the music.

If you’re itchin’ to get a physical copy of Pissing Rain, the band will be celebrating their tape release show on May 9th at Lily Pad in Cambridge, MA. For more info about the event, click here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

 

Remants, the latest album from Cambridge/Boston’s The Living Sleep, is one of the most calming, beautiful collections of sounds I’ve heard all year. The tracks that incorporate viola and cello are the most impressive, reminding me of a more modern, less-stuffy version of chamber music–something you’ll actually want to listen to for more than twenty seconds.

The piano melodies are wonderfully arranged throughout the entire record, each played more delicately and deliberately than the last. When accompanied by the strings (ex: “The Last Serenade”), the result is a soothing composition capable of dissolving even the most stressful of days.

For updates about The Living Sleep, check out their Facebook page.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Photo credit: Adem Dayıoğlu

 “Josephine”, the single from Honeysuckle’s forthcoming debut album, Arrows, is everything that is right with folk and country music. The intro immediately drew me in; there’s something about banjos and mandolins that makes me exceedingly happy, but banjos and mandolins played together–beautiful.

Along with the instrumentation, the lead vocals on this song are powerful, yet smooth, sweet and sorrowful. The band’s generous use of harmonies and backing vocals makes “Josephine” a song worthy of several plays on their Bandcamp.

Honeysuckle will be having their release show for Arrows tomorrow night, April 29, at Out of the Blue Too Art Gallery in Central Sq., Cambridge. For more info about the show, click here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Sun E-Shea’s debut self-titled album sounds like it should be blasted from a cassette in a Sony boom-box rather than played through an internet link, but I guess that’s why the duo proclaims they "are stuck in the past and…are staying for the music." The release boasts twenty tracks, with influences clearly rooted in late 80s/early 90s hip-hop. While they touch upon a variety of different artists’ styles, I felt an A Tribe Called Quest vibe the strongest. Some of you may think that’s ultra-high praise, but take a listen to Sun E-Shea’s songs and you’ll hear exactly what I mean. The samples, beats and lyrics are all super-smooth and well-written, with the Quest sound coming through particularly strong in their choice of bass lines and drum tracks.

One of my favorite lines from the record comes from the track "Clive": "More times than often, well-skilled and clean, learned how to rhyme from Shel Silverstein." I think I’ll go home after work, listen to a few more of these tracks and try to find a copy of The Giving Tree on ebay.

For more info about these two seemingly unknown MCs, check out their (apparently) new Facebook page.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Boston’s favorite electro-pop duo Miss Geo recently unveiled their newest EP, Shapes, and unsurprisingly, it’s definitely worth your time–trust me. Even if you don’t trust me, listen to it–it’ll be the best twenty minutes you spend all month. It may only be four tracks long, but Shapes crams enough synths, pop hooks and dance-worthy drum beats to keep you dancing for the next month.

 "Dancing After Dark" was the standout track in this collection. The infectious synth and smooth, almost sultry vocals grab your attention and lead you through to the end of the song–kind of like when you’re out at a club and you catch someone giving you “the eyes” from the other side of the room, drawing you closer for some inexplicable reason.

For more info about Miss Geo, check out their website.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)