Karen Elson recently released a single, “Call Your Name” off her upcoming album Double Roses, slated for release on April 7th and the record release show is set to be one for the history books. The album coveres some of the emotional states and self-discovery after her divorce from Jack White and includes collaborations with Father John Misty and Patrick Carney. 

-Andrew Strader

The story of NYC’s The Dream Eaters is an example of how muses can overthrow one’s will: vocalist Jake Zavracky had given up on the business of creating and performing music altogether when he met his soon-to-be partner in crime, Elizabeth LeBaron, at a bartending gig in Brooklyn. After some initial collaboration, LeBaron and Zavracky began to make music under the rather unimaginative moniker “Jake and Elizabeth,” which was wisely changed to the current denomination just in time for the release of their (charmingly understated) 2016 self-produced debut EP, "Five Little Pills."

The duo’s upcoming debut full length "We Are a Curse" is a work that marks both the creative peak and new beginning of the duo’s artistry, drawing upon experiences of the past while remaining entirely relevant to the day. Their single, “Neanderthals” (premiering below), though written by Zavracky during the Bush/Cheney administration, serves as an effective and artful jab at the current one. Its overtly angry political chorus, however, “They won’t make us crawl / They’re all Neanderthals” is undercut by a sincerer account of the helpless emotional state that toxic politics can leave us feeling trapped in: “Take your medication / Practice condemnation / Stay inside your houses now”. Two themes compete to govern the track: one of dejected submission to power and one of defiance. Drawing on the sonic influences of stock dream poppers like Beach House and The Antlers, the band adopts melancholic vocal lines to load their lyrics with an added emotional charge. Though the song’s sonic architecture is designed to shoot us into space, the lyrics bring us down to earth, mentally instilling a sense of duality, a contrast and elasticity that feels refreshing. It’s hard not to want to be a part of this band’s emergence. You can pre-order their debut album, slated for release on April, 14th or attend their upcoming shows at Halyards (4/8) or Rockwood Music Hall (5/10). – Andrew Strader 

Summer Moon, the work of Nikolai Fraiture, is an indie rock/new wave outfit steeped in pop experimentation. The New York based musician explores guitar and percussion layering in ways that bring ’80s pioneers like The Talking Heads to mind (in fact, single “With You Tonight” almost sounds like it has a guitar sample from “This Must Be The Place”). With subdued, reverb-soaked vocals, Fraiture lets the subtle production techniques speak for themselves. This project offers the energy and vitality of electronic dance music while satisfying those who crave analogue instrumentation in a musical climate increasingly devoid of it. Give their debut album, ‘With You Tonight,’ a listen now, go see them at Rough Trade on April 19 and check out this 360 interactive video of the single, below. – Andrew Strader

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Dear Deli Readers,

We have finally reached the end of the road for The Deli’s Best Emerging NYC Artists Poll. As usual, it’s been a lengthy, exhausting, painstaking journey through an abundance of numbers, band names, and some seriously rad tunes. Now, before we get to our list of this year’s Top Performers, we would like to thank our wonderful, knowledgeable jury of local music experts/enthusiasts (which you can view below), dedicated Deli writers and all those who took the time to check out our nominees and cast their votes. You’re the best, and we wouldn’t be able to do this without you.

The Deli NYC Jurors:

Rami (PopGun Presents), Lauren (Northside Media Group), Katie Jones (National Sawdust), Hannah Gold (City Winery), Chris Pickering (Alphaville), Christopher Thomas, Matt (Rockwood Music Hall), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli), Paul Bacher (The Knit), Christine (Sofar Sounds), Brett Tabisel (LPR NYC), Michelle (Bowery Ballroom), Tim (ASCAP), Eric (The Wild Honey Pie), Alex (Webster Hall), Patrick (Oh My Rockness), Tyler (Brooklyn Bazaar), Greg (The Delancey), Bowery Electric, Grace Gibson (Arlene’s Grocery)

BEST OF NYC POLL – THE FINAL RESULTS

1. BABY SHAKES

This year’s Best of NYC band is Baby Shakes, a power-pop/garage rock four-piece (there’s a ghost member in the band) that knows how to have fun. The group wins this poll’s grand prize: the cover of the spring 2017 issue of The Deli – we are looking forward to that issue! The band’s catalogue is pleasantly varied, with everything from relaxed surf rock tunes to easy rock-n-rollers to borderline punk, heavy-hitters. Though the expert guitar work of Mary Blount and Judy Lindsay is apparent, featuring harmonization, synchronized riffs, and the occasional shredtastic solo, what really makes Baby Shakes so infectious is the raw force and high energy of their songs. It’s something you can pick up on even through earbuds. Be on the lookout for their new album Turn It Up out this spring. – Andrew Strader

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2. BANGLADEAFY!
Bangladeafy! is a band that’s hard to forget after a first listen. They take a mathy, complex, progressive approach to metal without resulting obnoxious. They tow a unique line somewhere between metal and electronica, using arpeggiating synths to compliment complex percussion patterns and distorted guitars. This band is, without a doubt, carving a new path for metal in the tech age. – Andrew Strader


  

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3. BREANNA BARBARA
Breanna Barbara, self described as "occult blues" reimagines the roots of that genre, crafting a witchy, psychedelic take on it. Her latest record, Mirage Dreams was made in Nashville and there’s no hiding it: slide guitar, rhodes, and fuzzy bass, all come together to create a fresh take on an authentically southern sound, but with an edge. – Andrew Strader

 

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OVERALL TOP 20

Here’s the top 20 of the Best of NYC Poll for Emerging Artists! This chart reflects the scores of 

1.   Baby Shakes
2.   Bangladeafy!
3.   Breanna Barbara
4.   Big Thief
5.   Margaret Glaspy
6.   Cutworms
7.   Ex Reyes
8.   Sam Evian
9.   Bailen
10. Surf Rock Is Dead
11. Ela Minus
12. Pavo Pavo
13. Latasha Alcindor
14. Baby Acid
15. The Casey Hopkins Trio
16. Navy Gangs
17. Zuli
18. Dakota Jones
19. Yoke Lore
20. Winstons 

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BEST OF NYC ELECTRONIC/HIP HOP CATEGORY 

Overall Winner: Ela Minus 

Readers’ Poll Winner: Latasha Alcindor

 

BEST OF NYC GARAGE/SLACK ROCK CATEGORY 

Overall Winner: Baby Shakes

Readers’ Poll Winner: Stuyedeyed

 

BEST OF NYC PUNK/METAL CATEGORY

Overall Winner + Readers’ Poll Winner: Bangladeafy

 

BEST OF NYC INDIE ROCK CATEGORY

Overall Winner: Big Thief

Readers’ Poll Winner: Baby Acid

 

BEST OF NYC SOUL/BLUES ROCK CATEGORY

Overall Winner: Breanna Barbara

Readers’ Poll Winner: Casey Hopkins

 

BEST OF NYC INDIE POP CATEGORY

Overall Winner: Ex Reyes

Readers’ Poll Winner: Zuli

 

BEST OF NYC FOLK/AMERICANA CATEGORY

Overall Winner: Margaret Glaspy 

Readers’ Poll Winner: The National Reserve

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See you next year, best of NYC Poll!

The Folks at The Deli

Moruga Scorpio‘s debut EP, 1, is an unapologetic collection of sweet, groovy, pop tunes that even music snobs can get into. The tunes blend surfy, classic sounding pop reminiscent of The Beach Boys with darker, heavier, weirder, psychedelic elements that bring The Butthole Surfers to mind. The songs are self-proudced by Evan Donohue, the mastermind behind Moruga Scorpio and former Diarrhea Planet member. Upon listening, it seems he harbors a strong distate genre limitations. There really isn’t a single category you can definitively box these songs into, and that makes his music exciting. Morgua Scorpio is for anyone who simply likes great songs with great production. Give it a listen: 

-Andrew Strader

Miki Fiki is a new project started by singer/songwriting Ted Hartog. His debut self-titled EP is a brass-heavy collection of heartbreaky pop tunes that have an irresistably sweet blend of nostalgia, catharsis and melancholy. Clearly influenced by indie pop sensations like Whitney and Ben Folds, Hartog’s work is lyric-heavy, with triumphant melodies that stick like glue to memory. The EP’s three songs chronicle the chaos of the post breakup emotional state and painstakingly organize it. If this short work is any indication of what’s to come from Miki Fiki in the future, indie pop fans had better be on the lookout because, sonically, there’s nothing else like this happening in Nashville. 

-Andrew Strader

James Tillman‘s music is produced with the kind of artistry that makes him mysterious. His debut album, Silk Noise Reflex, is an electronic take on Jazz, Soul, and R&B much in the same style as Flying Lotus. Tillman’s songwriting and vocal talents, however, prove undeniably apparent on the record, setting him aside from purely electronic producers. His melodies feel relaxed and natural, as if he created the entire work just strolling through a park. There are some universal themes that run throughout this sonic hybrid album. The search for meaning, companionship, health, and happiness seem to weave their way throughout every song. More than feeling like a cheesy self-help book, however, Tillman’s songs are measured and sure. What’s being chronicled isn’t a denial of loss, loneliness, anxiety, and insecurity, but an embracing of these realities and an insistence that they’re necessary parts of life. In this way, Silk Noise Reflex is dualistic both with its blend of electronic production and real instrumentation and in its abstract content. If you’re a fan of psychedelic, jazzy, hip hop stylel production, this is an NYC artist you’d be doing yourself a disservice to ignore. 

-Andrew Strader

 

Daddy Issues is back with a bang, releasing a fiery single, “In Your Head,” from their upcoming album, Deep Dream. The tune chronicles the mess of emotion left behind after a breakup, marrying rage and melancholy in a way that brings 90s alt rock and grunge classics like Bikini Kill or Nirvana to mind. Sonically, this is the heaviest work the trio has ever made. The guitar tone is full bodied, with enough fuzz to make the highs crackle while the bass thunderously fills in the low end. The production is high quality, moving in the opposite direction of their previously lo-fi/diy style and bringing new clarity to the fuzzy, grunge revival they execute so well.  This is, without a doubt, the Nashville alt rock band to watch in 2017. 

–Andrew Strader

As we celebrate SXSW this week, we’ve put together a curated list of Nashville’s best emerging artists attending the festivities. We even highlighted a couple of our favorites (Faux Ferocious and Idle Bloom) for your enjoyment. 

Faux Ferocious is a band that tastefully toes the line between experimental noise rock and simple, fuzzy garage rock tunes. Their punk rock, chaotic energy is remiscent of indie rock classics like The Pixies or Wavves, but their expert musicianship is evident throughout their work. They know how to play expertly but keep it loose enough to make the songs feel uniquely human. Their latest album, Cloning the Rubicon is a garage turned alien spaceship. Atmospheric synth pads hold up bits and pieces of feedback, incomprehensibly delayed background vocals fragments and what sound like UFO landing noises. If you’re into simple fuzz rock tunes drenched in pure chaos, Faux Ferocious is the band you don’t want to miss at SXSW.

Idle Bloom is an outfit that refuses to stick with a single genre. They mash psych rock, fuzzy garage rock, and grunge together to create a unique sonic blend that’s becoming increasingly rare in a music world that splits itself into specific sonic niches. Heavy, distorted guitars create a sound wall, occasionally crescendoing in reverb-soaked euphoria. The rhythm section is tight and nuanced, knowing exactly how when and how to let loose. The songs are varied and dynamic, but feel emotionally cohesive. The band’s latest record, Little Deaths is like a psychedelic take on garage rock with a catalogue varied enough to attract music fans of all stripes. 

Here’s the full list of emerging Nashville artists you won’t want to miss this week in Austin:

Ron Gilmore

Savoy Motel 

*repeat repeat

Lukr

James Droll

Canyon City 

MY RED + MY BLUE

Pujol

ELEL

Cory Branan

PHANGS

Oginalii

Lillie Mae

Masha

EZA

nobigdyl

KOYOKE

The Grahams

Lovella

Nicole Atkins

Devon Gilfillian 

Blank Range

The Outer Vibe

Muddy Magnolias

Reuben Bidez

The Weeks

Starlito

Andrew Combs

The Dead Deads

Jonny P

NAWAS

Caitlyn Smith 

Aaron Lee Tasjan 

Ron Gallo 

CAPPA

Whistles & The Bells

K Phillips 

Nightly 

Emoni

A Thousand Horses

R.LUM.R

Patrick Sweany 

 

The Inscape, who just released their debut LP, We’re All Wrong could now be justifiably labeled seasoned Nashville psychedelic rockers. Having released their debut material six years ago, they’ve been creating and playing music here for what seems like a lifetime in the city’s constantly shifting scene. Rather than outgrowing their longtime home, however, it seems they’ve grown into it. Their latest release marks a departure from the heavier rock and psychedelic influences that their songs soaked in before. Instead, We’re All Wrong is something of a psychedelic, alternative country dreamscape, creating an image of the place the group lives and works. The songs are frilled with subtle and beautifully crafted guitar, synth, organ, and pedal steel work atop structural beds of acoustic instrumentation remiscent of indie rock classics like Fruit Bats. If you’re new to Nashville’s independent music scene, The Inscape is a must listen for fans interested in guitar-heavy rock, psych, americana, and country. They’re one of the few bands here still molding the characteristics of "the Nashville sound". 

-Andrew Strader

Dear Deli Readers,

We have finally reached the end of the road for The Deli’s Best Emerging Chicago Artists Poll. As usual, it’s been a lengthy, exhausting, painstaking journey through an abundance of numbers, band names, and some seriously rad tunes. Now, before we get to our list of this year’s Top Performers, we would like to thank our wonderful, knowledgeable jury of local music experts/enthusiasts (which you can view below), dedicated Deli writers and all those who took the time to check out our nominees and cast their votes. You’re the best, and we wouldn’t be able to do this without you!

The Deli Chicago Jurors
Eric Muhlberger (So Far Sounds), Brendan Losch (Blogger), ERIC SCHELKOPF (The Total Scene), Robert Glick (Reggies’ Music Joint), Coleman Brice (Cole’s Bar), Elle Quintana (Reggieislive), Consequence of Sound (Year End List), Mike Gebel (Empty Bottle), Aragon Ballroom ), Double Door (Jesse Ewan), Jim Kopney (Music Writer), Jason Behrends (The Deli Magazine), Matt Baron (Coach House Sounds), Thalia Hall Events, Bill Valentina (Music Writer), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli Magazine).

And now, without further ado, CONGRATS to…

1. Post Animal is a band of psych poppers that knows how to capture the imagination. Their songs are structured around sweet-sounding hooks and round, groovy basslines while the timbre is sugarcoated in atomspheric reverb. They’ve mastered the art of taking simple, starightforward pop into the weird and sometimes mysterious realm of psych, making them a must listen for Chicago psych fans. 

2. Lala Lala offers a refreshing dose of female energy to a male-dominated punk scene. Their songs drip with raw emotion, pulling the listener in a multiple directions from rage to heartache to bliss. With subtle harmonies that dance across beds of fuzz and distortion, the trio captures the kind of adolescent, coming-of-age sentiment that proves perfectly nostalgic. 

3. Ne-Hi creates the kind of indie rock that just won’t leave the mind. They use jangly, reverb-soaked guitars to piece together delicious little tunes that are powerful in their simplicity. In a musical climate increasingly devoid of real instrumentation, they offer a glimmer of hope for listeners who love guitar-based bands.

4. Oops 

5. Jessie Winslow

6. Mano 

7. So Pretty

8. Natlie Grace Alford

9. Furious Frank  

10. Robbie Fulks 

Below are more of this year’s Chicago Top Performers…

11. Robbie Fulks
12. Archie Powell & The Exports
13. Todd Kesler
14. DIM
15. Varsity
16. monakr
17. Saba
18. Jamila Woods
19. Hood Smoke
20. Tara Terra
21. Al Scorch
22. Robert Rolfe Fedderson
23. releases Parent
24. Glyders
25. Yeesh
26. Melkbelly
27. releases Dehd
28. Emily Blue
29. Ravyn Lenae
30. The Right Now

The unique artistry in the music of Anna Wise stems from the role her lyricism and vocal talent plays in modern political discourse about the role of the female. With production and soulful melodies that evoke associations with electronic artists like Little Dragon, she offers both bold observations and protest about the social limitations placed on women: "No one tells the woman we go through the fiery flames to come out stronger / A girl has got to try twice as hard and still it’s you who says you made her," she pipes on "Stacking That Paper". It would feel like blasphemy to pass over Wise’s work without giving it the attention it deserves, because this isn’t just art for art’s sake. The urgency of the political moment, especially for women, calls for vital art that shakes the jaded mind awake, and this is precisely what her work does. Anna Wise released sophomore LP "The Feminine: Act II" in February and will be performing at SXSW at the Empire Control Room on march 14th, check out her video from single ‘Coconots’ below – Andrew Strader