New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
If you like thrift stores and battles, then today is your lucky day! San Francisco experimental duo Seventeen Evergreen is back with a new, totally tripped out (and therefore amazing) video for their latest single “Polarity Song.”
The track will be featured on a new EP Psychiatrist, out 12/16 via Lucky Numbers. Expect a full-length album in February 2012.
–Amanda Dissinger
Seventeen Evergreen – Polarity Song from Lucky Number Music on Vimeo.
Thanksgiving: over. Black Friday: dunzo. Time to start getting back into the swing of things, which obviously starts with heading out to some see some local jams at a local joint. Not sure where to head? We’ve got a great idea in mind! Local groups Bad Bibles and Listo will be playing support to Brooklyn group Pterodactyl at El Rio Saturday night. We’re down. See you there?
What do you get when you put a metalhead drummer and a sad bastard guitar player in a room together? In the case of Oceanography, you get surprisingly catchy songs about vanilla extract and potato guns.
Despite his mellow musical tastes, singer-songwriter Brian Kelly has not crumbled under drummer Kathleen Richards’ heavy beats. Instead, the pair has managed to balance out their respective extremes and found a rocking middle. Kelly’s plaintive vocals and personal lyrics are transformed from lonesome bar stool soliloquies to fist-pumping crowd-raisers by Richards’ bashing drums. The Oakland duo (and couple on-and-off stage) are currently finishing up a new five-song EP and preparing for a west coast tour.
“I haven’t had the heart to tell Kathleen she can’t bring her whole damn wardrobe,” says Kelly. “In fact I’m only bringing a change of underwear. By the end of this tour odds are we’re gonna stink, but we’ll sound great.”
Oakland psych-rockers Mwahaha have a self-released album due out on Dec 6th. To tickle our fancies about what they’re soon to unleash, they’ve given the interwebs a free download of their upcoming track "Love" featuring fellow Oakster, Merril Garbus, of tUnE-yArDs.
Singer Ross Peacock told MTV Hive, “When I wrote the melody, I heard a kind of country, male/female harmony in my head, like Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton or something." While the song is more Metronomy than Rogers and Parton, at least we know precisely why we’ve been blessed with this lovely collab. Enjoy the free download below!
-Justine Fields
Since it’s November, the year-end lists are soon to be pouring in, which means it’s time to scrutinize your music library and recognize the embarrassment that you gave Kreayshawn twenty more spins than tUnE-YarDs (what a philistine!) and to take note that you really, really, really loved the new Girls record. In undertaking this mass analysis of your 2011 music, it may also become apparent that you missed a lot.
The Deli is guilty too. In fact, it’s been more than a year since the release of a few albums that certainly should have been on our radar. But thankfully the Internet is a forgiving place that allows us to listen to the past and post in real time! Here are three bands that we missed, but…you know, things…happen and umm…please don’t hate us!
Dina Maccabee, Who Do You Suppose You Are
Release date: October 2010
Months late mentioning: 13
Why it still matters: Aside from having an adorable name, Dina Maccabee also has a damn impressive resume that includes playing strings on records with The Morning Benders and Vetiver, plus appearing live alongside Sufjan Stevens and Wilco. Pairing the accomplished and Bay-based Maccabee up with her guitarist friend Tobin Summerfield resulted in a Sara Bareilles-esque album…and it’s great! We’re surprised VH1 hasn’t picked this lady up as a ‘You Oughta Know’ artist yet, which makes us feel good we’re not the only ones missing out on amazing music. Phew.
Brookhaven, When The Chorus Walks
Release date: August 16, 2010
Months late on mentioning: 15
Why it still matters: Oaktowner Sonny James’ solo project of ambient guitars kind of reminds us of Real Estate (as does his bands name…doesn’t Brookhaven sound like some sweet suburban real estate?) but since the 2011 Real Estate album isn’t that amazing, maybe you’ll enjoy this 2010 record in all its glorious obscurity.
Shuteye Unison, Our Future Selves
Release Date: November 16, 2010
Months late mentioning: 12
Why it still matters: Apparently Shuteye Unison’s sophomore effort, Our Future Selves, was based on one guiding principle: "Sexability Above All." Sexability? Sounds good to us. Sign me up.
-Justine Fields
Billed as “where Gogol Bordello meets Muse,” for some unforeseen reason I still gave Diego’s Umbrella the benefit of the doubt. Hearing their latest tracks “Downtown” and “Richardson,” which you too can hear over at Deli Radio, they’re not as hate-worthy as they made themselves out to be! In fact, I kind of like it. Yes, there’s a bit of Middle Eastern flava’ and a few chimes I could do without, but overall, upbeat, catchy stuff. Certainly not the next Muse, but in my music library, that’s a great thing.
Diego’s Umbrella have a few touring dates coming up, the first of which is Friday, November 11 at the Independent. Check them out and report back, please.
–Justine Fields
Oakland’s Winfred E. Eye is set to release a fifth full length album, Today Was Another Day, on January 10. In the meantime, you can take a first look at the video for "Movin’ On."
Today Was Another Day is the type of album meant to be put on during an afternoon nap and "Movin’ On," the closing track, is the type of song you hear once you’ve basically asleep, but are still conscious enough to know music is playing.
It’s a particularly tranquil tune that offers lyrics such as, "All my friends are dying, all be dead one day, and I just keep moving on." However, when paired with this video full of nostalgic home videos, it’s debatable if the band is really moving on. Judge for yourself below.
–Justine Fields
Astral, a Bay Area trio who has just released its third full length album Forever After, are taking the prize for the most aptly titled band we’ve come across in ages. Their brand of atmospheric rock is absolutely "of, relating to, or coming from the stars." Even more, this release finds the group fitting snuggly into the genre of post-punk revivalists, creating a proper blend of ringing bass and melodic guitar work that quickly curves into soaring arena ready sounds. Try the trio on for size below.
-Justine Fields
Walk and Talk by Astral
SF trio The Sandwitches will release new 7" "The Pearl" on Nov. 8 and tonight kick off its tour at the Fillmore.
“The Pearl,” from Sub Pop sister label Hardly Art, is a dissonant, yet beautiful track, much like the Sandwitches’ other music. Full of sound–acoustic guitar, random voices, drums, a harmonica–“The Pearl” is comforting and also oddly threatening. Listen to the entire 7" here.
–Amanda Dissinger
The Soft White Sixties are rockin’ and rollin’ through the West Coast beginning in Seaside, California on Dec. 1. The soul tinged five-piece, formed in 2008 by singer-songwriter Octavio Genera and now including bassist Ryan Noble, rhythm section Joey Bustos, guitarist Aaron Eisenberg and guitarist Josh Cook, make music that is a throwback to another time (say, the 1960s), when rock n’ roll was badass and groovy and simple.
The band has started making its mark in California, selling out shows in Bay Area venues such as Café du Nord, Bottom of the Hill and The New Parish, performing at SF’s Summerfest, opening San Francisco’s NoisePop festival and SXSW. As if they weren’t busy enough, the band recorded a five song EP and has begun prepping for three new singles, all set for release later this year.
Check out the band’s tour dates below, running from Dec. 1-18 and find out more here.
–Amanda Dissinger
12/1 Seaside, CA – The Alternative Cafe
12/2 San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop*
12/9 Sacramento, CA – Blue Lamp ^
12/10 Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater ^
12/11 San Diego, CA – Casbah ^
12/12 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
12/13 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
12/15 Seattle, WA – The High Dive
12/16 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
12/17 Eugene, OR –
12/18 Caspar, CA – Caspar Inn
^ support for Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter
* support for The Mumlers
Thee Oh Sees are due to put out its double-EP-turned-LP Carrion Crawler/The Dream in just two weeks on November 15th! A month back, they let us peep the track "Carrion Crawler" and today we get the other title track, "The Dream," available over at Pitchfork. Shrieks, punk guitar solos and heavy bass oscillations are the framework for this latest cut, which stands as an almost chronological development from the 70s retro guitar progressions on "Carrion Crawler."
The band tells the Deli these two songs, as well as the rest of the album, were "cut live to tape in less than a week at Chris Woodhouse’s Sacramento studio in June." Thee Oh Sees have been holding down the Bay area indie scene since 1997.
-Justine Fields
This Friday, Oct. 28, kick off Halloween weekend at Bottom of the Hill with SF-based folk-rock outfit Please Do Not Fight, alt-folk band Rin Tin Tiger, singer-songwriter Debbie Neigher and indie-folk’s Owl Paws. Halloween Hoedown 2011 will feature costume contests and free treats, plus the first 50 people in costume will receive an autographed copy of the concert poster designed by Zen Zenith of Please Do Not Fight.
On Saturday, Oakland’s answer to beach pop The Hot Toddies headline Halloween Rock Party! at Rickshaw Stop with Ghost & The City, Sun Hop Fat and DJ Brother Grimm.
Bay Area spookers, The Soft Moon, headline The Independent on Monday, Oct. 31 for the Part-Time Punks Halloween Night! Expect lots of bass, lots of drones, lots of sounds you’d hear creeping out of a Haunted House. Out next week, preview The Soft Moon’s EP here.
-Justine Fields & Whitney Phaneuf
