“Not But For You, Bunny” begins with a thin guitar playing a sort of half-realized funk rhythm before drums come in with a mid-paced bounce, a dance beat but slowed down. It’s a standout track from Sidney Gish’s 2017 album No Dogs Allowed and a prime example of the musician’s effortless bedroom pop arrangements. Without losing the pulse and fun of pop music Gish simplifies and reinterprets, like cartoon drawings of everyone you love. See her at Baby’s All Right tonight (06.09) for a Northside Festival presented by Double Double Whammy, Grlmic, and Terrorbird Media Gish will be joined by similarly-minded artists Free Cake For Every Creature, Orion Sun, Yowler, GABI, and Michelle Blades. – Cameron Carr

If there’s a turn of phrase we kind of detest here at The Deli is "taking the scene by storm." It’s one of those generic prefab sentences that ring insincere. But then again, sometimes, some bands do that – kind of rare, but it happens, right? And sometimes, on a hot day like today, being lazy is kind of inevitable. So… yes! Brooklyn’s Bodega are taking the NYC scene by storm with their blend of post-punk and pop and their super-fun live shows. That, and their somewhat familiar name, are the main reasons why they are on the cover of the new, spring 2018 issue of The Deli! 

The issue, our 54th NYC one, is now up online and you can read it here.

It’s an issue linked to the biggest event for musicians we’ve ever organized, which will host a Stompbox Exhibit, a Synth Expo and a Vintage Guitar Exchange in a Bushwick art gallery called Absurd Conclave – hope to see you there!

The Folks at The Deli NYC

Drinker’s “Follow” is the train-riding, solo-walking, last-hour-of-a-long-flight soundtrack you have been waiting for. It has a transportative element, a mellow, continual feel of slowly traveling to an eventual goal. Producer and composer Ariel Loh achieves this by layering singer-songwriter Aaron Mendelsohn’s soothing vocals over looping electronic beats and synth pads you can get lost in. It’s a yearning, earnest, repeating plea by Mendelsohn: “If I can make you follow / I think that we might find our way.” “Follow” is the first single from their forthcoming album, and if this track is any way a preview of things to come, Drinker is definitely one to keep an ear on. – Lily Crandall

Rachel Angel’s Not Enough EP, released in April of this year on Human Noise Records, is full of folky lo-fi recordings, calm tracks that play like warm cups of tea and morning sun. The EP’s three songs (it also includes a demo version of the title track) aren’t necessarily subdued, but Angel’s focus is on subtler, internal emotional tension. Her new video for “Not Enough,” directed by Olivia Mertz, fits perfectly into that aesthetic with a grainy VHS style quality, following Angel through a day that’s charming, if marked by brief discomforts. There are autumn leaves, bagels, and some reading in the park, all of which Angel’s music seems meant to soundtrack. Watch the video for “Not Enough” below. – Cameron Carr

Every year, emerging artists flock to Brooklyn for Northside Festival — the annual showcase that also happens to be New York City’s longest-running music and innovation festival. Starting on June 7, the festival will be celebrating its tenth anniversary with events scattered across Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick. With over 300 bands performing (many simultaneously,) creating a schedule of shows can be quite overwhelming. That’s why The Deli NYC is here to help out! Below is a list of some of our critic’s picks, a multi-genre and multi-venue selection of NYC-based artists including everything from the jangly garage rock of El Silver Cabs to the R&B of Gemma. Still can’t decide where to go? Stream a playlist of the artists’ top songs below. – Lilly Milman (Pictured, a photo of El Silver Cabs by Jeanette D. Moses)

Thursday, June 7
Gemma @ Elsewhere Roof, 7 pm
Peaer @ Knitting Factory, 8 pm
The Rizzos @ The Gutter, 10:40 pm
El Silver Cabs @ The Gutter, 11:20 pm

Friday, June 8
Madam West @ Pet Rescue, 8:30 pm
Buck Meek @ Rough Trade, 9:05 pm
Ben Pagano & The Space Machine @ Little Skips, 9:30 pm
Def.GRLS @ Little Skips, 10 pm

Saturday, June 9
Huck @ Trans-Pecos, 1:15 pm
Lola Pistola @ Knitting Factory, 1:45 pm
Anna Altman @ Trans-Pecos, 9 pm
Belle-Skinner @ Gold Sounds Bar Stage, 9:30 pm
Bodega @ Our Wicked Lady, 9:30 pm
Human People @ Trans-Pecos, 9:45 pm

Where much live band Hip Hop too often falls prey to the Jazzmatazz school of composition, Poetic Thrust utilizes inventive musicianship to distinguish themselves.  Sumptuous soundscapes provide lift and shimmy to MCs Yoh the Shaolin and ENxVE the Nameless Vagrant’s virtuosic lyricism.  It would be remiss to consider the group devoid of jazz influence altogether.  However, rather than falling into the easy trap of “writing samples” where many groups merely affect the loop style of early Hip Hop production, Poetic Thrust creates music worth sampling.  You can sample their most recent WATER ep here. – BrokeMc

Earlier this year, The Deli SF had the pleasure of premiering the single “Doctor’s Doctor” from San Francisco’s jangly psych outfit Locus Pocus. Now, the five-piece is back — but this time, with a full-length, self-titled LP, which The Deli SF is happy to be premiering once again.

Collectively, the band explained: “Locus Pocus (originally titled Cool Color Happiness) is about finding meaning and wellness amidst feelings of isolation and doom.” Although the same psychedelic side that appears in earlier releases comes out in tracks like “Game To Lose” and “Cool Color Happiness,” others — like opening track “Getting Creepy” or the central “Big White Car” — set a decidedly more punk tone for this apocalyptic record (note: the release date, June 6 at 6 a.m.) This fast-paced, frenzied release is a very welcome surprise from a band that has already managed to create a name for itself in the Bay Area scene. Locus Pocus will be playing an album release show at Cafe du Nord on June 29. – Lilly Milman

Stream the record in its entirety below, before it becomes available on all streaming platforms later today.

Any fan of Vampire Weekend or The Black Keys will recognize and enjoy the dance-friendly, angular indie pop of The Happy Fits. The trio of Jersey-based youngsters have released their latest single "Grow Back" (streaming), a song that will appear on the band’s upcoming debut record Concentrate, out this June. "Grow Back" is a hard-driving track about a character named Mrs. Mae who is trying to escape a lobotomy by using a pair of scissors she snuck into her pocket. Musically, it packs more of a punch dynamics-wise than previous singles "Best Tears" and "Achey Bones", also included in the upcoming LP. A music video for "Grow Back" is on its way, but in the mean time you can catch the band live at The Saint in Asbury Park on May 28th.. – Will Sisskind

On their debut EP Minimum Frowny, the San Francisco-based trio Meant to Bend make the unpredictable accessible. Each track attests to the band’s impeccable musicianship, making heavy use of key changes, frantic guitar licks, and intricate harmonies. From the wonderfully crunchy punk sensibilities of “With the Slope” to the earnest and emotional “Crystal Intent,” Meant to Bend cram in something for everyone in a span of only four tracks. With this project, Nathan Driver (percussion,) Gaku Kelliher (bass/vox,) and Aamir Mauladad (guitar/vox) have beautifully reimagined post-punk, leaving listeners with just one question: When’s the full-length LP coming out? Stream the full EP below in preparation for their show at Milk Bar on June 6. – Lilly Milman

Northside Festival is on its way, which means yet another chance to catch all of Brooklyn’s quirky, up-and-coming, and unique acts playing at just about every venue between Greenpoint and Bushwick. At The Gutter on June 8th — the festival’s third evening — you can catch Nighttime, the melodic folk act of Eva Louise Goodman. The Vermont native released her latest EP back in 2015, but she’s kept busy gigging over the past few years in towns and cities across the States and Canada. She continues to release music online; stream her track "Dreams", an example of her atmospheric explorations, below. Her Northside show will accompany a potpourri of other great Brooklyn artists on the same stage, including experimental synth act Painted Faces, darkwave composer Nick Skrobisz, grunge rocker Maneka, and the noise pop wonder of Mezzanine Swimmers. – Will Sisskind

It can be easy for artists who wield nostalgia and evoke their favorite records to get lost in the source material. Reminiscing with sounds that aren’t as widely popular as they used to be can hide flaws in their songwriting. Fortunately for Max Clarke, the driving force behind Cut Worms, he never finds himself mired in his influences. With his latest album Hollow Ground via Jagjaguwar, his songwriting feels refreshing, yet comfortable. The woozy guitars never become a hazy memory. The melodies never feel stolen. Modern production flourishes bring out the best of these songs as they glow with soft harmonies and ear-worm hooks. Despite sounding like songs heard millions of times, Hollow Ground still finds time to surprise. Songs like “Hanging Your Picture Up to Dry” offer a jangly take on Midwestern folk while “Cowards Confidence” is tinted with psychedelia. Clarke’s finely tuned songs can be heard at Industry City Courtyard 1/2 on Thursday, June 14. You can listen to the single “Don’t Want To Say Good-Bye” below. – Tucker Pennington

Although singer-songwriter Rae Isla has yet to release a debut album or EP, the video for her single “Just Because” has already made the rounds on MTV Latin America, making her an artist to watch. Her Ellie-Goulding-style vocals beautifully tell a story of a deep love: “Now I know why Lennon said / Love is all you need.” "Mexico,” backed by Latin-inspired guitar and drum beats, has a similar flavor and transports you to a summer night on the beach.  She is definitely one to keep an ear on, don’t miss her upcoming performance at Mercury Lounge on June 6th. – Lily Crandall