North Highlands‘ gently edgy debut "Wild One" has been one of the NYC records we enjoyed the most this year (you can stream it here). There’s something truly unique and adorable about lead singer Brenda Malvini’s voice – and the same can be said about her presence on stage. The band just launched this video for the single "Benefits". – Read an old interview with the band here, or check out the recent print feature on the pdf of the latest issue of The Deli (pages 26-27).

Snowmine impressed us at our flagship CMJ show at Pianos, where they opened for Caveman and The Stepkids. The band yesterday released a new track (available for streaming here) which they wrote and recorded in less than 48 hours. "Curfews" features a sound that’s dreamier than most of this band’s repertoire, enjoy it and don’t miss their next live performances at The Loft (Hoboken) on 11.18 and Cake Shop on 12.08. The band also premiered a new interesting video about their "found object" approach to recording here.

Stars Like Fleas member Shannon Fields debuts his new solo project Leverage Models at Union Pool on Tuesday, Nov 22nd, with a show that also features Soliders of Fortune and Colin Stetson. Under his new guise Shannon has already released two EPs showcasing his extravagant pop sound in Forensic Accounting and the slightly older Interim Deliverable, but the show is his live debut and a first chance for Shannon to interact with his following. Fields will be joined on stage by several noteworthy friends and well-wishers including Shannon Funchess from Light Asylum, Jason Trammell from Yeasayer and Warm Ghost’s Oliver Chapoy. Entry to the show is $8 and begins at 9pm. – Dean Van Nguyen

Here’s a video focused on the Occupy Wall Street protest by Brooklyn’s The Sweet Ones, a band that in this particular song sounds like The Clash would have if were they were born in Nashville. Their music is definitely appropriate for this kind of footage, not to mention the title of the song, "Kids at the Bottom". – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building and APS Mastering.

"CoCo Beware", the debut release of psych-pop quintet Caveman – who graced the cover of The Deli’s summer issue – is today available in stores through their own label Magic Man! Records / ORG Music. We have a hard time believing these guys had to self-release this fantastic record. The good folks at Other Music invited the band to perform an in-store show on November 22 – we’ll be there! In December Caveman will be embarking on their first West Coast tour. – Read the 27th issue of The Deli NYC (with Caveman on the cover) in pdf format here. Read the html feature about the band here.

Congrats to Many Arms for recently signing a deal with John Zorn’s Tzadik Records! Composed by some seriously skilled musicians who have toured and played with the likes of Marnie Stern, Nat Baldwin and Tera Melos among others, the Philly/NYC-based power trio plays a loud, aggressive blend of punk and free jazz, tied together with compositions that twist and turn through angular unison melodies and complex rhythmic patterns. The band has been around since 2007, and just announced that they will be releasing their 3rd full-length album in March 2012. Cheers!

New York-based garage/punk rockers Wyldlife exhibit their wild side on their recently released self-titled album. However, opening track, newly adapted into a music video, “City of Inbreds” demonstrates a more subdued and sweet side to the band, while maintaining outbursts of their characteristic rambunctiousness. “Dangerous" Dave Feldman sings and snarls, narrating the scenes of the band performing amidst mild debauchery, backstage shenanigans, and everything rock ‘n roll-related, from tattoos and alcohol, to girls (of course!) The quartet will be out and about in the coming months, playing the East Village’s Lit Lounge on December 2. http://www.myspace.com/wyldlife7 –Meijin Bruttomesso

Fast paced, progressive and a little punk rock, Brooklyn’s Old Monk is a sweet reminder of what indie rock should be. Josh Carrafa’s lyrics and guitar work are reminiscent of Julian Casablancas, minus the major record label drama. They do however have the potential to cross over to an enormous audience thanks to their organic infusion of progressive time changes and transitions. Ian Burns holds down the rhythm section with mathematic precision, making their tunes tighter than your jeans from way back in 1999. Old Monk has the fantastic ability to make you want to cry and thrash around the mosh pit at the same time — make sure to check them out live, they’ll have a record release in mid January and a Cake Shop residency in February. – Ed Guardaro

We’ve been waiting for this for a couple of years now… Model/rocker Lissy Trullie created quite some buzz in 2008 with her self-released debut EP "Self-Taught Learner", which helped her land on the Downtown Records roster. But then the first official release under the new label didn’t materialize as soon as we had hoped. Today her name finally reappeared in our inbox, accompanied by news of her debut album, scheduled for release in March 2012. Produced by John Hill (Santigold, M.I.A., Shakira) and David Sitek (TV On the Radios, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars), the record was entirely produced in LA, but from the velvety first single "Madeleine" her sound seems to retain a very NYC quality. Beside the obvious improvement in the production and songwriting departmentd, this song displays a more confident vocal performance compared to the EP – definitely an important sign.

Schocholautte is not a new cocoa-flavored serving from your favorite coffee shop, but a rather mysterious band from Brooklyn whose name we are not exactly sure how to pronounce. The band is aware that their name is kind of problematic (they bought the domain worstbandnameever.com) but here at The Deli we actually tend to like bands with hideous names – let us remind you that Buke & Gass was on our mag’s cover back in 2008… Schocholautte just released its debut full length "I Hate You", a lo-fi record about "coming of age in a time of emotional and economic unrest." Recorded in the band’s rehearsal studio in Gowanus on a laptop with an 8-channel mixer, the album features songs that have been buzzing around in the beer soaked basements and crappy venues of New York since 2007, when the project was formed. A gritty cloud of fuzz is the band’s common denominator here, dressing poppier tunes like "Panther Tattoo" and "Orange County" and more bluesy or folky episodes like "Spilled Milk" and "An Unpleasant Surprised". Schocholautte borrowed Violent Femmes’ upbeat enthusiasm, Guided By Voices’ casual melodies and Dinosaur Junior’s explosive guitar parts to concoct one of the most fun NYC records of the year so far. A band like this should play live every day at Brooklyn’s DIY parties – no shows scheduled???

It’s apparent when listening to self-proclaimed pop-revival band, The Well-Informed – who just opened for Crystal Antlers at Pianos on Wednesday – that they draw more than just inspiration from the 60’s and 70’s. Their sound is familiar, yes, but it is also inherently something altogether unique and evocative of the DUMBO art and cultural scene – which tends to shy away from the more experimental and often contrived sound generated in the Williamsburg area. Even if you’ve never been to Brooklyn, songs like “New York, We Love Her” are sure to take you there. But not peering through thick-lensed windows from the tail end of a coach — in a dream state on the threshold of consciousness, hovering just under the Manhattan Bridge, so slowly that you can’t help but take in the day-to-day essence of life “down under.”  If you missed The Well Informed at the Pianos this past Wednesday, don’t fret, you can catch them on December 20 at the Living Room. – Tuesday Phillips

Telekinesis recently released a new video for "Country Lane" from their latest album 12 Desperate Straight Lines, featuring footage of hi-jinks on their March tour, as well as live performance clips.  Telekinesis are wrapping up their year of touring including dates with the Love Language, Portugal. The Man, Deathcab for Cutie, and The New Pornographers. 

Telekinesis Tour (the end of):
Dec 6 Vancouver, BC  The Commodore Ballroom
Dec 8 Portland, OR  Crystal Ballroom