The Deli’s Executive Editor – who is an unrepented power pop fan – used to remind me constantly about the fact that I abuse of the words "psychedelich" and "experimental". This is probably one of the reasons why I coined the term "Avant-Indie" for experimental-sounding rock bands – while I’m still looking for an alternative to the word "psych". It is a fact though that a lot of bands that move to NYC in search of recognition feature a psychedelic or experimental element in their sound – maybe that’s why I feel at home here. Australian duo High Highs, who recently relocated to NYC and added an extra element to the line-up, play a very mellow, acoustic brand of Dream Pop which will attract fans of Iron & Wine and our own Caveman. The band is currently working on their debut album, but you may want to check them out live tonight (June 10) at Glasslands.

(From Open Blog) D.C.’s premiere indie rock duo, The Grey Area, debuted the music video for their hit single “Ourselves” nationwide on The Vinyl District website the morning of June 7, 2011. The video received more than 500 hits its first day and is trending on YouTube. The debut marks the arrival of The Grey Area as one of the most dynamic new indie rock bands to come out of Washington, D.C. Since forming in 2010, the two-man duo has performed at dozens of local venues, at The Library of Congress, The Lincoln Memorial, and The 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival. The band has been featured in The Examiner.com and DCLiveMusic.com and headlined The Bitter End and Canal Room in New York. The Vinyl District selected The Grey Area as a band that press offices and PR agencies want you to be hearing. See www.facebook.com/thegreyareadc for more information and exclusive content.

Lucius put together one of the most impressive performances we witnessed at our latest Deli NYC B.E.A.F. show, demonstrating how traditional songwriting can be brought to an entirely new level with a little imagination in the arrangement and performance departments. These ladies can write good songs, sing beautifully, perform convincingly on stage, and put on a show at once emotional and powerful. If their upcoming album manages to recreate what we heard and saw at the Kniting Factory a couple of Tuesdays ago (something that currently can’t be found on their website), this band – in the near future – could have a lot of fun (and many new fans). Don’t miss their show at Mercury Lounge on June 11. – Read a Deli interview with the band from last year here.

 

John Emanuele and Richard Cupolo have been crafting their atmospheric brand of cinematic post-rock for over five years now. Forming under the collective name of The American Dollar, the duo could hardly have envisioned the economic hardships that would be suffered shortly after its establishment. But the irony of their name is that they truly seem to appreciate the value of a dollar bill, as evident in allowing their entire back catalogue available on a “name your price” basic. This is a collection that is quickly growing as 2010 alone saw the release of The American Dollar’s fine fourth album “Atlas,” an EP “Live in Brooklyn” and the second instalment of their “Ambient” series. According to Emanuele, the method has proved mutually beneficial to the band and their audience. – Read Dean Van Nguyen interview with the band here.

Smashing Pumpkins’ Jimmy Chamberlin’s new project SkySaw, a quintet comprised of members from Arlington, VA and Chicago, are releasing their debut Great Civilizations on June 21 through Dangerbird Records. We had a chance to preview the album on Record Store Day, and here’s what we dug about it.

Overall, every track exudes edgy prog-rock brilliance with dashes of psychedelia, which is most apparent in the first single "No One Can Tell." Trippy guitars are paired with steady drums and lyrics "no one can tell that I’m not listening to what you’ve been saying" that make it the stand-out ‘agressive mellow’ track.

"Serrated" is an alternative take on the classic hippy sound, with melodic interludes interrupted by cool bursts of blaring vocals and gorgeous guitar solos. And the title track "Great Civilizations" is another harmonic riff driven tune that sets the standard for this well rounded modern alt. debut.

Other recommended tracks: "Sad Reasons" and "Nothing’s Over Easy." Watch the video for the first single "No One Can Tell" below, and catch them live at the Black Cat on July 1. $13 9 PM