This show at Brooklyn Bowl could have very well been part of our NYC B.E.A.F. – Miniboone and Jangula were included in ourlatest Best of NYC Emerging Artists list (at #71 and #93) and Mainland (pictured, previously Mainland Fever) is a really good local act we covered a couple of times – they also made it into the L Mag’s "8 NY Bands You Need to Hear" issue this year. unfoprtunately you’ll all be busy attending our two official B.E.A.F. shows at The Knit and Glasslands though!!!

Unlike most of the blogs and music critics out there we liked the Luke Temple solo stuff more than his music with Here We Go Magic – proof is the fact that his debut CD "Snowbeat" was honored with our CD of the month back in 2007. Hence, we are thrilled to hear he’s back with a new solo effort entitled "Don’t Act Like You Don’t Care" under Western Vinyl. Evidently learning from the Here We Go Magic experience that refined production doesn’t necessarily help sell more records, Temple recorded this album in a few hours live with friends on a 4 track recorded. Of course, this new material sounds less produced, more raw, but not necessarily less sophisticated – even though some tunes are as folk as folk gets. As usual, Mr. Temple lends his melancholic and detached alto to beautiful melodies, but the songs here are more upbeat and luminous. All electronic ornaments present in the debut have disappeared, replaced by maracas, shakers and other ornamental percussions, leaving the acoustic guitars and drums in the spotlight.

I’ve noticed a consistent theme in much of Brooklyn’s music over the last decade. A rediscovery of ritual, where the music is meant to be understood as an event in and of itself. No external references or signposts needed. Bands like Animal Collective, Yeasayer and Tanlines have adopted this minimal, repetitive style as their own, reducing an internet’s worth of ideas to a tribal, almost religious "primalism."
Brooklyn’s Yvette channel this tradition, but they do it like badasses, carving out their tribal energy with religious devotion and knife-like intensity. Their debut self-titled EP is a primal meditation without all the psychedelic trappings. Making no apologies to analog originalists, their construction of LOUD, grinding, sawtooth synths is all digital; which works well for them. Yvette’s approach is so immediate, I doubt anyone will mind how they’ve built their saturated, washy textures. The same can be said of their vocal chants. Most of the time when duo Noah and Rick are singing, you really can’t make out any of the lyrics, but really… what does it matter? The way the earsplitting drums, laptops and vocals are thrown into the fire, the need for narrative detail is entirely discarded. The four songs on their EP weave an intense journey without using verses, hooks, or even chord changes to tell it, trading in these usual placeholders for a deeper sense of continuity… one droney shout at a time. In a town blanketed in beach bands, Yvette is a much needed wake-up call. Stream and purchase all tracks on their ">bandcamp, and see them play live as part of the Deli’s NYC Best of Emerging Artist Fest next Wednesday, May 25 at Glasslands. – Mike Levine

 

Some people can’t handle being rocked to their core. Many can’t handle it on a Tuesday night. Are you one of the chosen few? The brave, the proud, the probably unwashed may want to head to Electric Bowery on Tuesday (tonight) for a show involving Brass Knuckle Evangelists‘ rock’n’roll and and The Nuclears‘ certifiably loud and dirty brand of garage – these guys (in the picture) just released a full CD in April. (Unfortunately PISSER had to cancel.) Also featured will be burlesque by Go Go Army, a fashion show by Stella Zotis, and more things than I have the space for. (Check out Bowery’s website for more info.) Doors are at 8pm, $10. -allison levin

Illuminated on stage by projections of vintage Muppets and cult films, The Living Kills play echo-y, strong and plowing psychedelic rock’n’roll with simple variations and classic structure. They could be described as a version of The Velvet Underground with a little extra weight in the form of a bolder guitar and a more prominent organ – often replaced by droney strings on record. Last week, the band threw a celebration for the release of their newest album “Faceless Angels” at Public Assembly. The event was planned with readings, even a raffle, run and emceed by the lovely Jennifer Bassett, Living Kills keys player and co-vocalist. Their next show will be at Bar Matchless in Greenpoint on June 11. – Caitlin Clive

Mp3 – The Living Kills: "Wires of Copper"

Jeff Allyn Szwast’s avant-indie rock project Giving The Table A Name specializes in angular guitar progressions punctuated by thumping, crashing percussion, and vocals leaning towards the slithering and cerebral side. Titles like "epiglottis" and "harpies" may not make immediately clear what the intended subject matter is, and often parts of the lyrics are so distorted/quiet in the mix that entire sections can be made out by the listener – something that actually applies to a huge catalog of rock music. "Anything can happen now, I’d be too far gone to tell" is as good a lyric as any, but the band’s real focus is on creating atmospheric textures that flirt with ambient music and quality, vintage prog-rock of (think King Crimson rather than Yes). On one of our favorite tracks, "snowpack", a deeper, more bass-heavy guitar tone is incorporated. The voices are doubled in harmony for emphasis and depth. A bright tambourine takes the timekeeping duties, while tom toms are free to roam outside the structure. The band’s latest LP titled "Pillbug" is out now and can be purchased from a variety of sources. – Dave Cromwell

Free Mondays is a new live music weekly event at The Rock Shop in Gowanus) consisting in a series of free shows featuring some promising up and coming New York artists. The series started in May and hosted among others Ravens & Chimes, Murder Mystery and Freak Owls. On May 23 (tonight) it’s the turn of Tiny Animals, Midnight Spin (in the picture), and Eiko (a band that apparently doesn’t have a website). – (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.

Michelle Casilla’s Ursa Minor was one of our latest more pleasant discoveries – see what we wrote about them a few weeks ago here. The band (comprised of incredible musicians who played among others with Norah Jones, Feist, Lounge Lizards and Bjork) will play a live preview of their debut CD at Joe’s Pub on May 24.

In her new EP "V the Volcanic", NYC electro diva KRISTEENYOUNG,  makes the epic out of the forgettable through an in your face brand of glam pop driven by her almost overwhelming soprano and energetic electro-pop beats. Sounding like an explosive cocktail of Kate Bush, Queen and Lady Gaga (the latter mostly for the over the top attitude) KY offers here a collection of songs that are all (but one) focused on supporting characters from classic films. "Fantastic Failure" and "I’ll Get You Back" are the stand-out tracks of the EP. The first one – also the EP’s single – is the one exception to the supporting character rule, focusing on Elizabeth Taylor’s 1963 Cleopatra, and featuring some impressive vocal work and a driving drum beat that gives way to the genius thought of the chorus: "fantastic failure’s more fantastic than mere success can ever be." "I’ll Get You Back" focuses on the Angry Apple Tree from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, and it is catchy and clever, featuring rapid-fire words spelled at you…almost the way your parents used to do when they didn’t want you to know what was going on around you – except this time you’re being threatened… watch out! KRISTEENYOUNG will be at Piano’s four times this June, the 7th, the 14th, the 21st and the 28th, giving you plenty of opportunities to live out small dreams with big results. –allison levin

Warning: French Horn Rebellion (a.k.a. Robert and David Perlick-Molinari) may cause uncontrollable running/dancing in place and the flailing of arms and legs that is equivalent to an aerobic workout. On Thursday May 26, they will be playing at Glasslands with Savoir Adore and Golden Pony, celebrating the release of their newest album "The Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion". Before starting the band, the Perlick-Molinari brothers were dabbling in opposite ends of the music pool. While Robert was playing French horn for the Chicago civic orchestra, David was producing MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” EP. So the story goes, it took a moment for the boys to wake up, come together to create FHR, and since then they have toured Europe, played with bands like Sleigh Bells, Cut Copy, and Hot Chip. So grab your headbands because you are about to hear plenty more from this duo. – QD Tran & Caitlin Clive. French Horn Rebellion place 41st in The Deli’s latest Best of NYC Emerging Aritsts poll.