Simple, droney guitar chords, bare-bones drums, and alluring siren vocals combine into a power trio called Widowspeak. This new Brooklyn based band sounds like Kim Deal doing lead vocals on some kind of twangy psych rock. If that’s not enticing enough, their slower numbers (see embedded song) sound like Deal doing a guest shot on The Velvet Underground. And – by the way – yes, we did have a crush on Kim when we were teenagers, didn’t you?
The band has a string of interesting shows coming up: they will be opening for Crystals Stilts and Beach Fossils at 285 Kent on 02.18 (tonight), play Mercury Lounge with Teenage Stride on February 20th, and Glasslands with Dirty Beaches, Yellow Fever on March 3rd. – Michele McManmon

River City Extension formed in New Jersey coffee shops around lead singer Joe Michelini. They are a band that appeals as much to the studio-quality audiophile as to the live music party animal with a tight live show, complete with a horn section. Having this much musical variety is a rarity in pop music today and sets the band apart with its instrumental prowess. The band has a vast array of different instruments but does not play them just to be different they all fit in well with the ensemble and are almost all played with a level of virtuosity. – Read Alex Borsody Interview with the band here.

Translations have a penchant for the sounds of 60’s pop and psych, as well as a healthy affection for classic R&B and soul. They’ve managed to merge these elements with the more modern sounds of reverb-soaked, lo-fi garage rock, and the results are impressive. “The Wanderer,” off the band’s recent EP (and not a cover of the Dion song), boasts a slinky bass line and crooned vocals, a hazy layer of organ, propulsive drum claps and a chorus laden with enough “oohs” for everyone to feel comfortable singing along to. “Tarantella” is a bit more out there, but no-less infectious waxing and waning like a lost early Velvet Underground demo. Translations formed about a year ago and have already managed to garner some local blog praise, with more to come after the release of two new singles early this year. – Read Bill Dvorak Q&A with the band here.

Luke Rathborne is just 22 years old and already knows what it feels like to be tired after a long night of drinking and other regrettable affairs, knowing he’s gotta pick himself up to do it all over again the next night. Hailing from the deep woods of Brunswick, Maine, his voice occupies a wide range of sparse and haunting settings; from sad bastard bar ballads to whispy folk tunes, he succeeds in turning otherwise stubborn melancholy to the kind of comforting intimacy I used to go to Elliott Smith to find. His wispy tenor is so effortless, Rathborne has no difficulty complimenting a very wide pallette, which can sometimes make his thread a bit difficult to follow, but that’s part of the fun that comes with discovering a new artist. You can expect something for anyone needing a shoulder to cry on when his debut double-E.P. Dog Years comes out March 8 on Dilletante Records. He’ll also be leaving for a London tour on the 21st of this month, so now’s the time to see him in an intimate, local space. Luke Rathborne performs at The Living Room Feb 18 @ 7pm. – Mike Levine
Luke Rathborne: Dog Years

Influenced musically by acts like Death Cab for Cutie, Pinback, Modest Mouse, and the Shins, No Wine for Kittens is an emerging NJ based rootsy pop band that also features a storytelling aspect similar to Bright Eyes or Bob Dylan. The band won the 2009 Asbury Music award for top indie rock, and have recently had their music featured in the short film "Falling to Pieces." – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Screens seeped into existence in early 2009, after Washington, D.C. defectors, drummer Andrew Becker (Dischord Records’, Medications) and vocalist Breck Brunson (psych-sludge purveyors, Apes) hooked up with keyboardist, Daniel Roland Tierney (San Francisco’s The Mall) and guitarist, Luke Kozikowski in New York City. The band plays dark, frantic and tense post punk with influences ranging from industrial music to The Cure’s "Pornography" period, with an underlying psychedelic approach. Distorted drums, an organ that sounds more like a Farfisa than a Hammond and Brunson’s filtered, falsetto vocals give this band a very recognizable signature sound, that make them a welcome addition to the NYC scene. They are playing at Glasslands in NYC on 02.18, this might be an interesting show. Their debut album "Dead House" will be released on May 17 on Delicate Recordings.

The members of Brooklyn’s Madison Square Gardeners have a long pedigree as backing musicians for artists like Ben Kweller, The New York Dolls and Jill Sobule, to name a few. They are about to release a new EP entitled "Teeth of Champions" (out on 03.15) which continues their output of twangy pop/rock tunes in the tradition of the best Tom Petty or Bob Dylan post 70s. The band just finished a Midwest run w/ Drivin’ & Cryin and hit The Rock Shop in Brooklyn on Feb 24th before March dates to and from SXSW.

Madison Square Gardener: Innocent

Will the new decade see a resurgence of the electric guitar based sound? A simplified look at the history of rock music in the last 4 decades might hint at that possibility: 70s = punk guitars, 80s = new wave keyboards, 90s = indie rock guitars, 00s = avant-indie samplers 10s = …guitars back in fashion?!). If this prediction is correct, NYC’s Darlings might find themselves in a comfy spot: their sound offers a pure garage rock sound in the form of melodic pop gems at times reminiscent of The Strokes ("Eviction Party") or Pavement ("Big Girl"). The band will release a new EP ("Warma") via Famous Class Records on March 15. Go check them out live at Shea Stadium on 02.16 – they have a fun live show.

Lifeguards is the new project led by (now NYC based) Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard of Guided By Voices. The duo had already worked together outside of the GBV realm (under their own names) on the 1999 "Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Dept". This is their 2nd record as Lifeguards, following "Mist King Urth", released in 2002 on Pollard’s own Fading Captain Series. In 2010 Pollard and Gillard reconvened for the first time since the end of GBV in 2004 to create this follow up, entitled "Waving at the Astronauts". Gillard wrote and recorded 10 instrumentals at home then sent the finished compositions off to Pollard who added melodies and lyrics. In May 2010, Pollard recorded his vocals with Gillard and Travis Harrison at Serious Business Music in NYC where drums and overdubs were added and the record was mixed. The album can be streamed in its entirety here.

DC’s funky "yacht-rock"ers Poor But Sexy have finally unleashed their debut onto the world today. Let’s Move In Together is packed with hooky jams that they’ve described, "sounds like R. Kelly traveled back in time to become Steely Dan’s front man circa 1977." What? This we’ve got to hear.

And PBS is made up of very familiar faces amongst the DC post-punk scene. Like Singer David Brown and bassist Brandon Kalber who met playing in the punk-funk band Travis Morrison Hellfighters.  Guitarist/Producer Jason Caddell rocked out with the Dismemberment Plan for 10 years. Keyboardist David Durst also composes punk-chamber music for Anti-Social Music. And drummer Bruce Falconer moonlights as an investigative journalist.

Check out the studio-filmed video for "Cherry Delicious" below and check them out live at the Black Cat on Feb. 27.

Richmond all-girl punk trio, The Two Funerals, are back in business! It’s been a few years since their last release, Tell Yr Story, but the band has finally posted the title track from their upcoming EP, Boy’s Club (Rorschach Records), available for free download. This record seems to pick up where the last 7" left off, forging highly aggressive street-punk with moody, post-rock interludes and lyrics that drive home The Two Funerals’ commitment to feminist rights in the 21st century, especially within the music industry and band scenes. "Boys Club" (the song) ends with the line, "Are we a band yet?", a confrontational statement that demands artistic recognition. In the wake of the late Sleater-Kinney there is still plenty of room for a strong feminist voice in the punk scene and The Two Funerals have plenty of talent and passion to grow into it.

Check out their newest release here.

–Jarrett

Former Deli Artist of the Month, Danni Rosner, has been keeping busy! After recently playing a show at the Urban Outfitters headquarters in Philadelphia she’s now heading on the road for a mini-tour of shows at Free People department stores. The dates are:

2/20 – FREE PEOPLE – 2-3PM
2925 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

2/20 – UNIVERSAL BAR – 8PM
4093 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood CA 91602

2/26 – FREE PEOPLE – 2-3PM
99 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012

3/19 – FREE PEOPLE – 2-3PM
524 Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78703

I recently talked about the future of collaboration between independent artists and the fashion industry in my interview with U.S. Royalty. Could this be a whole new path to musical recognition in the wake of the crumbling 20th century music industry? You should leave your thoughts in the comments. Don’t be shy!

If you can’t catch Danni at one of the Free People shows, you should still keep an eye out for the upcoming release of a video for her song, "On My Way." The teaser is below.

–Jarrett