Strange Shapes, formed in 2009, is a new Brooklyn based project delivering – as its name suggests – music that isn’t excatly "ordinary". Strong psychedelic influences referring directly to the early UK genre pioneers blend with a fully electric avant-pop approach reminiscent of Animal Collective, but with some added unpredictability that bears jazzy elements. The band will be opening for Delicate Steve at his CD release party on February 5th at Public Assembly. Check out the opening track of the band’s new EP "Star Charts" streaming here.

Led by Cat Power bassist Erik Paparazzi, The Paparazzi is a delightfully psychedelic pop rock project chock full of freewheeling melodies and lighthearted wordplay. This collective’s nine-track affair ROCOCO showcases a love for the soulful rock sounds of the 1960’s (“Hi”) with a discernible Beatles fetish and a drowsy indie rock sensibility (“My O My”). Instrumentally lush and boldly experimental, The Paparazzi makes quirky daydream pop that is fresh from the dryer soft and warm. www.seriousbusinessrecords.com -Mike SOS

DC’s own “rock-art with a singer-songwriter’s soul” 5-some, Left On Vermont, have released their debut EP Left On Vermont , and to celebrate, they’re bringing the party to the Rock & Roll Hotel this Friday 2/4. Right now, you can pick the EP up for free here. District Noise’s recent review says “Guitarist Eugene Lee’s boyish voice is reminiscent of folksinger Nicholas Altobelli; and the band’s violinist, Erin Weston, delivers baroque, haunting vocals that make Left On Vermont stand out from the crowd.” Also on the bill: DC’s indie-powerpop The Public Good, and Virginian alt-rock The Crash Takeoff. Doors @ 8:30 $10.

Congrats to the exuberant Portland champions of the Eastern European sound Chervona (in the picture) for winning our Portland Best of 2010 Fans’ Poll. The beloved revolutionaly orchestral combo preceded lo-fi psych rockers Archers and – to complete our podium in the name of variety – eclectic roots music deconstructors The Ascetic Junkies. Here’s the Fans’ Poll Top 10 – thanks to all the bands for spreading the word about it! The composite chart results (including the vote of our jury of scene makers) will be out later this week, so be sure to check back for the overall winners!

Artist   1 Chervona 2 Archers 3 The Ascetic Junkies 4 Radiation City 5 Priory 5 Redwood Son 7 Crown Point 8 Hello Electric 9 Deklun & Pace 10 Parson Red Heads

The Deli Staff

Congrats to The Apache Relay for winning our Best of 2010 fans’ poll. They are one of Nashville’s youngest and freshest indie folk acts, gathering nearly 1200 fan votes. They made huge strides in 2010 with their gorgeously rootsy release of 1988, as well as a rigorous regional touring schedule. They wowed the masses with numerous local shows as well, including opening for Dr. Dog at Live on the Green this past summer. They preceded melodic indie rockers The Great Collide and playful singer songwriter Madi Diaz. Below is the Fans’ Poll Top Ten, and thanks to all the bands for spreading the word about it! The composite chart results (including the vote of our jury of scene makers) will be out later this week, so be sure to check back for the overall winners!

Artist   1 The Apache Relay 2 The Great Collide 3 Madi Diaz 4 Kopecky Family Band 5 Andrew Belle 6 Resident Scout 7 Angel Snow 8 The Pursuits 9 Caitlin Rose 10 Blackfoot Gypsies

The Deli Staff

Congrats to alt rockers The Filthy Violets (in the picture) for winning our LA Best of 2010 fans’ poll. After a seriously tight race the band preceded atmoshperic pop songwriter Patrick Joseph and apocaliptic rockers Queen Caveat. Here’s the Fans’ Poll Top 15 – thanks to all the bands for spreading the word about it! The composite chart results (including the vote of our jury of scene makers listed here) will be out later this week, so be sure to check back for the overall winners!

Artist   1 The Filthy Violets 2 Patrick Joseph 3 Queen Caveat 4 Taylor Locke and The Roughs 5 Red Circle Underground 6 Dylan Trees 7 Incan Abraham 8 Tara Priya 9 The Mighty Regis 10 Baths 11 Mad Planet 12 He’s My Brother She’s My Sister 13 A House for Lions 14 The Smiles 15 White Arrows

The Deli Staff

There’s something special about Rioux – pronounced ‘ree-you’, the moniker of artist Erin Rioux – an audiovisual artist whose creative energy is almost too genius to have come from someone so young. It’s equally intriguing to pick up on the eclectic sounds in Rioux’s songs as it is to try and fathom the inspirations behind them. His debut full-length "Everything You Need Is Right Here" dropped on January 17th and each track has been such a special treat to the ears – some psychedelically trippy, some painfully romantic, and even some that sound like the Dirty Projectors playing around with an NES cartridge. But the most interesting aspect of Rioux is that he marries the music-listening experience with a visual one, making his shows especially captivating (read: trippy). We’re really excited for what this local Brooklyn artist has to offer in the future.
You can download a free track over at The Morning After Pills blog but really you should stream and purchase the entire album over at his website. We got ours on vinyl! – – Kristen Yoonsoo Kim

Brooklyn indie folk artist Ace Reporter (born Chris Snyder) spent one full year of his life, 2009, busy with the occupational side of being a musician without the music part. Frustrated, Chris set himself a quest: to write, record and post one song a day for the entirely of 2010 (a short blurb written by the artist about this project can be found here). As Chris says, "[The project] became a journey of my physical and mental state…It was something I poured myself into." Now that the threesixfive project is completed, Ace is releasing free EPs featuring various tracks from the project, from the quiet first title track Sleepyhead to the playful juxtaposition No Planes. The 5-track Sleepyhead EP is now available for free download here, the release party will be at Cameo on 02.17. – Leah Tribbett

I keep hearing The Caribbean’s music described as "Avant-garde" or maybe "Avant-Pop." Certainly, the title seems to fit the music on a lot of levels. There are raspy vocals recounting narratives that don’t quite go anywhere in that very postmodern kind of way, there are uncommon chord changes that can remind you of late 20th century orchestral music, there are drones and echoes and backwards guitars played and recorded on a mixture of modern and vintage equipment. But, to my ears, something about that "Avant-garde" label just doesn’t seem to quite fit. 

The term usually carries an implied context that what you are about to hear was written only for the enjoyment of other musicians, or at least for a well-trained ear. When I first heard The Caribbean’s music, that was not my impression at all. Instead, I found it relaxing and casually familiar in a way that makes me want to make a mix tape for a mid-summer evening on the beach. 

Certainly, if you take the time to really listen to their music, you will find layers and layers of complexity –  musically, lyrically and emotionally. But, The Caribbean has managed to produce music that both the thinking man’s musician and the casual music lover can appreciate together.

The band’s fifth album, Discontinued Perfume, is scheduled to be released by Hometapes on February 22. They’ve released their first single from the album, "Mr. Let’s Find Out," as a free download. The song was inspired by Leonard Bernstein. Or rather, by a New Yorker article on Leonard Berstein. Or rather, by the way that article made The Caribbean feel when they reflected on it. I know, I know. We’re slipping back into Avant-garde territory. But, don’t fret about it. Just relax, listen and pretend that winter is already over.

P.S. If the single teaser track isn’t enough for you, The Caribbean has also released a free-to-download 12 song, 8 year retrospective here. 

–Jarrett

The Caribbean – Mr. Let’s Find Out

The Brooklyn two-piece Argotec, consisting of rapper Alex Argot and producer/engineer Defpotec, combines forces to generate chaotic soundscapes heralding an imminent apocalypse. Defpotec engineers beats that blip with Squarepusher frenzy and honk like an ethereal goose born from one of Mike Patton’s recurring nightmares. Argot’s deep vocals plow through these rocky rhythms with staccato rants on all manner of topics from current political turmoil to personal emotional rants. Though Argot’s flow can be inconsistent at times, his style and charisma generally make up for it. The screamo influence paired with staunch independent hip hop ideology makes for an interesting if not bi-polar listening experience. Argotec is not dance music; however if your headphones need a good workout on your daily commute, it’s a worthwhile download. If you prefer the direct impact of a live performance instead, the band has a busy live schedule, check them out at Sullivan Hall on February 3rd. – BrokeMC

Robin Bacior is an emerging Brooklyn based singer songwriter we stumbled upon about one minute ago. We liked the simplicity, sincerity and tastefulness of this song and video. She is playing lovely Pete’s Candy Store on February 6, an appropriately intimate venue for this kind of music.

Warm Ghost (birth name Paul Duncan) play music best experienced in a dark, damp, basement setting after you’ve knocked back a couple or a couple too many, Duncan’s vocals sounding so dark and echoing that he very well could have railed lines off a vodocer with Ian Curtis. In embracement of our digital age, his songs feature electronic-based instruments such as sythns, drum machines, and processed field recordings, to create listenable, enjoyable, and even danceable (if you count languid head-nods and toe taps) soundscapes of our modern day. In collaboration with Oliver Chapoy, Warm Ghost will be releasing their EP Uncut Diamond (Partisan Records) ion February 15. Don’t miss their CD release party on 02.12 at Glasslands. – Katie Bennett