NYC

Coasting celebrate CD Release at Dead Herring on 09.11

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There is a charming element to the music of Brooklyn’s Coasting. A two female outfit that marries clean surf guitar and crisp drum sounds to insistent reverberated vocals. "Snoozefest" is anything but, as the spirit of early B-52’s (think "52 Girls") is modernized to align more closely with the current purveyors of this sound (Best Coast and The Dum Dum Girls). "Same Old Same Old" ramps up the drum rolls as clean echo-tinged guitar lines lead it up to a full blown cathedral chorus. "What You Wanted" skewers the sound down tremolo twisted avenues, as the vocal sentiment states that "I never wanted to – do you what you wanted to me." Yeah, girls can be cruel sometimes. "Just because you do it to me, doesn’t mean I’ll do it for free," is both playful wordplay and negotiable terms. "Don’t Fight" lays out the rhythm via Mo Tucker tom thump as a spatially enhanced single guitar line glides over top. The lyric "snows fallin’ down, and I don’t wanna fight tonight" shifts in and out of focus in cascading patterns. It then builds Jesus & Mary Chain style to a dramatic high point and ultimate conclusion. The band plays their record release show at Dead Herring in Brooklyn on September 11. – Dave Cromwell

NYC

Dead Heart Bloom – upcoming release + Live at Spike Hill on 09.17

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New York City’s Dead Heart Bloom are much sweeter sounding than what their name suggests. Their freshest release, “Strange Waves” channels British Invasion tenor, psychedelic auras, and folksy roots. “Someday Will Not Come Again “ opens the record with dreamy countermelodies that flow together and transition into the cheery guitar bends of “Sentimental Cure.” Twinkling piano lines undulate through the lullaby-like “Meet Me,” “Don’t Worry For Me,” and operatic “Fall.” Title track “Strange Waves” showcases wistful vocals and exotic horn flair, which is followed by the enchanting “Some Will Rise.” The serene acoustic guitar strums of “Another Mistake” relax listeners and flower alongside operatic vocals on “Fall” and delicate woodwinds on closer “Love Will Have It’s Day.” Dead Heart Bloom will be back in Williamsburg on September 17 at Spike Hill. – Meijin Bruttomesso

NYC

Weekly Feature #215b: The Shivers – Live at Rockwood, 08.26

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When I first heard The Shivers I knew instantly how important they would become to me, how they would challenge my perception of rock music, of what is regarded as innovative, new and original. This band can cross genres, have classic love songs, bitter angry ballads, mix experimental electronic sounds with Velvet Underground/Bruce Springsteen references and still possess a clear and iconic identity. Their identity and sound is direct and attacking, although delivered through the most subtle and at times gentle love songs. The vocals of their lead singer Keith give them that unforgettable identity. His voice, character and on stage performance is a striking combination that has won the hearts of the small amount of fans that have been lucky enough to catch one of the bands as of yet infrequent shows. – Read Ed Lovelace Q7A with the bands here.

NYC

Weekly Feature #215a: Shayna Zaid – Live at Rockwook, 08.21

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With recent participation in the SXSW festival and the Deli’s Best of NYC Fest, Shayna Zaid and The Catch are a hunble bunch with a welcoming stage presence.  Having only played together a short while prior to their first show as a band (Yan had joined only a week before), Shayna Zaid and The Catch describe their first live performance as a phase when they “were still trying to find our individual place in the big picture, yet, there was a certain magic there, and we all felt it, like we were somehow meant to meet and play together.”  Upbeat and fun, the ambitious band keeps upcoming projects top secret but shared some inside details about performing in New York City and the meaning behind their poetic lyrics. – Read Gina Alioto’s Q&A with Shayna here.

NYC

Matt and Kim to release new single on 08.31

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Matt and Kim, probably the most successful band to emerge from the NYC DIY scene, will release "Cameras", the first single off their upcoming third full-length album, out this fall via FADER Label. Recorded in Atlanta, GA with producer Ben Allen, "Cameras" will be Matt and Kim’s first new original music since the sophomore album Grand. For a vintage Deli interview with the band (dated 2007) go here.

NYC

Video we missed: Reni Lane’s “Place for Us” – Live at Pianos 08.26

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We haven’t covered orange redhead Reni Lane in a loooong time, and at some point we must have missed the release of her new album "Ready" and of the videos of her single "Place for Us". Yes, ladies and gents – the lady has 3 videos for that song. We posted the grungier one because we are grungy indie lads. Since we last covered her, she has also signed to Motown/Universal (which may explain the budget for the triple video) – who is obviously investing long term on this talented and cute emerging NYC singer. Those who like like rocked-up mainstream pop (and redheads) might want to go to her show at Pianos on 08.26.

NYC

Hesta Prynn ends tour with Tegan & Sara + releases new material

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Singer/Mover/Shaker Hesta Prynn (formerly in the all girl hip hop band Northern State) has kept pretty busy lately: she put out an EP called "Can We Go Wrong" + an accompanying 7" called "Pepper" which features a cover of a Butthole Surfers song in collaboration with Clown from Slipknot. She also found the time to tour Europe with Tegan & Sara. Plus, she has a couple of upcoming DJ gigs in NYC. The material – recorded with producer Chuck Brody – bears a definite rock edge (we dig!), check it out here.
 

NYC

Small Black gives away free mp3 + release album

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Noisy electro-poppers Small Black‘s first full-length album New Chain will be released on Oct. 26 in the U.S. and Oct. 25 in the U.K. under Secretly Canadian. The band has released a free mp3 of the first single, entitled "Photojournalist" (streaming here). The band will perform live in NYC at a Todd P curated event at the Monster Island Basement in Brooklyn on 09.17.

NYC

Anamanaguchi release single + write videogame soundtrack

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8 bit powerpop band Anamanaguchi does for video games and pizza parties what the Beach Boys did for cars and surfing. Though a hacked NES cartridge makes up the skeleton of their music, this is filled out by a full rock band – drums, bass, guitars – and performed by vintage videogame nerds hidden under sexy haircuts. The band’s singles are available for free and feature unique art from different artists for each one. The second single (My Skateboard Will Go On) and b-side (Rainbow in the D4RK- Das Racist Remix) was released a couple of weeks ago – you can direct your internet over to their singles page here to listen/download. All the stickers on the site are movable so feel free to play around with them while you’re there (oh… did we mention they are a little nerdy?). In addition the band has recently made all the music for the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World video game, being released by Ubisoft in conjunction with the new Michael Cera movie coming out this month!

NYC

Best of NYC #4: Dirty Projectors – Live at Terminal 5 on 09.11

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We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list for emerging artists (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).

Dave Longstreath has a reputation of being difficult to reach for an interview (although he did concede one to The Deli back in 2006) . I’d suggest nailing jello to a wall would be an easier task than getting the Dirty Projectors front man to sit down for a one-on-one chat. The few who have managed to snag him find him incredibly guarded, giving short, snappy answers. “The band are not doing interviews right now,” the e-mail from the bands PR people when approached about this piece. That’s in contrast to the non-reply one usually expects when an artist isn’t interested, so maybe the point they’re making is deliberate. Point being that there are few bands in the world right now hotter than Dirty Projectors. They can afford to blow off the odd piece of promo, right?

Their 2007 release Rise Above, an album of songs by the band Blag Flag performed from memory, broke down a lot of walls for Longstreath and the revolving door of musicians he calls Dirty Projectors. High concept perhaps, but it brought critical success and a sizeable fan base to a band that had begun as a solo project from their main man’s freshman dorm room at Yale. The record combined the band’s experimental leanings with influences that ranged all over the map from Chicago soul to Nigerian afrobeat. In that respect, they can be thanked for paving the way for a certain Vampire Weekend.

Still, there was a certain feeling on the release of 2009’s Bitta Orcha that this is what the Brooklyn band’s seven year career had been building towards. Now signed to indie powerhouse label Domino, the album was a significant move away from their more experimental leanings and towards a more absorbable sound. What emerged was one of the most important art-pop albums in years. In essence Longstreath learned to put his own eccentricities to one side (2005’s The Getty Address was a concept album about musician Don Henley for example) and inject some playfulness to his sound.

Take the album’s most box-office moment and first single ‘Stillness is the Move’. It’s one of those rare moments in Dirty Projector’s back catalogue that sounds like a solo release. A magnetic riff dripping with African influence, some kitchen sink drumming and a soulful groove, it was easy to predict this one would be a breakout success. It’s perhaps a testament to the quality of Bitta Orcha then that it wasn’t left behind by the juggernaut success of its most potent song. There’s the nimble acoustic picks of the sickly sweet ‘Two Doves’, the psychedelic shrieks on ‘The Bride’ or the sprawling digirock-opus ‘Useful Chamber’, this was a record studded with highlights. A bona fide breakthrough made by the band.

Longstreath may continue to cut somewhat of an enigmatic figure. “It’s like I’m gradually putting something together where anything belongs, and it works,” said Longstreath in a rare interview, ironically given to Interview magazine. “I find a way to unify the different music I’ve written under a larger thing," he added. If this “larger thing” continues to grow into a stunning, vibrant collection of such fine records then his fans won’t mind remaining at arm’s length. – Dean Van Ngyuen

NYC

From the Deli’s Open Blog: Thomas Patrick Maguire

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"Corporation Town" is the new single from Queens singer-songwriter Thomas Patrick Maguire. Listeners have drawn comparisons to Nirvana and Elliott Smith, and his music was praised by New York Newsday as "utterly hypnotic." The new single is available as a green vinyl 7-inch record from www.weemaykmusic.com or as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon. A full-length album called TEMPER TANTRUMS CAUSE DELAYS is due in October. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).