The early roots of rock and roll are on full display in NYC’s Screamin’ Rebel Angels sophmore album “Heel Grinder.” Out via newly launched Hey-Lo Records, the full-length is set for release on 1/24. Fronted by dynamic, flame haired, tatood and glamorous Laura Palmer, the band evoke in each of the 13 tracks of the record the sprit of Littile Richard, Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline . Lead single “Oh! My Soul” (streaming below) in fact covers the legendary (Little) Richard Penniman, infusing it with it an additional level of barrelhouse, juke joint boogie-woogie. The accompanying video features red-hot Laura and her equally alluring “conjurers” tapping into the spirit world via tarot cards, magic potions, ouija boards and adorable Chihuahau puppies! Deeper tracks touch on elements of rockabilly (“Hands Off,” “Iris”), early Sun Sessions era Elvis (“I Believe”) and a blusey stroll, torch song raveup (“Something on your Mind”). The band celebrate with a record release show at The Mercury Lounge on Friday, 1/25. – Dave Cromwell

There’s an immediate feeling of satisfaction when listening to the music of Oceanator, the Brooklyn-based grunge project of Elise Okusami, one bore in equal parts from the its crunch-heavy guitars as well as Okusami’s no-holds barred lyricism. Oceanator’s 2018 EP Lows is bolstered largely by Okusami’s unapologetic narrative as songwriter, where, over the course of five sun-drenched tracks, she broods over past pain on songs like “Not Around” and Mistakes.” Not all of Lows is an emotional catharsis however, with closer “Inhuman” being an open meditation on what it means to be human, providing a deeply essential ending to a short, albeit standout effort.

Oceantor plays Trans Pecos on February 9th, lending support to BRNDA, Maneka, and Patti. Stream their most extended play below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Self-described rock n’ chair band Credit Electric just released their new EP, “Red Glow” and it is a mighty feast for the ears. If by rock n’ chair they meant that these songs make you want to sit back with a cold one and let the intertwining guitars work their soothing Americana magic, they nailed their goal. Tracks are infused with the sway of a lovely steel guitar, Ryan LoPilato’s vocals are like a less cutesy version of Stuart Murdoch (we love you, Stuart) and title track “Red Glow” provides a platform for some killer folk jam serenades. Ah, let that cosmo electric vibe float in. Recorded at Doc Boyd Audio in Oakland, this EP is truly a refreshing taste off their forthcoming album. Oakland is lucky to have these folks and we’re ready to see them comin’ up next month. Their next show is February 6 where they open for Fantastic Negrito at Harlow’s. Next up, February 7th at The Ivy Room, with Ariel Wang, My Evergreen Soul and Coywolf. So much good to come! –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

While New York mourned the end of much celebrated DIY rock quartet LVL UP late last year, the months following the group’s dissolution have been marked by an uptick of activity among the solo projects of the band’s former members. Nick Corbo’s Spirit Was is one of those projects, one that carries the doom-laden distortion and wandering, esoteric lyricism that characterized some of LVL UP’s best work. And while split single “Golden Soul” feels as though it could be B-Sides from albums like Space Brothers or Hoodwink’d, Corbo’s added instrumental and vocal experimentation on “Olive Branch & Brown Dove” is a welcome addition to the city’s alt-rock tapestry, an expansion upon the oeuvre of his former group that continually becomes weirder, grittier, and more enigmatic in the best way.

Spirit Was will play Alphaville on February 8th, supported by Yours Are the Only Ears and IR Moody. Until then, stream “Golden Soul” below. –Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Branding oneself as a “psychedelic dub interpretation of Joy Division” is a move certain to raise eyebrows, but Brooklyn noise quartet Jäh Division’s take on the music of Ian Curtis is executed with a remarkable amount of confident experimentation and self-assuredness. While it’s not surprising that Jäh Division started as a joke between roommates Brad Truax and Barry London, a self-described “good smoke and a joke,” their nine-track LP Dub Will Tear Us Apart… Again is more than another sophomoric meme album. Truax and London, in collaboration with members of Oneida and Home, create spacey, discordant soundscapes throughout Dub that rely upon components of Joy Division’s music as a backbone while expanding outwards into something completely different; at face value their music is familiar in melody only, with their phaser-laden employ of the Curtis’ vocal lines from songs like “Disorder” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” but the end result is more indicative of the group’s respective electronic instrumental chops. While not for everyone, Dub Will Tear Us Apart is an interesting, defiantly different interpretation of post-punk made by and for those who crave New York’s weirdest sounds.

Jäh Division will play a record release show on January 26th at Secret Project Robot, supported by Mourning A BLK Star. Stream Dub Will Tear Us Apart… Again below. –Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)

Hola, peoples into emerging music!

The winter issue of The Deli NYC (our 56th!) is now up on the cloud (HERE), featuring glitch-soul luminaries altopalo on its cover!

The issue also tackles the current shift of everything cool from Brooklyn to Queens, and – as usual – highlights many local bands we dig (and their favorite gear).

There’s also a special about the NAMM show, which we will participate in with our own Stompbox Booth featuring tons of emerging pedal manufacturers!

Fresh Buzz and NYC Records of the Month sections are never skipped!

Look out for the print version, out at the end of the month.

The Folks at The Deli

There is nothing usual about the vocal powerings of Zelma Stone’s front woman, Chloe Zelma Studebaker. How do we mean that? There are the self-proclaimed modern influences of Angel Olson (we hear that), the haunting calls like Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick, some Kate Bush feels. This stuff is hard to find and there’s a blooming of those same types of lyrical and vocal strengths within this work, repackaged into a more modern type of dreamy folk with some touch-of-grunge rock. Tracks like “Light Bulb Boy” and “River” have surprising key-shifts, killer baselines, sexy drums and a smack of tamborine. Challenging, fierce and empowering. Let’s go see them tomorrow night, where Richshaw Stop hosts their album release party. January the 19th with an all female-fronted bill of Mayya & The Revolutionary Hell Yeah, Moon Daze and Mae Powell. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

“The Revolution”, a showcase of emerging local artists hosted by The National Sawdust, will be celebrating it’s 35th rotation with three engaging new voices in the New York music scene. Queen Esther conjures the melancholy of black Americana with her take on country; The Hornē Electric band approaches their compelling brand of funk with a combination of technical savvy, creativity and a sense of humor; headliner Mizan K balances complexly fractured beats with soothing soul vocals, creating music with which she seeks to let people “know they are not alone”. Three very different creators to be sure, but each reflects the diversity of backgrounds and specialties housed by the artistic hub that is New York City. “The Revolution: Vol. 35” will take place on January 26 at 10:00 pm – you can listen to a playlist of the featured artists below, and buy tickets here. – Sunny Betz

Former AOTM Jacques Le Coque, the Stamford-based four-piece, send a surge of electricity through the slacker rock genre. Their latest album Positively…, released on King Pizza Records, is an ode to classic rock and roll with kitschy song titles like "Getaway Car," "Roller Girl," and "I Only Want To Rock & Roll." The high-energy vocals, frantic guitar lines, and driving percussion on Positively… are the elements of garage rock greatness. You can almost feel the sweat of a live show on your face when playing through standout track "Crush" (streaming below) and the rest of the album follows suit. Jacques Le Coque will be heading to New Haven on January 25 to play at Cafe Nine with The Fleshtones. – Lilly Milman

“Both music and movies tell stories and when they come together to tell the same one, something magical happens” says All These Small Moments writer/director Melissa Miller Costanzo. “I used to love running out to buy the soundtrack to my favorite movies so I could relive the film over and over.  I could imagine the images that danced across the screen while a certain song was playing.  I hope the songs we’ve chosen here, along with the songs we’ve written, and the score we’ve created will take the viewer back again and again to a place where they felt something real”.

When embarking on the soundtrack for her debut film, Melissa plucked NYC composer Dan Lipton from the theater world (conductor of The Band’s Visit and The Last Ship by Sting on Broadway) to write an original score that would breathe additional life into the characters. Shortly thereafter, she recruited music producer Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bones of J.R Jones) to handle the music supervision and help find the perfect source music to not only compliment the story but to help shape it.  What ensued was a partnership between Miller and Newman taking them on a collaborative journey of the senses. The result was an indie pop rock retro-americana mashup, with a dash of 80’s and shoegaze thrown in for good measure. 

From the downbeat of the opening song “My Love Will Bring You Back” by Slow Runner (feat. Michael Flynn) the ear candy begins. Other featured tracks include Vermont troubadour Kris’s Gruen’s “Coming Down Around Me” which was co-penned by Miller- Costanzo for the film, Los Angeles’s Aloud contributes their 60’s inspired Beatlesque duet “Jeanne, It’s Just a Ride!” and NYC’s Tom Shaner contributes “Joe’s Airfield”. Other moments in the film are underscored by the Americana tones of Jaymay and Canadian darlings Birds of Bellwoods, while North Carolina’s Echo Courts and Jean-Luc add a healthy dose of garage rock and lounge vibes alongside New York City’s retro J-Pop group Gaijin à Go-Go. Lastly, David Sisko’s remix of the Cold Blood Club’s 2012 song “Down”, and Brooklyn’s Desert Stars add a modern sheen of 80’s electronica and lush shoegazey moments.

Dan Lipton’s indie folk score which is represented by 12 tracks on the album, was recorded live at Brooklyn’s Strange Weather studios with Lipton on piano, wurlitzer, mellotron, and an array of kalimbas and other accoutrements. The score features NYC musicians Mason Ingram (Cyndi Lauper, Bibi Bourelly) on drums and percussion, Logan Coale (Natalie Merchant, The National) on upright bass and Erik Della Penna (Joan Baez, Kill Henry Sugar) on guitars and mandolins.

The soundtrack album is being released on January 18th, the same day the film becomes available on demand.

Toronto based alt rock outfit Birds of Bellwoods have wasted little time making an indelible mark on Canada’s musical landscape, having amassed an impressive pile of achievements and accolades in a few short years on the back of their boisterous blend of anthemic alternative, folk, and pop music.  After getting their 2015 EP “The Fifth” into the hands of All These Small Moments producer Lauren Avinoam, it’s title track made it’s way to the ears of director Melissa Miller-Costanzo who found it’s fervent energy a perfect fit for her film.  

The soundtrack album is being released on Brooklyn’s Mother West label on January 18th, the same day the film becomes available on demand.

Known for their songwriting and vocal prowess, Boston founded Aloud made the move to LA in 2017 where they’ve been carving their name into the local scene. Led by vocalists/guitarists Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain, the group is rounded out by bassist Charles Murphy and drummer Chris Jago. According to the director Melissa-Miller Costanzo, Aloud’s song was one of her early picks for the film and with help of music supervisor Charles Newman, it was cut in across a few scenes to create the perfect fit.. The soundtrack album is being released on Brooklyn’s Mother West label on January 18th, the same day the film becomes available on demand.