THE DELI

This Saturday, in support of restoring the Baltimore Book Thing to its former, unburnt glory, you can catch a killer charity show at Peabody Heights Brewery starting at noon. In what will practically be a small music festival, you can rock out to some of Baltimore’s best and hottest bands of today. Tickets are $12 in advance here and $15 at the door. Go listen to some good tunes for a great cause to kick off your Memorial Day weekend.

Having just landed their recent EP on Spotify and iTunes, The Milestones will be sharing their beautiful alt-dance tomorrow. Playing a rash of shows in DC and Baltimore, this foursome features very talented performers and they know how to hypnotize your feet into a might fine dance. Be sure to see Sun Club‘s performance, as they’ve been mixing up their live show lately, experimenting with some Animal Collective-style atmospheric noise rock. They’ve recently shared the stage with the likes of Ra Ra Riot and PWR BTTM, so you know they have jams worth hearing. Bringing in some hot, spaced-out funk is Greasy Hands, a quartet that blends soulful riffs and synth-heavy key action into a merry-go-round of sound, making you move and dance along. Many more artists (too many to list here) will be also playing to support a meaningful fixture in the Baltimore community, so get out there! -Jonathan Goodwin

Bpston songwriter John Shakespear cut his teeth playing in a number of Boston-based bands. His debut EP No Wires, released in March 2016, features a lighthearted and warm approach to songwriting, and blends together sounds from indie folk, soul, and rock and roll. The track “Settle In” off his debut EP is a slow, quiet piano ballad, while the opening track “Craigslist” is a breezy acoustic song that tackles Shakespear’s young life as he sings about MTV, lunchables, and being raised in the suburbs. His intimate songs seek purpose in life, and examine the different ways we pursue it – companionship, work, and foreign places. Shakespear will be playing at The Plough and the Stars on June 9th. Check out his track “Craigslist” below.

Here’s our usual, "blurbless" appointment with tracks recently released by NYC based artists that are either "not so emerging" (but also not so famous!) or have already been covered a lot in the past in ths very blog, enjoy!

Read our past coverage about these artists here: Homeboy Sandman (pictured), Mutual Benefit, Olga Bell, EMEFE

In ‘Somebody to Anybody,’ singer/songwriter Margaret Glaspy resolves to live outside others’ expectations (‘I don’t want to be somebody to anybody, no…’), and sounds about as confident in this statement as anything she’s released to date. The song is an appropriate introduction to the Brooklyn-by-California artist. At once hard-edged and intimate, jarring and softly sweet, the girl-next-door and a growling tempest, it’s a losing task to try and tie Glaspy’s pristine talent to any predictable expectation. Faster and sunnier single "Emotion and Math" (streaming) is another example of Margaret’s ambivalence, right from its title.

Considering that she’s moved in short order from participation in fiddling competitions in California, to playing crunchy folk jams in Boston, to the New York-based set you’ll soon hear from her debut full-length ‘Emotions and Math,’ (ATO Records), it’s immediately apparent this is an artist that doesn’t settle – neither geographically nor artistically. Margaret Glaspy will be touring as Lucius’ opening act this summer, but you can catch the artist when she plays at Baby’s All Right on Sat, June 18th, and get the new record when it’s released from ATO Records (also home to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard!!!) on June 17th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best rootsy songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Austin-based dream-pop trio Pale Dian, set to release their debut album Narrow Birth on June 3rd via Manifesto Records, offers whirling melodies and glowing textures reminiscent of unforgettable dream-pop acts such as Cocteau Twins and Lush, although they often enjoy adding a peculiar touch of dissonance to their tunes. Earlier this year, the trio released “In A Day” (streaming below), the first single off their upcoming album, characterized by a uber-celestial melody and big choruses featuring wall of guitars borrowed from shoegazer. Their latest single “Pas De Deux” (also streaming) strips down their sound leaving behind the fuzz of their previous single, and creating an equally mesmerizing atmosphere that allows lead singer Ruth Ellen Smith’s echoey vocals to exert their haunting magnetism. After playing a record release show for Narrow Birth at Swan Dive on June 3rd, the band will be on tour through the end of July with Ringo Deathstar and Stargazer Lillies on select dates. – John Honan

The marching bass guitar and drum pattern driving Ula Ruth’s lead track “Misery” from their latest EP “Fever” shares a bond with The Pretenders’ “Mystery Achievement,”  reaching that delicate balance between media friendly sound quality and the edginess found in the best rock songs. A big defined hooky chorus reveals an existential dread with the lyrics “Misery you always follow me. Every open door I see your face.” After spending the better part of a year working on their latest effort at Tarquin Studios (Interpol, The National, Local Natives), the band emerged today with their third EP ‘Fever‘, which was released on May 24th through a performance at Rough Trade. Combining new song ideas with savvy recording studio personnel facilitated their evolution from punk rock’s rawness to a more widely accessible sound. Stand by for upcoming shows. – Dave Cromwell