THE DELI

Over the past couple of months Brooklyn’s DREAMERS has been climbing our emerging artists charts, and we wonder if vocalists’ Nick Wold’s new haircut has anything to do with it. Single ‘Wolves,’ which propelled their career forward, dates back to 2014 although it feels like it was recorded in the 90’s after some kids felt inspired by Rod Daniel’s Teen Wolf and all of John Hughes’ movies but only had their parents old camcorder to work with. With new single ‘Drugs’ (streaming) the trio pushes the sonic envelope in more-epic-than-ever directions, matching it with a video that, again, heavily references image-capturing devices: this time the semi-DIY ones found in our smartphones, which – not coincidentally – are the form of "drug" the song is about. Currently on a month long US tour, the band will return to NYC with a show on May 20 at The Studio @ Webster Hall. Check out this 2014 Deli interview with Dreamers.

Do you ever miss your days of teen angst, where every slight was a deep wound that only music could heal? No? Well, listen to Way Out and you will just get it. There is something nostalgic and analog in Way Out’s music, the way Knox belts out the vocals, the deep reverb of the bass pulsing slowly in the background as the guitar speeds jaggedly through the track. It’s reminiscent of early 80’s post punk goth scene – a little bit of The Cure’s brooding atmosphere with a pinch of The Smiths’ despondence, perfect for your gloomy days. Or happy days. Or completely average days. Sometimes you just need a little dark and gloomy in your playlist amidst all the bubbling pop of today and Way Out has that for you. Catch them at Great Scott on April 14 and take a listen below!

Twin Wave (a band we booked in 2013 for one of our a CMJ shows) just unveiled a new single, entitled ‘Matador’ (streaming) from their upcoming new EP ‘ Pour Out The Dark.’ The atmoshperic but uptempo track features Tommy Eichman’s sparse and measured production, and a sound that’s between the sophistipop of the ’80s (think Everything But The Girl) and the chilled wave of the new millennium. The trio will be celebrating the single’s release at Baby’s All Right on April 15th with Surf Rock is Dead and Ula Ruth.

The ladies over at Hypnocraft certainly got us hypnotized with this weekends lineup for the upcoming appointment of The Hum (the weekly, female-artists-only, collab night that The Deli sponsors) and it’s definitely not the first time., since it’s showcasing mostly local artists we ourselves love and have covered in this very blog.

At this week’s show on Sunday (4.10) the first pair kicking off the night is Casey Dienel (White Hinterland) alongside the lovely and talented ladies of Gracie & Rachel. With beautiful vocals and a keen ear for strong melodies we can almost hear the entrancing, orchestral performance from these gals already. Followed by Julia Easterlin and Hannah Epperson we can already hear a track built up solely by vocal loops and smooth violin chords, something sweet to get us dreaming. For the final performance we can expect to be enticed by solid drum progressions and synth ambiance courtesy of Dani Markham (Tune-Yards), Maia Friedman (UNI IKA AI) & K. Marie Kim (BLANK PAPER).

So stroll on over to Manhattan Inn this Sunday, April 10, for some some great performances in a cozy and intimate environment!

Hailing from The Bronx and led by Spires’ drummer Carter McNeil, Ghost King plays muddy fuzz rock brightened by unexpected chord changes, psychedelic overtones, and a ’90s rock inspired lo-fi production that blends the fun attitude of Violent Femmes, the stellar songwriting of The Pixies and the slacking tendencies of Pavement. Early psych rock influences emerge here and there in their debut album ‘Bones‘ (check out the rather Barretesque ‘Bones pt. 1,’ or the chorus explosion of ‘When the Sky Turns blue‘ – streaming below), enriching the sonic palette in ways rarely accomplished, in a single record, without it sounding… all over the place. But beyond the familiar and beloved references to the past, what makes this album great is its consistently brilliant songwriting, and the band’s habit of taking the listener in and out of unexpected places, like for example with the dissonant riffs of ‘Skeleton Dance’ ‘s intro, which slowly morphs into a perfectly consonant verse, or through the bizarre development of ”Til You Belong to Me’ or ‘Bones pt. 2.’  

Don’t miss Ghost King’s show at Aviv, tomorrow April 8th.