THE DELI

Maybird’s musical vision is made for a future that relies on pulling from the past. Toy-sounding synthesizers, acoustic guitars plus distorted and processed guitars, and the chorus-like harmonies that make their music sound a bit like it’s from a retro movie give the band cinematic flair. The band has a taste for writing truisms, and perhaps their nostalgic sound adds to the emphasis. The story behind their debut album, Things I Remember From Earth cuts to the core of the human experience in terms of what people are searching for and come to find self-evident. The journey to writing the album comes from Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan as a crucial source for inspiration. The philosophical themes surely inform the thoughtful hooks, which sometimes admonish looking too far into the future. 

A key influence behind Maybird is the reputable rock band Dangermouse, who helped them release the EP Turning into Water after discovering them in 2016. The four-song EP Unraveling followed soon after in 2017 with the help of producer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys. The clash and eventual concoction of these experiences resulted in the songs on their debut, all of which are tinged with the right amount of apathy that ultimately makes their music so cool.

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Susan Moon

“When you talk about a revolution, most people think violence without realizing that the real content of any kind of revolutionary thrust lies in the principles and the goals you’re striving for.” This excerpt from a 1972 interview with Angela Davis begins Rahill Jamalifard’s mix Songs of Dissidence, laying the foundation for an hour-long intercultural musical odyssey throughout the southern United States (as well as the Global South). Beginning with Dorothy Ashby’s “Soul Vibrations” before quickly segueing through international deep cuts such as “Funeral of a Worker” by Melia Barbosa and “Bravo” by Jacqueline Taïeb, Jamalifard (who performs under the name Radio Rahill) demonstrates a keen ear; not only for the ways in which she blends differing sonic textures into a cohesive project, but for her ability to curate songs of dissent from the world over. In doing so, Radio Rahill creates a portrait of resistance that spans continents and decades, painting a portrait of an enduring, continuing struggle for equality, justice, and respect. Listen below, and catch Radio Rahill spin at Soho Grand on August 7th. -Connor Beckett McInerney

New York synth duo So Sensitive swagger back into the limelight with new single “What’s A Girl To Do,” bolstered by its absolute-unit-sized keyboard hits and member Kira Clark’s breathy, intimate vocal delivery. Lyrically, the track finds a linkage between the death of a parent and the qualities we look for in a romantic partner, conveying sentiments of helplessness through glam-laden vox and dark, interweaving keys. So Sensitive arrive at no easy answers to these feelings, preferring to bask in uncertainty; in doing so, they impart an uneasy feeling upon the listener through both their lyrical honesty and sultry instrumental soundscapes. As such, it’s required listening for anyone who finds themselves looking towards an undetermined future, unable to find the necessary guidance as to what they should do. Listen to it below, and stream the rest of their new album, Bedroom Drama, when it drops August 2nd. –Connor Beckett McInerney, Photo by Spencer Hotchkiss