THE DELI

W.C. Beck comes to New York via Portland, Paris, and Kansas, cities with vast differences in their geography and culture. Beck’s travels have therefore provided his music with a cosmopolitan air and richness, but he still plays with a distinct Americana sound, which has the power to attract (and move) a multitude of listeneres with varying backgrounds. It fits, therefore, that Beck would shoot his music video for "The Long Way Home" — a hymn about living a life of constant exploration in order to find home — in the middle of Grand Central, where tens of thousands of commuters, locals, and tourists pass each other every day. The song will appear on Beck’s upcoming album First Flight, his ninth studio release, which drops on June 7th. He plays a release show at Mercury Lounge on June 9th to mark the event; stay tuned for more on that. In the meantime, watch the video for "The Long Way Home" below. – Will Sisskind

Brooklyn’s post-hardcore trio I.O.U. demonstrates that it means business with a visceral display of sonic anger in the opening track of their newly released EP I.O.U. ONE. “Captain Howdy” cleaves its way into the eardrums of the listener with the ferocity of its guitar riffs, a fuzz-infected bassline, and dauntless drum fills that may leave you in a feverish state of thrill. The group’s four-track record starts at a high intensity and never lets up the energy, without giving up the opportunity for sonic experimentation given by slower tempos, like in second track "My Maytag." The vocals of all three members shred through the entrails of “Swamp,” while in “Bossy” the trio lets everyone know that “cannibals are people too.” I.O.U. is a feral band in all the right ways, check it out below. – Rene Cobar

On Thursday, May 16 the Ivy Room will host an evening full of lovely music, all from queer artists. Performing will be Rob Jamner, indie rock storyteller and poet, who will be releasing his EP Holding Stones and playing short films from independent filmmakers Jesse Israel, Sair Goetz, Marica Petrey, Jared Swanson, and Andy Strong. Americana guitarist and songwriter Briget Boyle will be playing some sweet tunes from her new album The Next Line. We’ll also have Kristen Ford who’ll be touring from Nashville and playing her soul meets electropop jams, and Oh The Nerve, a queer feminist pop/R&B band from Berkeley. Check out all their music below and come on out! – Lucille Faulkner