THE DELI

Benjamin Lanz has played in several bands you might know, including the National and Beirut, but the solo debut of his new project LANZ is just as compelling as his other acts. "Karla’s Retreat," from his upcoming album Hoferlanz I, is a driving and forceful track, laden with melodic hooks from piano, guitar and an unexpected brass section, and the song is helped along by a powerful, yet tasteful rhythm section. The instrumental breaks are some of the most confident we’ve heard this year, but their impact is deepened by Lanz’s self-assured vocals, which also keep "Karla’s Retreat" structurally sound. All this is supported by a charming video depicting Lanz in a slightly ominous, cabin-y studio, and outdoor scenes of potentially creepy houses. It’s shot on film, which you might’ve guessed. "Karla’s Retreat" is defiantly indie, but perhaps the most captivating thing about this song in a sometimes uncertain genre is that LANZ’s feet are planted firmly on the ground. Hoferlanz I was released on August 25th on Brasslands Records, and will also be released as a cassette for Cassette Store Day. –Geena Kloeppel

Seven months after the single release "The 16th Descent to Verdant Victory," experimental artist Olin Caprison unveils Human Dust to Fertilize the Impotent Garden—a collection of seven songs blending power dynamics, industrial sonics, and rap composition—as VIOLENCE on New York-based label Purple Tape Pedigree. Blatantly irreverent toward genre conventions, the album ebbs and flows with blast beats, power electronic bursts, and permutations of metal riffplay.

"This music is a struggle," describes the Baltimore-raised Caprison.

"It is a struggle from within this anti-history vacuum, a struggle against the all-embracing, multicultural, ahistorical ecosystem of contemporary music that renders all hierarchies impotent and null."

VIOLENCE performs live on October 5th in support of experimental composer Aïsha Devi’s debut Los Angeles appearance, along with a live ambient set by Los Angeles by-way-of-New-York producer Kelman Duran. Cop tickets here, and stream "Human Dust" off the album below.

While the NYC scene seems to be crawling with psych bands, local rockers Birds tackle the genre in a way that sets them apart from the pack. Though the band is certainly taking cues from music of the past, their angular and distorted sliding guitars and bizarre vocal melodies suggest that they’re digging through vinyl crates that have not been thoroughly picked through yet. With such a unique sound, we wanted to ask the band a bit about the driving forces surrounding it, and members Jess and Duane were nice enough to dig into to the stories surrounding their pedals for us. – Olivia Sisinni

Read the Birds Q&A about their stompboxes on Delicious Audio.

When it comes to the Nashville-based sludge-pop four-piece Oginalii, slowing down is not an option. With forthcoming EP The Grey coming out on October 20th, their build-up of momentum has been nonstop, between coverage, concerts, and SXSW showcases —and their music is the same way. The female-fronted group, whose name translates to “my friend” in Cherokee, is making waves in the Nashville scene with their complex arrangements, unapologetic songwriting, and technical skill. In the track “7799” (streaming below), front-woman Emma Hoeflinger’s vocals are positively lethal, while the track impressively alternates between a 7/8 and 9/8 time signature. Oginalii will be hitting up The Cobra tomorrow (09.22) for a live show that will definitely hush any doubts about the state of the local Nashville scene. – Lilly Milman

Listen to the Deli’s premiere of “7799” streaming below.

Brooklyn darlings Kino Kimino serve up gutsy, garage-y pop with a serious side of post punk. The brainchild of Kim Talon, the band features deadpan vocals, gritty guitars and 90’s cool-kid vibes. Their latest release, 2016’s "Bait is for Sissies" is unapologetic, innovative, fierce and hits in just all the right ways. Check out Kino Kimino at Alphaville on 9/23 but stream them below in the meantime. – Olivia Sisinni

The transportive power of psych music is a tired cliche, especially in a scene overflowing with every flavor of psych rock imaginable, but Brooklyn-based Boon cuts through the packs with a sound that is distinctively immersive. Boon’s brand of psych rock is multi-layered, glitchy, and nearly thick enough to wade through. Where other bands fall into pitfalls of rehashing ideas that have been tired since the late 70s, Boon presents the listener with edge-of-your-seat experimental tones and full-fledged freakouts that feel forward thinking instead of regressive. Check out the band streaming below and catch them live at Alphaville on 9/22. – Olivia Sisinni 

Though New Yorkers have an eternal obligation to hurl mild-mannered disgust toward New Jersey Dwellers (I mean, have you been on those highways?) we still have to give credit where credit is due. Jersey’s emo/post-emo sound is where it’s at and it’s long legacy of churning out seminal emo bands is admittedly hard to challenge. Archie Alone happens to be one of those bands eager to assume the Garden State’s mantle. They produce emo  tunes with chomping choruses guaranteed to give you some serious mid-2000s nostalgia, while also managing to add heaps of atmospheric breaks in between, giving their songs a distinctly modern feel. Their latest single, "Heavy Hearts," does all this. It’s a track crafted with more nuance and subtlety than its early naughts counterparts, but its raw emotionality and killer hook will satisfy you inner middle-schooler. We’re stoked to premiere "Heavy Hearts" streaming below, and keep your eyes peeled for the latest EP from the band hitting the shelves on. The band will be celebrating the release of their self titled EP at the Meatlocker on September 30th. – Olivia Sisinni