Nostalgia of the 80s is the trend of the year as far a NYC pop is concerned. Living Days – who placed 87th in The Deli’s latest Best of NYC emerging artists poll – extract all the good bits from their new wave predecessors in their slick’n’rocking electro-pop embellished with sparkling synths and riddled with hooks. The band’s signature sound is Stephonik Youth’s low register voice, which darkens the mood of swirling electronic effects and effervescent keyboard lines that merge with dance-rock rhythms, fashioning music suitable for underground club dynamics. The band has a super fun live show and will be playing at Brooklyn Bowl on May 26th within The Deli’s own NYC 2011 B.E.A.F. (Best of Emerging Artists Fest) with The Rassle and Ravens and Chimes).

Deli Artist of the Month Rachel Platten’s new CD “Be Here” was released last week, and it feels like it’s summer already. Filled with upbeat, pop-infused tunes, the new material showcases Platten’s sweetly unique, soulful voice, and honest, relatable lyrics. “Be Here” reads as a musical journey that every person who comes to NYC in search of love, success, and happiness can identify with. From the funky, sexy hit “We Don’t Care What Time It Is” to the raw, insightful “Remark”, Rachel creates an escape into a world where joy and pain coexist simultaneously and effortlessly. This record can be seen as a picture of the path that led her to this point in her career, in which she showcases her natural ability to bring light to everything she touches. Be sure to check out her record release show at Le Poisson Rouge on May 3, 7:00pm. –Christina Morelli

Seeing NYC Opera’s Act 4 last Wednesday, April 20 has to be one of the more unique experiences I’ve ever had at Lincoln Center. Even Darren Aronofsky couldn’t make the David H. Koch Theater look cooler than Stephen Shwartz’s amazing opera did, coupled with beach rock band Small Black capping off the evening in the theater’s 4th ring.
While opera has a reputation of being impenetrable, Shwartz did a remarkable job of making his Seance on a Wet Afternoon immediately accessible to the relatively young and uninitiated audience. Despite the tragic plot, the characters were warm and relatable, and you couldn’t help getting caught up in it, though at times the mood felt more broadway than upper west side.
After the show, I took the elevator up to the 4th ring to enjoy free cocktails and the Cure-channeling lo-fi Small Black, who strangely fit in well with the dressed-up hipster crowd.
My one complaint with seeing the band at this venue was that the 4th ring is definitely not designed for its acoustics. Frequently, the instruments of the band’s 4 piece ensemble would project in isolated spaces across the floor, and I’d find myself hearing the drums at one end of the hall, and the keys at the other.
Overall though, this was a great experience. I felt like Lincoln Center opened its arms wide to embrace us high-art deprived Brooklynites, and its efforts were appreciated. Swing by this Thursday, April 28 to see the last Act 4 event of the year. The Secret Science Club plays after the show. – Mike Levine, photo by John Rogers.

Some people were born with a voice that screams for… singing in a rock band – Zak Smith is one of them. Zak plays well crafted pop-rock that sweats warmth and passion – think of Bruce Springsteen’s inner fire mixed with Tom Petty’s superior talent for melody. The man and his band will be playing two shows in Manhattan on the same day on May 5 – the first one at the Best Buy store in Union Square at 4pm, and then at Sullivan Hall at 7pm. Those of you who are constantly searching for a new forger of rock classics might want to mark your calendars – and, in the meantime, enjoy this video of the single "Under Your Possession".