New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
It’s been a little over four years since we last heard of local noise rock institution No Age. The duo of Randy Randall and Dean Spunt is back with new single "Drippy," a blistering, two-and-a-half assault of barebones guitar and drums that many will consider as a return to form after 2013’s more experimental-leaning An Object.
"Drippy" is the second single off of No Age’s forthcoming full-length, Snares Like a Haircut. It is out via Drag City on January 28. Juan Rodríguez
With love and an adoring energy, When We Met have been known to make tuneful indie pop songs over the course of their three years as a songwriting duo. While the wonderment of their tracks is already established, what has yet to become obvious is how the two go about rendering their songs visually. Luckily they’ve changed that, with a new animated video that’s attention grabbing.
The animation for "Ride the Tide" is somewhat stylistically reminiscent of early Adult Swim cartoons like Home Movies, vibrant in color and effectively minimal and funny in its execution. With surfing cavemen, jet setting aliens and beach performance beach scenes, the video keeps you watching all the way through.
On the "Ride the Tide," the band say:
"Underneath the new wave surf vibe is a sexy love song. The back and forth movement of lust, the up’s and downs of life and abstract thoughts formed ‘Ride the Tide’. Because we are fans of his crude imagery, playful takes on serious subject matter and taboos, we were thrilled to work with the cartoonist Magnificent Kaaboom for this song. With just a little direction from us, we wanted him to have the freedom to create something magnificent… and he did."
Watch the video for "Ride the Tide" below and catch When We Met’s last set of the season on 12.23 at The Lombard Pub where Sorta Ultra will be playing their last show ever and the New Not Normals will be debuting a new drummer.
If you’re still not fully enveloped in the holiday spirit, then fear not—Milk Was A Bad Choice has the showcase for you. Complete with Christmas DJ sets, festive drinks, and even an ugly sweater contest, the holiday party showcase is the perfect event for anyone who wants to stop being a Grinch. The stacked lineup includes local psychedelic garage-rockers Locus Pocus, a solo set by Zachary Vito of the Bay Area’s very own Union Pacific, and a special headlining performance by the disco-infused alt rock quintet Kid Bloom from L.A. – Lilly Milman
Drop by The Milk Bar on December 6th at 8 pm for the holiday party to end all others, and until then, stream Locus Pocus’s new single “I’d Be Your Woman” below.
Husbandry is the name given for mankind’s domestication of plants and animals, but make no mistake–there is hardly anything tame about the thundering NYC heavy band who takes the same name. The feral four-piece lays down surprisingly melodic post-hardcore tracks with deliciously jagged edges. Following up 2016’s LP, Fera, the band is slated to release Bad Weeds Never Die, an EP that promises soaring vocals and angular riffage delivered with the effortless skill and aplomb the band has become known for. Keep your eyes peeled for the new record hitting the digital realm tomorrow, but if you’re frothing over the idea of scoring the new tracks a day early, catch the band tonight (11.30) at Brooklyn Bazaar for their album release show. Check out the video for their new single Elder Spencer Deery streaming below. – Olivia Sisinni
Though The Trust Fund Kids frontman Kevin Connor grew up in “a pretty socioeconomically privileged town in New Jersey,” he reveals that he’s “not really wealthy,” and is obviously an appreciator of satire. So we were happy to learn that Connor, Nik Slackman, and Jayson Butts will be putting our mixing and mastering prizes to good use in the coming year. Look out for a new single and hopefully a new album from the recently solidified trio in 2018, as well as more performances, but before all that happens, you can learn more about The Deli Philly’s recent Featured Artist(s) Poll Winner HERE.
Inkmouth is a self-described Post Dad-Rock band hailing from NY. While the genre is, of course, a tongue-in-cheek descriptor, it’s not too far of a cry from the truth: the band has some heavy roots in early 90’s alt that your dad could probably get down with (assuming you are in your twenties). But Inkmouth expresses it in a fresh way that seems to be marked also by the punk/emo music of the early aughts. Their latest EP, The Problem With, is five tracks worth of sometimes dancey, sometime angsty tunes that manage to always feel genuine. Check out "Bad Criminal" off the EP streaming below. – Olivia Sisinni
“Stray” is featured on the EP Ivy Eyes from the tandem of Paige Pfleger and Aaron Sternick (Tinmouth), a.k.a. Plume. Rolling percussion and synth combine, inviting one into a lush atmosphere. That cozy vibe pairs well with Pfleger’s steady, heartfelt vocals, as remembrances of a relationship’s dawn are revealed in soothing waves. Plume is set to perform at Tralfamadore this Saturday, December 2, as part of a lineup that also Canine 10, Psychonaut, and Erik Kramer.
Beyond any astral imagery, space can be understood as the context in which creation happens. This concept plays a key role in the music of Tim Motzer, whose spontaneity and undulating harmony swells in the realms of ambient music, while retaining a presence that acts as a grounding force. Motzer’s newest album, titled “Soak,” was released on his own 1K Recordings label, and was captured during a live performance for Stockton University’s radio station WLFR. The recordings are mostly ambient sound structures, interwoven with bright guitars, not unlike Brian Eno and Robert Fripp’s album Evening Star. You can catch Motzer performing in his band Orion Tango on Sunday, December 17 at Ortlieb’s. – Josh Kelly
Gingerlys‘ self-titled debut album, out on November 17th, showcases a band delivering on the promise of their earlier work. When we last featured their 7" EP “Jumprope” here on The Deli, we were impressed enough with the group’s fast paced indie pop. The new work, however, takes everything a step further in both the songwriting and production departments. Lead track and first video release “Turtledoves” (streaming below) captures that wistful sense of emotion felt on discovering something new and beautiful. The pacing is quick, with drums clattering underneath an overall catchy melodiousness created by well orchestrated layers of vocals, guitars and keyboards. Tasty guitar lines emerge into the mix as the dreamy female vocals pull you into a world where “you were never meant to wander.” The rising pitch of the vocal melody on key lines “I knew you” and “you choose to” will appeal to big dream pop fans (like us). The full album is available for streaming here. – Dave Cromwell
Bow & Spear are back with a new 12" called Bad At Fun. This is the follow-up to the band’s 2015 album Into, and below is the releases first single “Creeps”.
You can help the band celebrate the release at Reed’s Local on December 8th and you can preorder the album from What’s For Breakfast here.
Back in 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (or MH370/MAS370) mysteriously disappeared while in route to its destination of Beijing, China. The plane, which was carrying 12 crew members and 227 passengers, last made voice contact some 30 minutes after takeoff, and entirely disappeared off radar an hour after that. After a few years of extensive searching only fragments of the wreckage were found earlier this year but ultimately, the search for anything more was suspended just some months ago.
Right before the Malaysia Airlines flight went down, local rocker Mike Stortz was writing some of the first songs for his band Johnny Raincloud. One of those songs coincidentally was of the same name as the flight, and has sat shelved until basically now. "When the search for the plane stopped, I wanted to make this song to be a reminder," says Stortz.
So, Stortz and the rest of Johnny Raincloud decided to record the track and make a live music video for the song at Surburbia Studios down in southeast not for profit, but as a means of keeping the lives lost on the flight in memory. "We’ve become so insensitive to real-life stories like MH370 but for that brief moment in time I felt connected to the whole world in a way I haven’t felt in a long time," says Stortz. "It’s just another reason I wanted this song to be a reminder of the brief time of when we did care. I think it’s sad it takes the mystery of a missing airplane for the world to come together with love. I think it should be like that all the time."
Watch Johnny Raincloud play "MH370" in their live video below, or later on tonight at the Twilight Cafe. Seattle bands Tyler Songs and Great Shame will also be playing, along with WorryDoll.
Strawberry Mountain has been around the way for awhile, just not necessarily as montaña de la fresa. Formerly known as Basement Surfers, the DIY music and art collective are as large with their sounds as they are with their member count. Having played two sets at Freakout this year attendees were able to enjoy them twice over, but their sounds were entirely perfect for the Conor Byrne and its crowd.
Aside from their all-ages "2nd chance" Filson set Strawberry Mountain packed onto the Conor Byrne’s stage as festival goers crowded the walkways of the bar-venue, lining up for Will Call tickets and press check-in. Upon their first notes the heads in the room focused with intrigue on their expansive, experimental psych sounds, much of which came from their early 2017 album Human Music.
With that album and everything prior, Strawberry Mountain are definitely ones we’ll keep our eyes on.
