New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Those who are wondering what the state of synthpop in NYC is, should head to Bowery Ballroom on Saturday February 11. Three of the best emerging local bands dedicated to the most joyous of electronic genres (VHS Collection, Paperwhite and Corbu) will share the stage of that venerable stage – on a Saturday night! Check out their tunes, streaming below.
Female-fronted, five-piece indie pop band The Gingerlys began when guitarist Matt Richards started sharing acoustic demos of his pop songs with his fellow bandmates in his Valley Stream, New York basement. Matt’s dreamy/shoegazy songwriting inclinations found the perfect match in Jackie M.’s ethereal vocals. The band then recorded their first EP, “Jumprope” with Oliver Ignatius at Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen in Brooklyn and soon started gigging in and around the city. Describing themselves as "pure ear candy," Gingerlys provide catchy and hazy dream pop tunes. So, this year, for St. Valentine’s day, at Baby’s All Right, instead of getting your sweetheart a boring box of candy, you have the option of taking him/her out to hear some candy. If you do so, make sure to let us know how that plays out! – Lea Phillips
Here’s a pretty little album we just discvovered, released earlier this year. Its title is "Princess Plum," and the band that recorded goes under the moniker Absolutely Yours. It’s dream pop at its most ethereal, in particular on opening track "Best I Got," streaming below. The quartet is performing at Alphaville tongiht, February 9th, 2017.
Western MA-based GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! is one of those bands crafting deliciously head-spinning math-rock licks so labyrinthine, that you’d imagine it’d be tough for even a full four or five piece band to execute. So, when you hear that their music is the work of solely Joseph Andreoli (guitar) and Kenneth Topham (drums), it’s more than a little dizzying to think about how the duo manages to pull it off. Luckily for us, Joesph was kind enough to give our sister blog Delicious Audio a behind-the-scenes look at the pedals he uses to create GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! expansive sound. You can find the interview at the link below. – Olivia Sisinni
Giraffes? Giraffes! Q&A about pedals on Delicious Audio.
Ethereal indie pop group Queue will take the stage at U Street’s Velvet Lounge this Friday in what promises to be a night of dreamy, soul soothing music. Coming off of the success of their EP release last year, the DC/Philly group continue to build their fan base with their combination of mellow instrumental sounds and soulful, earthy vocals.
Catch Queue this Friday night at Velvet Lounge, with William Forest and Domino.
-Written by Michael Dranove
Let me start out this way: Fall of the Albatross is definitely not for the faint of heart. The Queens-based band deals in full-fledged, prog-metal freakouts, with a dash of finger-snapping jazz melodies thrown in. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, check out their latest album, Enormous Cloud. It’s an exercise in controlled chaos as the band growls, screeches, and swings through winding–and sometimes jarring–transitions. "Like A Good Tornado," the band’s stand-out track, is just that–a whirlwind of sound complete with roaring guitar licks, time-signature play, and the band’s characteristic style jumps. The record is 11 tracks of spastic, dense, instrumental goodness, that may bewilder first-time listeners, however, the auditory payouts are great and well worth the ride. Catch them at Fat Baby 2/23 alongside Professor Caffeine & the Insecurities, Juan Bond, and Deeply Woven, and go ahead and hit that play button to stream them below.-Olivia Sisinni
A project of Richmond, Virginia based singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalists Kelli Strawbridge (KSTRAW) and DJ Harrison, KINGS is high-tier funk made by experienced musicians. KSTRAW, who has shared the stage with Grammy award winning musicians Snarky Puppy and Terrance Simean, brings a sense of urgent eroticism to the vocals while DJ Harrison keeps the effects heavy sound crunchy but cohesive.
Don’t miss KINGS with New York’s Escaper February 17th at The Camel in Richmond, Virginia.
-Written by Michael Dranove
New York’s very own Loose Buttons have been at it for ten years, and some already-released tracks from their upcoming EP — titled Sundays With Loose Buttons — already prove that the band’s still in it for more. We wrote about a single from this EP — "Milk & Roses" — back in December, but you can stream the newest track, called "Between Brick Walls", below.
Loose Buttons are currently doing a month-long residency at PIANOS in the Lower East Side. After tonight, they’ll play also on on February 15th and February 22nd, just ahead of the release, which is scheduled for February 24th. Keep an eye out for it. – Will Sisskind
In 2016, Brooklyn’s indie psych rockers Psychic Selves released a quality 7 song mini-album entitled "Lucid Night.". While the band continues working on new material and plays select live shows, these tracks provides ample opportunity for immersion into their sound. Opening track “Ratio” is dual guitar riff driven, as flange-effects pair against brighter tones, recreating surf/psychedelic vibes reminiscent of early Beach Fossils. Featured single “Goodnight Luna” (streaming below) builds off that foundation, emphasizing melodic hooks via a note-for-note matched vocal phrasing and guitar figure. With the chorus transitioning into a smoother vocal phase, bass guitar and drums provide the driving force on its latter half double-time cadence. Pitch-bended melancholia emerge on instrumentals “And the Truth Pt 1 + 2,”pop elements on vocal heavy “Masochist” and punk aggression on both “War Head” and “Crazy Tasty.” Psychic Selves play Shea Stadium on 2/15 with Wolf Diamond, The Rizzos and Lunch Ladies. – Dave Cromwell
Here with his newest enthralling avant-art single "Puppet" is Noah Kellman, performing under his moniker Nozart. Kellman, a "fantastical musical storyteller", weaves melodic tapestries out of digital soundscapes, extraterrestrial noise, and relentless electric beats. Kellman’s education as a jazz musician plays into his compositions, which deliver modern orchestrations in a futuristic orchestral style.
We’ve featured Kellman as Nozart before on The Deli NYC. His song "Just Let It Go" is still in our Best Songs By Emerging NYC Artists playlists. "Puppet" follows the style of his previous work, complete with musical buzzes and synth arpeggios bubbling underneath haunting vocals. Listen for sci-fi sound effects peeking out; Doctor Who fans, you might hear the sound of a TARDIS if you try hard enough. Listen to "Puppet" below. – Will Sisskind
Soulful and lyrically enticing, CE delivers avant soul that’s easy on the ears. Single "Soulstiss," based on looped, evocative vocal samples and minimal electronic drums, fluctuates between Hip Hop and R&B, but builds on an atmoshpere and production a lot moodier than those genre got us used to, transporting the listener into a spiritual realm where CE’s smooth vocals act as a comforting agent. The emerging Brooklyn artist self-produced this track, which will be included in his forthcoming LP, "Songs in the Key of Solitude," with the help of Will Fraker and Matt FX. If this song is any indication of how it will sound, we can certainly look forward to feeding our souls. Catch him playing this Wednesday the 8th at Rockwood Music Hall with Space Captain & Bells Atlas. – Lea Phillips
