There’s plenty to like about Brooklyn-based “hot sausage boys” Evolfo, who in September released their latest garage/psych/blues rock EP Last of the Acid Cowboys. You can catch them playing tracks from this EP as well as their other tunes at Baby’s All Right in Williamsburg on November 27th. The EP takes pages from the books of Deep Purple and Cream, as well as The Black Keys. The first track, “Moon Eclipsed The Sun”, is filled with catchy sax and organ fills, as well as jerky rhythms and echoing, haunting vocals which come from a love for early prog-rock. Evolfo’s 11/27 show at Baby’s All Right includes fellow psych-rockers Stuyedeyed and Argentinian acoustic folk-rocker Tall Juan. Get your tickets here. – Will Sisskind, photo by Peter Dervin

“Are you ready?!” Kwame Binea howls into the microphone, keying in the audience for what’s about to come. This is the Apollo Music Cafe–a series specializing in the curation of diverse, independent artistry, hosted by the iconic Harlem-based theater–and tonight’s sold-out performance is coming from the spirited Kwame Binea Shakedown, a roots-rock band with a dash of funk, blues and good vibes. As the frontman of a band that bears his namesake, Binea is 6’5” of boundless charisma with a voice that threatens to bring the stage down. Backed by his full band, an arsenal of skilled musicians practiced in tight sets and big sounds, Binea effortlessly navigates through originals and covers all of which align with the band’s mantra. It’s a phrase that the singer will energetically repeat several times throughout the set: peace, love and positivity. Stand out moments of the night include an explosive cover of James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good),” an homage to the live version recorded by the artist on the very same stage, and an electrifying performance of Hendrix’s “Fire,” that came after the audience demanded an encore.

Maybe the real magic of the Shakedown is magnified by they way they command a crowd. During their original “World on Fire,” Binea managed to get a filled-to-capacity room to echo the word “love” to him during the outro, and “Let Go,” one of the first singles released from the band, had the audience flocking to the dancefloor. With lyrics like “Early morning, up with the sunrise/ Man, what a blessing it is to see another day” it’s easy to see the appeal of the band’s positive message. Amidst the tumult of recent events, Kwame Binea Shakedown’s commitment to love and unity is a welcome ray of hope that is poised to melt even the steeliest of hearts. To follow more from the Apollo Music Cafe, check out their site here, and be sure to check out the band’s original track, “Let Go," streaming below. – Olivia Sisinni

One of the cool things about organizing the Brooklyn Synth Expo is that we get to know some new, local, talented electronic artists in person. Enter Wandertalk, the project of NYC based synth-head Nick Kwas, who boasts a multifaceted output, including remixes of singles by indie bands like Pingrove and more purely electronic tracks ranging from chiptune to ambient (like recent release ‘W H A T E V E R ☯ W H E N E V E R,’ streaming below).  He also enjoys shooting videos of electronic musicians playing their modular racks on a roof facing Manhattan – at dawn. Check out Wondertalk’s latest video of this series exclusively on our sister blog Delicious Audio. 

Prince Metropolis Known is a lion.  He has a mane, man; he’s the king of the beasts! He’s a political animal, but he also boasts to “Party with blood suckers, bbw hot sex in tubs of butter – the Prince of Dubia. Royal fetish, gold letters, tomatoes and silver – the Prince of Dubia.”  He once made an album entirely dedicated to dissing Bill O’Reilly.  THE AZEALIA BANKS GANG BANG takes up where his War Against Music and KILL BILL albums left off.  It’s the perfect platform for the Lion to utilize his practiced misogyny to lash out against the Trump advocate rapper and her ilk.  The first track (streaming) repeatedly lambasts her for not being Nicki Minaj.  It’s ignorant rap with a conscience.  What else would you accept from Kool Keith’s most promising protege? Check out also the outstanding 2013 video/single ‘Metropolis’ from 2013. – BrokeMc

Brooklyn’s Ghost King tickled our aural canal the right way this past spring with their debut album ‘Bones,’ which was immediately crowned with our NYC Record of the Month title, and we are thrilled to premiere their two track single entitled ‘Melting Sky / Inside Out." Their sound is still as distorted and effected as it gets, in a way that’s definitely nineties, but more reminiscent of the early Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev’s fuzzy psychedelic lunacy than Pavement or Dinosaur Jr.’s pop slacking. Opening track ‘Melting Sky’ travels at high speed, hosting a slow vocal melody, and progressively building towards two psychedelic instrumental bridges. ‘Inside Out’ displays a poppier structure and catchier melody, but also a more dissonant arrangement, evolving, through a very early-Pink-Floydian transition, into a distorted bass driven, pummeling finale. They are both songs that will be fun to experience live when Ghost King will perform at Shea Stadium on 11.28 – do not miss!

Mr. Stephen Malkmus must have found a way to mutate the DNA of the white musician specie, considering how influential the Pavement records are in this day and age. Brooklyn quartet Personal Space develops  in intriguing ways a sound reminiscent of that band’s more mature, later records, marrying them with mathy tempos and breaks, and a touch of emo. We are enjoying single ‘Offering,’ (streaming) which showcases sophisticated songwriting and production, and a slightly more "psych" approach than the rest of the album, in particular in the liberatingly noisy finale. You can see Personal Space at Sunnyvale on November 18.

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Continuing on in the psychedelic milieu, native Kerry Chandler‘s strange, compelling work mixes ’80s acid house and deep-house, with exotic percussion. At his live performances, expect his usual spate of sound effects too—people talking, cars honking, general tones of urban life—which is known reduce the species to a wonderland of microcosms. – Brian Chidester

Check out the artists that made our "Fresh Buzz section in the 48th issue of The Deli NYC!

In this new version of America we’ve all woken up to, you don’t need a genius to predict a punk resurgence in the upcoming years, in its most nihilistic forms and shapes. Brooklyn’s Surfbort, then, don’t need to go anywhere sound-wise, since that’s exactly what they’ve been playing since their 2015 debut single ‘Trash.’ The notes from their following, self titled EP (released in January) prophetically read: "this is a record that laughs in the face of the end of the world." Since their appearance on the scene, the young rebels have been filling up most of the small to medium size venues in NYC, while never missing the opportunity to roll over their filthy stages – an essential trait of any true punk musician. Tomorrow (November 11) they’ll have a lot of room for that trick, since they’ll playing at the Bowery Ballrom for the second time this year, opening for Thee Oh Sees. For those frustrated by the election results, it may be a good opportunity to let out some steam…

NYC duo Summer Underground released their endearing full-length album More Than a Friend, Less Than a Lover over the past summer, but their music feels appropriately therapeutic in these strange days of November, when many of us are wondering if their neighbors have any human feelings. Single "Back to Chicago" is a charming track that embodies the power of simplicity and its potential to stir up emotion. Through their poetic and intimate lyrics, Chrissy Sandman and Grant Carey’s delicate, harmonized vocals evoke the image of a couple experiencing nostalgic thoughts about one another. The minimalistic, folky, electric background serves the song well, unifying the track with a sense of calm, comfort, a tinge of longing, and a very much needed hint of hope. Listen to the single below, and the entire record here. – Ashley Muniz

Sans the winding roads and $15 parking lots near Teragram Ballroom, Slow Hollows‘ album release party was a considerable success, drawing kids from as far out as Antelope Valley and Pomona to Los Angeles’ decadent sidestreets. A gaggle of selfies were taken while waiting around the Ballroom’s characteristic marquee, and at 9PM Danger Collective’s BOYO (fka Bobby T. and the Slackers) had Robert Tilden promptly lulling the crowd—the band released their EP "machines" on Halloween. High school sweethearts and rowdy teens were thrown together as The Buttertones ripped through their setlist, which included songs from 2015’s acclaimed western American Brunch. Someone lost their car keys, and someone else lost a shoe. At least four teens crowdsurfed, but everyone just stood and swayed and collectively sighed to the songs off Romantic, introduced by a very modest, somewhat blasé, endearingly ineffectual frontman and songwriter Austin Feinstein. The crowd just went like, yeah.

Slow Hollows supports Cherry Glazerr on their 2016/2017 Winter Tour, starting 12/27 in Fresno. – Ryan Mo

Mysterious, captivating, frightening, and beautiful all at once, Vorhees‘ experimental compositions cross the boundaries of pop and electronica. "Are We a Fossil, and of Facings" is an ongoing melodic movement with heavily processed guitars and luscious keyboard flourishes that swirl and fade in a wide sonic atmosphere—a truly intriguing aural journey. ‘The Way I Feel inside’ is a Zombies cover and her only structured and melodic song, with ambient, goth and orchestral elements. Listen to it below and in person at Baby’s All Right on November 11. – Ashley Muniz