After releasing their debut, self-titled album under local label Frenchkiss, on November 14, NYC’s Future Generations will be bringing their vaguely epic indie pop to Baby’s All Right. Off their record, single "Thunder In The City" presents a sonic landscape that intertwines a feel-good upbeat mood with a melancholic ambience, reminiscent of bands like Two Door Cinema Club and Passion Pit. The dream-like, faded vocal presence, combined with sorrowful abstract lyrical content, creates an overall atmosphere of both sadness and relief. Take a listen down below and also check out the video for their breakout single ‘Stars‘. – Ashley Muniz
Shannon La Brie brings intimate blues rock to Alley Taps 12/03
Whether she’s accompanied by keys, or her full band, Shannon La Brie is a force to be reckoned with. Her smoky, powerhouse vocals are raw and intimate, much like her songs, and she deals in melancholy and old-school blues rock. Think Adele with a dash of home-fried southern twang and you might get close. Check out Shannon La Brie, at Alley Taps 12/03 and in the meantime stream her below.-Olivia Sisinni
Buzz Alert: Cheena takes their twang-punk to Europe
Busting out of the city’s underbelly, Cheena, a 5-piece twang-punk band, churns out tunes for NY nocturnals and is quickly proving a place among the streets that artists like Lou Reed and the Dolls once called home. Their latest album, Spend the Night With…, smacks of NYC glitz and grit, and belches out anarcho-anthems for lawless nights spent in packed, sweaty rock clubs. It’s probably not fair to say that Cheena sounds like New York, but you’ll find that the glam and gutter goodness–the sneering, New York-cool–all baked in between the catchy melodies and reckless riffs. The band is currently on a Euro-tour so hold yourself over until they return by streaming them below. – Olivia Sisinni
Dreamtigers drop tunes to tug at your heartstrings
With a strong alt-folk sensibility, Dreamtigers delivers spacey, melancholic indie, set to embed itself into your brain’s softest crevices. The band’s latest LP, Wishing Well, paints poignant portraits of longing, loss, and moving on, and does so with such expert precision, you may mistake the lyricist’s heartbreak for your own. Check out Dreamtigers streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni
Buzz Alert: Crumb leaves us hungry for more of their jazzy soul psych tunes
Boston-based Crumb offers laid-back tunes for reflective mornings. Layering singer/guitarist Lila Ramani’s effortless, nonchalant vocals over a bed of sometimes-funky-often-jazzy psych rock, the band delivers dulcet tunes with a serious side of haze. The lyricism invites introspection, and instrumentals often wind down unexpected turns, but Crumb’s music manages to be engaging without being overly demanding of their listeners. Right now, the band’s Soundcloud account description is simply inscribed with the words "More to come." We’ll certainly be looking forward to the next release from the band, but in the meantime, you can stream Crumb below.-Olivia Sisinni
Fruit & Flowers brings their psych post punk to Shea Stadium on 11.13
Fruit & Flowers is a female fronted Brooklyn band that’s been playing a gazillion shows lately (and seem to have as many scheduled), which is always a good sign. Oh, and, for the record, when we say "female fronted" we mean to say that whoever is not on the front of the stage (the drummer) is the dude out of four band members. At this stage they only have one song out for streaming, a slow burning track called "Turquoise," featuring a melody that is tele-porting us back to the days of Rain Parade and those other spacey American psych bands of the late ’80s. If you are curious about the rest of their repertoire, you can check hear it live at Shea Stadium on 11.13.
Very Fresh releases ‘Hey, It’s Me!’ EP at Shea Stadium on 11.13
Cindy Lou Gooden, aka Very Fresh, is a quirky and multi-faceted talent. She spent the last year recording on Ava Luna’s last album, touring with Kino Kimino (Sonic Youth) and Leapling on bass, and prior to that, forming the all-female Pavement cover band, Babement, with Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis. She also worked on her third EP to date, ‘Hey, it’s Me!,’ which reveals a songwriter drawn in many directions. Opening track ‘California Low,’ with its whispered beginning, soon exploding into a ’90s influenced guitar-pop chorus, only to settle again into a mellow bridge, sums up well what comes next – although this track is pretty darn out there. Our favorite song here is ‘Schedule IV’ (streaming), which develops in more linear ways, revealing Cindy’s melodic talent and her remarkable voice. Don’t miss her EP release show at Shea Stadium on 11.13.
NYC Record of the Month: Show Me The Body – ‘Body War’
After – quite literally – storming the local DIY scene with their super tense live shows and a borderline insane debut EP, this past summer the trio of NYC natives Show Me the Body released their debut album ‘Body War,’ a ten track, electric banjo driven sonic assault that manages to successfully blend post-hardcore, industrial, math rock and hip hop. The album inserts itself in the lineage of hybrid punk releases that includes seminal records by Fugazi and Rage Against the Machine, but maintains a level of rawness and desperation neither of those bands ever managed to convey. (This makes us wonder if that’s what a few decades spent in NYC’s "less trendy" neighborhoods does to kids…). Intriguingly, unlike most post-hardcore acts, Show Me The Body isn’t afraid to slow down the tempo (‘Death Sounds 2’), or even give up the drums entirely every now and then (‘Honesty Hour’), which opens up sonic space for sound experimentation and even textural moments, like in ‘Chrome Exposed.’ The quieter sections also allow for a greater contrast when the instrumental explosion eventually arrives, taking the ’90s rock loud/quit/loud idea to its extreme. But the most effective tracks are the ones where the band’s signature tension finds an (explosive) release, like title-track.
This is the record most NYC kids involved in the vital, seminal, local DIY scene – and in all likelihood, most rock critics too – will remember years from now. It’s a record we think is destined to inspire many young, offbeat musicians – from underground, where so many NYC scene gems are buried.
Noisy trio Baby Acid unveils video for ‘Baby Guts’ + releases LP at Footlight on 12.09
The reckless abandon of Brooklyn rockers partying hard is on full display in Baby Acid’s debut music video and song “Baby Guts.” The recently premiered track previews their full-length Moon Sounds Records release on December 9. Recorded and produced by band visionary Lindsey and Jasno from Vandelles/Hellbirds notoriety at his Secret Loft Studios, while mastering was handled by A Place To Bury Strangers Oliver Ackermann. The track itself emerges via full-on fuzzed out guitar chords while initial vocals proclaim that “my baby comes from France, my baby don’t wear no pants.” While the lyrical output may playfully favor words that rhyme over actual storytelling, ferocious riffs and rhythms are executed with serious intent. Video imagery depicts the black-clad band against a white backdrop interspersed with footage from a raging house party. As walls become increasingly covered in handwritten graffiti, impromptu crowd-surfing and bathroom shenanigans mirror the track’s explosive conclusion. Baby Acid play their album release show on 12/9 at The Footlight w/ Parlor Walls, Ex Girlfriends and Thick. – Dave Cromwell
denitia and sene to release ‘love and noir’ LP at Mercury Lounge on 11/18
Back in 2013, when they released their his and hers LP, denitia and sene was one of The Deli’s most written about artists (heck, we even booked them at our 2013 electronic CMJ stage!). We simply couldn’t get enough of the singer/producer pair’s obscure yet very poiginant electro-RnB. Three years later, the pair is back with a new album titled love and noir, and judging from the two singles, "favourite." and "Open Wide," the record should be as richly textured and spell-binding as the group’s first full length. "Open Wide" has a glitchy, industrial beat with distorted synth glissandos and robotic backup vocals that clash perfectly with denitia’s pristine vocals. With "Favourite," on the other hand, less is truly more. Denitia’s vocals and lovesick lyrics carry the track, occasionally aided by a horn blast and modulated synths. It’s a song of few elements, sure, but each is crafted, curated and utilised to its fullest extent. Catch the duo live at Mercury Lounge on 11/18 for their release party. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber
The Deli NYC’s issue #48 is online! Brooklyn Synth Expo / Electronic Music issue!
Ladies and Gents,
We are proud to unveil (for now just digitally) issue #48 of The Deli Magazine NYC. It’s an issue entirely focused on Electronic music, featuring a gear section focused on our upcoming Brooklyn Synth Expo, and many Q&As with the most promising emerging electronic bands about their favorite synths. On the cover, EDM-World duo SOFI TUKKER; inside, a feature about NYC’s LGBT Hip Hop scene and a two page article about nu-soul up and coming diva Cruel Youth.
The print version of it will hit the streets of NYC on Friday November 4th.
Hope you enjoy it!
The Folks at The Deli
P.S. Check out Sofi Tukker’s new video for ‘Awoo,’ streaming below.
A Deli NYC Premiere: Julian Cubillos’ video for ‘Scared’
LA-born Julian Cubillos graced the world last Friday (just in time for Halloween weekend!) with two-track single Scared, his newest release on Tiny Montgomery Records since his 2015 full-length album Evil. Scared – which includes the A-side of the same name and the B-side “Can I Win” – offers the same mind-warping lo-fi and colorful gravitas as Julian’s past output.
The brand-new psychedelic video – from which the single’s cover takes its image – comes from the mind of Brooklyn visual and recording artist Christina Schneider. In it, she blends clips of old horror films (Psycho, to name one) with CGI images of rotating knives, vintage commercials for toys and toiletries, and images of bugs that crawl uncomfortably close. Check it out below. – Will Sisskind