An ethereal combination of sounds goes the distance for Brandon Curtis’ (ex-Secret Machines) new project Cosmicide, who just finished a February residency at Pianos. If you managed to cautch one of the shows, you might then attest to the tonal high emitted from the gorgeous layering of sound, both instrumentally and vocally. With even catchier hooks, and an array of electronic production coating his brilliantly soothing voice, Curtis builds his own universe and sends you soaring through it. Driving rhythms and chugging lows set an undeniably moveable pace for the piercing aerial melodies. Lush synth is interwoven with warbled guitar modulation, which then meld into beautiful vocal harmonies, creating one rich chord for the entirety of the songs. This is one artist to keep an eye on in 2016, check out latest track "Everything’s Under the Waves." – JP Basileo
Under the Big Oak Tree has all the makings of a solid bluegrass/folk collective, from dulcet vocal harmonies to mandolin flourishes and a foundational upright bass line. The trio’s latest album Local Honey—released early this year on Mudstomp Records—showcases these elements in a vibrant, lush sonic atmosphere. Find out more about the group in our Q&A with songwriter Simon Fink.
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music.
Simon Fink: Rustic melodies; warm, tremulous singing; lyrics that tilt toward the literary: Gillian Welch, Dolly Parton, and Leonard Cohen walk in to a bar—or onto a front porch, maybe…
The Deli: Give me some background info on Under the Big Oak Tree.
Simon: About 4 years ago, I answered a Craigslist ad from a guitar player who wanted to start a bluegrass band for his daughter, who he said was learning to sing and and play guitar. From the sound of it, I pictured a guy with a 15-year-old daughter who wanted to be Taylor Swift. They turned out to be two of the nicest and most generous people I’ve ever met (Kristin Hamilton and Rocky Cathcart, who moved to Texas). As I got to know Kristin’s approach to singing, her voice became a great inspiration for new songs and arrangements. We added Doug Ward on bass pretty much immediately, who fit right in to what we were doing and helped expand on it.
The Deli: What inspires your music and songwriting? What is your songwriting process? Does one person write everything or is it collaborative?
Simon: I write most of the songs, and Doug contributes too. A lot of my inspiration comes from thinking about the sound and dramatic potential of the group—the voices and instruments. For me it’s all about the meaningful interaction between words and music that, in turn, creates something greater—the alchemy of songwriting. Though I don’t purposely avoid it, I don’t generally write from autobiography. Lyrics, for me, are an heightened kind of language. A lot of my reference points are in (written) poetry, and you can see the names of certain poets who served as inspiration in some of the song titles on the new album.
The Deli: What have been your greatest accomplishments as a band?
Simon: I think both of our albums are pretty darn good, and I’m proud of them. We still have a lot more to explore.
The Deli:Tell us about your newest album, Local Honey. What can listeners expect? What future plans do you have for getting your music out there?
Simon: Expect a genuine singing voice embedded in sweet, rootsy acousticness. People tend to instantly recognize a kind of welcoming wholesomeness in our music. I hope they hear that, and I hope they hear some of the richer, more challenging layers to the songs and ideas as well.
We’re based in St. Joe, but we hope to get the word out and play more in KC and Lawrence.
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
Simon: I’m not a huge fan of that phrase because it makes it sound like one more grim duty (“Eat your vegetables.”), when, in fact, participating in music—especially “locally”—is essentially joyous and enlivening. There was a well-known ethno-musicologist in the ‘70s who found that worldwide and across cultures, people’s peak life experiences tended to have one thing in common: music. I’m always heartened by the people, especially non-musicians, who feel like they get something out of our shows and recordings.
I do worry that many people don’t seem have a place in their life to really listen anymore. When I read profiles of great contemporary thinkers and doers, their response to, “What are you listening to?” is so often a podcast or audio book. The status of music kind of peaked with the Romantics. In the 19th century, it was considered the greatest and most vital of all art forms. Now, music for its own sake (apart from film, TV, commercials, etc.) no longer seems to fit into our lives so well—and yet that’s exactly why it’s still so essential.
The music industry is a mess at the moment. But every community needs dedicated, local musicians. Individual fans can help by pitching in to ad hoc crowdfunding campaigns, etc., but it’s hard to imagine a local scene of quality and consequence really being sustained that way.
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now? Non-local?
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
Simon: Opening for Bob Dylan. Accompanied by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. On a tour of great American National Parks. Sunrise and sunset shows. Staging by Julie Taymor. Cloud-scape by Vik Muniz. Free admission and snacks. And bourbon.
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?
Simon: Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Robert Johnson, Lou Reed: some of my favorite American songwriters.
The Deli: What other goals do you have for 2016 and beyond?
Simon: Record some live videos of the band; start a sponsored concert series; collaborate with local musicians on a project of new songs about St. Joe, MO; facilitate a collaboration between the KC folk and classical scenes; get an intern; get our music out to as many people as will listen and win you over as a UBOT fan. Yes, YOU, dear reader.
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
Simon: I have tried to write paradise
Do not move
Let the wind speak
that is paradise
-Ezra Pound
(mic drop…)
You’re in luck—Under the Big Oak Tree will be playing this weekend in Lawrence. Catch them at The Bottleneck on Saturday night with Kelly Hunt and Kansas City Hustle. Music starts at 9:00 pm. Facebook event page.
Having met by chance in a recording studio in Bushwick, classically trained singer Elaine Lachica and guitarist Brandon Jaffe bonded over their mutual love of dreamy indie rock/pop bands, which set the foundation for Arc Waves‘ musical DNA. With the addition of bass player Joe Beach and drummer Mike Hodges, the band started forging a texturally layered sound, merging droney distorted guitars, ethereal vocals, and electronic elements with new wave and shoegazer influences. In their most recent release, “Transmission” (streaming) the guitar sputters more enthusiastically than ever before, but Lachicas’ soprano still echoes throughout the song creating a cavernous, enveloping sound. Take a gander below and don’t forget to catch Arc Wave down by South Street Seaport for the annual Out To See Festival on 3.11.
"The Redhead’s Allegations," by NYC songwriter Chapell, is a collection of little stories about life in New York that – much like NYC – doesn’t care about fitting into some pre-conceived narrative. Chapell’s songs evoke a simpler time for confessional singer-songwriters: when painful memories translate to lyrics on love and loss, and a tell-tale organ solo or raging brass combo are never too far away either. The record’s first single ‘The Game,’ weaves this intimate form of storytelling into pop format, evoking master craftsmen like Elvis Costello and Jeff Lynne. Listen below to the entire album, out tomorrow.
Brooklyn songwriter Nola Wren is a perfect case to exemplify how electronic music is tempting more and more musicians through fun, increasingly user friendly products capable of inspiring young artists and unleashing new creative energy. A talented songwriter gifted with an expressive alto (vaguely reminiscent of Kate Bush), Nola in just over one year reinvented her sound, transitioning from her from her early folk recording to a new synth-pop "phase" that is resonating with many fans. Her natural sense for style is only helping the cause. Read the De;icious Audio Q&A about her creative process here.
The new single by Mori, a new band led by songwriter Mori Einsidler, certainly doesn’t lack range, alternating epic, ethereal, emotional and punchy moments. On Saturday March 5th, fans of emo and pop punk will surely get their dose of intense melodies paired with wall of distorted guitars, when the band will be celebrating the release of their debut EP. Checkoiut single "All Along," streaming below.
On New Year’s Eve 2014, Brooklyn folk project yours are the only ears(aka Susannah Cutler and JongMin Lin) shared the intimately hushed “fire in my eyes” (streaming below). A lovelorn request for company from a bruised soul, the drum-clasped track doesn’t just showcase Cutler’s striking poetic ability to speak volumes with just a single phrase, but quietly conveys the precious calm that a lullaby such as this can provide. Yours are the only ears plays at Palisades on March 18 as part of their forthcoming mini-tour. More details can be found on the band’s Facebook page. – Zach Weg
Indie Pop quartet Drowners, who took NYC by storm a few years ago with their 2012 debut EP and the following self-titled album, just unveiled new single ‘Cruel Ways’ (streaming), and took the opportunity to announce the release of their sophomore LP "On Desire," out on French Kiss in June. The band will be playing several shows at SXSW this year, culminating in an official showcase at Cheer Up Charlies (900 Red River Street), slated for Saturday, March 19th.
Featured on the cover of the 27th issu e of The Deli NYC (back in 2011), Caveman have been slowly but steadily growing in popularity, release after release. The band just announced an extended spring tour in support of Frightened Rabbit, and the release of new album "Otero War," scheduled for the summer. Check out preview single "Never Going Back," streaming below, and mark May 5th on your calendar, when they’ll play Terminal 5 in NYC.
Brooklyn via LA Pink Mexico plays a gritty brand of fuzz rock, but their airy melodies with psychedelic inflections counteract the harshness of their distorted sound. In 2015, the trio followed up their 2013 self-titled debut album with a two track 7" featuring single "Cigarette Split" (streaming below), a plodding, uber catchy mid tempo that has the sonic power to make you feel under the influence (a cheap high, folks!). This year the band will travel to Austin to play SXSW – the many Austin fans of psychedelic rock (not to mention the hordes of New Yorkers who will be invading that city during Music Week) should checkthem out.
Carefully vacillating from somber to exuberant, the first album from DC’s space pop quartet Fall Seattle is one that takes the listener on a quasi-spiritual journey. If The Smiths heavily experimented with shoegaze elements, this is probably what they’d sound like. Mixing melancholy and merriment, this album feels like a manifesto; it combines more than two years of writing and recording by the group and it’s apparent from the striking dissonance between tracks. Sure to inspire reflection and emotional reconfiguring, this album is worth several listens, so push play already and keep an eye out for upcoming gigs from Fall Seattle. -Jonathan Goodwin
Active since 2011, Brooklyn trio Haybaby has been able to forge a power trio sound that, although flirting with the indie guitar rock of the ’90s, reorganizes sonic elements from that era in a way that’s fully their own. Lead singer Leslie Hong’s voice reignites our teenage crush on Kim Deal (ok, ok, we were in our early twenties…), while the band’s sparse but tense sound and intricate bass lines flirt with Fugazi from the ‘Repeater’ days, although without venturing in the DC band’s typically post-hardcore guttural explosions. ‘Doored’ – the final track from their impressively consistent latest album ‘Sleepy Kids‘ – features a gritty loud-quiet-loud production that is bound to be well received in a live setting. Speaking of which, on March 9th at Palisade the band is kicking off a month and a half long US tour, with a prolonged stop in Austin during SXSW.
