NYC

Infinity Girl releases “Harm” LP + plays Shea Stadium on 09/02

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On August 28, Brooklyn’s Infinity Girl will release their debut full length album “Harm” on TopShelfRecords. The first single “Young” shows an incremental shifting towards pop music, that moves away from the loose jam sound previously explored on their 2012 EP “Just Like Lovers.” The track comes on at a quicker pace, but lyrical verses are clearer, allowing for snippets of vocal hooks to take a deeper hold. Nods to My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” era can still be found in the metallic pitch-bended welded shearing sound that emerge within the mix. The poppier elements owe more to the development of a song structure with a lighter overall feel. A band like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart successfully blended romantic compositions and teen angst lyrics with harsher guitar sounds, and Infinity Girl appear to be taking a similar route. However, dense layers still emerge within this track, keeping the essential feel more dreamgaze than twee. More singles from the upcoming album can be found here. The band will play a live show next at Shea Stadium on 9/2 then head to Massachusetts for a show on 9/5. – Dave Cromwell

NYC

Underground pop rockers New Boss open show at 9:30, 9/5, and tease new album out this October

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Listening to New Boss is like sending your brain to the beach. Their lo-fi approach is well-executed and carries their sound perfectly, with the right amount of twang and dance beats provided by premium drumming. The melodies are easy to lose oneself in, but they’re hard to leave behind. If you like Yo La Tengo or Belle & Sebastian, you’ll love New Boss, Charlottesville’s premier twee pop outfit. You’ll find them presenting their excellence as the openers for Sleepwalkers and The Dough Rollers at the 9:30 on 9/5 for just $15. Look for the new album Twee Boogie Vol. 1 & 2 this October! -Jonathan Goodwin

NYC

Brooklyn soul/funk septet Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds plays The Bowery Ballroom on 11.7

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As they prove on the horn-buoyed single “Sugar” (streaming below) from their latest album ‘The Weather Below,’ Brooklyn self-described “hard soul collective” Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds delivers relentless fun. The Catskills-rooted frontwoman Arleigh Kincheloe has said that she enjoys seeing audiences smile, and one can’t help but flush in admiration to the warm soul-funk of such songs as “Sugar.” The septet plays The Bowery Ballroom on 11.7 as part of its current tour. – Zach Weg

NYC

Another Deli sponsored show ‘At the Inn’ with Sam Cohen, Adrianne Lenker and Keenan O’Meara

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The Deli will be sponsoring another one of Hypnocraft’s free and open-to-the-public shows at the lovely Greenpoint restaurant and piano bar, Manhattan Inn. This event is part of the series, “At the Inn” and we are excited to announce that the line-up for this coming Monday, August 24th, is packed with some super-gifted folks. Sam Cohen of Apollo Sunshine and Yellowbirds will be returning to preform his captivating folk-rock, followed by the talented Adrianne Lenker whose alt love songs make our hearts swoon. The night will end with Keenan O’Meara, the folk singer/songwriter who recently released the haunting single, "Rainstorms" (streaming below). It should be a night to remember, filled with noteworthy performances in a cozy, intimate setting. We hope to see you there! – Lauren Schechter 

NYC

Post-punk Sextile’s arcane debut A Thousand Hands out tomorrow

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Sextile’s eagerly awaited debut album A Thousand Hands releases tomorrow, but you can still stream it on Line of Best Fit if you can’t wait. That said, it’s an amazing set of songs that blends post-punk with jarring industrial and abrasive surf punk elements. We first caught a glimpse of these guys late-June with the premiere of "Can’t Take It". Signed by local label felte Records, whose international roster also includes Flaamingos, The KVB, and Lushes, Sextile spent the earlier part of their summer supporting Australian dreamgaze Au.Ra for a West Coast tour, giving listeners an early taste of their sonic visions. 

The band will celebrate A Thousand Hands with a Part Time Punks album release party August 27th, supported by Terminal A and Big Debbie at the Non Plus Ultra. Listen to "Visions of You" from the album below. – Ryan Mo

NYC

EDM duo Kalev performing at Knitting Factory Saturday 9.05

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Kalev is the EDM pseudonym of producers Caleb Ely and Joseph Barbour, who are spinning their own brand of Euro-influenced chillwave while remixing and reimagining their favorite tracks. Their SoundCloud features remixes of a diverse mix of artists, from Kimbra to Ed Sheeran, as well as their own tracks (check out their collaboration with Midliife, streaming below). Their mellow electronic takes on their favorite pop songs are sure to be the highlight of their set at Knitting Factory on Saturday Setember 5, where they’ll be DJing alongside other local EDM acts. – Sam O’Hara

NYC

Brooklyn duo tamper releases debut EP

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In the past two weeks, tamper, the newly formed electro-indie duo, has been getting a lot of attention for their cover of Santigold’s "Disparate Youth" (100k listens on SoundCloud to be exact), but it’s their release from earlier this summer that stands out. The self-titled EP features four tracks (listen below) with a dark yet chill electro sound and an indie-rock influence. They applied the same tone to their Santigold cover, and that’s what’s making it such a hit. The cover was the first release of four, so keep your ears on their SoundCloud for more coming soon. – Sam O’Hara

NYC

Brooklyn synth-pop artist Computer Magic shares ‘Be Fair,’ plays Baby’s All Right 10.10

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Computer Magic aka Brooklyn artist Danielle "Danz" Johnson shares a jolly rancher-sweet pop song with "Be Fair" (streaming below), the lead single off her forthcoming American debut LP ‘Davos.’ Over budding synths and wispy effects, the Catskills-hailing musician sings of romance’s complexities with both calm and force. "Be fair, and I’ll tell you I love you," she explains, powerful radiance shining through. ‘Davos,’ which was produced by Neon Indian and Interpol collaborator Claudius Mittendorfer, is scheduled for release on October 16th. Computer Magic will play Baby’s All Right on October 10th as part of her upcoming tour. – Zach Weg

NYC

Hear darkwave oracle Drab Majesty’s newest divination Careless at LA Psych Fest

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The androgynous alter ego of Andrew Clinco (Marriages, Black Mare), Deb DeMure, is not drag — bluntly put, it’s a genderfuck medium that channels a windfall of ideas. The occult scholar sees DeMure’s physical manifestation as an oracle for Drab Majesty, a growing collection of self-produced music bearing marks of late ’80s dreampop, new wave, and post-punk. The project’s newest album Careless envelops listeners with modulating guitars, grand cathedral reverb, and effected baritone vocals that hearken back to acts like Asylum Party, Xymox, Cocteau Twins — gothically elaborate, it coalesces the masculine and feminine, the Abrahamic and the arcane. And DeMure takes no credit for the songs’ conception.

Says Clinco in a Noisey interview: "We’re just vessels channeling these ideas and making sense of them."

Drab Majesty performs at the LA Psych Fest on September 20th with JJUUJJUU, Earthless, Litronix, and more. Listen to "Everything Is Sentimental" off the newest album Careless, with a second vinyl pressing on Dais Records early October. – Ryan Mo

NYC

HMPH! pushes musical boundaries with Headrush

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Simply stated, the music of HMPH! could be described with a term like math rock or experimental jazz fusion. But these terms, while accurate, don’t paint a complete picture of the sounds created by guitarist Ryan Lee Toms and drummer Jonathan Thatch. “Just when you think you got the groove, we switch it up, add a few beats, or throw in a chord from another key,” says Thatch, whose mastery over the drum kit is jaw-dropping. And while rhythmically complex, progressive compositions have become a cornerstone of the math rock genre, HMPH! additionally incorporates elements of jazz, ambient rock, alternative, and metal.
 
On Friday, the duo will be releasing its debut album Headrush (Haymaker Records), a 36-minute instrumental effort that showcases HMPH!’s dedication to push the envelope while keeping its music interesting. Nine of the 10 songs clock in under 5 minutes, keeping a fresh, brisk momentum for the entirety of the album. The listener has a chance to delve in to each song, but is pulled out before it becomes indulgent or formulaic.
 
Many of the songs start with a basic guitar riff that is bent and twisted in multiple directions, meandering from its original shape but always returning to it. From a polite jazz lick to a climactic rising arpeggio, Toms designs unpredictable, jagged noises with his guitar. “The harder it is for us to wrap our head around a riff, the more fun it is to write and the more enjoyable it is to dissect as a listener.” His combination of intriguing guitar sounds with Thatch’s intricate drum work shows that they’re very much up to the challenge. “Sometimes it starts with a complicated polyrhythmic drum part from Jonathan and I’ll create a progression to that. Other times, I’ll zone out and write arpeggios while thinking of decrepit medieval castles that kind of remind me of all the video games I played as a kid. Then I bring them to Jonathan.”
 
At the same time, Thatch is creating his own variegated sounds with just a five-piece drum kit. He often provides a countermelody to Toms’ guitar, building upon dynamic layers with odd meters, polyrhythms, subtle dynamic shifts, and rhythmic intensity. “One quality we strive for is to keep people guessing,” he says. This even includes retooling songs on the spot. “Our songs tend to keep evolving over time. We might be playing a song live and try something new, and we like the new sound so we keep playing it that way. Sometimes we don’t even talk about it; we just both know how it goes now.”
 
 
Join HMPH! on Friday at Harling’s Upstairs. They’ll be releasing Headrush through Haymaker Records. Vinyl and cassette copies of the album will be available for purchase. Preorder here. Facebook event page.
 
 
 
Michelle Bacon

Michelle is editor of The Deli KC and plays in bands. 

NYC

Brooklyn singer/songwriter Tangina Stone shares ‘Wasn’t Love Cafe,’ plays C’mon Everybody 8.25

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A few days ago, Brooklyn singer/songwriter Tangina Stone dropped her gently searing new single "Wasn’t Love Cafe" (streaming below). Beginning with "Push It Along"-esque drum hits, sprinkled by warm electonics, and closing on guitar-fuzzed spoken-word, the genre-melding song has the Ohio-born Stone imbuing the timeless love-conquers-all theme with fresh passion. As marked by her heart-buckling belt, the early-twenties musician definitely shows promise of brave music to come but, meanwhile, stirs with this bold love song. Tangina Stone plays at C’mon Everybody next Tuesday (8.25). – Zach Weg

NYC

Psych-Rock band Happy You playing at Shea Stadium Wednesday (9.02)

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Since releasing their first full-length album ‘Giggle’ (streaming below), which shows off their upbeat psych-rock summer vibe and doesn’t miss a beat over the nine tracks, Happy You have shown no sign of slowing down their performances. They’ve been playing shows consistently all over the East Coast for almost a year, but are coming back to Brooklyn to play at Shea Stadium on Wednesday, 9.02. Be sure to catch them, What Moon Things, Infinity Girl, and Pencil. – Sam O’Hara