Linafornia is the pseudonym of a stalwart beat maker from Leimert Park who’s been at it since 2014, earning her stripes from the revered Beat Cinema and open mic workshop Project Blowed. Raised in a city of musical innovators like Nocando and Open Mike Eagle, the bar is set high for any musician making a name out of the culturally rich LA neighborhood.
But lo-fi elbow grease and deep cuts of soul & funk are the marks of LP talent, and Linafornia’s got all the makings of a producer, hitting the ground running with shows at the Low End Theory and PasswordLA. In her growing repertoire you’ll find cloudy, washed-out abstractions alongside jazz flows, inspired by Ras G, Dibiase, and Samiyam. Her recent collab with Compton’s geekster rapper DeviWonder is just a sampling of the magic this woman is capable of, and we can’t wait to hear more! Linafornia’s first major project, code-named YUNG, is currently underway and will be out in the future by Dome of Doom (Alpha Pup Records).
Listen to her newest track, "Wetttt" on Soundcloud below, and see her live on August 10th at Silverlake’s Hyperion Tavern. – Ryan Mo
With their breezy songs brimming with surf and dream pop influences, Brooklyn’s Little Racer should be in the ‘Summer Tunes’ playlist of anybody enamored with beach centered lifestyle. Which begs the questions: why are these guys living in NYC? Aware of this contradiction, the band wrote this in the "Short Description" section of their Facebook page: ‘NYC Surf rockers that can’t swim. ‘ The trio released their sophomore EP ‘Foreign Tongues‘ in June, and recently unveiled this video for single Montevideo. They’ll be playing a free show at tiny Alphabet City venue Niagara tomorrow (August 6th). It’s a great opportunity for a night of affordable and easy going fun.
Congrats to our July Artist of the Month, John Keck! Keck—who partially recorded his debut album The Jack Moon Sessions at the famed Sun Studios—depicts his personal experience in thoughtful ways, with an Americana flair. His music evokes Ozark traditions and southern rock, with a visceral emotional tinge. Read more about Keck in our Q&A.
The Deli: Down and dirty: one sentence to describe your music.
Keck: I think my music is very personal, and hopefully because of that people who listen to the lyrics can find something that speaks to them, or at the minimum they can see the image I’m trying to create, the story I’m conveying.
The Deli: Give me some background on your musical career. How long have you been playing music? What made you decide to become a songwriter?
Keck: I started playing in front of people in 2008 at open mics, and started booking shows regularly in 2010, so just a short time compared to my friends. I have a lot of catch-up to do. I found songwriting to be a therapy for dealing with my emotions, I guess it’s a bit of an escape too. In 2008 I ended a marriage of 14 years and found myself feeling very raw and exposed to life in a new way. I also didn’t have anyone to fight with anymore and so I guess I started fighting with myself. To me, writing a song is a fight with yourself; it’s an argument between your fear of letting other people know how you feel and the desire to be honest in a public way.
The Deli: What inspires your music and songwriting?
Keck: My relationships and encounters with people are my primary inspirations. I don’t write much about the way the trees make me feel or something like that… It seems that even when I try to write about someone other than me, my personal experiences come out in my lyrics, so I don’t really try to fight that anymore and just accept that I can’t be neutral to what I observe. I would like to be better about my work ethic and writing process, to be more diligent. I don’t feel like I spend enough time on it. But I guess I don’t really like to think of what I’m doing in comparison to anyone else, even my idols. So I don’t keep regular hours, like some people I know, I let it come to me. Sometimes it’s in waves, sometimes there are long dry spells. I try to record every thought I have, even when I know it’s bad in the moment. If I think it is good, I usually remember it and can come back to it. Usually it’s in the morning and makes me late for wherever I’m going. I’m always late, I apologize to everyone, maybe I was writing a song about you.
The Deli: What have been your greatest musical accomplishments?
Keck: Being played on the radio is surreal to me. The radio was so important growing up. I don’t think people can appreciate it now. With access to the world’s known recordings on our phones, but as a kid before tapes even, anyway… it means everything to me. I think about it in terms of immortality. Those frequencies are traveling in the universe farther than I can conceive. How do you top that? I also played at the Troubadour in London, which was unreal. It’s the first place that Dylan played when he got to England (supposedly), and everyone else that you can imagine. I recorded my parts of my album at Sun Studios in Memphis, so that was kind of too good to think about—the same room Johnny Cash stood in (I sat). The radio wouldn’t have happened if the album wasn’t made. Honestly, every time someone tells me they like one of my songs I feel like I’ve accomplished something.
The Deli: Tell us about your debut album, The Jack Moon Sessions at Sun Studios and Chappy Roads. What can we expect?
Keck: I do have a debut album called The Jack Moon Sessions at Sun Studios and Chappy Roads. For the future, I’ve been writing and writing and have started working with other people to create a new album. I’m going to call it “Photo Booth,” and the songs that will be on it are written with a particular image in mind… does that make it a concept album? That title has many meanings to me, but an easily accessible idea is that I think of my songs like photographs that capture a moment with a certain light, like a black and white photograph. The album cover will explain more.
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
Keck: It’s become my passion. I try to go to as many shows as I can. Sometimes I feel like a stalker. Music is my religion, so attending services regularly at our local sanctuaries is critical to enlightenment.
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now? Non-local?
Keck: I don’t typically have favorites of anything, but I have to have a good goddamn reason to miss a Dynamite Defense show, if you hear and see Chris Tady play the guitar you’ll understand why. Also their songs have such a classic feel to them you really don’t know what decade they were written in, I like that a lot. Of course Scott Hrabko, I could listen to his music over and over again. The Silver Maggies and Potters Field: I go home after their shows and wish I could play, sing, and, write songs like them. The Philistines I think have a unique sound too, with so much intensity and drive, they have me hooked. I’m inspired by all of these groups and so many more, but I’ll blush if they read this and then we have to talk about it later. I don’t think Tady goes on the line, so we are safe there. Non-local? I’ve really gotten into Houndmouth in the last few weeks, both albums are strong in my opinion, I may have already burned myself out on them actually, but I have enjoyed our brief affair.
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
Keck: I guess I should be better about dreaming big… I honestly feel like I’m living a fantasy right now, so each new thing is its own dream. I played Boulevardia last month; that was something I never considered possible before getting asked to do it. Last Saturday, I was at a dinner party with some truly talented people that I was in awe of; they took turns playing my guitar and singing their songs. We were up all night enjoying the moment. That seems like a fantasy now. But like every other person who’s ever scribbled a tune down, I would be on cloud nine opening for Neil Young, or Willie Nelson, or Scott Hrabko.
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?
Keck: Dylan, Young, Keith Richards, John Lennon (in no particular order). I think valid arguments could be made for so many others and certainly the people that influenced those four, but just shooting from the hip, these guys created a profound impact in the culture as receivers with a true talent, then as focal points of sound that came through them and out to all of us, in ways that we don’t even know about. Blah blah, lists.
The Deli: What goals do you have for 2015, and beyond?
Keck: I plan to tour this fall, a small one of the Midwest. I’ve never really done an extended journey for more than one night, and I think that’s my next step in evolving as a performing artist. Record and release the new album. Create a band. Play as many shows as “they” will let me.
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
Keck: Everything I’m up to is on http://www.johnlkeck.com, including videos and streaming music.
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
Keck: Listen to whatever you want to, don’t let anyone tell you a piece of music is bad or good, if it speaks to you, then it is good to you. I hear people say all the time, “that’s too poppy” or “I don’t like country,” blah blah blah, If you limit yourself to a certain taste, you create a boundary that prohibits your universe from expanding and then it’s expanding without you.
Back in May, the epically named New York rock trio Lost Kingdoms self-released their debut album, ‘Big Hits.’ As heard on such surging, guitar-based songs as “Steal” and “Scared,” the Terry Edelman-fronted band keenly understands the deeply cathartic possibilities of rock, their almost relentless strums and throttling drums allowing the listener to ponder and potentially purge. Lost Kingdoms aren’t solely ferocious, though; their track “Far” (streaming below), which recalls a mix of the pretty rawness of ‘Pablo Honey’-era Radiohead and R.E.M.’s more rocking moments, is a compelling mix of loud and quiet, blistering chords periodically settling down to tender ones. There is some calm in the storm. Lost Kingdoms played their first The Mercury Lounge show last night (8.4), check out their Facebook page for upcoming shows. – Zach Weg
Musicians in The Deli World (i.e. the 12 local US scenes we cover – list here),
Once again, The Deli will give some emerging bands and artists the opportunity to play at one of its CMJ 2015 Music Marathon showcases.
This year we have booked a bunch of shows in the Lower East Side (Pianos on Friday night and Rockwood on Wednesday!) and Williamsburg (The Living Room on Saturday and Muchmore’s on Thursday!), and – as usual – we’ll have several stages for different musical genres.
We are looking to book 3 or more artists for these shows through this submissions system.
To be considered, all you need to do is to apply HERE – good luck!
Since Brooklyn’s Future Punx‘ latest EP was our Record of the Month earlier this year, we can’t wait to hear their debut album ‘This is Post Wave’ – they just announced it will be released on August 28 on Dull Tool Records. In the meantime they unveiled a video for preview single ‘Ever You Go’ (below). Noisey also posted an almost month long list of dates for their European tour, some of them opening for Parquet Courts. Things seem to be happenin’ for these guys.
There’s an interesting show at The Bell House on Friday August 7 featuring four rather unconventional emerging NYC bands – we are streaming their music below. Corporal (pictured), playing the headliner slot, is an alt folk project that at its best sounds like a folkier and more acoustic version of Beck, we are digging this single from their 2010 self titled debut album.
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.357 Lover is a band that, according to their bandcamp tags, plays glam rock and aims at enterteining fans both at arenas and the dinner table. Their latest single ‘Song of Anya,’ inspired by the character from Game of Thrones,features celtic elements and not much in terms of glam influences, but it does have an arena rock/dinner table kind of feel to it – whatever that may suggest!
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Mesiko, on stage at 8.30, is a band that received Deli-love before, and has been active since 2011. The trio plays an eclectic mix of roots rock and psychedelia, with alternating male/female vocals and occasional noir tinges. Their latest record ‘Solar Door‘ never ceases to surprise and deserves a listen.
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Opening the night will be the most unconventional band on the bill, called Soft Gang, fronted by Japanese (we assume) singer Kaori Nakamura. The group doesn’t have any recordings yet, but this live demo showcases heavy post punk inclinations.
With a presence in more than 100 cities, including New York, Sofar Sounds organizes intimate, secret gigs featuring emerging artists, and in most cases hosted in private living rooms. This makes it a perfect partner for a site like The Deli NYC that’s exclusively focused on up and coming local artists.
The show will be in Tribeca by the Canal station – you’ll be given the exact address if you buy a ticket here, or if you get selected from the hundreds of people who will apply to attend for free, here.
Since all Sofar Sounds’ shows are secret until one day before they happen, we can’t tell you who is playing, but we can give you a hint and some info: there will be three acts, and one of them is pitcured above…
NYC based quartet Summer Moon might feature elements of The Strokes (Nikolai Fraiture) and Au Revoire Simone (Erika Spring) but still perfectly fits the profile of "emerging band" – hence our coverage. The band only released two singles this far (‘With You Tonight’ – streaming, and ‘Happenin’‘), but seems to have what it takes to take off internationally in the next few months, including a booking agent as influential as Marsha Vlasic. The band had to reschedule their July 28th Baby’s All Right show because of an ankle injury occurred to drummer Tennessee Thomas (formerly of The Like). The show is now scheduled for August 11th, and it could be one of the last opportunities to see these guys in an intimate medium size venue. Summer Moon will also perform at Central Park’s Summer Stage on 08.05 with Father John Misty. Yep, that’s the kind of gig influential booking agents get you…
Minneapolis transplants Strange Names have brought to NYC a swagger and confidence most of the local hipsters cannot emanate even if they tried. Their style flirts with the clean, stylized sounds and imagery of the pop of the ’80s – heck, their singers kinda looks like a young Simon Le Bon! – but their music, uptempo in a catchy but edgy way, is by no means simple: layers of electric, percussive and electronic sounds intersect with each other (and with the vocals) creating intriguing and often rather complex sonic webs, which must have required a certain amount of production in the studio. Our friends at Delicious Audio had the opportunity to ask guitarist Francis Ximenez where all these sounds – and the band’s inspiration – come from, see link below.
Bushwick’s Starlight Girls gave us some truly memorable retro-pop singles a few years ago (we really enjoyed ‘Flutterby‘ and ‘Gossip‘ among others), and – as recently as last year – Electro-Motown gem ‘Fancy.’ The band, lead by visionary singer songwriter Christina B, just released new single ‘Intrigue’ (streaming), which blends the old retro influences with the group’s more recent upbeat and electronic developments, to deliver another sophisticated pop gem. Starlight Girls announced a new LP scheduled for an October 13 release.
A rather uncharacteristical Brooklyn band, Youth Signals play music that dwells in darkness and suspenceful atmospheres. We debuted their intriguing single "Prisms" a few months ago and enjoyed its post-punk-meet-roots-music vibe, and we are now happy to stream their new video for Nick Cave-esque single ‘Foreign Eye,’ directed by the band’s singer and main songwriter Brock Bodell, and inspired by his favorite horror movies – we assume "Ringu" (which inspired the Hollywood blockbuster "The Ring") is one of them.
