Doe Paoro got a lot of coverage in The Deli as of late – that’s what happens when a local artist makes music that’s personal and endearing. The exotic sounding songwriter will be co-headlining The Deli’s Post-Rock/Orchestral Stage at The Living Room on October 17 – even though she doesn’t exactly fit either genre. Check out her latest video for the single "Body Games" below.

Although rock and pop stars are among the least religious human beings on earth, since the 90s there hasn’t been a shortage of band names starting with "St." –  most of them belonging to the electronic pop hub. Currently one of the most successful new electro acts out of NYC, St.Lucia offers music as ethereal as its name suggests ("Lucia" means "light" in Latin, so combined with "St." it conjures up images of angels singing somewhere around the the 7th heaven). The band just released the new single "September" (streaming below), which is an appetizer of their new upcoming album produced by James Iha of Smashing Pumpkin memory.

P.S. The track sounds great but we wish one man band Jean-Philip Grobler gave us a press shot that showed the other side of his face! 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

On the first few seconds of ‘Cover’ with that brain-grating loop of faint cymbal sounds, it seems like we’re in for some bizarre adventure into sonic discomfort– as would generally be the case with with Brooklyn duo Talk Normal, who for just about five years, has been building its fan base from one record to the next with offset rhythms upon noise. Andrya Ambro & Sarah Register’s new single, premiered two days ago via Noisey.com, kept exploring the more stripped-down facet of their sound, that rite-in-the-name-of-dissonance aesthetic they had going on across the last two records; but as the track progresses, building up to a passionate and glowing climax one menacing beat at a time it reveals a channeled side we never really met before. Intense. A smashing preview of the album to come, on Joyful Noise. Talk Normal will be playing at 285 Kent on September 29th with Pop. 1280 and Guardian Alien. 

One-half mall punk brats, one half Glee Club dropouts, Hey Guy’s music is the utter manifestation of their ‘business on the top, party on the bottom’ sense of fashion evident from the band’s Facebook music player. And that’s the attitude you need to have here when checking out Russian-born singer Boris Pelekh’s feelings of 20-something alienation and paranoia sandwiched inside the half pipe-ready riffing and beats that once served bands like Incubus and Deftones pretty well. It appears Queens, NY has yet to let us down when it comes to rocking out this corner of rock’s pantheon, and Hey Guy is here to scratch that itch. Join the band as they send off both Pelekh and drummer Daniel Jakubovic –  who’ll be on the road for while with American Idiot: The Musical – tomorrow (9.21) at Arlene’s Grocery, 9pm. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

For those of you sick of being lazy at the beach and ready for some epic jams to get you back in the swing of things, look no further than post-rock ensemble Industries of the Blind. Lifting off to planets only visible to bands like Mogwai or Sigur Ros, the instrumental nine-piece includes three guitarists, an industrious drummer, and two very hard-working violinists. This is a band that starts at 10 and keeps hashing out an idea until it clears your skull of all misgivings. And with song titles like "The Lights weren’t that bright, but our eyes were so tired," who needs lyrics anyway? Check the band out when they play The Deli’s Post Rock/Orchestral CMJ stage at The Living Room on 10.17 with You Bred Raptors? Cuddle Magic, Doe Paoro, Friend Roulette and a few more. The full list of Deli CMJ shows will be announced towards the end of September. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

A foggy haze of smoke and lights surrounds Brooklyn band Slowdance‘s dark video of their new single “Boyfriend.” Originally released as a 7” on White Iris records, the song is a playful take on efforts which can be made to keep things exciting in a long-term relationship (a thick fog and darkness always help when your partner is getting old and fat). The band’s pop tendencies keep things light as usual, but an element of melancholia seeps through the steam.

Curiously, at one point a man in an American flag button-up dismounts a motorcycle with an overlay of sparklers – an image which ironically, in one shot, represents the duality of bilingual singer Quinn-Settel (English and French) – since sparkles for some reason bring to mind many French things (champagne, glittery fashion, and a French guy I met once who couldn’t light his cigarette). – Christine Cauthen

Last week, Brit-turned-Brooklynite band, Deluka, debuted a new track, “Stranger Than Fiction” on RCRDLBL.com and gave fans a taste of what’s to come on their upcoming record currently under construction. Deluka, known for their hook-laden and contagiously danceable electro-rock, have built their career on melodic and catching dance tracks, from their “Sleep is Impossible EP" to a full-length record, “You Are the Night,” and several remixes along the way. The lady-led group continues to create sharply produced tracks and. “Stranger Than Fiction” is no exception. The four continue a successful path and their recent track lays the groundwork for a highly anticipated record. Download “Stranger Than Fiction” here . – Meijin Bruttomesso

Matthew Hayden is one of the coolest, most laid-back drummers in Kansas City. He makes up an important third of Molly Picture Club, and this week he talks to us about his approach to the group, as well as other projects he has going on. Catch the beat right here!

On The Beat is a weekly interview brought to you by drummer Sergio Moreno (of Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), and features some of the many talented drummers in the Kansas City area.

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New York City welcomes Icona Pop, the Swedish electro-punk duo whose new single “I Love It” (streaming below) is blowing up. “We just moved here,” declared IP’s Aino Jawo online last week, “so everyone out there who wants to show us a good time, please come and dance with us!” Actually, no sooner did they touchdown, than Icona Pop went right back to Europe for a brief tour where they’ll debut material from their upcoming EP, "The Iconic" (out October 16). Despite their penchant for big choruses and crystal-clear vocals, “I Love It” seems to de-bunk early comparisons to Abba with the line, “You’re from the ‘70s, but I’m a ‘90s bitch.”

Jawo and fellow Stockholm-native bandmate Caroline Hjelt moved from London to New York following last year’s guest appearance on Chiddy Bang’s underground hip-hop charter, “Mind Your Manners,” which took off on both sides of the Atlantic (and was included on last year’s Now That’s What I Call Music 39). Lyrically, their next single, “Ready for the Weekend,” sticks pretty close to the formula, but according to Jawo, “It’s kind of more up-tempo, dance-ier,” which she says owes its vibe to the London scene. “It’s not the same punk feeling that ‘I Love It’ (streaming below) has.” With that in mind, we look forward to how NYC will help shape the duo’s next phase. – Brian Chidester 

In case you were planning on dressing as a folk singer for this Halloween, then We Are The Woods will happily provide the soundtrack. The new album from NYC folk trio, the peculiarly titled “Whales & Roses,” will be released on the eve of the year’s scariest and most sugar-filled day, October 30th. One month before the record’s release, the band will treat NYC with a hometown concert at The Living Room September 30th. The show will allow fans the pleasure of witnessing the fantastic harmonies of singers Jessie Murphy and Marcia Webb, who are backed by percussionist Tyler Beckwith. Listen to the upcoming album’s title track below. Josh Johnson

Looking for dark disco with a tinge of sexuality and a double dose of David Byrne? Look no further than the three-piece Kansas City group Molly Picture Club. This week we sit down with all 3 members to find out their views on gun control, Nickelback and disco balls.

The Deli: Gun to your head, 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?

Molly Picture Club: Matt: Gun in your ass and I’d tell ya.

Mike: Why the fuck do you need a gun, dude?

Aniko: Giant exploding disco balls from the future are cooler than guns any day.

The Deli: Tell us about your latest release or upcoming shows. What can we expect?

MPC: Mike: We’ve been writing pretty consistently since May, so I think you should expect new songs to be coming up either at shows or somewhere on the Information Superhighway. We want to keep evolving into the next version of ourselves and I think the songs we have in the cooker show that natural progression of us becoming more aware of what we’re doing.

Aniko: We’ve been in the sandbox, just playing with whatever toys we find. We want to open our insides to experiment with cool sounds, conceptual ideas, sweet-ass dance grooves, and basically just shake off any preconceptions we may have made about ourselves. Wow, that sounds super pretentious! I just mean that we’re trying to stay free in what we do, have fun, and hopefully people will like it, like we like it. In September, look for new songs, new ideas, and a surprise or two here and there.

Matt: New song, fall shows, blah blah blah.

The Deli: What does "supporting local music" mean to you?

MPC: Matt: It seems pretty simple; If you want to be supported, then you better support me and we will all be happy with lots of people at everyone’s shows. It’s a community thing. You grow the tomatoes, I’ll grow the peppers, she will grow the onion and he can make the salsa. It works together.

Mike: Every band in the world was a “local” band at one point, with the exception of Nickelback, who came straight from Satan’s asshole.

Aniko: Well, Satan’s asshole is sort of a "locality"… but I digress. I think supporting local music means getting away from the egos—in other words, give it your all and don’t be trying to always compete for local darling status. Look at what cool stuff people are doing, and let yourself be inspired. Clap for the other team if they just pulled off something crazy, even if that made your shit look just a little less shiny. Then, go and put on the kind of show you’d want to go to. Every time you play, whether it’s to a big crowd or just your band mates and the bartender dude. KC represent!

The Deli: Who are your favorite "local" musicians right now?

MPC: Aniko: I can always trust Cherokee Rock Rifle to rattle me to my core, and Actors and Actresses to soothe my savage soul afterwards.

Mike: I really dig what Parts of Speech has going on, always interested in what Amy Farrand is doing, The B’Dinas, Ghosty, and I’m intrigued at what Soft Reeds could pull off on their next album.

Matt: I like the Snuff Jazz crew, Go-Go Ray‘s projects, London Transit, Hearts of Darkness, Sons of Brazil, and Miles Bonny.

The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?

MPC: Mike: Metronomy, Handsome Furs, Turnpike Troubadours, Louis Armstrong.

Aniko: Lately, I’ve been digging on Metronomy, RJD2, Hard-Fi, St. Vincent, Gogol Bordello, and on and on it goes.

Matt: Donald Byrd, Afrolicious, Antibalas, Freddie Hubbard, Jorge Ben, Gil Scott Heron, Cedric Im Brooks.

The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy bill to play on?

MPC: Aniko: Hmm. There are lots of musicians on my fantasy list. With this band, I would melt over a bill with Metric, David Byrne, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, and the Gorillaz. It’d be a super duper dance party!

Mike: David Byrne, Brian Eno, Polyphonic Spree, Wolf Parade, and Tiny Tim.

Matt: David Byrne would do for sure. David Bowie, David Gilmore, Fernando David.

The Deli: Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?

MPC: Matt: Love recording and will definitely do that forever, but playing live is a special experience as well.

Mike: I don’t think I’ll ever not be on stage. I’ll be 60 and playing Talking Heads covers in a diaper. I’ve already got the Facebook invite up.

Aniko: 60 seems early for a diaper. I hope to still be just discreetly peeing my pants while playing at that age. But seriously, both please! I am in love with being in the studio and I absolutely love playing shows. That’s like trying to choose between your two babies. I guess who you love just a little bit more depends on the day.

The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?

MPC: Mike: Wow. That’s the most awesome question I’ve ever been asked. Charlie Parker for revolutionizing jazz, Bob Wills for bringing country swing, jazz, and pop together, Michael Jackson because he was fucking Michael Jackson, and Ringo Starr as long as he has a moustache.

Matt: Easy. James Brown (USA), Bob Marley (Jamaica), Fela Kuti (Africa), Jorge Ben (Brazil) of course.

Aniko: Joan Jett for being a bad ass chick, one of the guys from Kraftwerk, and let’s be honest, no one can really tell them apart, for being pioneers in electronic music and also from another planet, ditto for mutha-f’ing Michael Jackson, and Mozart because inside of me lives a giant nerd who played violin since she was little tiny nerd.

The Deli: All right, give us the rundown. Where all on this big crazy web can you be found?

MPC: Just Google “Molly Picture Club." We’ve got that market cornered on the web. We’re all over the web, in your face, and behind your neighbor’s bushes.

The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for The Deli audience?

MPC: Mike: Don’t fart in an elevator.

Aniko: Make sure you have a box of disco balls with you, wherever you go.

Matt: "I am the Walrus."

Molly Picture Club is (L to R above):
Aniko Adany
Matthew Hayden
Michael Tipton

This Saturday, September 22, Molly Picture Club will be throwing a big dance party along with London Transit and La Resistance at the recordBar. The show will be interactive, with an overhead projector allowing the audience to draw on the band while it plays (Facebook event page here). Don’t miss it! The group also recently formed Talking Heads’ tribute Found A Job, and they’ll be performing with other special guests at the recordBar on Tuesday, October 30 (Facebook event page here).

–-Zach Hodson

Zach is a lifetime Kansas City resident who plays multiple instruments and sings in Dolls on Fire and Drew Black and Dirty Electric, as well as contributing to many other Kansas City music, art, and comedy projects.  He is very fond of edamame, treats his cat Wiley better than he treats himself, and doesn’t want to see pictures of your newborn child (seriously, it looks like a potato).

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(Photo by Leah O’Connor)

With the very first chord struck in a melancholy minor tone, you can place a safe bet of what you are getting yourself in to. The next thirteen minutes of your life will be consumed by a capivating acoustic attack on the establishment. Of course we all love occasionally raging against the machine, but the outstanding level of grace and finesse portrayed by Folkicide in The Genocide is Mean EP remains incomparable.

The 5 songs included on this EP explore the glass half-empty side of the human condition. There is an overwhelming sense of pessimism that embodies the album. The mellow, acoustic chords and simplistic drumming raise the distinct vocal sounds to a pedestal. It becomes clear that the guitar and percussion are simply there to follow the lyrics—which are the true center of attention in all 5 songs.

Bold statements like "I worship the devil," in "Black Metal" and “Power to the people, a recipe for evil,” from "Power to the People" accurately depict the EP’s tone. It seems as though Folkicide is offering up an alternate way to think about lifeperhaps in a form that is easier to swallow.

Catchy lyrical hooks find themselves anchored in the brain, almost forcing you to think of the deeper meaning. Before long, you will find yourself singing along with Folkicide, raging along side him in his journey to discover what is wrong (or right) with society.

The Genocide is Mean was recorded by Chubby Smith at his Magical Tractor Shed in Perry, Kansas. The EP was released in July. Songs performed by Folkicide on guitar/vocals, and Zach Turner on drums. Folkicide recently released a video for one of the tracks on the EP, "Unleash The Young." Watch it and read our take on it at the link here. You can see Folkicide perform on Friday, Saturday 28 at The Riot Room for Schwervon!‘s CD release party with them and The Lucky.

–-Steven Ervay

Steven is intern for The Deli Magazine – Kansas City and Midwest Music Foundation, and he’s awesome!

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