XNY have the kind of chemistry that has to make other bands jealous. It isn’t every day that you hear something so large and well thought out, channeled through such piecemeal instrumentation. On the surface, it’s very simple. Singer Pam Autuori sings her tensions and releases over Jacob Schrieiber’s booms and grooves… but really, these are some heroic jams that carve out an enormous territory with each song. On their new record ‘Through the Wall,’ the band’s production has increased in scope, but the songs maintain a deeply felt relationship between these old friends. Songs ‘Another Way’ and ‘Make Me’ especially have a searing edge that tears you open with lyrics that come crashing through Jacob’s kit, and grooves that belie the band’s supposed limitations. Make no mistake. With just two members, XNY have managed to build a world larger than most ensembles plenty times their size. – See them when they play May 31 at Rockwood Music Hall. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Brooklyn bass/drum wizards Hank and Cupcakes have a lot to celebrate. Besides achieving status as official Brooklynites – since they moved from Tel Aviv three years ago – the pair is about to release their first full length album, “Naked,” due out on June 1. In keeping with their passion for inventive music that moves bodies, “Naked” features eleven tracks of vibrant vocals, danceable rhythms, crazy bass-generated effects, and a fusion of electronic, rap, rock, and techno elements, binding the multifaceted sounds of the Brooklyn music scene into one record, while adding a fresh, funky edge of their own. The entire album is streaming here on Soundcloud – check out the new single, “Liquid Mercury,” and highlight tracks, ultra-dancey “Born Again,” hip-hop/ electro-fusion track, “Aint’ Not Love” (streaming below) sassy and grooving “HIT,” hypnotic “Sweet Potion,” and bass-centric “Pleasure Town.” The duo begins their release tour next week. Check www.hankandcupcakes.com for show dates. – Meijin Bruttomesso

Body Language, who graced the cover of our Deli SXSW 2012 issue, just released the video for their sensual single "You Can". Enjoy!

"Hey. This is Matt Roth, from Schwervon!, and the guy that was quoted in the "NYC: State of the Industry" article that starts on page 7 (here). There is a sentence in the article that is bugging me a bit and I feel like it’s an inaccurate portrait of what I’m all about. It’s in the second paragraph of the section entitled "Olive Juice…." The phrase that I "single handedly" did all of these things couldn’t be further the truth. I had a great deal of help from my partner Nan (also in the picture) and many, many others. I could never have done any of the the things I have done, musically, without a great deal of support and volunteer help from friends, family, fans and fellow artists. I really want to make that clear. Okay other than this I found the article very interesting. Thanks." – Matt Roth

Dashan Coram, a beloved member of the antifolk community involved in various musical projects (Huggabroomstick, Urban Barnyard, Secret Salamander and Friends with Benefits) passed away unexpectedly on Monday night. Here is a link to a reflection that Jonathan Berger wrote for the Sidewalk Cafe’s site.

‘Crash, bang, thud’ go experimental pop outfit Zambri’s loud arrangements. Sisters Cristi Jo and Jessica Zambri surely spent many a rainy afternoon as children drumming incessantly on anything around them as their music is partially defined by their large scale percussion sections. Underneath the punishingly thumped drums lie dark, sinister synth arpeggios and wicked pop melodies, which blend together beautifully on their debut album "House of Baasa," an accomplished and truly original piece among the recent flood of New York electronic records. The sisterhood – who recently released the stunning debut album "House of Baasa" – tonight will headline the Deli’s B.E.A.F.‘s Electronic Stage at Brooklyn Bowl with Caged Animals and Aimes. Door is just $5, so don’t you dare miss out, you!  – Dean Van Nguyen

Bright, airy and full of emotion, Grace Weber’s latest album "Hope and Heart" encompasses both sentiments beautifully. Since its September release, Weber has received a significant amount of press, including being listed as Billboard’s “Artist To Watch” and holding tight to a top ten spot on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts. Her video for “Everything to Me” (streaming below) appeared on the AOL music homepage, showcasing the soul of this talented songstress. After headlining The Deli’s NYC B.E.A.F. Songwriters stage tonight (schedule in the post above), Grace Weber will be heading to the UK in June for a few dates in London. – CM

What started off as a solo project for visual artist Justin Storms in Texas, "Wailin Storms" has evolved into a four piece punk blues band that has played everywhere from London to Baltimore and is now raising the rock’n’roll dead here in Brooklyn. Storms recently teamed up with members from local heavy folk band "Such Hounds" and digitally released a 4 song EP called "Bone Colored Moon." The noises that they’ve stirred up are gritty, sparse, eerie, and sometimes punk but it still sounds as genuine as a blind bluesman. Upcoming shows: @ Legion, Brooklyn 6/3, Northside Festival, Charleston, Brooklyn 6/14. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

If you think about it, it’s rather mind blowing how these days almost any promising emerging band can get a truly outstanding video made for somewhere between zero and a few thousand dollars. Until a few years ago, a video like this one by NYC retro-pop quartet Spacecamp of their single "Miko D.T.B." would have cost a fortune… kudos to director Philip Di Fiore who, according to IFC.com, "gives the piece a timeless feeling combining a love for old Blue Note record covers with magnificent manipulations of light and perspective."

Sometimes we get these press releases in the mail saying that a band we’ve never heard of just signed with a super cool label, and we look at each other (as if we were more than one) with a puzzled expression: "who the heck are these guys?". Today "these guys" are two zany guys involved in lo-fi psych-folk duo Foxygen, based 50% in Astoria, NYC and 50% in Olympia, WA, who recently signed to Jagjaguwar. Following a very non-chalant musical recipe which seems to phagocytize any musical influence every imagined since 1957, these guys’ songs certainly don’t lack in character. Think of it as a hipster, but also somewhat retro, version of They Might Be Giant. Fun!