There are often times in life when we feel as though we need an escape. Things just aren’t going right, the present is heartbreaking, the future uncertain.  Friends, Marshall McLean (guitar, vocals, lap steel) and Adam Miller (guitar, vocals), were going through such a period, a time where everything felt broken. Miller’s marriage of five years had come to an end and McLean felt like he was on the wrong path and wasn’t sure where to go. They sought to make sense of the senseless through music, spawning the natural evolution that is their band the Horse Thieves. Working out their issues through each lyric and chord, the Horse Thieves dropped two albums on the exact same day; Outlaw Ballads, which is largely McLean’s story, and Valley of Decisions which is Miller’s and the concentration of this review. Joined by Tiffany Stephens (drums), Jordan Miller, and Fawn Dasovich (keys, vocals), The Horse Thieves are able to create a sad and beautiful album in Valley of Decisions. “Throw the Dice” is great as an intro, sounding a quiet awakening and setting up the listener for a moody and nostalgia evoking experience. The songs flow together, threaded with the common theme of reminiscing, which makes sense since Miller was looking to his past to make sense of the present. The songs are soft with heavy folk influences and a Mumford and Sons feel. “(I Was) Crazy (About You)” is practically a lullaby;  “You’re crazy but so am I. A Smile as bright as daylight shines but hold me tight and I’ll be blind”  is barely whispered, yet each note is drawn out fully against the haunting keys and simple yet effective drumming and guitar. In the lyric driven “I Won’t Keep You”, Fawn’s voice is clear and emotional as she purrs, “You said that it would be different now that I’m all you need but I guess I’m just an optimistic fool” . The album is certainly somber, maintaining a subdued sound throughout, and serves as the perfect soundtrack to the rainy day blues.

– Kristen Ferreira 

DC based Palestinian rapper Andru Ayoub has been producing releases since 2008, with singles like "Bravo" and "Time of Our Lives" garnering attention in a growing fanbase online. The same fans that no doubt put him at the top of the leaderboard of our last Band/Artist of the Month poll. So we wanted to find out more about him. Here he tells us about battle one-liners, Tupac & Biggie, and his upcoming release Better Late Than Never. Now onto the interview…

Reaching instant intensity with the dual night and day vocals of Darrin Bradbury and Emma McLaughlin, Big Wilson River have charged up thrash-folk streaming out from under them. The band released “Octopus” in 2011, showcasing their 90’s alternative influences and blues sensibilities in a major way. Songs like “Hemingway Had a Cat” and “Dandelion” highlight the band’s ability to engage listeners with screams and punches, both literal and sonic, especially with lyrics claiming to “drunk dial God.” – See Big Wilson Riverlive at the upcoming Deli NYC B.E.A.F. on 05.24 at Spike Hill – Read Devon Antonetti’s interview with the band here.

Emotionally engaging, carefully crafted dream pop songs are the appealing sonic domain of Brooklyn’s Field Mouse. The formidable songwriting and recording team of Andrew Futral and Rachel Browne create aural landscapes that can melt the hardest of hearts. Having expanded to a four piece with bassist Danielle DePalma and drummer Geoff Lewit, the group has been playing numerous live shows around the city, slowly building a loyal fan base, as it prepares to release its next record. – Read Dave Cromwell‘s interview with the band here.

As you know, here at The Deli we aim our focus mostly on emerging, promising local artists rather than "established" ones, but today I’d like to spend a few words for a band signed to a major, which was featured on the cover of The Deli back in 2008, and whose second full length, notwithstanding the departure of a band member, successfully developed in new exciting directions. We finally found some time to listen to Chairlift‘s the new album "Something" and we were very impressed with it, but mostly with the band’s loyalty to their signature sensual quirkiness. I don’t think many people in the industry would have bet their money on the duo after Aaron Pfenning left, and I won’t deny that – as much as I loved the debut "Does You Inspire You" – I was amongst the sceptics too. It is indeed easy for a pop band to buy into the temptation of getting even poppier after signing a deal with Columbia Records. But Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly obviously stood up to the challenge.
A video like this one for the single "Amanaemonesia" perfectly exemplifies how the duo not only put themselves out there, but doubled the stakes, with Caroline showcasing that in these 3 years not only she’s become a better singer, but she’s obviously improved her performing skills in the dancing department. Our favorite single from the album, "Sidewalk Safari" (streaming below) it’s just a great pop song that works on all levels. Emerging bands out there, there’s lots to learn from these guys.

Superheroes are consistently more awesome when they team up. When super-villians team up, there is a guarantee of bigger explosions and mass hysteria. When Brooklyn’s Ryan-O’Neil and 100dBs join forces, DJs’ fingers start to twitch in anticipation, MCs tighten their headphones, and fans invest in sound systems with greater bass response. In the four years that these cats have been working together, they have remained consistently dope. Ryan’s flow is effortless and insightful, and 100dBs’ production infuses the booms and baps with a soul reminiscent of DJ Premier. Together they strike a careful balance between fidelity to hip hop’s roots and an investment in the evolution of the art form. This is the type of album people ask the bartender about when it’s playing; the type of album friends won’t leave your apartment until you burn it for them. Don’t sleep on this one. – BrokeMC

Total Slacker is a name we stumbled upon many times but for some reason never covered. This is actually a super-fun Brooklyn band which seems very committed to doing thing the DIY way, but unlike too many other similar groups from that NYC borough, these guys have crafted a very personal lo-fi style that blends garage influences with psych-pop melodies – definitely a good match for Night Manager, our January 2012 Record of the Month band with whom they’ll share the stage at The Mercury Lounge tonight (on the bill also habibi). Their recordings are gritty but not grating, and rather tight for that scene’s standards. But the real highlight here is their videos, which ,considering the very limited resources, are very well made. This one for "Secret VHS collection" (ATTENTION, you may NOT want to watch it at work!) successfully combines 3 hot hipsterland’s topics: DIY live parties in tiny Bushwick apartments, craigslist sex listings and… masturbation.

Sweden has given music some of the best voices in pop, and singer Anna Ternheim – currently a NYC resident – can be added to that growing list. Ternheim is more Lykke Li than Robyn, an inevitable comparison given their backgrounds and similar melancholic tones, and is already topping charts in native Europe with “The Night Visitor,” her fifth full-length release. The album combines more folk elements than some of her previous work, and is ornamented with her echoing vocals of solitude and contentment. Songs like “Walking Aimlessly” featuring Will Oldman on backing vocals (streaming below) and “The Longer the Waiting,” sung with Nashville engineer and “Night Visitor” producer Dave Ferguson, show that Ternheim has earned a place among Sweden’s most talented imports. You can catch her live at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC on May 26. – Devon Antonetti

Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery is hosting a garage-rock lover’s wet dream on Saturday, May 5th. Headliners, Wild Yaks bring their cheerfully haphazard, loud rock and unified choruses to the stage. Once already lovingly referred to as "Brooklyn’s drunk folk-punk icons" by The Deli, their live performances are a guaranteed good time regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with their tunes – check out a recent video here.
Raccoon Fighter pave the way for the Yaks, with their rockin’, seductive garage jams. their big, raw sound and powerful guitars are soulful and even bluesy when combined with their emotive vocals – here‘s a video from last year.
Self-proclaimed "American dance-punk band", The Toothaches will open the night with a lively set including multi-part harmonies and undeniably fun, catchy pop songs. Members often perform in costume and/or without face paint. Also on the bill Boston’s Girlfriends. Since we covered Wild Yaks and Raccoon Fighter quite a bit in the past, we are giving picture and streaming tune to The Toothaches. – (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.

We’ve always been big fans of Luke Temple, and it’s good to see that, together with the Here We Go Magic crew, the man is keeping at it with increasingly beautiful records and videos. The band’s new album "A Different Ship" (stream it here) will be out on May 8, and betrays at least a partial return to Luke Temple’s more intimate and melodic sound from his solo repertoire – in this regard, lend a ear to "Hard to Be Close," "Alone but Moving" and "Over the Ocean". This is welcome news for fans like us who always thought that in most HWGM material Luke’s noteworthy songwriting skills seemed a little sacrificed on the altar of textural experimentation. This doesn’t mean that the band’s signature hypnotic, impressionistic sound is lost – it’s just that these two elements work together better than they did in past records, and this is what makes this album one of the NYC highlights of the year so far. Indeed, this collection also features songs more in line with the band’s past releases ("Make Up your Mind", "I Believe in Action"), which follow on the steps of brainy-pop icons like Brian Eno and The Feelies, but there’s definitely a balance here, also betrayed by the almost perfect alternation of melodic songs and less traditional ones.The just released video of "How Do I Know," telling the story of a rejected dancing robot that ends up revitalizing an older man’s appreciation for life, seems to reflect on this brain/heart, mechanic/organic dichotomies and somehow bring them to unity. – PDG

Now that Jack White is going solo, the crown for the "best male/female dirty blues-rock duo" is vacant. San Diego’s Little Hurricane could be a serious contender for this title, propelled by the fresh release of their debut album "Homewrecker," and also by above average photogenicity – the guys here at The Deli’s headquarters have already unanimously elected CC (the girl in the band) "Deli Drumer of the Year" – a title they made up today, which we guess might NOT be based entirely on musical skills.

Many blogs and publications already anticpiated us in proclaiming the somewhat cliche` statements "Little Hurricane might be a duo, but they have a big sound" and "it’s hard to believe that a musical duo can pack as big of a punch" – we should find new ways to say that, dunno… like: "this band is basically a sextet minus a quartet, but they pack the punch of 2 evil quintets!" – Anyway, punchy or not, the music is what counts and we are digging this tune streaming below. Check them out live at the Detroit Bar at Costa Mesa on May 05