If you’re a fan at all of Beck’s ‘Sea Change,’ you’ll no doubt find a familiar place with Aaron Roche’s string arrangements and hypnotic croon. But what you won’t be prepared for is how many instruments and textures Roche brings to the table. Given to elevating pop tricks to a high art sensibility, tracks like ‘Cyclocardorary’ and the haunting murkiness of ‘Death is all Around’ from new record “!BlurMyEyes” place Roche in the company of John Cale and R. Stevie Moore, artists elevating the usual pop canvas to a spiritual dimension.

I have yet to find a picture of Highly Suspect with their shirts on. With their blend of summertime hooks worthy of late-era Incubus, I guess this shore readiness is well-suited. The slow skank verse and distorted hook hum in songs like ‘The Alligator Song’ and ‘Gang Lion’ were practically made for an MTV spring break jam, but the rock trio’s lush tenor harmonies reveal an appreciation for subtler moments and the occasional lift to a loftier plane. And did I mention they have no shirts?

Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

MP3: Highly Suspect – The Alligator Song

This band submitted their music for review digitally here.

Since we were talking about apocalypse (see previous post)… Fresh from last week video premiere at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, here is local Electro-Pop band Kitten Berry Crunch‘s bloody and hilarious new music video for "Dead Kitten Dance Party!" This cat-masked rave horror parody was directed by Brooklynite Brett Herman. Kitten Berry Crunch’s next show will be at Matchless in Williamsburg on Friday March 30t. The band just finished mixing their new EP with Eric Broucek (!!!, The Holy Ghost!, The Juan Maclean, DFA Records). – (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 and APS Mastering.

Adam Thorsen is some kind of a novel Matt Johnson (of The The memory) who combines synthesized machine melodies, a soulful voice, and live percussion by Chris Davies, in his sophisticated electro a-pop-calyptic style. Check out the single "Our Own Rhythm," streaming below. – (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 and APS Mastering.

Stepping out of their roles as supporting musicians, drummer Sam Levin (Sea Sick, R Stevie Moore) and guitarist/vocalist Indigo Street (Jolie Holland, Gregory Sauner of Deer Hoof) have a new project called Shy Hunters. Their tracks which showcase a keen sense of songwriting at work: "Time Bomb" emphasizes tomahawk drum stomps as rhythmic base, while alternating spoken word and sung vocals are further enhanced via multiple guitar textures. "Stained Glass House" (streaming below) sticks with this musical formula of a structured drum pattern providing sole rhythmic foundation, while vocal melodies soar along complimentary guitar lines, creating a more relaxed and "conducive" atmosphere. Don’t miss Shy Hunters at the Bell House on April 7th. – Dave Cromwell

Delicate Steve isn’t your typical band. The beat of their music has the power to force you to sing along, despite the lack of words. The way Steve plays his guitar is melodic in nature, providing a faux-voice track for his feel-good, exotic sounding tracks. “Afria Talks to You” is Delicate Steve’s latest tune (stream it here), from the sophomore album "Positive Force" that’s coming out May 15. His previous CD, "Wondervisions" was acknowledged by the media and the blogs (Deli included) for its unique qualities. After touring lots last year, Steve and his band will head down to perform their new songs at SXSW ’12 – The Deli booked them last year down in Asutin. – Christine Cauthen

Seattle-based outfit, Night Beats, will kick of the last leg of a North American tour – bookended by appearances in Austin – on March 14. The band’s first performance at this year’s SXSW will be a homecoming of sorts. Its two founding members, lead singer Danny Lee Blackwell and drummer James Traeger (from Dallas and Austin, respectively) will be returning to their home state for the event. The progressive R&B act, a trio since the addition of bassist Tarek Wegner, have been furnishing the Seattle scene with their perplexing brand of garage-soul since 2009. Their self-titled, full-length debut is characterized by undulating bass lines, underscored by scratching, squealing guitar and alternately trembling and deafening vocals. Released last June, the album features textured and psychedelically informed instrumentation, interspersed by Blackwell’s yelps and howls, and his single, twangy guitar is reminiscent of Trouble in Mind label-mate Ty Segall’s lo-fi surf rock. The result is a resurrection of the ghosts of psyche bands past that transcends the decades since the ‘60s as effectively as any other contemporary revivalists. Night Beats will wrap up a 40-date stretch at the Austin Psych Festival on April 27. 

– Kate Shepherd

Exciting times for Brooykln’s neo-soul act Ava Luna, who are featured in the current winter issue of The Deli and just released their sophomore full length "Ice Level". The band is already on a two week tour which will take them down to Austin (for 3 SXSW performances) and other shows on the way there and back. – Read Bill Dvorak’s interview with the band here. (Photo Emily Raw)

James Levy and the Blood Red Rose (i.e. Allison Pierce of The Pierces) debut release “Pray To Be Free” harkens back to the days when pop was tasteful and genuine. Levy’s booming baritone taunts a meticulously crafted rhythm section, layered and perfected by producer Guy Berryman (Coldplay). A native Vermonter, Levy came up through the anti-folk scene in the East Village with contemporaries Adam Green, Kimya Dawson, and Regina Spector, and then caught the attention of many with the dream-pop band called simply… Levy. His new project’s debut album “Pray To Be Free” is, “An older record with a classic vibe and a contemporary, fresh sound,” says Jeff Barrett, Heavenly’s head honcho. Levy delivers his vocals with the insouciant gusto of Bob Dylan, while his horn arrangements tell us he may very well rock out to Blood Sweat and Tears songs when no one is around. – Read Ed Guardaro’s interview with Levy here.

We gave a lot of attention to avant-rootsy group Yellow Ostrich in 2011 – the band enjoyed a couple of Deli features and headlined one of our CMJ 2011 shows (full disclosure, they would have been on the cover of our fall 2011 issue if they could have played our show at Pianos, but they had other commitments). After a very good reception of the debut album, this prolific band begins 2012 with a new release entitled "Strange Land," which expands their sonic vocabulary in a direction that’s at once more electric and orchestral, with the enlistment of horn player Jon Natchez. If you are going to Austin next week, you’ll probably see them live even if you aren’t trying to, since they are playing 9 shows in 5 days! Otherwise you can catch them in NYC at Mercury on April 12.