Mrs. Magician might be only a couple small steps away from Spacemen 3 in sound, but in personality, they hail from an entirely different sounding garage. Channeling dissatisfaction with everything from God to nightlife to the ’80s, singer Jacob Turnbloom and guitarist Tommy Garcia are able to make the blues come out sounding about as sweet as you’ve ever heard it, like something went wrong on their way to being pissed off, and before they knew it, their catchy hooks got the better of them. Perhaps some of the band’s strange fascination with the supernatural will be satisfied when their sophomore record ‘Strange Heaven’ drops April 17th on Turnbloom’s own label, Thrill Me! Records. The album includes crowd favorites, like the unexpectedly catchy ‘There is no God,’ and the jangly drug anthem of the year: ‘I’m Gonna Hangout With The Lesbians Next Door & Drop Acid.’ This is an album that delivers its medicine with plenty of sugar the whole way through. Preview their new record here and see them at The Troubadour on March 29. – Mike Levine

The SXSW-bound Craft Spells will be partnering up with Brooklyn-based indie pop band, the Drums, for a spring tour. Shamelessly retro and unabashedly catchy, the Seattle-based band has produced a full-length album and two EPs of buoyant pop tunes as indebted to Morrissey’s melancholia as they are to the synth-happy songsmiths that they so resemble. Craft Spells pair lighthearted and nostalgic instrumentation with frontman Justin Vallesteros’ whispery utterances, and the combination makes for dreamy soundscapes reminiscent of Vallesteros’ native California. Their first full-length album, Idle Labor, captures the dichotomy in 11 tracks. “Party Talk“ walks the line between dreamy and visceral, with airy melodies and hauntingly morose vocals squaring off against toe-tapping synthetic beats and decidedly party-ready guitar lines. Originally a one-man project, the addition of Jack Doyle Smith, Peter Michel and Javier Suarez adds layers of pulsing rhythms and humming guitars. Stoked by effusive online coverage and approval, the band’s success has taken them overseas on international tours, moving from bedroom recording sessions to headlining slots in a matter just a few years.After six appearances at the Austin festival, the latest Deli Band of the Month will kick off a 19-date tour on April 21 that will take them across the U.S. and Canada. Craft Spells will wrap the tour at this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, WA.

– Kate Shepherd

Kit Oh Nein! is the latest musical endeavor of The Hotwalls’ singer, Ryan Milligan. Their debut album, which was written entirely by Milligan, is a departure from previous projects into a more distorted and reverb-happy version of an indie pop group. "KON!", an acronym for the band’s name, is a fast moving album with an average track time of around two minutes. The album has a distinctive garage band sound with a polished indie twist and the songs are a disorienting trip down the rabbit hole. Echoing vocals, guitar reverb and spacey organ riffs give Kit Oh Nein!’s songs a dream-like quality. – Jen Mergott

Computer Magic – solo project of 22-year-old DJ Danielle Johnson – is making some big moves. This native New Yorker (hailing from upstate) is slated to release first full length via Kitsuné later this year. In the mean time, she’ll be releasing a selection of these tracks on the EP "Orion," set to drop March 12 – you can stream the single "Trinity" below. A little dreamy, a little sci-fi, with positively thumping beats, Computer Magic will be touring throughout this month, including stops at SXSW and a Webster Hall date supporting Of Montreal. – Corinne Bagish

On her upcoming debut album “King Con,” singer Alex Winston blends together everything interesting about her hometown of Detroit. Her lyrics dwell on everyday eccentricities, and their 60’s pop hooks only help to get them stuck in your head. Now in New York and already backed by an EP and growing Internet buzz, Winston’s music is light and accessible, joyful and intoxicating. And it should be with a production team that includes electro-poppers The Knocks. “King Con” won’t be released until April, but fans can check out the video for her first single, “Fire Ants,” which recently premiered on Stereogum. – Devon Antonetti

This year The Deli is in Austin during the unmentionable festival with a 2 stage party on Thursday March 15 (that’s tonight!) at the Gypsy Lounge in the East Side!

Awesome dancey bands on the outdoors stage will tempt the audience to some wild booty shakin’ action, while indoors fantastic rock and alt folk acts will alternatively punch you and sooth your soul. Check this lineup out and (if you are going to be in Austin) do not miss! –

This is a free event (no badge required) but please RSVP here to get priority access.

OUTDOORS STAGE
11pm Reptar (Atlanta)
10pm Body Language (NYC/CT)
9pm The Stepkids (NYC/CT)
8pm Gangstagrass (NYC)
7pm Vacationer (Philly)

INDOORS STAGE
1:30 Diavel (NYC)
12:45 BK & Mr. E (Austin)
12:00 ARMS (NYC)
11:15 Madi Diaz (Nashville)
10:30 Radiation City (portland)
9:45 Lucius (NYC)
9:00 Onward Soldiers (NC)
8:20 Loquat (SF)
7:40 The Veda Rays (NYC)
7:00 Jay Stolar (NYC)

RSVP HERE!!!

The Deli’s Staff

Boy Friend, the dreamy pop duo consisting of Austin musicians Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown, was fueled by the “rough breakup” of their previous band, and is sustained by a friendship spanning some 15 years. With watery, delayed guitars swimming through cloudscapes of slow synth melodies and beats that at times verge on trip-hop, Boy Friend’s music provides a warm backdrop for the duo’s soft, airy vocals and lyrics that float between love and longing. Their first LP, Egyptian Wrinkle, would be a perfect soundtrack to vague opium dreams about the girl next door, or a romantic, slow-motion montage in the next Ryan Gosling movie. It was released on February 6th by Hell Yes! records on a limited pressing of pink marble vinyl. – Brandt Kempin

Songwriters Tony Daugherty and Michael Winningham grew up on the same street in Houston, and after writing songs together since they were in their teens, they decided to relocate to Austin to put a band together. This band is called Gold Beach, a name inspired by the Oregon town where the Rogue River meets the Pacific Ocean. Now some kind of collective including a plethora of regional talent, Gold Beach manages to keep its sound sparse and intimate, notwithstanding the expanding lineup.

Mp3: Gold Beach: "The Soft Effect"

Sonically, Brooklyn based duo Tiny Victories could be defined as a shoegazer interpretation of electro-rock, their songs filled with droney parts, but without giving up the textural details of electronica. However, their sober melodies seem to find inspiration in the controlled and almost austere vocal delivery of post punk heroes Husker Du or their DIY followers Parts & Labor. Today the band is releasing their debut EP "Those Of Us Still Alive", and then hop on a van to tour their way down to Texas for some SXSW related shows.

Blonde Valhalla (who made it in our recent Best of NYC Year End Poll for emerging artists) is ex-Suckers drummer Brian Aiken’s new band, and it comes across as a homage to the sounds of brainy electronic acts of the 80s like early Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Cars and even Brian Eno at times. Born as a one-man project, it has now expanded to a 7 piece, including musicians previously involved in Clouty, Shit Yeah Girl, Po Johnson, and Let’s Go Serotonin. You can see Blonde Valhalla live at The Delancey on 02.28.

Boston based post-punk rock band Grass is Green has a sound that leaves us wanting to hear more. Resisting the tendency of certain bands to blend their albums into one long song, these guys offer a huge variety of sonic elements ranging from math rock angularity to lo-fi casual attitude. With two albums already under their belt, Grass is Green is putting out a new CD, “Ronson,” which will be presented in NYC with a release party on Sunday, March 4 at Pianos. Hear the single "Nice Guy of the Year Award" below. – Christine Cauthen