Starlight Girls create devilishly charming ‘60s-influenced pop music that can make your day. After being our NYC Artist of the month back in 2011, they just qualified for our year end poll in the Indie Pop category! From the swaggering, perky organ-like synths to the candy-coated hooks, “Gossip” is a testament of pop perfection that doesn’t need to rely on the rumor mill to grab people’s attention. – Read Nancy Chow’s Q&A with the band here.
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Weekly Feature: Union St. Preservation Society plays Spike Hill on 01.06
It’s not often you see the words “Brooklyn” and “Americana string band” used in the same sentence, but Union Street Preservation Society brings the two together seamlessly. Comprised of five members from all parts of the country, the jazz-infused string quintet introduces upbeat rhythms, perfect instrument pairings, and musicality that sings without words. Their EP Spring to Rust, brings back the American roots tradition, full of life and bluegrass bounce that can lift you up and mellow you out all in one album. The band includes, Sara Bouchard (vox/mando), Jason Bertone (vox/bass), Harrison Hollingsworth (vox/fiddle), David Lieberman (vox/rhythm guitar) and Alex Borsody (lead guitar). Union Street Preservation Society is the ultimate hybrid of solid musicians, genuine roots feel, and that old country sound that brings you back to the lazy days of summer in the heart of America. – See them live at Spike Hill tonight with This Way and Frankenpine (01.06) and read Christina Morelli’s interview with the band here.
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The Denzels release Easy Tiger EP on 01.11 at Glasslands
The Denzels first caught the Deli’s attention in 2011, soon after the release of their debut EP, "Slow Death." Earnest and smart, with solid hooks and piercing lyrics, they continue to grip both heads and hearts with their latest effort, "Easy Tiger." Tackling love with a brutal honesty, their vocals here are more a hair more polished, with an Editors-esque depth, but the instrumentals retain their spirited alt-rock ethos, a nostalgic mixture of mid to late 90s college alternative and early 2000s alt-rock, like Third Eye Blind mixed with Razorlight. While two tracks are available for free right now on their bandcamp, their whole EP will be debuted on at the release party on January 11th at Glasslands. – allison levin
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Concert Film Takes Audiences Inside Pickwick, Campfire OK Sets
Remember that amazing gig last month at The Neptune, featuring the soulful stylings of Pickwick, the engaging melodies of Campfire OK, and the stirring talents of Deep Sea Diver’s Jessica Dobson? That sold out and talked-about show that saw two of the city’s fastest rising acts come together on Dec. 8? Well, if you were lucky enough to snag a ticket, you’ll be able to relive the night soon – and if you were one of those not fortunate enough to see it the first time around, you’ll finally have a chance to experience the action. One Night at the Neptune, a full-length concert film produced by ThisCityRocks, takes viewers inside the event and is currently in the final stages of production. Captured on six cameras, the film boasts both vivid onstage footage and behind the scenes sequences with the artists involved. While the site’s teaser trailer has been getting hits online, the finished version should be available in the coming weeks, and promises to bring the energy of that night’s show to the masses.
– Kate Shepherd
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Deli Best of NYC 2011 – Submission Results for SINGER SONGWRITERS: Robin Bacior, Bird Call, Mal Blum
More results from our NYC Best of 2011 for emerging artists poll, people! It’s time for the Singer Songwriter category…
NYC YEAR END POLL 2011 OPEN SUBMISSIONS RESULTS FOR SINGER SONGWRITER
Jurors: Mike Harper (Deli Portland), Juan Rodriguez (Deli LA), QD Tran (Deli Philly
– QUALIFIED TO THE POLL’S NEXT ROUND
The artists in this list qualify for the final phase of the poll, and will be added to the bands nominated by our jury of local scenemakers.
1a. Robin Bacior
Robin Bacior‘s intimate, honest lyrics and complex, ever evolving orchestral arrangements, show us a musician who is well beyond her twenty four years. Her comforting folk music is perfect for the winter season: a time of nostalgia and self-awareness yet utmost beauty.
1b. Bird Call
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Bird Call is that breath of fresh air the morning after your crazy night out. Equal parts regret and resolve, singer Chiara Angelicola lays it all out plainly with her mellifluous voice and softly pedaled piano. In tracks like ‘Waltz in the Snow’ and her revealing cover of Beck’s ‘Lost Cause,’ Angelicola’s torch song beauty reminds us of why the caged bird sings.
3. Mal Blum
Mal is that hyper-kinetic, fun-loving girl who everyone wants to be friends with. Full of humour and sweetness in songs like "Baltimore, San Cristobal," and her heartfelt contribution to the "It Gets Better" campaign, she is here to brighten your day and make you appreciate the little things a little bit more. As much as she loves her ukulele, you’ll love Mal too.
– ALMOST QUALIFIED TO THE POLL’S NEXT ROUND
These artists had good ratings from our jurors but won’t qualify to the next round of our year end poll.
4. Spottiswoode & His Enemies
Maybe you haven’t heard yet, but Spottiswoode & His Enemies have been quietly channeling New York’s late night spirit for well over a decade now. The band knows how to tell a story, because they’ve probably lived it before you had your first drink. With a voice carving a space between Warren Zevon and Ian dury, singer/songwriter Young Spott’s work takes you on a journey to a place inhabitated by hedonism and romance, but few regrets.
5a. Sydney Wayser
Expect big things from Sydney in 2012. At our Deli CMJ show in October we heard a few songs from her upcoming album – out in a few weeks – and were very impressed with them, without mentioning her beautiful voice, confident stage presence and… adorable red cheeks! This is a very talented young singer songwriter who is just about to reach her creative peak, keep an ear on her!
5b. Pat Hull
Soft and confessional, Pat Hull has something few singer/songwriters bother with these days: unfiltered vulnerability. Like Elliott Smith or Jeff Buckley, he somehow sounds his most explosive when at his most intimate. This is a rare gift, and considering how young this folk singer is, will only take him far.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These artists also had really good ratings from our jurors and deserve to be mentioned: Emily Greene, Argyle Johansen, Itamar Ziegler, Mike Higbee
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Live Review: Doe Paoro debut show at Pianos
Alt-Soul, Brooklyn based artist Doe Paoro (former Sonia’s Party) played her debut live show at Lower East Side bar Pianos on Tuesday. She soon made clear that this new project – miles away from her previous party band – is mostly centered around vocal experimentation. Accompanied by piano, drums and cello, Doe Paoro opened singing into 2 microphones with different vocal effects, which created an ethereal reverberation around her stunning voice. Throughout the show, the singer’s vocal exploration ranged from a soulful croon, to guttural cries, to rasping whispers. She controlled the room with an effortless calm, staring into the eyes of the audience, and reinforcing the songs’ feeling with undeniable stage presence. – Chelsea Eriksen (photo by Emily Ullrich)
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Deli Best of NYC 2011 – Submission Results for INDIE POP/LO-FI: Caveman, Chappo, The Bandana Splits, Indyns
It’s time to unveil the results of the very popular INDIE POP/LO-FI category, relative to the submissions we received for our Best of NYC 2011 Year End Poll.
NYC YEAR END POLL 2011 OPEN SUBMISSIONS RESULTS FOR INDIE POP
Jurors: Mike Harper (Deli Portland), Kate Shepherd (Deli Seattle), QD Tran (Deli Philly)
– QUALIFIED TO THE POLL’S NEXT ROUND
The artists in this list qualify for the next phase of the poll, and will be added to the bands nominated by our jury of local scenemakers.
1. Caveman
We weren’t expecting NYC psych-pop masters Caveman – who graced our NYC mag’s cover in last summer’s issue – to submit for our year end poll, considering how much buzz they managed to drum up since their debut record was released. But that’s what down to earth musicians who self-release and self-produce their music do – they look for opportunities for exposure knowing that every little bit adds up. It’s obviously working for them, also because they are undeniably one of the best NYC emerging bands of 2011, whatever this poll’s results will end up being. By the way, what’s wrong with Pitchfork.com? It doesn’t look like they reviewed their album yet!!! – Read The Deli’s cover feature on Caveman here.
Spooky, sexy, at times psychedelic, Starlight Girls imposes a carefully constructed facade built from French cabaret, soulful ’60s nuggets and downtempo sultriness. Their songs are are invitingly simple, but hold you fast until you’re caught up in the depth of their sinister and artful dance party. Vocalists Christina B and Karys may have adopted their name from the band featured on ’80s cartoon Jem, but their sound is built from another place entirely.
3a. Chappo
Do you believe in doppelgangers? Alex Chappo does. In his zonked out debut Plastique Universe, Chappo and band embody sci-fi bandits that screw with their doppelgangers and rock out the way Wayne Coyne fights aliens. Don’t even try to stop them. These guys are on a mission to make sure you visit their dimension, and eat their hard rocking acid while you’re out there.
This infectious girl group reminds us of the sweet simplicity that can come from three great voices. We could just as easily see Lauren Balthrop, Annie Nero and Dawn Landes doo-wop’ing a Phil Spector Ronettes session as ending the second episode of this season’s Bored to Death (best one of the year). Either way, The Bandana Spilt‘s brand of catchy pop is far too much fun to ignore.
3c. Indyns
Indyns makes dance music for people who like spending time alone in the bedroom. Moody and atmospheric, singer/songwriter Adam Jones and band produce a dream state formed from the simplest of elements: synth, beats and reverb-drenched guitars. Somehow these elements come together to produce catchy fog machine dance anthems perfect for your next pillow party.
– ALMOST QUALIFIED TO THE POLL’S NEXT ROUND
These artists had good ratings from our jurors but won’t qualify to the next round of our year end poll.
6. These Animals
For anyone wondering where all the guitar groups have gone, look no further than These Animals. Four guys who met at art school and came together to bounce and groove their way around some of the catchiest power pop since The Dismemberment Plan, These Animals have catchy hooks as locked down as their dense harmonies and flashy basslines.
7. Schocholautte
Schocholautte borrows Violent Femmes’ upbeat enthusiasm, Guided By Voices’ casual melodies and Dinosaur Junior’s explosive guitar parts to concoct one of the most fun NYC records of the year so far.
8a. dDiILliIAaNn
dDiILliIAaNn scares me a little… but that’s a good thing. Sounding like Beck got a little rowdy with Ariel Pink, this maniac brings the party to the freaks. Too crazy to turn your back on, but too catchy to forget, dDiILliIAaNn might be one of the more interesting of Brooklyn’s recent psych-pop party acts.
8b. The Tablets
Who knew toy drums could sound this sexy? Liz Godoy’s deadpan dreaminess brings the love out of otherwise tin can percussion in songs like Sugar Coated and Armistice, all with the help of her power-stomping nine piece band. Godoy has fronted more than a couple great bands in her time, but The Tablets brings out her inner dancer more than anything I’ve heard yet.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
These artists also had really good ratings from our jurors and deserve to be mentioned: Overlord, Baby Teardrop, The Smoking Jackets
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My Goodness to Play The Wild Buffalo, Snowball Music Fest
Fans of muscly rock riffs and gritty, unapologetic vocals should head to The Wild Buffalo in Bellingham tomorrow night, as high-impact duo My Goodness take the stage with the First Times, and Sam Cooley. Guitarist and vocalist Joel Schneider (also of Absolute Monarchs, who are set to play at Chop Suey on Jan. 14), and drummer Ethan Jacobsen have been setting the standard in Seattle for hard-hitting rockers since 2010, and the release of their self-titled debut last April helped to solidify their place in the collective consciousness of the city’s critics. The band will take to the road again soon, for a March 3 appearance at the Snowball Music Festival in Vail, Colorado.
My Goodness w/ the First Times, Sam Cooley @ The Wild Buffalo
Doors at 8:00 p.m.
Cover $6
– Kate Shepherd
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Illuminator releases split 7″ with Conveyor + plays Glasslands on 01.05
Self-proclaimed electro-orchestral-psychedelic-gospel group Illuminator (Deli record of the month in July 2011) is one of the Brooklyn bands you want to keep an ear on in 2012. The group just released a single titled “Gulf Hymn” (streaming below) which will be officially released as a split 7” vinyl with another psych band, Conveyor, and they also announced a new full length, out later this year. The band’s music has about the same busy feel as their city of origin. The single’s piercing lyrics handle the sting of someone leaving, using dreamy electronic effects to enforce the emotion. Illuminator will be performing with Conveyor at Glasslands with Snowmine and Telextile this Thursday, January 5th at 8:45pm. This is a bill not to miss for all the nu-psychedelia lovers. – Christine Cauthen
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DC Metal Band Gauchiste To Release Debut Album 1/17
Gauchiste, a metal trio composed of Tannon Penland (of Loincloth), Tomas Phillips and Craig Hilton, will be releasing their self-titled debut album on Little Black Cloud Records. The band, though based in black metal, describes the album and their music as more of a sonic exploration of the “otherness” or other types of music in the world. After meeting in North Carolina, the three members of Gauchiste created the band and made it into their “everyday routine” , adding composing and making the music into a crucial part of their lives.
Gauchiste will be released on January 17th digitally and with a limited edition physical run of 100 records and 100 CDs. Go to gauchiste.bandcamp.com for more info. -Amanda
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4.b The Nico Blues
These New Jersey based youngsters surely know how to bring on the rawk in their distortion powered pop gems, equally inspired by the belligerance of punk rock and by the layered distorted guitars and attention to the melody typical of the grunge period. Their songs expand the "loud-quite-loud" trick of the indie rock from the 90s in an interesting "noisy-melodic-noisy" direction.
Deli Best of NYC 2011 – Submission Results for ALT ROCK/REVIVAL ROCK: Black Taxi, Pass Kontrol, The Courtesy Tier
After the NYC Electronic and the Traditional Roots Music results published last week, we begin 2012 with the names of the bands that qualified to the next phase of our Year End Best of NYC Poll for Emerging Artists from the Alt Rock/Revival Rock category. What do we mean by "Alt Rock/Revival" you may wonder? We mean bands that play modern rock music with a strong, often bluesy, melodic element, or any other rock genre that faithfully recreates a sound from the past like Garage Rock or Glam Rock (hence "Revival").
P.S. If you are interested in understanding how our Year End Poll for Emerging Artists works, please go here.
NYC YEAR END POLL 2011 OPEN SUBMISSIONS RESULTS FOR ALT ROCK/REVIVAL
Jurors: Juan Rodriguez (Deli LA), Chrissy Prisco (Deli Boston), QD Tran (Deli Philly)
– QUALIFIED TO THE POLL’S NEXT ROUND
The artists in this list qualify for the next phase of the poll, and will be added to the bands nominated by our jury of local scenemakers.
1. Black Taxi
Black Taxi sure got a whole lotta love from The Deli, mainly because our "Alt Rock contributor" Meijin is completely obsessed with them – she once famously wrote: "If New York’s music scene were summed up in two words, they would be Black Taxi". Our non-NYC jurors proved her right, by giving these guys an overwhelming win in our Alt Rock category. Kind of dirty, a little poppy, and VERY danceable, these Brooklynites fashion some of the most undeniably fun rock music around.
2. Pass Kontrol
Blending African American elements like funk rhythms and soulful melodies with the urgency and distorted sound of rock music, Pass Kontrol follows on the steps of other NYC "makers of bastardized music" like Talking Heads and TV on the Radio. There’s really a little bit of everything in their debut record "B38", including noise rock attacks and airy keyboard parts, as well as a revival element in the form of various garage references and crooning ballads. Listening to it will send you on a time trip through the history of Rock’n’Roll.
Not new to our blog and year end polls, The Courtesy Tier before 2011 belonged to the ever expanding category of "prolific rock-blues duos that sound as loud as full bands". Then, in their 2011 EP "Holy Hot Fire" (which followed a full album released earlier in the year) they re-discovered acoustic guitars, suddenly sounding like… an actual duo! This exemplifies The Courtesy Tier’s songwriting and performing range.
– ALMOST QUALIFIED TO THE POLL’S NEXT ROUND
These artists had good ratings from our jurors but won’t qualify to the next round of our year end poll.
4.a Ellis Ashbrook
The intertwining and harmonizing vocals of Natalie Lowe and guitarist John Barber create the foundation of Ellis Ashbrook’s atmospheric and encompassing sound. The Brooklyn quartet’s melodic vocals command the listener’s attention while the backing band offers a spectrum of sonic options embracing hard rock, rock-pop and in some cases even funk-metal a la Rage Against the Machine (sans-raping, though).
4.b The Nico Blues
These New Jersey based youngsters surely know how to bring on the rawk in their distortion powered pop gems, equally inspired by the belligerance of punk rock and by the layered distorted guitars and attention to the melody typical of the grunge period. Their songs expand the "loud-quite-loud" trick of the indie rock from the 90s in an interesting "noisy-melodic-noisy" direction.
Drawing from the tradition of hard rock as well as from the more emotional and melodic indie guitar rock of the 90s, NYC’s The Killing Floor forge a sound that’s at once powerful and impassioned. What stands out though is their proficient songwriting, that allows them to write tracks that rise above the average.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
These artists also had really good ratings from our jurors: The Shake, Shy Around Strangers, Black Suit Youth.
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Gunstreet Glory, the Bad Things to Play Friday the 13th at The Comet
Gunstreet Glory will be performing at The Comet on January 13 with the Bad Things, Bat Country and Bakelite 78. It should be a great evening of boozy rock, tinged with accordions and clarinets. Gunstreet Glory, who released their first album in 2011, celebrate swaying drunken courage like Bukowski poems. They’re the perfect match for The Comet’s crowd, and pairing them with the Bad Things will make for night of music that exists outside of time (be on your guard for time travelers). The music is organic, and full of mad energy. Gunstreet Glory and the Bad Things could be described as steam punk bands, which is not to say that there will be Tesla coils and lots of unnecessary clockwork, as much as to say that there is a certain carnival vibe – a little bit of hobo, a dash of eastern Europe, a sprinkling of Jules Verne. It’s an aesthetic born of literature which, when translated to music, is as tactile as a waxed mustache. You could argue that it’s all a little bit contrived, but if you enjoy the conceit, then you’re in for a great time.
Doors: 8 p.m.
Tickets: $8
– Tom Mohrman