Over the course of four years, The Beets have become one of the most popular lo-fi bands in NYC, which is a noteworthy achievement, considering how crowded that scene is in the Big Apple. The trio has already released two full-length LPs and three singles on NY label Captured Tracks, opened for their "spiritual fathers" Pavement, and toured with Vivian Girls and Mountain Goats amongst others. They just signed with a new label, Seattle based Hardly Art (part of Sub Pop), home to records by Hunx & His Punx and Seapony amongst others. The band will play Skylight West Rooftop on 09.19 (tonight).

Mp3: The Beets: "Doing As I Do"

Seattle Weekly’s Reverb Festival is right around the corner.  And, as usual, there are many fantastic, spacey, shoegaze-bent bands getting ready to grace the stages around Ballard.  Witch Gardens are quite possibly the cream of this crop.  They’re a smooth, minimalist pop quintet, with simple drum beats, well-honed harmonies, and interesting guitar licks that don’t grow tired or regurgitate a lot of the girl-group hooks prevalent in their genre.  Witch Gardens’ June 30th LP debut Alice, Agatha, Branch & Christ definitely has affinities with the latest release from the Cults, but is probably more closely related to the Vivian Girls’ work, albeit a more relaxed, less angsty side of the Darger dubbed band.  They play Oct. 8th at the NY Fashion Academy stage from 9:30-10:15pm.     

Seattle Weekly’s Reverb Festival is right around the corner.  And, as usual, there are many fantastic, spacey, shoegaze-bent bands getting ready to grace the stages around Ballard.  Witch Gardens are quite possibly the cream of this crop.  They’re a smooth, minimalist pop quartet, with simple drum beats, well-honed harmonies, and interesting guitar licks that don’t grow tired or regurgitate a lot of the girl-group hooks prevalent in their genre.  Witch Gardens’ June 30th LP debut Alice, Agatha, Branch & Christ definitely has affinities with the latest release from the Cults, but is probably more closely related to the Vivian Girls’ work, albeit a more relaxed, less angsty side of the Darger dubbed band.  They play Oct. 8th at the NY Fashion Academy stage from 9:30-10:15pm.     

“The highly anticipated self-titled debut album from Wild Flag, the 4-piece Portland, OR- and Washington, DC-based rock group including Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole and Janet Weiss, is in stores now! Featuring members of Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, Helium, the Minders and Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks to name just a few, Wild Flag premiered with a tour of small west coast rock clubs in the fall of 2010.” –Courtesy of Merge Records.

To celebrate the release, Merge Records is giving away a trip for two to New York City, where you catch Wild Flag live at the Bowery Ballroom. Click here for details.

In case you aren’t the lucky winner, you can still catch them at the Black Cat on Oct. 20. In the meantime, check out this rad video for the sweet track “Romance” off Wild Flag, below.

This Saturday Brooklyn’s own Paper Garden Records is throwing an-end-of-summer party–Multiverse Playground part III, "an exploration into the evolution of music, art and comedy." The event, which begins at noon, will feature 19 acts (some local favorites include EULA, Data Dog, Caged Animals (in the picture), GunFight! and Team Genius). The event will also include comedy, art, and DJ sets from Delicate Steve and Bear Hands. Sponsors include Thinglink, Grooveshark, and Livetapp, and there will be free PBR and VitaminWater on hand! There’s not much summer left, so you owe it to yourself to check this out! Plus, you can always replenish your electrolytes with VitaminWater after indulging in as many PBRs as possible. The event takes place at 104 Emerson Place in Brooklyn, and goes from noon to 11pm.

Brooklyn’s Yellow Ostrich is getting a lot of deserved buzz lately, and not just because of their ex-We Are Scientist drummer Michael Tapper. The band crafts some truly original, sparse, and intriguingly percussive "avant-rootsy" tunes – darn, we don’t have that genre in our charts database, but "Alt Folk" will do (they are in 11th position in our National Alt Folk chart!). They also just released with this video for their single "Whale" – which today is NPR’s song of the day. We are pleased to announce that they will be performing at one of The Deli’s CMJ Music Marathon shows at The Delancey on Saturday October 22, with Sea of Bees and Monogold.

On first listen to Brite Futures’ catchy new album, Dark Past, it might seem like quite the misnomer. The album’s synth-happy mix of New Wave, rock, funk, and dance music packs all the boundless pep of a hyperactive kindergartener on a never-ending sugar high.

"The title Dark Past is a half-serious reflection of the tough times we went through over the past few years," says guitarist Luke Smith, referring to the band’s split with Warner Bros. Records during the days when they were known as Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head (NPSH).
 
The band and Warner Bros. Records had different ideas about NPSH’s artistic direction and the two parties mutually agreed to end the relationship. The band’s dance with the majors left them conflicted – a difficult time that serves as a potent reminder about the importance of creative freedom and what it means to be truly independent. After that experience, Luke, Shaun, Claire, and David decided it was time for a new band name. "For as much attention as being called Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head got us, it was also holding us back," Luke says. "It was nice to shed that name and be our own thing for the first time." 

Dark Past will be out November 1st, but check out new track "Baby Rain" (downloadable on their Facebook). 

Brite Futures – Baby Rain by !Turnout!

Emerging bands and artists with official videos,

Currently split between NYC, Portland and Tucson, Akron/Family emerged from the Brooklyn experimental folk scene of the mid 2000s. Over the past six years they have been noisily doing their own thing, including flirtations with free jazz, art pranks and some seriously out-there mysticism. Their latest album, released earlier this year, is called "S/T II:The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT", the meaning of which remains obscure even to the band. Though the three core members are now flung across the country, their approach to music remains as cohesively fresh as ever. The Deli caught up with founding Akron Miles Seaton, shortly before a rousing set at the Festival de Musique Émergente (FME) in northwestern Quebec. – Read Jeremy Simon interview with the band here.

The High Highs don’t attempt to make a grand entrance. They’re more subtle than that. But don’t mistake that for a lack of passion or talent, because their hooks are solid and their melodies are sweeping. These guys began as a studio project, and they don’t mess around. Their single “Open Season” features a video that perfectly compliments their sound, sun-washed and through a vintage lens. The song itself paints vivid pictures, then revokes them by saying "it’s all in your mind." The piano part is a bright accompaniment to an otherwise faded sound, a delicate contrast to the breakdowns. Their overall presentation channels a mellow demeanor, with strumming guitars and some lovely harmonizing, lyrics bittersweet and haunting. – Read Allison Levin’s interview with the band here.

Gavin Rhodes claims his band Lighouts is, “like Smashing pumpkins, when they were good.” There is a resemblance in Lightouts thick layered guitar and bass lines, playing in perfect precision, but Lightouts vocalist Greg Nelson’s disciplined tenor is a far cry from the nasal madness of Billy Corgan’s haunts and howls. Lightouts latest single “Eloise Suite” is like an  angsty and fresh walk through a 90s scrapbook, with fuzzy guitars supporting Nelson’s new wave vocal inflections. Catch Lightouts performing on September 22, at Union Hall in Brooklyn. – Ed Guardaro

Sleepy and quirkily unpredictable, Emil & Friends apply the Beck lesson to dream-pop. Emil Hewitt’s brainchild group is about to release its debut album "Lo & Behold" in October, and Rolling Stone today is premiering the first single entitled "Prescriptions" here. Emil & Friends will be playing their last date of a month long residency at Pianos on 09.15 (tonight).