For Brooklyn based songwriter and vocalist Beth Wawerna, the path to the stage was not assured. While the Altanta rasied musician had early exposure to both songwriting luminaries such as Elvis Costello and Southern Indie icons such as R.E.M, Wawerna wrote for years perfecting her craft. It took the journalist encouragement from well-established friends such as Timothy Bracy (ex-Mendoza Line) to finally form a group and bring the songs to light. The culmination of the effort is Defender, the debut record from her group Bird of Youth. The band combines the guitar-driven pop sounds of 90s rock with Wawerna’s clever lyrics and authoritative delivery. Produced by Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Phil Palazzolo (The New Pornographers, Ted Leo, Neko Case), Defender was recorded with the help of a cast of players that includes members of The Wrens, Nada Surf, The National, Okkervil River and the Mendoza Line. Following a home town record release show on June 9th at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn, Bird Of Youth join Kathryn Calder of The New Pornographers for east coast dates. – Jason Bertone (photo by A Horse With No Name)

Alternative electro rock band The Aviation Orange is playing L Magazine’s Northside Festival on June 16 at Spike Hill, starting off a summer tour from New York to DC to Cincinnati. Things look pretty exciting for them, and their music offers a lot to be excited about: vocals comparable to Caleb Followill and Zooey Deschanel, a strong guitar section and ambient synthesizer accent. They’re preparing to release their newest album “East of Here” on August 9 – see the band’s latest video here). – Caitlin Clive

Tonight (Thursday 06.09), Bowery Electric will be sweltering in the summer heat and the sultry slide guitars, devilish distortion, and burning blues of The Dead Exs. The NYC-based duo are celebrating their album, “The Resurrection,” released by vocalist/guitarist David Patillo’s revival rock label, Bang Bang Boogaloo, highlighting tracks, such as the ominous “Whole Lotta Nothin,” sexy “Shut Up and Love Me,” and grooving instrumental, “Nolita Strut.” The gig will also showcase artists handpicked by BBB, who were featured on the label’s latest compilation, “New York Rock and Roll 1:” Golden Animals, The Dirty Glamour, The Fieros, and Only Living Boy. Co-sponsored by "The Devil and Me" radio show and The Passenger Newspaper, the show is as New York as it gets. Doors are at 7:30pm, so get there early to experience NY rock to the fullest. www.thedeadexs.com – Meijin Bruttomesso

 

The 7.9 rating Pitchfork gave to Hooray for Earth‘s new record (which deprives them of the career changing "Best New Music" tag for ONE friggin’ decimal) is feeding once again our outrage against the over-powerful music reviewing website. (Previous missed Best New Music opportunities in our opinion were the Buke & Gass and Lia Ices releases.) The new record (entitled "True Loves") is available now from Dovecote Records. The band will be playing several shows around the US in the upcoming weeks opening for Architecture in Helsinki, including one at Webster Hall on June 16.

Download mp3: No Love – Hooray for Earth – See video of "True Loves" here.

The Deli will be partecipating to the Northside Festival this year with a show at Spike Hill involving a handful of handsome emerging NYC bands. Check out this awesome lineup and we hope to see you there!

Spike Hill, Saturday June 18, 21+
$6 Cover:

PHWG is a 6 piece instrumental band (guitar, cello, violin, tabla, drums, and bass) The electric guitar is at the heart of composer Pontus Gunve’s mostly music, and he craftily combines elements of progressive rock, electronic, and Western and Indian classical music. Music that drifts, moves, turns, and takes the listener on a journey. PHWG will be performing at Spike Hill (184 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY) on June 9th at 9PM & at Figment Art Festival on Governors Island – June 10th at 3:30pm. – (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.

Mp3: PHWG – Sitar Jam

Kansas-native, NYC based, glam-inspired artist Patrick Cleandenim‘s new album, "Radio Heartbreak," stays true to the artist’s new wave influenced pop sound. However, for the first time, he employs a full band to create disco-esque atmospheres infused with ’70s overtones. Radio Heartbreak’s ten tracks convey the artist’s maturation since his 2007 debut " The Baby Comes Home", which relied heavily on the use of piano. Now, with hints of David Bowie, The Bee Jees, and Scissor Sisters, Patrick Cleandenim’s new musical endeavors offer a 33-minute flashback to neon-lit floors and disco balls. Make sure to catch his performance on June 10th at Union Pool, and don’t forget to put on your members-only jacket before you go. – Madi Silvers

Scott Alexander is a classically trained bassoonist with a degree in ethnomusicology. These days he performs mostly on electric and acoustic baritone guitars, and bassoon (all tuned a half octave lower than normal of course). With his unique background, Scott performs a sort of "non-repetitive pop", where each song continually develops without a verse-chorus structure. Nevertheless, his demeanor is playful and his sound is catchy. Scott is also known for giving out his own fresh baked vegan cookies at every performance as well as being the man behind FREE COOKIES, which has developed an eclectic cult following on Twitter and Facebook and has also been featured in the NY Post, NY Daily News, and Gothamist to name a few. Rather than promoting his music directly, Scott Alexander appears at random locations on an inflatable couch giving out his own fresh baked cookies, personally meeting as many folks as he can. – (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.

Wall of sound perpetrators Young Adults will be playing the Flavorpill-irockiroll-Bell House Northside show at Cameo on June 18. The band was born in 2009 as a duo comprising guitarists Chris and Demitri, until Kurt, Chris’ brother, was enlisted as percussionist. Within a year the band has wrote, recorded, and released an eponymous demo, opened for bands such as Wavves, Best Coast, and Weekend; and crafted their debut 12" LP titled Black Hole. Recommended if you like: Parts & Labor, Sonic Youth. On that Northside bill there will be also other interesting NYC artists:  Neighbors, Sean Bones, Wojcik and Zuzuka Poderosa.

P.S. Is "Young" the new "Bear" in the indie-rock-band-name department?

An early Deli discovery (check out this interview from about 2 years ago) The Postelles are now (finally!) getting a lot of attention in the media. The band is releasing their self-titled debut album – produced by the band and The Strokes’ Albert Hammond, Jr. – today through +1 Records, and it’s about to embark on a Record Release Tour starting tonight (June 7) with the first of two shows at the Mercury Lounge. Will they become the new NYC indie-pop sensation?