Here at The Deli we call "Alt Folk" and "Avant-Indie" bands that have familiar tones but are still on some classification borderline. Even with these in mind, it’s difficult to categorize the work of Christopher Hoffman. In his song “The Ends” he whispers over five layers of sleepy ambience, a good half-and-half of electronic and folk influences, rippling and rolling. In other tracks, (“What kind of bird are you”) he brings in loud cellos dueting with saxophones over a continuous brass/strings section. Every track is interesting, and this music makes for a strong addition to the Brooklyn scene. – Caitlin Clive
Mumford and Sons is getting a lot of much-deserved attention lately. If you’re a fan, we’ve got something local for you to try. Dear Lions has a similar croon, without the banjo behind, but with the same acoustic simplicity in the slower tracks and characteristic sincerity in the lyrics. They released their debut EP a week ago, and you can check it out here. – Caitlin Clive
These CDs were submitted digitally to The Deli through this link.
Faithful to their name, Brooklyn based Spanish Prisoners in their sophomore, upcoming album "Gold Fools" play with the concepts of false identity and deception, guiding the listener through a trip between realism and surrealism, filled with evocative feelings of nostalgia and euphoria. The nine-track work, produced by the band’s guitarist Leo Maymind and multi-instrumentalist/drummer Michael DiSanto at their home in Bushwick, opens up with ethereal vocals and a steady drum beat in "Los Angeles Guitar Dream", and lingers throughout with a lazy and hazy attitude that already makes sense in this anticipated NYC summer. The band’s sound, flirting with ambient music and even lounge pop, synthesizes various influences in a rather unique psych pop package. – Madison Silvers
Erik Gundel, from recently dismembered Brooklyn band Motel Motel, has just released the debut EP for his new solo electronic project. Erik’s tracks aren’t in any way reminiscent of his previous band’s work, dwelling in a more electronic and experimental territory. The slow paced loops, mixed with abundant atmospheric noises and gentle sax stabs, bring back to mind a less funky version of… Funky Porcini, while the sophisticated vocal harmonies refer to more recent avant artists like Dirsty Projectors and Grizzly Bear. Overall a very interesting debut.
Folk rockers Great Elk quietly released a four song EP today. It’s a free download, but the band is asking folks to consider dropping $5 towards the kickstarter campaign to fund their debut full length, to be recorded in a few weeks and released late in 2011.
On Wednesday Night on the curb in front of Bowery Electric, Nick Vivid, frontman of the Nuclears (in the picture), took a deep breath and limbered up, making tai chi-esque poses. When asked about his pre-show ritual, he commented "I don’t want to pull anything – other than hijinks." And there were hijinks to be had. Ripping through most of the tracks off their recent release, Brian and Mick Maverick worked out their sibling rivalry by shredding guitar. In between sets, Go-Go Amy’s steamy burlesque kept (male) patrons glued to their spots (by the way, the lady’s nipple-tassel-twirling is well executed). After a brief fashion show from Stella Zotis (featuring more zippers, studs and leather than I have borne witness to in quite a while), Brass Knuckle Evangelists took the stage, working through a set of expertly executed bluesy rock ‘n roll. After one last set from Go-Go Amy, patrons stumbled their way out, looking for the afterparty on a weekday night. – allison levin
Americana musicians are often forced to walk an interesting line between folk idealism and popular realities, with the best of such acts successfully synthesizing the strongest elements of both paradigms. One such act is New York-based songwriter Julia Haltigan. Her eclectic brand of roots music is reminiscent of iconoclasts such as Tom Waits, the electric blues of Chess records, and the atmospheric soundscapes of golden age Hollywood. Haltigan’s cryptic lyrics and blues-inflected vocal timbre sit right at home amongst a backdrop of lush guitars, old-timey horns, and a driving rhythm section. The pedal steel guitar, a mainstay in country music since the time of Hank Williams, adds an eerie ambiance that appropriately ties together Haltigan’s sound. Required listening for fans of classic blues, alt-country, and rockabilly alike. Check out "Knocking at the Door" from her latest release, "Julia Haltigan and the Hooligans." You can see Julia and her band at 11th Street Bar on May 31. – Jason Bertone
Baltimore’s Alice Anna have been announcing their latest tracks recorded in NYC in late April on their FB page with more to come. The band, named after a street in Baltimore housing the tavern where the members were brought back together, initially started as a solo project of singer/songwriter Daniel Strauch. He had recorded an album inspired by his life on the road with his previous band of 6 years, the Secret State, which got regular rotation at JA Murphy’s. Now he’s joined with Josh Jones, Michael Marx, Hunter Schafer, Harrison McClain with more new material coming soon.
Check out the new video below for "Standing in the Rain" off their Dec. 2010 debut album. Their next gig is 7/16 at the 8×10 Club in B-more.
Hardly delicate, Delicate Steve‘s music is completely self assured in its eccentricities. Blending trippy percussion loops with catchy avant-garde rhythms, he’s tearing up the pop rulebook, and creating a buzz that has been felt down the turnpike and throughout the five boroughs. This video won our nonexistent 2010 "Video of the Year" award.
Headless Horseman is a band full of contradictions. While much of members Fareed Sajan and Conner O’Neill’s repertoire contains the intimate spookiness of Icelandic bands like múm and Sigur Ros, there’s also an immediacy in their recordings at home in their Brooklyn surroundings, bringing Sufjan Stevens and even Sleigh Bells to mind in songs like Sh8ker and Growing. Achieving large, sing-along moments over sparse guitar work, then moving without pause to mouse-like whispers rising over blaring electronics, this band deals exclusively in musical and emotional dichotomies.
Electro rock outfit Arpline have the ability to carve a very original electronic rock sound through an interesting use of arpeggiators. Early traces of MGMT are there, mixed with German post punk influences, creating a feeling of club basement badass mixed with synthesizers and dance jam goodies. Don’t miss their show tonight!
We were just informed that DEDE won’t be able to play our show at Spike Hill tonight – that band got stuck in Phoenix because of flight related problems.
Although it is deemed as one “category,” tonight’s Deli B.E.A.F 2011 Alternative Rock Stage envelops a multitude of styles and tastes, representing the ever changing and progressive nature of the New York music scene. Here’s a closer look at the bands playing on May 27 at Spike Hill:
Taking a path less common than most rock bands, The yes Way incorporate in their admirable track list different sonic elements – guitar riffs blended with smooth harmonies, heavy instrumentation carried by emotional vocals.
IN Taurus’ music, harmonious and eerie melodies meld with psychedelic vibes and darker undertones on their upcoming EP, “Cannon Falls Forever.” Unexpected twists on swelling modulations keep the ear guessing on “Born a Lion;” hypnotic guitar strums and smooth vocals come together on the peaceful “Love Would Bury You;” and, a gentle introduction on “Carolina” transforms into a swirl of reverb and distortion. (MB)
Catchy, unassuming and emotional (not in an "emo" way), Shake The Baron’s pop rock is as good as it gets. This band has noteworthy songwriting chops – check out the embedded song "Tree House" – and a rather placid attitude: even though most of their songs are quite upbeat, they kind of sound like mid tempos, because the band rocks without "losing it", allowing guitarist/vocalist Andrew Oedel’s smooth tenor space to shine.
Reverberating guitars and echoing, lax vocals melt together into Submarine Bells’ signature sound of silky melodies floating over crashing drums, embellished by flickering percussion. Vaguely reminiscent of Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithhause, Owen McCarthy’s vocals are so intense it seems they are carrying the weight of the world. (MB)
Sounding like the early Beatles’ evil cousins, The Young Things’s music is likely to give your lazy NYC ass a good, deserved shake. Maybe their secret is that their music is obviously inspired byo the classic party songs of the 60s, from "It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night" to "La Bamba" – i.e. the sound track of most teenagers’ parties, or – at least – of the ones who have the word "hipster" branded in their destiny.
There is nothing sleepy about pILLOW tHEORY ( a band that last year opened for Living Colour in Central Park). The NYC quartet’s current and second release, “Outpatience” showcases hints of jazz intertwined with the aggressiveness of metal, drive of punk, the smoothness of soul, and the energetic appeal of pop, delivering dynamic variety and unexpected twists on New York’s typical rock outfit. (MB)
Having spent hours laboring in the studio for their first two releases, Brooklyn’s Emanuel and the Fear took a more organic approach for the new self-released EP “Hands“, by writing and rehearsing the tracks in the two months they toured Europe in 2010. They then recorded and mixed the whole record in 4 days, mostly live in the studio with Brendan Tobin (Made Out Of Babies/Red Sparrows). “Hands” will be released on June 10th, 2011. The band, which features members who have worked with bands as diverse as The National, From Autumn to Ashes, Sufjan Stevens, Zao, Akron/Family, Ryan Star, and The Canadian Brass, will be celebrating the release of the EP on July 7, 2011 at the Mercury Lounge. – (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.
Here at The Deli we call "Alt Folk" and "Avant-Indie" bands that have familiar tones but are still on some classification borderline. Even with these in mind, it’s difficult to categorize the work of Christopher Hoffman. In his song “The Ends” he whispers over five layers of sleepy ambience, a good half-and-half of electronic and folk influences, rippling and rolling. In other tracks, (“What kind of bird are you”) he brings in loud cellos dueting with saxophones over a continuous brass/strings section. Every track is interesting, and this music makes for a strong addition to the Brooklyn scene. – Caitlin Clive
Mumford and Sons is getting a lot of much-deserved attention lately. If you’re a fan, we’ve got something local for you to try. Dear Lions has a similar croon, without the banjo behind, but with the same acoustic simplicity in the slower tracks and characteristic sincerity in the lyrics. They released their debut EP a week ago, and you can check it out here. – Caitlin Clive
