Somehow both light and heavy, Conversion Party possess an accessible garagey/alt sound. Like a good boxer, this band is quick on its feet- but also quick with the punch. Songs like "Island Dream" are a clear example of this, the vocals settling on top of driving instrumentals like oil on top of water. Other songs pick a side, like "Awake" (delightfully heavy, but still catchy) and "Ron", which is almost Beulah-esque in its lightness. Originally of New London, Connecticut, some of Conversion Party’s members call Brooklyn home. Their all-ages gig has already passed, but there is still time to catch their 21+ release show at Pianos. Pick up their that record while you’re there, I bet you won’t regret it. – allison levin
For the past few months, New York’s The Shake have opened their rehearsal space, “The Red Door,” and welcomed a multitude of bands to perform at their monthly party, “The Shakedown.” Saturday, February 12 was the “Valentine’s Day Edition” of the underground-meets-VIP-meets- fraternity-style get-together. The crowd is a mix of fans, friends, and people in search of a good time, who ultimately become fans once they are face to face with the live music. Performers for this month Shakedown, happening on March 12 at The Red Door (140w 24th St) will be psych rockers The Living Kills, Philly’s Deli favorite Penrose, and hosts and rock ‘n rollers, The Shake. – Read Amanda Schupak’s interview with The Shake here.
With a knack for making nostalgia-tinged, popped-out indie rock that’s alternately loud and/or mellow(ish) in all the right places, Diehard offer oft-distorted, yet still somehow pleasantly shiny, guitar rock with male-female vocals. The band’s two EPs — “Oh So Premier,” released early this year, and the just-released “Ultimate Heartthrob” — do a great job of capturing the energy of the quartet’s live show and offer the promise of more goodness to come, in form of a full length the band is currently trying to fund through a Kickstarter campaign. – Read Stereoactive NYC‘s interview with The band here.
Meet the strange and wonderful Lawrence and Leigh. When I first saw photos of this group, I thought.. "…another Brooklyn folk duo." 30 seconds into "Glow", these preconceptions were immediately abandoned. One thing they’re not is a typical folk duo. Whatever magic these two share together as singer-songwriters is matched equally by an intense interest in studio trickery. Complimenting their soaring harmonies with collage effects bordering on musique concrete, Lawrence and Leigh’s sound is brimming with ideas that keep obvious categorizations at bay. The music of Andrew Kalleen and Kristin Stokes seems to reinvent itself after every listen, so be prepared to spend some time with these tracks as they move from bare acoustic arrangements to electronic 4-on-floor grooves and back again in epic and rewarding proportions. Head on over to their myspace where you can stream all tracks from their newly released 6 song EP Odyssey Vol. III: Hills and Masts. No, you didn’t miss anything… they have decided to release the third volume of this odyssey before releasing the first two. That’s just something these arty musicians are into. See them at SXSW at Revolution Bar on 03.17 – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)
Object is a Brooklyn based duo of noise rockers sort of in the vein of Dinosaur Jr., and they took the opportunity of their EP release party to invite other interesting noisy and loud local acts to open for them, tonight (03.09.2011) at Death By Audio in Williamsburg.
On Saturday, March 19, Glasslands Gallery will be hosting the Roadside Graves, Natureboy, GunFight! , and Wagers (in the picture). For those folks not attending SXSW this year, this show will hopefully help them forget that they’re not partying in sunny Austin, TX (at least for a few hours). For the show GunFight! will be performing “Cadaver Dog” with Natureboy’s Sara Kermanshahi, off of their LP, Frontier Land.
You can also catch GunFight! and Natureboy at the Brain-Cave Festival at Shea Stadium on April 9th with Dinowalrus, Mr. Dream, She Keeps Bees, Dpony (mems Hooray for Earth), Shark?, Data Dog and more…
Civilian is the third album from Baltimore’s indie-folk duo Wye Oak, a collection of heart-wrenching tunes that singer/guitarist Jenn Wasner says are about "aloneness (the positive kind), loneliness (the horrible kind), moving on, and letting go (of people, places, and things.)" Every track paints those feelings vividly with Wasner’s dreamy vocals and multi-instrumentalist Andy Stack’s layers of echoing swirly melodies, fusing noise and fuzz at all the right times.
The album cover, a still of a cannonball diver submerged in dark water, sets the mood beautifully for these songs that are ready to boom from a summer-time lake side stereo. Like "Holy Holy" and it’s wailing guitar intro that returns triumphantly throughout, blending melodic rhythms and fuzz that recall the classic 90’s alternative edge.
"The Altar" is a rollercoaster of sound, building you up with a soft beginning before letting you loose in the chamber of loops, 60’s boardwalk/beachy keys, echoing dual vocals, and one hell of a super groovy guitar strum.
The title track "Civilian" is another killer track showcasing everything that Wye Oak is known for. Completely powerful in every way from the lyrics down to the scuzzed-out feedback, it’s another soft starter with a boom that kicks in with an uprise of everything they’ve got from a church organ that gives it a hint of southern gospel flair to a screeching guitar solo that’s ready to pull a Hendrix. This was the track that won me over fast.
Civilian was released 3/8. Check out the killer title track below, and also catch Wye Oak live at the Black Cat this Friday 3/11. –Dawn Wye Oak – Civilian by cityslang
If you play straight rock and roll today in Brooklyn, you’ve got to play it like a friggin’ animal, or nobody will care. This is exactly what Cheeseburger excels at, and the band has been doing this passionately for quite some time now (they played one of the first Deli parties back in 2005 – one organized by Todd P actually – at the now semi-inactive Asterisk Art Project). We hear that the NYC sonic Burger is about to travel to SXSW and release their sophomore album on May 3 via Williams Street Records. Their records are fun, but it’s their live shows you don’t want to miss.
We keep covering one by one the artists that made our Year EndBestofNYC 2010list – a chart compiled by a jury comprisedof NYC bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers. It’s a (final) countdown!
Brooklyn based duo Blondes take us back to the days when techno was some kind of new psychedelic experience (remember The Orb?) with what they call "ecstatic trance". Their tracks move and develop slowly, sounds fade in and out peacefully, while the regular, paced kick keeps the beat alive, synchronized with our pulse. As underlined by titles like "Virgin Pacific", "Paradise City" and Sundance", there’s a calming quality in this duo’s music, which we are now tempted to describe as "ambient with a beat". Experience them at Terminal 5 on March 19.
Dust off your muskets, Freedom Fighters, the Britt ISH is here and it’s time to lick some shots. This album is true hip hop; it’s honest, gritty, and brimming with swagger. The beats, drawn from a diverse battalion of upcoming producers, maintain a head- nodding cohesion. The vibe channels that classic mid-90’s sound, but is also spiked with a subtle urgency that speaks more to the current cultural climate. They’re the type of songs that induce both sweaty dance floors and sweaty philosophical discussions. Warren’s dynamic delivery launches from quick machine gun barrages to slow shotgun blows to your chest. Topically, he runs the gamut from seduction to sedition combining a mainstream flow with an underground sensibility. From visceral storytelling to audacious clowning, from Queen samples to Passion Pit references, Warren Britt’s first ep is an epic victory. – Broke MC
This Wednesday is going to be fantastic. There. I said it. Utterly fantastic.
Former Deli Artist of the Month, Lightfoot will be kicking off a kicking show at Rock and Roll Hotel that will also include Cotton Jones and Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea. Expect a night full of gospel and soul and blues and doo-wop and whiskey and just generally a whole lot of heart. Don’t miss it – this show is a sell out risk, so buy your tickets now! Order them here. Doors open at 8:00. $12 if you buy ahead, $14 at the door.
Lightfoot also rocked a living room courtesy of Sofar over this past weekend. I had the privilege of catching that show and I’ll have more to say on it very soon…
In the meantime, have a listen to Lightfoot’s new acoustic video of their song, "City Girls."
Lo-Fi-Psych-Gazers Crystal Stilts may be remembered as one of the most influential bands of the 2000s – as they triggered the reinassance of psych rock with surf influences in NYC. They actually where on one of our coolest covers back in 2008 (picture). The band just shared this free track from the upcoming album "In Love With Oblivion", due in April on Slumberland.
They also announced 2 NYC shows in April – they might sell out…
04/16 New York – Le Poisson Rouge
04/17 Brooklyn – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Read the cover feature from that issue here.
Read two Deli article about the Brooklyn DIY scene here and here.
Lo-Fi-Psych-Gazers